PNS — ANNABELLE RAMA is one of the most colorful characters in showbiz. “Tamo, hindi ka nakikinig sa akin noong launching mo as Belo endorser,” she tells daughter Ruffa Gutierrez at the presscon of “My Monster Mom.” “Sinabi ko na, wag ka magko-comment about Gretchen, pero di ka nakinig, ano nangyari, puro si Gretchen ang lumabas sa dyaryo, at the expense of Dra. Belo.”
“I’m already 34 years old today,” says Ruffa “but my mom thinks I’m still a little girl.”
“Alam mo, Ruffa, habang buhay ako, hindi puedeng hindi ako makialam sa buhay mo. Nanay mo ko! So, kahit 34 ka na, may pakialam ako sa’yo forever, no! Hindi mo pa rin alam what’s wrong, what’s right. Nagkakamali ka pa rin, like what happened dyan kay Gretchen. Andito ko to guide you.”
The presscon turned into a tribute to Annabelle as writers like Ethel Ramos, Ronald Constantino and Letty Celi, who have been with her since she started as an actress in the early 70s all attested to the fact that she can be a good and dependable friend.
“Ever since, mas marami talaga akong kaibigang reporter kaysa mga artista,” Annabelle declares. “Kasi, lahat ng artista, plastic. Hindi sila nagsasabi ng tototo.”
What can she say about Reda Rhalimi, the 7 ft. 26-year-old Moroccan basketball player who is reportedly wooing Ruffa? “Aba, nang makita ko, sabi ko kay Ruffa, sino ba yung Kingkong na yun? Baka magka-problema ka na naman diyan, Ruffa. Muslim na naman yan.”
Yilmaz Bektas, Ruffa’s estranged husband, is also a Muslim and the differences in culture obviously contributed to their separation. Did Yilmaz greet her on her birthday? “Nag-chat kami kagabi, eve of my birthday at nag-reminisce kami ng good times. Ayun, naging emotional ako, kasi bale two years na kaming hindi magkasama. I also remembered yung sabi ng daughters namin, sina Lorin at Venice na they wish mom and dad would get married again.” Tears really start welling up from her eyes at this point. “My God, bakit ba ako napaiyak? Dahil siguro birthday ko, ‘no? Hayaan nyo na lang. Yilmaz asked kung sino yung nili-link sa’kin. Na-stress tuloy ako. Sabi ko, he’s just an admirer. All I can offer now is friendship dahil hindi pa ko talaga handang umibig uli.”
“Hay naku, Ruffa, sa umpisa lang ‘yan. Yang mga anak mo, makakalimutan din nila yang daddy nila, kaysa magbalikan pa kayo, no?” Annabelle butts in.
“I’m not expecting naman na magkabalikan kami. What I need is to heal fully. I just hope pareho kaming maging peaceful at maging maayos ang relationship namin as friends. Yun namang player, he’s just an admirer. Nagpadala ng flowers, alangan namang isauli ko, di ba?”
“Tama na yang drama,” says Annabelle. “Mag-promote na lang tayo ng ‘My Monster Mom.’ Sana panoorin nyong lahat ito kasi first movie namin ito ng asawa ko (Eddie Gutierrez). Biruin mo, after 35 years, ngayon lang kami nagkasama sa isang pelikula, At saka umacting talaga ako rito. Sa only two movies na ginawa ko noon, wala akong ginawa, nagpakita lang ako ng suso. Ngayon, napa-acting ako ni Direk Joey Reyes kaya gusto ko nga, siya rin ang magdidirek sa’kin sa susunod ko pang movies.”
“My Monster Mom” will open on July 2. Tomorrow, “The Making of My Monster Mom” will be shown after the Pacquiao-Diaz fight on GMA-7, then the premiere night will be held at SM Megamall at 8 p.m.