A throwback to a happier October

Stop the calendar! The days had been galloping too fast.

I never realized until I checked the date that it is already past the middle of November. Maybe we lost track of time because we got busy grieving, mourning and getting shocked by the tragic deaths that began in the dying days of October that went till the infancy of this month traditionally associated with ghouls and ghosts — tales of which we don’t necessarily have to believe.

But what happened the past two weeks were, sadly, real. We saw the deaths of Ram Revilla, Charice’s father, Ricky Pempengco and Boots Plata. Within the Startalk family, we are also extending our condolences to those left behind by Angelita Manalo, mother of our executive producer, Reylie.

And this week, the remains of Lito Calzado were laid to rest.

However, I wouldn’t want to dwell anymore on deaths because — to begin with — the Ram Revilla case is still ongoing and may go on and on until nobody knows when.

I would rather much recall the happier days of an October past when a lot of showbiz people marked their birthdays. I managed to show up in only a few.

First stop was the very simple dinner Toni Rose Gayda hosted for her mother, the great Rosa Rosal, last Oct. 16. The Ramon Magsaysay winner for her humanitarian efforts had always been a practical woman who frowns on lavish birthday parties.

How can I ever forget this on-cam incident in the now-defunct Damayan? (She gave up this non-earning daily responsibility that she did gratis for decades last year as part of her plan to slow down.)

A few years ago during her birthday, anyway, her Damayan staff who meant well because they love her made the mistake of giving her an on-cam celebration. There was this multi-tiered cake.

Did her staff get a scolding — on TV? Ms. Rosal felt the celebration, with that tall cake, was a waste of money that could have gone instead to her Red Cross and her other charitable projects (like the scholarship foundation that she had tied up to benefit the poor, but deserving students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines). Well, that’s Rosa Rosal for you — always no nonsense. Her every breath is devoted for the poor and the needy.

The only reason why we had that birthday dinner at Café Juanita was to be in touch with each other. And so it was only Tita Rose, Toni, grandson John and this writer, who is a son to her.

I had salad. Toni and I try to eat healthy and she only had soup, while Ms. Rosal didn’t eat at all (no meals after 6 p.m. for her). Grandson John Lim, however, is still a growing boy and had his meat dishes.

Of course, we are not necessarily condemning those who decide to throw big birthday bashes. To most people in showbiz, that is their way of saying thank you to people who had helped prop them up (or even keep their sanity intact) in this dizzying world of entertainment.

And so talent manager Rams David decided to gather close friends during his birthday last Oct. 20 at Patio Carlito. Although guests kept coming in and out, it was manageable and that even gave me the chance to catch up with Ali Sotto and some of her staff members from Personalan. At another table were German Moreno and Joel Lamangan.

I felt I committed venial sin after I had a few spoonfuls of pasta and two chicken wings.

The mortal sin I reserved for what I expected would be a bigger feast that I knew would overflow with delicious, but calorie-laden treats: Annabelle Rama’s bash last Oct. 27 at the L‘Incontro Ristorante Italiano in Makati.

In her text invitation, Annabelle said it was going to be an intimate dinner. Understatement of the year — as the who’s who in showbiz were practically in full attendance.

And as I predicted, the buffet table groaned with so much food and I am proud to say that I said pass to that — save for a few strands of pasta and the breadsticks that were on every table. Why, I was even able to say no to those tempting roast suckling pigs that one day may just drive Annabelle to go to the Senate to lobby and turn lechon into the national dish of the Philippines.

The only time my defenses weakened was when dessert was passed around. I could have gone for seconds, but what saved me from sinning further was when the celebrator went to our table where sat GMA 7 executives Marivin Arayata, Redgie Magno and Lilybeth Rasonable.

That was where the main course was served — showbiz talk. The topic, however, was limited only to three personalities: All stage mothers.

Anyone who regularly gets a dose of entertainment news should know the No. 1 in Annabelle’s flavor of the month list. I will no longer mention the name because Annabelle already discussed that in a Startalk interview that must have been watched by every Pinoy here and abroad (it went viral in the Internet).

No. 2 — Lolit Solis already named, also in the same Startalk interview, that sent the show’s ratings all the way to the top.

Soon to come is No. 3. Annabelle promised to name her still in that guest stint in Startalk. But guess what? She already named her in our table that evening.

I’m tempted to reveal that here, but let’s wait awhile till Annabelle is good and ready.

When that happens, expect an even bigger bomb to explode and that will add even more fireworks to the already very colorful world of showbiz.

Take cover!