Her homecoming was so sudden, such a rush, that Ruffa surprised even her mom, the ever-"vigilant" Annabelle Rama who was amused when Lorin Gabriella, Ruffa’s six-month-old daughter and Annabelle and Eddie Gutierrez’s first grandchild, didn’t recognize her and refused to be cuddled and carried by her. ("Pero okay na siya," Lola Annabelle later reported.)
Ruffa and Lorin, with the baby’s yaya Fanny, flew to Manila from Maldives (via Singapore) where they, together with Ruffa’s husband Yilmaz Bektas, spent a week-long holiday as the family’s Valentine outing/vacation, Ruffa and Yilmaz’s first as a couple.
"Emirates Airlines was fully booked," Ruffa told Funfare. "Had we flown to Istanbul from Maldives, it would have taken us all of 27 hours because we had to stop over in Dubai, so Yilmaz advised us to first fly to Manila before proceeding to Istanbul. The flight took us only seven hours, including a brief stopover in Singapore."
So why the rush to come home?
Well, Ruffa got word from Mama/Lola Annabelle, her manager, that Ruffa had pressing commitments, including the Ang Ganda Ganda ng 2004 Gandang Ricky Reyes campaign (Ruffa is one of the image models, along with Gloria Romero) on March 2 at the CCP Main Theater and hosting the 2004 Bb. Pilipinas Pageant (at the Araneta Coliseum, again to be covered live by GMA 7) on March 6.
"But I’m sad that I can’t stay for the wedding (on March 15) of Kuya Tonton (Gutierrez, to Glydel Mercado) because we have to leave for Istanbul right after the Binibini event. To make up for it, I’m hosting an intimate dinner for Kuya Tonton and Ate Glydel."
By then, Ruffa hopes that the heavy snow that covers most of Turkey shall have melted.
"Grabe! First time na nangyari ang ganoon. Seven feet of snow covers our house. People are stranded on the streets. Grabe!"
That’s why the Bektas decided to have a holiday in Maldives where they enjoyed snorkeling, swimming, diving, biking and deep-sea fishing.
"We caught a barracuda on our first try," boasted Ruffa.
Turning seven months old on March 4, Lorin is now teething and starting to crawl and roll over. She can now say Baba (Turkish for Papa) and Ate (how she calls her yaya).
Before anybody could speculate that Ruffa rushed home because of another fight with Yilmaz, Ruffa happily announced that they have been lovey-dovey and haven’t had a fight since she got back to Istanbul late in December last year after spending the Christmas holidays here with Lorin.
No, said Ruffa, she isn’t pregnant again even if Yilmaz wants another baby as soon as possible. They have also put "on hold" their plan to have a church wedding this year.
"But I’ll be back maybe in June or July to set up a business dealing in baby products (diapers, powder. cologne, etc.) to be named Lorin who will also be the endorser."
(Note: Ruffa’s first TV appearance will be on The Buzz on Sunday, Feb. 22, 4 to 5:30 p.m. on ABS-CBN.)
• Also, members of St. Catherine’s Academy Batch ’81 are invited to a "Life begins at 40" reunion on April 30. For details, call Monsignor Alex Sanvictores or Bishop Thomas Manlapaz.
• Natalie Palanca is inviting everybody to the 11th Pro-life National Convention and the 1st Philippine Festival of Twins on Saturday, Feb. 21, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clam Shell II, WOW Philippines, Intramuros, Manila. For registration and details, call 421-9641 or 422-8877.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)