Tuloy ang kasal!

All’s well that ends well.

That cliché perfectly applies to Robin Padilla and his soon-to-be-legal son-in-law Aljur Abrenica after they happily bridged the widening gap during a very private dinner last Saturday night, three days after Valentine’s Day, at the home of Robin and wife Mariel Rodriguez in Fairview, Quezon City.

Actually it was a pamanhikan in which Aljur formally asked Robin’s consent to marry his daughter Kylie with whom Aljur has a six-month-old son, Alas Joaquin (AJ). The sweethearts are living together at Aljur’s Quezon City home against Robin’s wishes. Until last Saturday, Robin adamantly refused to recognize Aljur as Kylie’s partner even as he has warmed up to AJ who is several months younger than Robin and Mariel’s first child, Maria Isabella (born in November 2016).

Dad Robin can relax now that Kylie and Aljur are ready to make their union legal

“Kasal muna,” was all Robin would say every time he was asked about Aljur and Kylie whose sister Queenie also gave birth to her first child by her Pakistani husband. No problem there.

The pamanhikan was made possible by the efforts of Robin’s relatives who acted as “bridge” between the two gentlemen. When the big day came, Robin prepared a sumptuous dinner for Aljur who came with Kylie and AJ together with Aljur’s parents and siblings. The Padillas were led by Robin’s mom, Eva Cariño. Also present was Karla Estrada, a Padilla by affinity because the father of her son Daniel is Robin’s older brother Rommel.

“Karla told Aljur and company what kind of clan he was getting into,” an eyewitness told Funfare, “assuring him that the Padillas are nice people. In turn, Aljur told the Padillas that the Abrenicas are also nice people.”

Kylie and Ajur with son AJ

It was plucky for Aljur to have finally mustered enough guts to face Robin and laid bare his heart for him.

It was Robin who opened the door as soon as he heard the doorbell. He and Aljur promptly dissolved into a tight embrace that erased whatever displeasure there was between them. Kylie broke into tears and joined the big hug.

According to another Funfare informer, the two families discussed their children’s wedding…set for July this year?

“I cannot confirm that,” resisted the eyewitness. “As far as I know, no date has been set yet.”

Neither could she say what kind of wedding it would be. Kylie is a Muslim and Aljur is a Christian (who belongs to the Victory Christian Fellowship), and that’s a sensitive issue to be ironed out.

Robin and Mariel with daughter Maria Isabella  
 

When their daughter was baptized, Robin and Mariel sort of “compromised” by having it in both Muslim and Christian rites (with no less than Pres. DU30 among the godparents). Perhaps Aljur and Kylie can take a cue from there.

As a Filipino saying goes, pagkahaba-haba man daw ng prusisyon sa simbahan din ang tuloy.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)