appy Christmas, was is over. After more than a year of being estranged, sisters Assunta and Alessandra de Rossi are friends again.

They may have said things to the media about each other in the past, called each other names perhaps, but they finally said goodbye to all that. More than a year after their much-publicized rift, sisters Assunta and Alessandra de Rossi are talking again - not to show biz reporters but to each other. These days, they just call each other bulokis - meaning anything bad, or "chaka" in gay lingo - which they have adopted as their new term of endearment. The celebrated feud is over. Sam and Alex are back in each other's arms.

"She (Alessandra) texted me three weeks ago," Assunta shares when asked how the truce came about. "When I woke up, I saw her name sa inbox ng cell ko. The message was very short. 'Sam (Assunta's pet name), sorry sa lahat. Bati na tayo.' Ganun lang," Assunta adds, visibly pleased with the sudden turn of events.

"Nagulat ako pero mas lamang yung masya kasi nga finally, tapos na. at first, I admit na hindi ko alam if I will take is seriously. Pero kilala ko si Alex (Alessandra is fondly called) she is one sincere person. 'Pag galit siya sa'yo, galit siya talaga. As in. She'll never make you feel that everything's okay when it's not.

"After nong text niya, tumawag agad ako sa kanya. We spent hours on the phone. Just like old times. Kumustahang walang hanggan. Iyakan kami sa telepono. Sabi ko sa kanya 'Sis, kita naman tayos!' Na-miss ko talaga siya," Assunta's eyes light up, her happiness enveloping the small dressing room where we interviewed her.

At the shoot for this story in November, their first ever after two years, Sam arrived first ("Wala pa si sis, eh."), wearing jogging pants, a sweat jacket, and immaculate white Lacoste sneakers, yaya in tow. We brought her to the make-up room. When Alex arrived, alone, driving a car too big for her size, she didn't want our Associate Editor to help her carry her things. "Pakuha na lang natin sa yaya ni Sam mamaya pag kailangan." She went straight to the ELJ Building's The Loop and chose to hand out at the cell card store. She also sat for make-up right there and then. When they finally saw each other, both mentioned the magic word - "Bulokski!" - and it was like Jules Ledesma never happened.

In 2002, the two famously became enemies when Alex and their mother Neneth Schiavone (the sisters' real surname) publicly declared their objection to Assunta falling in love with the Congressman, and then her leaving the Schiavone home.

But that's history now. Today, they are talking like they were still catching up on lost time. Alex never runs of stories, and they knew the references to each other's jokes. While waiting for the photographer to set up in the garden outside, they run from the Windows Café to Magnet, check out the magazines and books like kids in a toy store. Both wearing short shorts. Alex, 19, is still her boyish self, and Sam, 20, never looked younger. The artist Rock Drilon, the gallery owner, noticed they were lingering by the inspirational titles.

"Pagod na akong matulog sa gabi ng may kagalit," Alex says in the restaurant earlier when asked what finally made her forgive her sister. "At saka nahihiya na ako sa Diyos 'pag humihingi ako ng tawad sa Kanya pero ako mismo, hindi marunong magpatawad."

Assunta would rather not discuss the old rift. She is just too glad that all parties concerned are now off to a fresh start. "My husband has already apologized for his past actions. Pero one thing with Jules is that you can never question his intentions. Puwede mo sigurong kuwestiyunin ang actions niya but definitely not his intentions."

Before that brief yet meaningful text which spelled the end of a cold war, Assunta has been trying her best to make peace with her little sister.

"The last time magkita kami was nu'ng birthday niya nu'ng July 19. I surprised her sa Tagaytay," Assunta confides. "I went to Tagaytay alone, without Jules. Actually, I was planning to but her a gift but I didn't know how to give it to her personally.

"Her best friend called me to inform me that they had planned a part in Oyo's (Oyo Boy Sotto, the young actor, is now Alex's ex-boyfriend) house in Tagaytay for Alex. Days before her birthday, ang alam ni Alex, lahat ng close friends niya,, wala for the occasion. Everyone has made excuses para kunwari wala sila sa mismong birthday ni Alex.

"When she saw me, she was shocked. She wasn't expecting to see me but I really wanted to be there, to greet her. It's been a long time," Sam recounts, her tone suddenly nostalgic.

"Marami akong na-miss kay Alex. We used to go out a lot before. She was my driver kasi hindi pa ako marunong magmaneho dati. We used to laugh a lot then over the most trivial of things. Para kaming mga di seryoso sa buhay. Nag-e-enjoy lang."

This reconciliation, like in well-followed teleseryes, couldn't have been more perfect in timing: Christmas is just around the corner.

"Sa village namin noon, we have an aunt who lives just a few blocks from us. My aunt never fails to organize a party tuwing Christmas na lahat kaming magpipinsan nandu'n. My mom loves to cook pero she's not that fond of organizing parties. At midnight, we hear Mass.

"Pag New Year naman, after ng putukan, sama-sama pa rin kaming buong mag-anak. Parang reunion. Kainan, tawanan. At 1 am, kanya-kanya na kaming lakad. We visit the house of our friends," Assunta recalls.

She says if there were non-material gifts she would like to give Alex for Christmas it would have to be a new love and peace of mind.

"Ako, wala akong maisip na material na bagay na puwede kong ibigay kay Sam kasi she has everything na. new love din siguro. Charing!" Alex laughs, ever the candid girl we have all come to love.

"Na-miss ko 'yung kulitan naming together. Akala mo lang tahimik si Sam pero magulo rin yan, 'no. We used to share the same room. Share din ng mga gamit," Alex shares, seriously this time.

When asked why she made the first move only now. Alex retorts, "Hindi kaya ,as tamang itanong 'Why so soon?'"

Was there hatred in the past? "Oo naman!" came her quick reply, not a bit hesitating. "Hindi naman kasi para sa sarili ko yung sama ng loob ko. Kung sa akin lang, masama ang loob ko ngayon, overnight wala na'yun. Para sa nanay ko 'yung naramdaman kong galit non."

She says she is civil to Assunta's husband Jules Ledesma, preferring to take things one step at a time.

"Nagkita na kami nu'ng November 2. Lumabas kami nina Sam at Oyo Boy. Nag-hi kami sa isa't isa. Okay na kami."

Assunta confirms this. "No'ng lumabas kaming tatlo nina Oyo at Alex, Jules called me to say, "Tell me when you're done and I'll pick you up."

"Inevitable na mag-meet kami so hindi magandang 'di pa rin kami nag-uusap," Alex quips.

Right now, Assunta's busy with her wedding plans. The church nuptial is scheduled on March 14, 2004 at the Santuario de San Antonio. Reception will follow at the Makati Shangri-la.

"Confirmed na si Alex as maid-of-honor. It will not be the wedding that I've always dreamed of kung wala si Alex at ang mommy ko," Sam concludes dramatically.

Looking at Alex and Assunta play around like school girls in the throes of womanhood, calling each other "bulokski," one can safely surmise that indeed, friendship is sweeter - especially between sisters - the second time around. - -