One day last week, guess who was at the other end of the line? It's Boom Fonacier, eldest son of Anos Fonacier of Bohol Beach Club fame. According to the young Fonacier, he wanted to see this BGlante for a briefing of the latest physical condition of his aging father. Expectedly, we learn that the old man is still battling the biggest battle of his life—that of defying aging in the most fashionable manner. At 87, the irrepressible Fonacier is still at it, according to Boom, “mayabang pa rin”. Whatever that means, mayabang to those who know him just meant that he is just being true to his “snob appeal”. But mayabang or snob, Fonacier is one friend from way back who understands friendship like the back of his palm.

As one who knows Fonacier from Adam, it's unfortunate that at this time, he's hounded by old age and therefore out of circulation. “Out of order”, notwithstanding, the tie that binds this BGlante and the old Fonacier is still maintained by his wife Josephine and two sons Boom and Chuck. Our friendship with the old man is rich in analogy and metaphor. Like an old soldier, old friendship never dies. It will just fade away until we are recalled to kingdom come. Our friendship is also likened to an old matron, it never dies, just the same, because she will just dye presumably to hide the reality that she has seen better days. Only last February, though belatedly, his wife sent me a letter through youngest son Chuck detailing for the first time how he was coping up in his present disorder of lapses in memory recall. As repeated by Boom, the mother told this BGlante last February he was the same Fonacier, yes, you guess it right, “mayabang pa rin”. But you know what, the thing that surprised this BGlante, was the gesture of how the Fonacier family recognized how valuable our role was in the colorful life of the old man when he was still in circulation in Bohol.

It was to our great fortune that we are considered one of the very few who is close to the old Fonacier that we became the subject of envy of those who wanted to rub elbows with the top hotelier. And our closeness to Fonacier was translated into automatic association with the high and the mighty in this city the likes of Richard Uy, the top honcho of the First Consolidated Bank, Marlito Uy of the Alturas Group of Companies, Gov. Edgar Chatto, John and Geesnel Yap of Bohol Tropics fame, to name a few individuals of consequence in this part of town. Snob or mayabang ? Yes, to those who do not know him up close and personal. But to this BGlante who knows him from head to toe, he is the most gentle among business giants in the community whether in Panglao or in this city.

That's Fonacier to the uninitiated. Anyway, as Christmas draws, the Boom encounter makes our Christmas a double treat. Aside from getting an update of how he managed to live a comfortable life despite the reality of old age, he remains true to his life long streak of generosity by gifting this BGlante the usual five figure cash bonanza. And it was going on for years since about 25 years ago when we started calling ourselves as true friends. What are friends for in the first place. When one comes down to it, with a friend like Fonacier, who needs an enemy.