Claudine, Gretchen: Peace in the family

The best surprises come from the most unexpected places. Take it from Claudine Barretto and older sister Gretchen, who buried the hatchet recently when they bumped into each other at an S&R outlet at The Fort last Holy Tuesday.

Claudine was about to buy snacks for daughter Sabina, when who should she see right in front of her but Gretchen, with whom she (Claudine) had a long-running feud years?

It’s not important now who first extended her hand in reconciliation. What matters most is that the sisters had what Claudine described as "an emotional" reconciliation right then and there.

Bygones became bygones. All the hurting words were forgotten. The cold war between the sisters melted like ice cream on a hot summer day.

No one reminded anyone what the other did and did not do to make the other see red. Claudine refuses to delve into details. It’s enough, she says that the gap has disappeared and she and her Ate Gretchen are on speaking terms again.

"I feel better now that the healing process has come," says Claudine at the presscon of the ABS-CBN drama series Walang Kapalit, which premieres April 16.

Oh yes, she adds, she will invite her Ate Gretchen to the baptism of Rodrigo Javier, Claudine’s first-born by husband Raymart Santiago.

They haven’t talked at length since that happy reunion, but Claudine is confident their relationship will get back to normal, slowly, but surely.

When she faced the press last Wednesday, Claudine says her parents have yet to know about the welcome piece of news because they happened to be in Subic when the incident occurred.

But this early, you could see them heave a sigh of relief over their daughters’ decision to patch things up. Now, they can be one big happy family once more.

Now, Claudine can say with conviction, the way she did at the Walang Kapalit presscon: Family is one thing you cannot replace.

How’s that for practising what one preaches?