All’s well that ends well

Tears fell, all right, but there was no more need to dig up old grudges, no recriminations. They embraced in tearful silence and let bygones be bygones, only looking ahead and not backward.

That about sums up the reconciliation between Jessa Zaragoza and husband Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa’s mom, Eileen Chong, when the couple paid their sulking mom a visit in San Diego, California, during their recent US vacation.

Eileen left – yes, in a huff – for San Diego six months ago with children Mica, Vincent, Faith and Ralph/Yap-Yap, intending to start a new life there, her heart heavy with the nagging pain brought about by her prolonged misunderstanding with Jessa. As everybody knows, mom Eileen frowned on Jessa’s romance with and eventual marriage to Dingdong, in the same way that mom Nenita is vehemently against the romance (marriage?) of daughter Assunta de Rossi and Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma (now said to be managing Assunta… at the expense of Assunta’s original manager Manny Valera who’s asking a staggering P10 million from Jules for Assunta’s contract with him).

Jessa and Dingdong left for the US on Aug. 29, arriving in San Francisco in time for the fiesta commemoration of Dingdong’s relatives from Basey, Samar. Jessa texted her San Diego-based mom on Sept. 2 to greet her Happy Birthday, in the process "melting" the mom’s heart.

"There and then," recalled Jessa, choking with emotion, "I asked Mom’s permission for Dingdong and me to visit her. Okay lang naman sa kanya. We had our reunion on Sept. 7 and stayed overnight in San Diego. It was a quiet reconciliation. Walang sumbatan. In our own quiet way, parang we agreed to forget the past and to move on. Love na love na ngayon ni Mommy si Dingdong."

From San Diego, Jessa and Dingdong drove to L.A. with Jessa’s siblings and they had some kind of a celebration in Disneyland. Then, Jessa and Dingdong visited other places in California, including Monterey where they had their second "honeymoon" (is their first baby forthcoming?) and Hiddenbrook in Vallejo where they checked one of the model houses at a subdivision. They just might buy one, who knows?

"In Hiddenbrook," said Jessa, "we stayed in a house right next to a golf course designed by Arnold Palmer. It’s the same course where Dorothy Delasin won one of her LPGA tournaments. Dingdong is planning to hold his next golf tournament (first held in Guam last June) in Hiddenbrook. We’re keeping our fingers crossed."

Jessa and Dingdong came back three weeks ago with their emotional load finally lifted.

"Mommy’s short stay in California must have been an eye-opener for her," surmised Jessa. "Siguro, while there, she realized how hard life is in the States and how valuable I am in her life, kung gaano niya ako kamahal."

Before leaving for the US, Jessa kicked off her concert tour at Hard Rock last Aug. 25. More shows are slated all Saturdays of this month at Intercon Hotel, Siete Pecados in Philippine Plaza, EDSA-Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental’s Captain’s Bar.

She’s also in the cast of the new ABS-CBN soap Bituin, topbilled by Nora Aunor.

Funfare-Hallmark joint promo

Funfare is tying up with Hallmark Channel for the promo of The Guardian, aired Sunday nights at 11 on The Hallmark Channel (Destiny Cable Channel 25, Home Cable Channel 49, Sky Cable Channel 38 and local PCC and Cable Boss affiliates).

All you have to do is answer two questions between now and Oct. 29. You can win one of the 25 Hallmark Channel goodie bags given away per week during the contest period. Each bag contains one Hallmark The Guardian coaster, one Hallmark prestige notebook, one Hallmark blue-light pen and one The Guardian poster. Not bad, is it? Contest coverage is nationwide.

Here are the two questions for the period between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, Episode 13:

1. Why did Susan Newburg die?

a) She committed suicide

b) She was murdered by her husband.

2. Who made the anonymous phone call to a child-abuse hotline that triggered an investigation?

a) Frank Newburg

b) Nick Fallin

All you have to do is watch The Guardian and send your answers (indicate episode number) with name, address and contact number to: Watch & Win The Guardian Contest, P.O. Box 3802, MCPO, Makati City, or e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline for this week’s questions is Oct. 5. Funfare will print each set of two questions every Saturday.

Winners will be notified with a letter or e-mail and announced in Funfare. They may claim their prizes from Buensalido & Associates, Suite 701, 7th Floor, Greenbelt Mansion, 106 Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Bring at least one valid ID and the letter of notification.