HABANG dumadaan sa matinding depresyon noon ang Kapamilya singer-songwriter na si Moira dela Torre, nasa bahay siya ni Sam Milby at doon nakikitira.
Nagsisimula pa lang daw siya sa showbiz nang magmagandang loob ang aktor na pansamantala muna siyang mag-stay sa condo unit nito.
Kuwento ni Moira sa panayam sa kanya ni Toni Gonzaga na mapapanood sa YouTube vlog nito, hinding-hindi niya makakalimutan si Sam dahil sa kabutihan nito sa kanya.
Sabi ni Toni, “Not a lot of people know about this, na when you were starting, tumira ka sa bahay ni Sam, di ba, sa condo?” Na sinang-ayunan naman agad ng singer.
Patuloy ni Toni, “Una kitang narinig kay Sam. Kasi si Sam before, he keeps raving about you. ‘You should hear this singer Moira. She’s so good, Toni.’
“Sabi ko, ‘Where is she?’ Sabi niya, ‘She actually lives in my condo right now because she has no place to stay pa,'” chika pa ng TV host-singer-actress.
Ani Moira, itinuring na rin siyang parang kapatid ni Sam, “At that time, I was going through something. My depression was really bad. He didn’t want me to be alone.
“Si Kuya Sam, he’s really protective since wala akong family sa Manila, tapos wala yung family niya sa Manila at that time. Kami yung naging family,” lahad niya.
Mula sa probinsya, nagpunta sa Manila si Moira para mag-aral sa College of St. Benilde. Hiwalay na raw noon ang mga magulang niya.
Parehong talent ng Cornerstone Talent Management ang dalawa kaya naging close sila sa isa’t isa.
Isa sa mga hindi niya malilimutang regalo sa kanya ni Sam ay ang mamahaling gitara na ibinigay sa kanya kahit hindi pa sila close.
“Pinapunta nila ako sa Victory Fort, ni Ate Caress, yung handler niya. Pagtingin ko sa aisle, meron nang guitar na Taylor. That was my first brand-new guitar na iniregalo niya sa akin. Na hindi naman kami ever nag-usap,” aniya pa.
Patuloy pa niyang chika, “Up to this day, he’s really like my brother. Ako yung wing man niya sa lahat ng mga naging ex niya. Ha-hahaha!”
Kung matatandaan, nag-post din si Moira sa Instagram noon kung saan ibinahagi niya ang isa pang nagawa ni Sam sa buhay niya.
“A couple of months ago, my kuya @samuelmilby called me while i was at a Coffeebean and started preaching to me about my worth as a person and as an artist.
“He read quote after quote, verse after verse, from the Bible and by famous people who made a difference in the world and told me he strongly believed i could be one of them.
“He went on and on for more than an hour, tirelessly battling every lie and insecurity he knew was plaguing my head. Here was the most famous person in the country, investing time on me, telling me i was worth it.
“I thanked him for believing in me and for taking the time to speak truth to me. And he replied with this, ‘I would gladly be the one to keep doing this again and again until you start believing that you are great, that you are talented and that you deserve to be heard by the world.
“‘I believe all of this not just because you’re my little sister but because you really are all that and more. I believe in you, Moi.’
“True enough, my kuya hasn’t missed a week in checking up on me, encouraging me, dreaming with me, (farting on me) and being there for me ever since,” pahayag pa ni Moira sa kanyang post.
Sa isa namang interview kay Sam, sinabi nito kay Moira na, “I can’t explain how happy I am kung saan siya ngayon. Lahat ng success na nangyayari sa kanya ngayon.”
Naniniwala rin siya na pang-world-class ang talent ng singer, “Ang maganda rin sa mga hugot songs niya, they’re not hugot na victim, they’re hugot na may hope.”