Her husband, Direk FM Reyes, is busy with “E-Boy”. They’ve been married for 9 years. “We met on the set of ‘Marinella’ 15 years ago,” says Rita. “He was directing it. Child stars pa noon sina Camille Prats at Shaina Magdayao.”
What did they see in each other? “Intimidated ako sa kanya noon kasi it’s my first soap and I just returned from film studies at York University in Canada. Siya naman, she just won best actress sa Asian TV Festival for a telemovie and when I give instructions, she’s just quiet, no reaction,” says FM. “Akala mo, di nakukuha, but when she’s in front of the camera na, yun pala, she got everything right. I was impressed, she’s very smart. She knows her craft. During breaks, I’d see her in one corner, reading. We discovered we both loved to read. That’s how it started.”
“I had a non-showbiz BF then, for the longest time,” says Rita. “But we broke up. I told myself then I won’t have a BF na taga-showbiz din and younger than me. Kinain ko lahat yun kasi si Erick (FM’s real name), taga-showbiz na, 8 years younger than me pa. He also impressed me as he’s a new director, but very good mag-motivate ng artista. He’s intelligent but he’s just quiet, very humble. ” Read, Rita Avila Is A Martyr Wife.
They remain childless after Rita had a miscarriage then, when she finally gave birth, they lost their baby boy 3 weeks later due to the infant’s congenital heart defect. Read, Director Fm Reyes Still Pained By The Death Of His And Wife Rita Avila'S Baby.
“We were both devastated,” says Rita. “That was five years ago. I was able to recover by surrendering it all to God. But siya, it hit him hard.”
Up to now, FM is still affected when he’s directing a scene about a child dying, like in “E-Boy”. “Napaiyak ako when I directed the scene of Ariel Rivera’s son dying. I felt embarrassed kasi dapat, yung personal mong buhay should not get in the way of your job.”
Can’t Rita have kids anymore? “My OB says puede pa raw as I still ovulate. Friends tell us to just adopt or try in vitro, pero ayaw namin. We just leave it up to the Lord. Kung ibibigay niya, di ibibigay niya.”
“But Rita has many kids na inaalagaan niya,” says FM. “She regular goes to two orphanages at marami siyang mga batang tinutulungan doon.”
“So si Lord na ang bahala,” adds Rita. “Kasi when I look at our life naman, masaya naman ang buhay naming mag-asawa with our pet dogs. Andami naming blessings, but siempre, we’ll be happier if we’d have our own baby.”
Rita is also writer. She just wrote a children’s book si “Erick Toothpick at si Ana Taba” to be published soon by St. Paul as a coloring book. “Story namin yun ni Erick. As a boy, he’s so payatot. Ako naman, so taba. Other kids bully us. The point of the story is wag kang makipag-away kundi suklian mo ng kabutihan lahat ng masamang ginagawa sa’yo.”
