Gabby Eigenmann still coping with death of dad Mark Gil

 
PEP EXCLUSIVE. Halos dalawang linggo na ang nakalilipas mula nang pumanaw ang aktor na si Mark Gil noong September 1.

At sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay nagpaunlak ng panayam sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang panganay na anak ng yumaong aktor, si Gabby Eigenmann, kung saan ibinahagi nito ang kanyang mga alaala tungkol sa ama.

“Still coping,” sambit ni Gabby nang kumustahin namin siya sa fifth anniversary ng PPL Entertainment Inc.—ang talent management ni Perry Lansigan kung saan kabilang ang aktor—noong Martes, September 9.

Patuloy niya, “There are days na I thought everything’s okay. But there are still nights that I cry.

“Pero, ano lang… I cry because, siyempre, hindi naman maiaalis na nami-miss mo yung tao.

"At, siyempre, nami-miss ko daddy ko.

“Pero at the end of the day, you’ll say to yourself, he’s in a better place. Tinanggap mo na isa na siya sa mga angels ni God. Yung ganun.

“Sabi ko nga, the only thing that keeps me going and the whole family also are the memories that he left behind.

“Yun lang ang pinanghahawakan namin.”

Malaking tulong din daw ang mga taong naging malapit sa kanilang pamilya.

Ayon kay Gabby, “May mga close friends kami na namatayan din.

“Nandoon sila, nagbibigay sila ng advice na tipong, ‘It’s not gonna be easy, it’s never gonna be easy, but every day, you try to cope.’

“And Dad prepared us to accept his fate and, at the same time, to move on being happy.

“Kasi, bago siya nawala, prinepare niya kami isa-isa.

“He was contented with each and everyone’s life.

“Sa mga anak niya, siyempre,wala siyang doubt, pero may hoping na sana maging ganito si ganito, sana maging okey si ganito.”
 
MARK GIL AS A DAD. Bagamat hindi magkakasamang lumaki ang anim na anak ni Mark, halata kay Gabby ang pagmamalaki na hindi sila pinabayaan ng ama.

Si Gabby ay anak ni Mark sa actress-commercial model na si Irene Celebre. May isa siyang kapatid, si Ira Eigenmann.

May dalawa ring anak si Mark sa dating aktres at model na si Bing Piementel—sina Sid Lucero at Maxine Eigenmann.

Si Andi Eigenmann naman ay solong anak ng yumaong aktor sa award-winning actress na si Jaclyn Jose.

Mula naman sa biyuda ni Mark na si Maricar Jacinto ay may isa rin siyang anak, si Stevie.

Ayon kay Gabby, “Si Daddy ko, never turned his back on anyone.

“Siyempre, hindi naman magkakasama talaga nang matagal sa iisang house.

“Pero ako, natutukan ko si Andi [Eigenmann].

“Si Timmy [Sid] and Maxine, na-guide din sila ng mommy nila.

“Aside from Dad, I was there also for my siblings.

“Hindi naman kami magkalayo ng edad ni Timmy. Five years older lang ako.

“Nakakasama ko sila growing up. 

“Hinihiram ako, kami ni Ira ng daddy ko. Overnight sa bahay niya.

“Hanggang kay Tita Jane [Jaclyn], hanggang kay Maricar…

"I had my share of time with my dad, growing up."

Sixteen years old pa lamang daw si Mark nang isilang si Gabby.

Labing-isang buwan lang ang tanda ni Gabby sa kanyang kapatid na si Ira.

Kuwento pa ng Kapuso actor, “Nahihiram kami, nakakapunta kami sa bahay ng lola ko… kina Mama Rose [Rosemarie Gil], kina Papa [Eddie Mesa]. 

“Maaaring hindi weekly, but there are so many memories growing up. 

“Hindi man ako lumaki sa bahay niya, pero yung mom ko was never selfish.

“That goes also with Tita Bing din naman.

“That’s where I became a kuya.”
 
 
KUYA GABBY. Bilang panganay sa kanilang anim na magkakapatid, mas mahirap ba sa kanya nang malaman niyang may malubhang karamdaman ang ama?

Sagot ni Gabby, “Of course, of course…

“Kasi, unang-una, I have to be strong for my siblings.

