Parang wala pa ring pagbabago kina Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera kung paano sila magbiruan at tratuhin ang isa’t isa. Kumportable pa rin sila sa isa’t isa at kontrahan pa rin nang kontrahan just like the old days when they were both hosting Penthouse Live.
And yes, nandu’n pa rin ang chemistry nila after all these years. Nakakakilig pa rin kapag may sinasabing sweet words ang concert king sa kanyang ex-wife.
Ito ang nasaksihan ng entertainment press kahapon sa packet presscon para sa kanilang upcoming concert together, ang The Penthouse… Live Reunion, na ginanap sa Jet 7 Bistro sa Timog Ave.
Sa mga hindi nakakaalam, sa nasabing late-night show nagsimula ang tandem nina Pops and Martin. Dito sila sumikat as a loveteam and individually. Dito sila naging magkaibigan, eventually fell in love and got married.
The show was very popular then na halos lahat ng artista that time ay gustong mag-guest sa kanila. Say nga ni Martin, hanggang ngayon, ang dami pa ring nagtatangkang gayahin ang Penthouse Live pero hindi talaga magaya-gaya.
“All the shows that you see now, including ASAP, including The Buzz, including all the shows you see now, ang peg nila, Penthouse Live,” sabi ni Martin. Seventeen years na palang magkahiwalay sina Martin and Pops at ngayon, mabuting magkaibigan na lang tulad ng dati when they were starting out sa Penthouse Live.
Ang foundation daw talaga nila kahit noon pa ay friendship kaya naman hindi ito mahirap ibalik matapos nilang maghiwalay. Aminado si Pops na nagkaroon din siya ng bitterness right after the separation, pero eventually, naovercome rin niya ito.
“Hindi rin naman ako happy noong bitter ako, so, I finally said, if I really cannot forget and try to forgive, then I would be miserable for the rest of my life. So, why stay there? Life can be so much better,” pahayag ni Pops.
Pero kahit during the time na galit siya, never niyang siniraan si Martin sa kanilang dalawang anak na sina Ram at Robin.
“That’s one thing I never did. You know why? Kasi ayokong ma-affect ’yung kids namin. Kumbaga, ’yung hindi namin pagkakaintindihan is between Martin and I, so, I felt my kids should never be affected,” say ni Pops.
Sabi naman ni Martin, “They (the kids) made it so easy for us because they didn’t show any kind of reaction or how they were affected. I know they were. Robin’s only talking about it now, about his true feelings then.”
Sobrang na-appreciate naman ni Martin ang ginawa ni Pops and say nga niya, “The best thing that Pops did during that time was she did not destroy me to my children. That’s the best part, I think it was a very mature move for the aggrieved woman.”
Anu’t anuman ang nangyari, Pops and Martin are both so thankful sa Penthouse Live dahil napakarami nilang natutunan dito, marami silang memorable moments at dito nagsimula ang lahat-lahat. “We were just two barely new, innocent, I didn’t know what I was doing then, virgin, until later on,” natatawang sabi ni Pops.
