A letter from Lavinia. Actually it's a loving letter from Mega-Contravida and Mega-Friend Cherie Gil. One fine day, our electronic mailbox flashed with a much-awaited announcement. In the spirit of the Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks movie, our computer screen declared: You've Got Mail! The much-anticipated e-mail, however, was from a Diva a zealous Sharonian would rather trade invectives (and a well-placed glass of water) with in public. The letter was from Lavinia herself. Fear not. In real life, Lavinia Arguelles, the haughty, hypocritical and water-dousing songstress of Bituing Walang Ningning, is not a Sharonian's worst nightmare. In real life, Lavinia, rather the actress who played Lavinia, the sublimely gifted Cherie Gil, is not a Mega-Contravida but a Mega-Friend. A dear friend, says the Megastar Sharon Cuneta herself. Shawie herself finds it ironical that the best female friends she has made in the business, all of them once played her arch-rival, her nemesis, her contravida onscreen. For Sharonians everywhere, however, Cherie Gil as Lavinia Arguelles (to Sharon's Dorina Pineda) will always stand out as one of the most memorable (and effective) in the rogue's gallery of anti-heroines. Perhaps, it takes nothing but the purest acting skills to be able to be mean and menacing, to maltreat a beloved buddy. And this skill, Cherie has mastered with elan. For the record, Cherie first played opposite Sharon in Sa Hirap at Ginhawa. In a guest role, svelte Cherie tried to steal the husband of an infanticipating Sharon. This was followed by their landmark collaboration as musical and romantic rivals in Bituing Walang Ningning. After the mega-success of Bituing Walang Ningning, Sharon and Cherie collaborated on a series of dramatic blockbusters (Kailan Sasabihing Mahal Kita, Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas, Kahit Wala Ka Na, Bakit Ikaw Pa Rin, and Ngayon at Kailanman), before Cherie (so unlike Lavinia, and in true Dorina fashion) gave up a flourishing showbiz career to keep house for husband, world-class and world-famous violinist Rony Rogoff, and raise a family in the United States. The Rogoff family first settled in New York five years ago, before moving to Europe, specifically to Italy, recently. Her European sojourn seems destined; a cosmic homecoming for Philippine actress Cherie Gil who bears a very European sounding name, Evangeline Rose Eigenmann-Rogoff, in real life. In her e-mail, Cherie exudes the pure bliss of a housewife, a hausfrau, or in comic Roseanne's preferred title-of-honor, "domestic goddess." Take note, Cherie the dramatic diva has become a domestic diva. After a long and circuitous journey, Cherie, like her best pal Shawie, has finally found her family, her home. In a 1980 article on the incredibly talented Eigenmann siblings (Michael de Mesa, Mark and Cherie Gil), the young Cherie then expressed that her most ardent wish was to "have many, many children!" Happily, her most cherished dream came true. She begins her electronic letter with profuse apologies "for not responding sooner." Cherie explains: "My life at the moment may not seem as busy as it used to be, when I had to go off to work and make movies, but nurturing and caring for a family of five (I have three children now!) can definitely take up a lot of time and energy." "Motherhood, as every mother knows, is a full-time job," Cherie quips. "As I've taken it upon myself to do the daily responsibilities on my own, with little or no help at all," she often ends the day a tad exhausted. But because she considers mothering as the "most important role" in her entire career/life, "I find it all worth it," she enthuses: "I am completely fulfilled and content to have been given this new role in life." She has discovered that domesticity need not be equated with the doldrums. Her life, in fact, has been "both exciting and stimulating since we've moved to Italy, where my husband Rony has built an orchestra of his own and continues to teach and hone the talents of young musicians." The artist in Cherie basks in the glory of Italy's genteel, Old World charms. "Often, we travel to different places in Italy to watch his concerts, which gives us the opportunity to see and experience the culture of this beautiful country." In a nutshell, Cherie relishes her new life. "In other words, I love it here." There are days, when she misses the hustle and bustle, the method and the madness of Philippine showbiz. "Do I miss showbiz?" Cherie asks rhetorically. "Well, I sometimes do miss making movies and being in the midst of very talented and artistic people, who constantly like to create." But more than the work load, she misses the friendships made and strengthened on a movie set. "I miss my friends in the business and just jamming with them," Cherie waxes nostalgic. "I would like to think that, should I make a comeback, it would be more meaningful than all the movies that I have made so far." Her years of quiet domesticity have only served to further polish the artist in Cherie. "I want to do a movie that I can feel free to let my children watch. In other words, I would like to do more roles of substance - even if I had to play the bad guy again," she backtracks a bit, "although I wish I didn't have to all the time." In the letter, she calls Sharon "our favorite main subject." Indeed, if Cherie were to write about "her life in showbiz, her life in the Philippines," an important chapter would be devoted to Miss Shawie. "It is difficult to look back at my