•Ai-Ai ends ‘celibate’ days •Annabelle book a ‘must-read’

By this time, Kris Aquino and her sons Joshua and Bimby must be swaying with the waves on a beach in Honolulu where they are staying until New Year. Tom Rodriguez (without girlfriend Carla Abellana) has joined his family in Japan for the holidays, which is also where Angelica Panganiban (minus boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz). Other stars are taking time out in places far from the maddening crowd.

And Ai-Ai delas Alas, star of My Bebe Love, one of the eight official entries in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)?

She should be in L.A. now for an R&R with her two children based there, resting assured that her MMFF movie (with Vic Sotto, Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards) would be among the moneymakers, if not the No. 1 moneymaker.

During the movie’s 30-day shoot, Ai-Ai as usual declared herself “celibate,” a state of purity totally understood by her boyfriend Gerard Sibayan who celebrated his birthday on the day Ai-Ai lifted her self-imposed abstinence.

“Year 2015 has been a good year for me,” Ai-Ai told her movie writer friends during their annual get-together at Iskinita where the chef is her son Sancho (a Culinary Arts graduate) who is also co-owner with businessman Bobby Co. “The Lord has been good to me. Ibinalik Niya ang career ko, tahimik ang love life ko, happy ang buhay ko. Ibinalik Niya lahat ng nawala sa akin.”

She’s swamped with more blessings in 2016: A film for Regal (with which she has just signed a multi-picture contract), another film with Viva Films and a GMA soap. Also, Gerard is graduating from La Salle (where he’s a scholar).

“Uy, siya ang nagpa-aral sa sarili niya, ha,” said Ai-Ai.

No marriage plan?

“Not so soon,” said Ai-Ai, clarifying that she hasn’t developed a phobia for marriage after her first lasted for barely one month. “Huwag madaliin.”

Her New Year’s resolution?

“To travel. Magbiyahe nang magbiyahe.”

* * *

The life story, including her checkered love life, is an open book…from the time she was 16 when she started “stalking” Eddie Gutierrez, her idol, chasing him for years until Eddie “relented” into marrying her; up to now, 40 years later, when they are enjoying life together with their children and grandchildren.

And remember how her father shaved Annabelle’s head clean to stop her from being pasaway, leaving her in the care of the nuns at the Asilo Milagrosa in Cebu…how she scared several other women from getting near Eddie with (toy?) guns, with acid and with other life-threatening devices? Eddie was driven into claustrophobia by Annabelle’s dogged pursuit that he chose Please Release Me as theme song. 

“I tried gayuma (love potion) to win Eddie pero hindi tumalab,” confessed Annabelle. “Ang effective ay dasal.”

From all these colorful experiences comes a tell-all guide book titled ‘Day, Hard!, released recently by ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc. For P175 per copy, readers can learn a lot of tips, “practical advice para hindi ka maging bobita sa love at sa life” (according to the subhead of the book with “Lakas ng loob, kapal ng mukha” as subtitle.

Having “tamed” Eddie (a noted playboy during his heyday as Sampaguita matinee idol to whom women would stick as flies would to a flypaper), Annabelle admitted that she has mellowed.

“Hindi na ako selosa,” she claimed. 

Annabelle Rama’s book ‘Day, Hard! (below). Asked what his favorite story on the book is, ABS-CBN Publishing head Ernie Lopez said, ‘The one on Page 52’ (right)

‘Day, Hard! is so revealing, so full of juicy stories (complete with sketches/cartoons and choice pictures from the family album) and so interesting that it can only be described as “unputdownable.”

Asked if Eddie has read it, Annabelle said yes.

“Pinabasa ko bago dinala sa printing. Nagustuhan naman n’ya.”

At the book launch, we asked Ernesto Lopez, head of ABS-CBN Publishing, what his favorite story on the book was.

“The one on Page 52 (reproduced on this page),” said Ernie with a laugh. “It’s called ‘The Art of War — sabunutan skills.’”

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