So where were you on Valentine's Day when the hotels and motels were fully booked (so sorry, no more room available -- not even a garage room) and all the Valentine shows were packed full with lovers, soon-to-be lovers, ex-lovers and kunwari lovers?
Valentine Girl Kris Aquino (born on the Day of Hearts) was with "somebody" on the night of Feb. 14 but that part of her Valentine-birthday celebration will forever remain a secret -- until Kris makes her usual slip of the tongue.
Kris turned 29 in a quiet and relatively restrained style -- you know, no big parties, no bongga celebration unlike in some of her previous natal days.
On the eve of her birthday, Kris had a low-key dinner with her mom, Tita Cory Aquino, at the Aquino Times Street residence, together with her Ate Ballsy and Ate Viel and her son Joshua who stayed with Lola Cory the whole day. Kris bade her folk goodbye at around 8:30 and proceeded to Chatteau (El Pueblo in Ortigas Center) for a salu-salo organized by ABS-CBN executive Deo Endrinal.
"I thought it was just kami-kami," gushed Kris, "you know, just a small group."
But it turned out to be, well, a virtual party graced by, among others, Robin and Rustom Padilla, Diether Ocampo, Rajo Laurel, a certain Tambunting (Kris' friend) and ABS-CBN executive Cory Vidanes. The salu-salo lasted until 12 midnight; everybody saw to it so that they would be the first ones to greet Kris a Happy Birthday and a Happy Valentine's Day (even if, or so she makes us believe, she's loveless).
At 5 a.m. on Feb. 14, Kris was up, all set to attend Noli de Castro's Bantay Kalikasan Fun Run at the CCP Complex. "I arrived 10 minutes late," Kris said, "so I didn't run anymore; I just hosted the event."
Before noon, she was, even if practically sleepless, lively as ever hosting Today with Kris Aquino on ABS-CBN, treating studio staff, friends and well-wishers, along with the studio audience to a catered buffet lunch. Then, she and long-time friend (production designer) Tatus Aldana had merienda and coffee at Starbucks, just the two of them.
"Did you know that Tatus and I have been friends for 14 years and he never missed my birthday?" enthused Kris who, later that day, heard mass with Tatus at the nearby Mt. Carmel Church on Broadway Street.
And where, you might be wondering at this point, was Kris' estranged home companion Phillip Salvador all the while?
Oh, yes, Phillip did show up at the Chatteau salu-salo (but only after asking Kris' permission through Today with Kris executive producer Guia Garchitorena, also Kris' close friend) with a gift for Kris (four Armani T-shirts) and a note, signed "Josh." That has been the case between Kris and Phillip since they broke up in January last year: They're nice to each other, remembering milestones in their respective lives with little tokens, but always signed "Josh" whether the gift comes from Kris (to Phillip) or vice-versa.
In fact, early this month ("Four days after the first anniversary of our break-up," as Kris very thoughtfully put it) the un-couple had a dinner together also at Chatteau and they had a heart-to-heart talk like two mature people who may still love each other but not anymore "in love with each other." Those are two different situations, aren't they?
"I said sorry to Phillip for two things," confessed Kris. "One, for depriving him of time with his children (three, with estranged wife Sony Dabao who is based in New York with them). Two, for not understanding him the way I should have.
"You see," added Kris, speaking very tactfully, "I was so insecure and so immature at that time, all throughout our five years together, that I didn't understand why Phillip had a life before me. Tanggap kong dinadalaw-dalaw niya ang mga anak niya but back then, we couldn't openly talk about it. Nagkla-clam-up ako everytime we did. Now that Josh is fast growing up, mas naiintindihan ko na si Phillip at ang feeling ng mga anak niya."
To Phillip's children, Kris has this message: "So sorry for loving your father so much that, for a while, I forgot that you existed."
Would she like to meet Phillip's children (never mind Sony who would surely say, "Over my dead body!," to such a scary possibility)?
"What you should ask is if they want to meet me," countered Kris. "But I'd love to have Josh meet them. After all, magkakapatid naman sila, di ba?"
As in her past birthdays, Kris again received flowers and a touching note from MTRCB Chief Armida "Tita Midz" Siguion-Reyna (whose brother, Sen. Johnny Ponce-Enrile, is himself a Valentine Baby). This time, Tita Midz wrote a note that made Kris cry. It read: "You have two qualities that I like so much kaya aliw na aliw ako sa'yo. One is your honesty and the second is your selflessness, your ability to acknowledge your mistakes and to be humble about them."
Tita Midz sees herself in Kris. They're both assertive, outspoken, articulate (and how!) and, if I may say so, opinionated (even if Kris is an Aquarian and Tita Midz is Scorpion).
So what happened on the night of Valentine's Day?
Now, didn't you remember me saying that it's a "big secret" between Kris and, well, whoever the person is?
Asked how she feels at 29, Kris said, "A little more mature -- but just a little; a little more grown-up -- but just a little."
Oh, well, "little" things mean a lot, don't they?