life as an actress and even as a singer without thinking of Sharon as being a big part of it," Cherie writes eloquently. "I could say we grew up together, on and off screen, and every stage of our personal life, we both knew," Cherie reveals. They grew up, literally, together in the kaleidoscope world of showbiz. "As far as I can recall," Cherie takes a trip down memory lane, "I remember meeting Sharon in a lunchtime show (I think it was Eat Bulaga, I'm not so sure)." Cherie was there to promote her first (and only) single "Boy, I Love You"--which was receiving good airplay then. Shawie, the DJ's Pet, who had just arrived from the United States then, also guested in the show in the course of a record promo tour. As they were waiting for their turn on-camera backstage, "someone tapped me on the shoulder and cooed in a sweet, whispery voice, 'Hi, Evangeline.' " Cherie was surprised "as no one knew me by this name outside of my family and schoolmates." Shawie, you see, had always known Cherie as Evangeline, her schoolmate and fellow Glee Club member in St. Paul's Pasig. "That explained why she knew my name," Cherie relates. "I was then Grade 7 (graduating from elementary) and she was Grade 5." Like doting Dorina, Shawie recalls that she used to look at Cherie, the Club President and the star of the show, from far away, admiringly, longingly, "with a tinge of envy," whenever the latter had to rush to a TV taping after their rehearsals at the Meralco Theater. (Sharon didn't have a TV show then). "Unfortunately, I was not able to get to know her well then," Cherie looks back on their elementary years, "as after all, I was senior to her grade and we seniors were of course 'superior.'" No, she was not being suplada, in vintage Lavinia style, she hastens to add. "Please don't get me wrong. This is not meant to be said in conceit. It is, in fact, a description of what we all know school life was like." "Besides," Cherie explains further, "I believe we were a club of 100 plus members, from kinder to the 7th grade." Nevertheless, those days "were one of the best school years I had. I was then elected president of the club (I wonder if I got her vote) and we were busy that year presenting a concert at the Meralco Theater." That concert, the first time Lavinia and Dorina shared the stage together, Sharon remembers vividly until now. "Up to this day, Sharon and I would laugh about it because I was asked to do most of the solos, but her real favorite was when I had to do the sound of the crow in one of the Peter Pan songs." That is one of the amazing gifts of her Mega-Friend, says Cherie. "She has fantastic memory. In fact, she reminded me about most of these anecdotes." Years later, the Glee Club President and her Mega-Fan were reunited, on the concert stage, this time for the shooting of the precedent-setting Bituing Walang Ningning. "That's my favorite, among the movies we did together," Cherie asserts. "She was then very pregnant with KC, and I believe this was where we actually became close friends." Cherie is thankful for the experience that was Bituin. "Aside from the fact that it was a wonderful script, I owe it to Kuh Ledesma (and later Zsa Zsa Padilla) for turning down the role." She would also like to express her gratitude to director Emmanuel "Maning" Borlaza, "who thought of me. He started shooting the first part of the film before the late Leroy Salvador Jr. took over." And, of course, every self-respecting '80s film buff knows by heart, Lavinia's classic, water-dousing line: "You're nothing, but a second rate, trying hard copycat!" At the time of the shoot, Cherie had no idea that said line would become immortalized in Philippine Pop Trivia. She remembers that "it took us only two takes to do that scene. Thank God." She, however, acknowledges a co-star's contribution for composing that patented Lavinia line. "As far as the line was concerned, it wasn't even in the script. While waiting for them to light the scene, Tommy Abuel (who played the record producer) and I were just jamming and it was he who came up with the immortal line." She gives credit where credit is due. "All because of his genius. And of course, Leroy's generosity." Cherie herself is looking forward to doing the Bituing Walang Ningning sequel, Aanhin Ko ang Ligaya. "When do we get to see the sequel? I also wonder when. I would like to see it happening very soon. I think now is a good time. Now, that I've gained enough in years and maturity." Sharon and Cherie's team-up, their onscreen chemistry as "mortal enemies", was such a success, that it inspired a slew of follow-up projects. "Like Sana'y Wala ng Wakas, my other favorite, with Dina Bonnevie," Cherie relates. "This was the film that tied our friendships really tight." During the making of Sana'y, where Sharon, Cherie and Dina portrayed a Supremes-like trio of singing friends, it was Cherie's turn to be visited by the stork. "I was pregnant and they both supported me all the way," Cherie beams. "In fact, they're godmothers to my son, Jeremiah who is now 11." Cherie's second child Bianca, she named after Sharon's character in Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas. Fondly, she remembers her working relationship with Miss Mega. A movie set where the Megastar reigned was always a fun-filled feast, a banquet. "The good thing also is that she loved to eat," Cherie remarks. "And we always managed to sneak out between breaks to eat at good restaurants. If not she'd buy take home and share it with all of us on the set. Especially