Flood makes way for love: An Ethel Booba love story

FILE: The day ended with Jessie bringing Ethel home, and the two exchanged numbers. (Photo: Ethel Booba/Instagram)

On a rainy day with floods blocking the way, who knew that love will come into play?

On her way home, what comedienne Ethel Gabison, known for her screen name as Ethel Booba, did not know was that the floods might have just made her stay to meet her now-boyfriend Jessie Salazar.

Recalling that day in Boracay, Ethel, with a gay friend, were on their way home when they found themselves stranded because of the water levels rising.

“Dito muna tayo kasi ‘di naman tayo makakauwi talaga (Let us stay here for a while since we cannot go home anyway),” Ethel said in a Magandang Buhay interview on Tuesday, July 3, remembering her words to her companion that day.

According to her, it just so happened that when they were stuck in a tricycle, there was a party, and the circumstances led them to joining.

Ethel described her gay friend as someone who was really handsome, and they flirted often only for show especially on social media as “pampainggit (to make people jealous).”

That was when Jessie came in the middle of them, telling Ethel that the guy was gay.

Ethel, who thought of Jessie as a stranger, did not mind him or reply to him.

But on his second attempt to “inform” her, she snapped and told him that she knew that.

“’Yun nga pumasok sa isip ko, mag-jowa kaya ‘to? Nagseselos ba ‘to? (That was what entered my mind, are these two a couple? Is he jealous?)” the comedienne shared.

For his side of the story, Jessie said that he also was not supposed to be in the party since it was a party for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT). However, fate might have played with the two, since all these scenarios tied up and brought them together.

The day ended with Jessie bringing Ethel home, and the two exchanged numbers.

Ethel said that right after, as early as 7:00 a.m., Jessie immediately texted her.

Their texts turned to video calls and it continued.

“Kakikilala lang namin [pero] may nag-c-care na sa’yo, mahirap ma-detach (We just got to know each other but someone is already caring about you, it is hard to detach),” Jessie confessed.

For Ethel who has found her heart broken numerous times, Jessie arrived in her life unexpectedly.

“As in dumating lang talaga siya. Unexpected talaga na pinagtagpo talaga kami dahil sa baha. Parang destiny (As in he just arrived. It was unexpected but it was flood that made us meet each other. Like destiny),” she said, earning cheers from the hosts and the audience.