Alex sat bolt upright and asked why.
"I have no family," Ethel replied.
Her boyfriend, visibly offended, protested, "But I’m your family." This triggered a series of arguments that ended up with Alex leaving the house and Ethel asking for a cool-off. It’s been two weeks since, an agonizing time for Ethel, who drowned her sorrows in crying fits and booze which she downed at home and in bars.
Two years of ups and downs with her cager-boyfriend is no joke. They’ve weathered so many storms, the strongest of which caused a rift between Ethel on one side and her mom and younger sister Boobita on the other.
Ethel’s mom, upon learning of the cool-off, even told her daughter-host, "You and Alex are not meant for each other."
But the lovebirds hang on for years... until the Christmas tree incident came along and Ethel felt she needed a break.
Now that she has reconciled with her mom and sister, Ethel’s next big project is to act as bridge between her warring family and Alex. Her deadline is Christmastime.
"Deadma muna this Christmas," she says.
And what if the two opposite camps fail to smoke the peace pipe? Ethel rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulders in resignation, her silent way of saying, "I’m stumped."
Ethel and Alex have obviously reconciled. They arrived together at Bubble Gang Restaurant, where Ethel had a presscon for her introductory movie, Cine Suerte’s Sablay Ka Na, Pasaway Ka Pa!
"We still love each other and Alex still visits me at home. His kids (a boy and a girl aged three and five) stay with me and Alex has his own place now. I just need space," says Ethel.
Alex gets jealous when he sees Ethel and Extra Challenge host Paolo Bediones being sweet to each other.
"Oh, but I like my man fair-skinned and Paolo is dark," Ethel quickly assures Alex. He also reprimanded Ethel for "flirting" with Rainier Castillo, who has admitted he has a crush on the controversial host. Again, Ethel had to reassure Alex.
"I’m just like his grandma," she cooes.
It’s clear a complete break-up from Alex is the farthest thing in Ethel’s mind right now.
"If that happens," Ethel points out, "Our detractors will just say they were right all along about Alex. He just got dragged in the mess."
The can’t-let-go-feeling is mutual. Alex told Ethel he wants to end his (basketball) career in the Philippines, a deportation case against him notwithstanding.
"Alex has the lightest case among his colleagues," says Ethel. "His maternal lolo is Filipino. It’s just that Rudy Hatfield was the first one to submit complete requirements proving his Filipino roots."
Ethel manages to put this and other concerns behind her through work, lots of it. She plays Megan, the model-friend of Katrina Halili’s character in Sablay. Problem is, Megan does not hide the fact that she has a crush on Katrina’s boyfriend in the movie, Eric, played by Rep. Mikey Arroyo.
Ethel’s role may be light, but she’s happy about it. After all, she with the sexy clothes and pasaway image can easily play the flirty, irreverent seductress in the movie.
Her hands are never idle, even after her Extra Challenge chores. Ethel will soon show she has other skills besides hosting when she opens her boutique, Ethel’s Secret (inspired by Victoria’s Secret) at Crossings Department Store, near Panay Avenue, Quezon City this December. Here, she plans to showcase her creativity in designing gowns (one of which she wore herself ) and making accessories. Ethel herself does the sketch, chooses the material and creates the designs.
"This," she told a reporter who noticed the thick brown and black ethnic bracelet around her right wrist, "is a sample of our products. I made it myself."
She can do a lot more, Ethel tells you, just you wait and see. No wonder Alex Crisano can’t let go of her.