Everything was set. The invitations have been sent to 200 guests ($180 per head). The decor for the venue (church) and reception have been chosen. Who would have imagined that the much-awaited event would be sidetracked by an invisible killjoy? Well, not Edgar Mande and his fiancee, Ramona “Mona” Fabie, who were excited to march down the aisle last May 16, a day after Edgar was to turn 60.
“And then the COVID-19 pandemic happened,” Edgar told Jun Lalin who visited the couple at their Studio City home in California right on Edgar’s birthday (May 15), “so we didn’t have a choice but to postpone the wedding — to when, we don’t know. Kapag wala nang COVID-19.” According to Mona, it was a wise decision kasi kung itinuloy namin baka walang pumunta. Siempre everybody is scared of the virus. We just told our guests sana to keep their invitations as souvenirs.”
Fans perhaps remember Edgar as one of the late Alfie Lorenzo’s hunky Liberty Boys, including Rey “PJ” Abellana (Carla’s father), Lito Pimentel and Patrick dela Rosa who were among the popular sexy actors of the ‘80s. Patrick is retired while Lito and PJ are still active. At the peak of his career, Edgar left for the States in 2004 and never looked back...well, he does come home for vacation almost every year.
“My wife went ahead and she told me to follow,” Edgar told Jun (who very kindly shared his interview with Funfare; he has been locked down in California since March 15). Otherwise, she “threatened” Edgar, “bahala ka. So I followed her. I stayed for five months and I liked it.”
To make a long story shorter, after a few years Edgar was petitioned by his son (now 21, his only child), got his greencard and finally became a US citizen. He and his first wife are divorced and so is Edgar from his second and third wives, both of whom he doesn’t have a child with.
A native of Batangas who grew up in the Fernando Air Base, Mona is an RN (Registered Nurse) who is 15 years younger than Edgar. For five years now, she has been working as a private nurse to record composer/producer Quincy Jones at his Beverly Hills home, while Edgar earns his keep by being a caregiver, after previously working at a facility where he took care of six wheelchair-bound patients. Mona has had one failed marriage and has no child.
Asked by Jun how Edgar adjusted to the shift from romancing beautiful actresses on screen to caring for patients who are a stranger to him, Edgar admitted, “At first, it was hard at medyo nahihiya ako kapag may mga Filipino na nakakakilala sa akin, at medyo nagtatakip ako ng mukha. But soon, I got adjusted to it. Why should I be embarrassed when it’s an honest job, a noble job, marangal na trabaho,” adding, “at malaki ang kita.”
Today, Edgar is taking care of only one senior patient at her home for whom he does the grocery, buys her medicines and drives to her doctor for checkups or to visit her child who lives nearby.
According to Mona, Jones is very kind, mabait na boss. When he learned about the sweethearts’ (aborted) wedding, Jones told Edgar, “Thank you for making Mona happy.” Edgar became familiar to Jones because he has to fetch Mona every now and then. “Before we leave his house,” said Edgar, “Mr. Jones would bid us goodbye and say, ‘God bless you, brother.’ That’s how he would address me, brother. Sometimes, I would get invited to parties at his home at pa-selfie-selfie ako sa mga big stars na bisita niya.”
Was Jones invited to their wedding?
Mona only said, “Hmmmmm...”
The sweethearts met on a blind date arranged by their mutual friends in January 2018.
When Mona saw Edgar’s white hair (now dyed black), she gasped, “Ay, may edad na pala.” But Edgar was instantly charmed. “At that moment, I heard a little bell ring. I told myself, ‘ito ang gusto kong babae.’ Maraming pinakilalang babae sa akin pero iba ang dating ni Mona. On that first meeting, I asked for her phone number and I started calling and texting her.”
Mona recalled with a laugh, “Hindi ko siya type noon...”
Both fancy-free, they began going steady. In December last year, he proposed to her. “Ito na ang last marriage ko,” said Edgar. “Matanda na rin ako.”
Edgar admitted that he sometimes misses showbiz but not enough for him to go back to it. “I love my life here in the States,” he said.
Two years ago, Edgar came for a visit and reconnected with his fellow Liberty Boys. He stayed for barely three weeks and did a guest stint in Exit Point, a movie produced, directed and starred in by his friend Ronnie Ricketts who made the offer when they met in the States.
During Edgar’s 60th birthday lunch at the Mandes’ home, Jun asked Edgar what his birthday wish was.
“Maging kami na ni Mona habang buhay.”
And what about Mona?
“Sana matuloy ‘yung wish niya,” Mona laughed.
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)