MANILA, Philippines - Being Mrs. Eddie Gutierrez was a result of pre-meditated courtship and years of waiting, Annabelle Rama said.

Her brother George attests to this: “’Yan ang ambisyon niya, ang maging asawa ni Eddie Gutierrez.”

In an interview with Janice de Belen on ABS-CBN's "Showbiz Inside Report", Annabelle recounted how she actively pursued Eddie Gutierrez when he was a big star and she was his fan.

Hunting

“Mayroon silang big event sa Cebu. Kasama lahat ng artista, mga superstars. Ang pinakabida si Eddie,” Annabelle said, detailing how they first met. “Siyempre hina-hunting-hunting ko na beauty niya, ‘day. Nung na-meet ko siya, ‘di na ko makatulog, ‘day!”

Everything about Eddie was a subject of admiration for Annabelle, she said.

“Ang lahat (nagustuhan ko sa kanya); pagtingin mo palang sa kanya laglag na panty mo kaagad,” emphasizing, “agad-agad.”

“Naglalaway na beauty ko, ‘day. Ang gwapo talaga, tsaka ang bango-bango.”

Eddie at the time was 24. The events of that day are as clear to him as they are to Annabelle.

“May lumapit sa akin, ‘May gusto magpakilala sa’yo, si Annabelle Rama.’ So after the show, lumapit nga si Annabelle,” Eddie said.

“Mayroon siyang ibang kasamang mga babae, pero siya ang pinakamarkado--mini skirt, maputi, maganda, pero mahiyain pa siya noon.

“Oo, attracted ako sa kanya, maganda. [Pero] ‘di ko siya naging girlfriend that night. Hanggang sa the next day, umuwi na ako ng Maynila tapos binigay ko sa kanya telephone number ko. Ayon, tumatawag siya, pero very busy ako, hanggang sa ‘di na kami nagkita,” said Eddie.

She eventually decided to go to Manila and hoped to see him again. It was there that Annabelle got discovered and became a showbiz personality in her own right, but meeting Eddie again eluded her for a long time--until the premiere night of one of his movies.

“One night, premiere night ng isang pelikula ko--hindi ko matandaan kung ano ‘yun--ako nagda-drive, may tumabing taxi sa’kin,” Eddie narrated. “’Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!’ [It was Annabelle] ‘O, Annabelle!’ ‘Saan ka pupunta?” sabi sa akin. ‘Pupunta ako sa premiere night,’ ‘Sunod ako – o, ‘yung telephone number ko!’

“Binigay niya sa akin, sinulat niya sa isang papel, inabot niya ‘yun sa akin, so kinuha ko rin, hanggang sa tumuloy na ko sa premiere night.”

When Eddie arrived at the venue of his movie’s premiere night, Annabelle was nowhere to be found. Two or three days later, when he finally had free time from his busy schedule, Eddie decided to call her.

According to plan

“We started going out pero hindi ako serious kay Annabelle noon kasi busy nga ako, wala ako masyadong time para maging steady,” Eddie said. “So ‘yun, pa-date-date lang kami, siguro once a week, twice a week.”

When they started to see each other more often, Annabelle was sure things were going according to plan, a detailed version of which she had written in her diary as a young woman.

“Nakalista na ‘yan sa aking diary, na unang ma-meet ko siya sa Manila, pagma-meet ko siya, [makukuha] ko siya talaga,” Annabelle said. “Nakalagay doon, sana magtagal kami, sana mapakasalan ako at magka-anak ako. Lahat nu’ng nasa diary ko nagawa ko lahat.”

But fulfilling these dreams wasn’t just a matter of ticking boxes for young Annabelle. She said she had to resort to unconventional means to ensure the dream was hers, especially since it took time to call Eddie exclusively hers.

“Marami namang parusa ‘yun. Ginagayuma ko siya, lahat ng manghuhula sa buong Pilipinas inikot ko na, kaso ‘di ko talaga mapikot eh. Nagbuntis na ko kay Ruffa, ganoon parin, malikot parin.

“[Pero] hindi namin kami mag-boyfriend eh. Pag magkita, sige, pag hindi, hindi rin. Basta pag magkita – pak, pak, pak! – tapos!” Annabelle said, laughing.

Annabelle soon became pregnant with daughter Ruffa, who would later become an actress and international beauty queen.

It was during this time that Annabelle would become possessive of Eddie more than ever, to the point of causing physical harm to one of Eddie’s supposed “starlets.”

“Forty-five years ago sa harapan ng Greenhills, nakita ko isang starlet doon [kasama si Eddie], nagho-holding-holding hands pa,” Annabelle recalled. “Paglabas niya, hinablot ko buhok niya, tinadyak-tadyakan ko.”

By this time, Annabelle’s patience had apparently been running out, Eddie said.

“One day, pag-gising ko, umalis siya, wala na siya, nagpunta nang Amerika. Siguro ilang buwan din ‘yun.”

This was after Annabelle gave birth to their second child, Rocky.

They had no contact whatsoever, until Eddie’s car accident, which had him recovering in the hospital for 2 weeks.

“Ring nang ring ‘yung telephone sa nurses’ station, si Annabelle,” Eddie recalled, smiling. “Sabi niya, ‘Hello, kumusta ka na, magaling ka na ba?’

Family life

“After ko gumaling, nagpunta ako sa Amerika, kasama ko si Ruffa, si Rocky naiwan sa nanay ko.”

It was in the States that their relationship managed to flourish and become stronger, Annabelle said.

“[Noong] nasa States kami, gumanda na ang buhay namin. Kasi ‘pag nasa States, ‘yung mga mag-asawa talagang magkadikit. Siya tagatapon ng basura, ako tagaluto. Nag-iba eh, talagang naging close kami,” Annabelle shared. “Sabi ko sa kanya (Eddie), ‘’Yung ibang mga babae diyan, gusto lang katawan mo. Ako, pagsisilbihan kita.’”

Their quiet, domestic life in the States made Annabelle realize that things have a way of naturally falling into place, saying, “’Di pala maganda ‘yung ganoon eh, ‘yung pipikutin mo ‘yung lalaki. Kung talagang ayaw, ayaw talaga.”

Eddie likewise found joy in living as a family man: “[Sa Amerika] na pinanganak si Elvis, ‘yung kambal, si Raymond, si Richard. Nag-enjoy na rin ako sa family life. You cannot be a playboy all your life. Siyempre magbabago ka rin,” he said.

On November 8, 1980, the couple would get married in Los Angeles, and the rest, as they say, is history.