Hello, Goodbye

Isang diborsiyada si Marsha. Iniwanan siya ng kanyang lover na isang actor. Nakatira si Marsha, together with her only daughter sa isang apartment. Without her knowing it, pina-sublet nung Ex niya ang kanyang apartment sa isang kapwa actor, si Richard. Kaya ayun walang choice si Marsha but to share the apartment with Richard.

After awhile of living in the same house together, Richard and Marsha fell in love with each other. Una pinigilan ni Marsha ang damdamin niya na ma-inlove uli sa isa pang actor. Ayaw na ni Marsha sa mga actor dahil alam niya na unstable ang propesyon ng mga actor. Parating umaalis, iniiwan ang partner and never to come back. It has always been the story of her life. Parati siyang iniiwan. Pero lubhang makamandag ang pana ni cupido. This time Richard seems different. He promised not to leave Marsha.

But promises are meant to be broken, ika nga. May acting job na na-receive si Richard at kailangan niyang umalis. Richard can’t refuse the offer. It was a chance of a lifetime, so umalis din siya. Bagamat nangako siyang babalik, in Marsha’s mind alam niyang hindi na ito babalik like her past lovers.

This is a very memorable film for me. Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl”, na napanood ko sa Quad Makati nung panahon pa ng kopong-kopong. Starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason. Masaya siyempre ang ending dahil bumalik din si Richard as promised. Nagyakapan sila, naghalikan, The End. Sabay pasok ng background music ng sikat na kanta ni David Gates with the same title.

All your life you've waited for love to come and stay
And now that I have found you, you must not slip away
I know it's hard believin' the words you've heard before
But darlin' you must trust them just once more... 'cause baby

Goodbye doesn't mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn't mean we'll never be together again
If you wake up and I'm not there, I won't be long away
'Cause the things you do my Goodbye Girl
Will bring me back to you.

I know you've been taken, afraid to hurt again
You fight the love you feel for me instead of givin' in
But I can wait forever, a-helpin' you to see
That I was meant for you and you for me...so remember

Goodbye doesn't mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn't mean we'll never be together again
Though we may be so far apart you still will have my heart
So forget your past my Goodbye Girl
'Cause now you're home at last.

Life is a chain of hellos and goodbyes. Karamihan ng mga hellos masaya. At karamihan naman ng goodbyes may luha at lungkot. Kung pwede nga lang sana (borrowing the words of LWS) puro hello na lang; wala nang goodbye. But such is life. We have to contend with both. Siguro kaya malungkot ang goodbye para maging mas matamis at masaya ang inyong susunod na hello.

Goodbye Dabu! See ya soon.