siomai and siopao." Ma'am Mega, says Cherie, endeavors to make the sleepless nights on a movie set, all that hard labor, more bearable, with her light-hearted work style. "The moment she walked in the set, one immediately felt a surge of energy to work harmoniously," Cherie elaborates. "She has this atmosphere around her that is so 'magaang' and totally unpretentious." She is proud of her Mega-Buddy: "For all the years we've worked together, I can now come to the conclusion that she definitely deserves to be where she is." She counts the reasons why her pal deserves to be the country's one and only Megastar: "She's the most professional actress, shall I say superstar, I have ever worked with. Always in a good mood and seldom, if not ever, did I see her throw a tantrum. I think she has seen more of mine. Ha-Ha-Ha." Working with the Megastar is enriching, she says, not just financially (although the box-office rewards were consistently impressive), but moreso, professionally. "Each and every time we worked, she always brought something new, something fresh, something more mature. In spite of the same formula of scripts we had to work on," Cherie stresses. Cherie assesses Sharon the actress. "Boy, I never knew how she managed to cry so easily and let her tears flow so naturally and spontaneously without much preparation prior to the shot." Memories are somehow made sweeter by the distance between them. Although they are oceans, continents and time zones apart, Cherie and Shawie manage to keep in close contact. "I appreciate our friendship now more than ever," Cherie attests. "Since I left the Philippines, five years ago, Sharon was always in touch. The good thing was it wasn't because shooting schedules called for it. Our private lives even brought us closer together." They saw each other through life's inevitable rituals and cycles: marriages, pregnancies, separations, beginnings, endings, successes and setbacks were always marked by the renewal of friendship. "Shawie was my witness on my wedding day," Cherie enumerates, "she called and came to our apartment in New York after her concert in Atlantic City which I drove to see, she came to New York for our youngest son Raphael's Brit." (Brit is a Jewish ceremony wherein a male child is circumcised and presented to the Rabbi, a Mochel, seven days after birth. Like the Catholic tradition of Baptism, the Brit serves as the child's formal introduction as the newest member of the Jewish family). Sharon herself recalls this Big Event in the Rogoff's family life. "That was last year. I flew to New York from Boston with KC at around 11 a.m. and then flew back around 6 p.m. on the same day. We also had dinner in their New York apartment (Kiko and myself, kasi KC was in Manila) a few days after the Atlantic City shows in '96." Sha always made it a point to visit the Rogoffs whenever she was in that part of the globe. And more importantly, "Shawie has never failed to call, e-mail or send Christmas cards" no matter in what part of the globe Cherie is in. In sum, she occupies a special place in Cherie's heart because: "Sharon is real. Sharon is simple. Sharon is a true friend." These are the same reasons, she believes, why her fans love her so. "And for all this, plus her wholesomeness, she will be endeared in our hearts forever." With genuine affection she ends her letter, thus: "Sincerely, Cherie."

THE OTHER LAVINIA: SHAWIE'S ZHINGWING Zsa Zsa Padilla, Mega-Friend in the industry, shares a slew of similarities with Shawie. Both are part-time actresses and full-time singers at heart. Both are thoroughly modern women who struggled against (and survived) the worst storms of the romantic sort. And both love Mango Jubilee. Zhingwing? Just how do you that spell that? Zhingwing, more popularly known as Zsa Zsa Padilla, is just as bewildered. She laughs her famous (this time, un-padded) shoulders and sighs, her voice rising above the party din at Mega's favorite restaurant: "I have no idea . As pronounced, I guess." Zhingwing, you see, is the pet named given by the Mega-Friend of long-standing , Sharon Cuneta, who in return was christened 'Shawie' by Zhingwing. Confusing? You could say that it was loved at first sight. "I've been friends with Shawie for the past 12 years," Zhingwing, ahem, Zsa Zsa reports. "I used to visit Shawie in her old home in Alabang, when she was with Gabby pa. Before that we met when we guested in Gary Valenciano's first major concert at the Araneta Colesium: Gary V-Live! (1984). I was just starting then ." Although Sharon was already quite a crowd drawer and Zsa Zsa - the former Hotdog vocalist - was then a relative newcomer (tentively, nervously) trying out a career as a solo star, the duo instantly hit it off. "Nagulat ako sa kanya," Zsa Zsa recalls. "Siya na `yung Megastar siya pa `yong lumapit sa akin, to befriend me. Ma-chika na siya noon. Ako naman, shy na shy. I asked myself: `Bakit niya ako pinapansin e wala naman akong name?' She really made me comfortable, which was really important to newcomers like me. I was so touched by her gesture. Mula no'n, we became very good friends." A common fondness for food brought the two friends together. "Ang pinagkakasundaan namin noon: Pagkain!" Zsa Zsa roars. Pana'y ang kain namin sa labas. We used to order , Mango Jubilee. That was our favorite." Friends swaps recipes. "She cooks well," Zsa Zsa says of Sharon. "I also cook, though we have yet to cook for each other. One of these days, if our skeds would permit, we'd prepare a banquet for each other."