“I don’t want to say pressure, pero doon pa lang, ang laki ng responsibility na yun.

“I have to be strong for my siblings and, at the same time, I have to be strong for the family.
“Kasi, ganoon nila ako nakilala.

“Yung up to the end talaga, they would always acknowledge how I am with the family. 

“Kasi ako, may problema akong sarili.

“But siyempre, because I love them, yung nagiging problema ng pamilya, naa-absorb ko. Gusto kong i-solve. 

“Ganoon ang pagkakakilala nila sa akin.

“So, it was heavy for me.”

Patuloy ng 36-year-old actor, “And since nga, eldest, alam mo yung, without words spoken, nandoon yung pinapasa na sa ‘yo.”

Nangyari ba ang ganoong pag-uusap o tagpo sa kanila ng daddy niya? 

“Oo naman,” pagkumpirma ni Gabby.

“Few days before he passed, binanggit niya na, ‘Ikaw na ang bahala sa mga kapatid mo.’
“Ang daming ibig sabihin nun.

“Pero siguro siyempre, yun yung iga-guide ko sila to have a meaningful life.

“Actually, nung binanggit niya sa akin yun, sabi ko, ‘No, no, don’t worry about it.’

“Kasi, even if he was still strong, I’ve been there, helping, and alam niya yun.

“Kaya yung mga binanggit niya sa aking salita… I don’t wanna say na parting words or habilin, kahit hindi na niya sabihin, alam ko na gagawin.

“At gagawin ko yun dahil mahal ko mga kapatid ko. Hindi dahil binigyan ako ng responsibilidad.

“It was never really a responsibility given to me, inako ko talaga ito.

“And this is how I am. Ganito talaga ako.

“I never grew up yung buong family, but I made a choice growing up.

“Hindi ko na-experience na magkaroon ako ng nanay at tatay sa isang bahay.

“Ang iba, maaaring mapapariwara, maaano sa drugs, mababa ang grades… ako hindi.”

Maging sa kanyang sariling pamilya ay sinikap ni Gabby na maging buo ito.

Saad niya, “Ipinaglaban ko.

“My relationship with Apples [his wife], hindi rin ganun kadali.

“Kasi siyempre, I was a bachelor. Si Apples, of course, has two kids already.

“So, sabi ko, hindi yun magiging basehan para masira ang buhay ko in the future. Hindi ganun, e.

“Ako, ipinaglaban ko talaga yun. It came to a point na may tampuhan sa family.

“Pero sabi ko nga, no one can really judge, especially my family, hindi rin naman ganoon ka-perfect.

“What is important is we stick together inspite of all our imperfections.”

Dagdag niya, “For me, growing up kasi, ang dami kong naging stepfather. Ang dami ko rin naging stepmother.

“So, sabi ko, I don’t say that these are people na coming in and out of our lives. Hindi, e.

“I accept them. They become part of my life.

“Mahal ko si Tita Bing. Mahal ko si Tita Jane, si Maricar. Minahal ko ‘yan, nirespeto ko sila.

“Sabi nga, blood is thicker than water.

“Blood, being related lang yun, but family is the one you love at mahal mo.

“At wala kayong tinitimbang ke magkadugo o hindi.

“The one who loves you, the one you love.”

“We thought it was a kind one. Pero naging aggressive. It is what it is.

“But he remained strong. There was no pain at all.  

“He lived his life for two years.”

Dagdag niya, “Sabi ko nga, kahit naman magkaroon kami ng regret, wala naman nang magagawa ang regret na ‘yan.

“It will just be in our heads.

“But the fact that he was not living in pain, parang mas madali for us to let go without seeing him in pain. 

“Sayang lang, he was still young.”

Si Mark ay namatay sa edad na 52.

Ayon pa kay Gabby, “Sabi ko nga, ang pagkakaintindi ko, he has given so much to the family.

“So much laughter, tears, pero the only memory that will remain is how happy he was when he was living.

“Kasi, he’s the funniest guy sa amin. Comedian ‘yan. 

“Doon namin nakuha ni Timmy ang pagiging komedyante.” --  Rose Garcia, PEP

For more of this story, visit PEP.