Prior to her live guesting on Startalk yesterday, Mommy Rose Flaminiano insisted that we meet. Tinext ko kasi siya that I was doing a running story involving her and Nadia Montenegro (who basked in 10 minutes or less of renewed fame on Startalk two Saturdays ago).
True to her choice of the meeting venue (Dulcinea along Tomas Morato), ang inakala kong nagpupuyos sa galit kay Nadia na si Mommy Rose was unusually sweet. Feeling ko, mas gusto niyang namnamin ang sarap ng inorder niyang (listen up, Nadia, mamantikang) gambas na may pangontra namang tossed green salad rather than talk about Nadia who was less appealing to her palate.
The last time kasi, I had a phone talk with Mommy Rose ay nu’ng nagpatawag siya ng presscon for Gabby Concepcion at the poorly ventilated uppermost floor of her Quezon City residence by the pool months ago. Those were their happier times until nagdesisyon na nga si Gabby na kumawala sa kanyang kuwadra.
Save for my fierce allegiance to Jobert Sucaldito in favor of Mommy Rose and Gabby, kinampihan ko sa pagkakataong ito ang manager who I felt was junked unceremoniously by the actor she had helped rebuild a career already in shambles.
Nasa side din ako ni Mommy Rose sa pakikisawsaw ni Nadia sa issue na wala naman siyang kinalaman. But all throughout, there was no single communication between me and Mommy Rose. Proudly, therefore, hindi ako isa sa mga sinasabi ni Nadia na may mga bayarang reporter ng producer-manager out to discredit her.
My friendship with her daughter Lizette set aside, wala namang tao na hindi nagtataglay ng character flaws. We all are perfectly imperfect, pero hindi lahat ng tao ay lapastangan lalo’t parang magulang na nila ang kanilang inaaway.
If it was Nadia’s right to say she preferred to be born, without a mother (na-traumatize daw kasi siya kay Mommy Rose at sa kanyang Nanay Cristy Fermin), karapatan din siguro ni Mommy Rose na mas naising wala na lang siyang anak if she bore a child like Nadia.
Still engrossed with her gambas and veggie salad, sapat na ang mga pampaganang pagkain na ito for Mommy Rose to arrive at a realization: ‘‘Iko-comedy ko na lang ang pagsagot kay Nadia.’’
Mommy Rose thought best. Enough of drama much less violence on TV. Ang taong medya-medya, dapat lang idinadaan sa komedya.
Laugh or get laughed at is anyone’s choice, after all.