Tessie & Roger living in an island paradise

Have you been wondering whatever happened to Tessie Tomas who seemed to have disappeared into thin air? You hardly remember the last show or movie she appeared in, do you? To unravel the “mystery,” Tessie herself wrote an interesting letter to Funfare to assure her fans and friends that she’s safe and secure…and more than happy!...where she is –– yes, on an island where her husband, marine biologist Roger Pullin, has opted to retire.

File photo: Tessie and Roger with Tessie’s son Robin, a fashion designer based in New York with his lawyer-husband

Oops! I won’t preempt Tessie and let her tell the whole story.

Hi Ricky! Greetings from the Isle Of Man (IOM) where I am beginning to live with my husband, Roger Pullin. IOM is a stunning 32-mile diamond-shaped island between Dublin in Ireland and Liverpool, hometown of the Beatles! It has been awarded the Biosphere Status by UNESCO because of the outstanding natural beauty of the island, endless greenery, amazing flora and fauna, glens, hills, cliffs, and endless species of birds, cows and sheep grazing the meadows and many more! Daig ang Sound of Music eksena ni Julie Andrews habang kinakanta nya ang “The hills are alive...” Nakikita naman sa mga photos, di ba?

Rog has decided to retire here instead of in England because in the ‘60s and ‘70s he worked as a marine biologist at the Port Erin Marine Laboratory, and fell in love with the island. We live in a nice, high-ceiling Victorian flat at The Promenade, Port St. Mary, facing the Irish Sea. Kaya parang nasa Boracay ako araw-araw! Every morning, we are awakened by the sound of seagulls dancing in the wind and the sea smiles at me from dusk to dawn. Napakaganda ng IOM; lungkot lang ang kalaban talaga! I sorely miss my family and friends but, believe it or not, there are at least 1,500 Pinoys here, many of them working as caregivers and nurses. So I now have a small barkada of fans I go out with during weekends for lakwatsa, like going to the movies or shopping.

I have to credit Rog for being understanding, so I am able to divide my time between the Philippines and IOM because I still have to take care of my 90-year old mom, Laura Hermosa. I now maintain the happy rhythm of three months here and three months there. Kaya huwag kayong magugulat kung bigla n’yo akong makitang gumagala sa Greenbelt Makati dahil teritoryo ko ‘yan!

Well, sa totoo lang, it has not been an easy decision. But then I am doing it for my love for Rog. Obvious ba? He has given so much of himself into our marriage, and has lovingly supported me in my demanding showbiz career. He has spent 38 years in the Philippines so it’ s my turn to live with him here.

On April 5 we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we will be celebrating it with a few friends at the nearby Italian resto in our village. Parang kailan lang. In 1994 I got married to him at Ilustrado in Intramuros and it was beamed on national TV thru my daily TV show Teysi ng Tahanan!

I refuse to say I am retiring from showbiz just because I have gone bi-coastal, or “namamangka na sa dalawang ilog.” As a matter of fact, I am considering opening my Tessie Tomas Digital Channel to show my stand-up comedy acts through the years, plus “vlogging“ my adventures here in the Island. Abangan nyo!

To all my fans and friends, don’t miss me too much. After all, I am just a plane ride away. I love you all, Teysi.

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