TICKETS FOR A JOURNEY

Actually, I got the good news last Friday, September 26, 4:15 pm, when he himself called me in my cell phone. He asked in a soft and husky voice and simple as he does, I'm told: "Is this Jun? And I answered: "Yes." I couldn't make our conversation longer and make some tsika because I was in the middle of doing my duties at work. And my office mates were looking at me as if they were saying:"Nasa phone na naman si Pablo!" Well, I didn't mind them and kept the call going and they couldn't do anything about it. I've waited for this call for more than a month. And if they think I'll cut it short and tell me to go back to work, they can wait for Christmas!

He said:"This is Arnel. (Note: He didn't even say his last name. He's that humble and friendly.) Somebody from Pechanga will contact you about the tickets. These are two tickets." For a while I didn't know what to say and trying not to let him (or my co-workers) hear how excited I really was just to hear his voice. And the only question I could think of asking was: "When will they call? The whole day?" He said: "Just wait for the call." I said:"Okay. Thank you very much." I went back to work not knowing how to concentrate on doing it and thinking the call may not come that day for it was almost 5 pm and the Box Office will be closed. And that means I have to wait the next day-or even the whole day and I have work the next day, Saturday, when it tends to be busier that the weekdays. I said to myself:"Patay, baka di ko marinig ang ring!" I just thought: I waited this long, so what is a day. At least I know my good friend has made good on her promise for us to see Arnel and Journey in Concert LIVE.

Well, I went back to work when not three minutes passed when my phone rung and it was the gracious and polite Special Events Coordinator on the other end. And she said: "Jun, there are tickets here for you arranged by your friend with the Journey." And I answered: "Yes, yes, he's Arnel Pineda. How much are the tickets?" She replied: "$100 at the Gold-Right . The best I can do for you." I said to myself: "That's perfectly alright with me because I learned that tickets were sold-out in 18 minutes way back something like three months ago." Can I pick it up tomorrow?" (Cause I want to make sure that I would indeed have the tickets, in my hands and believe this is happening for real, to this much highly anticipated and recommended concert of the year.) She said: "Sure, any day or before the show starts." And after I dictated my plastic card information (as I knew before then they will not be free), she said I'm all set. (All set for a journey I thought would never take off.)

That Friday night I decided to keep it a secret from Nette and just surprise her the next day. Upon learning from her that she's got nowhere to go that next Saturday, I told her we would go to Pechanga, after getting home from work, and check out the place IF ever we get the tickets. And she said okay let's go, play slots a little and get something to eat at one of their restaurants. Mommy came with us cause we haven't gone out with her in a long time. I was leading them to the Box Office, pretending to look around, checking the showroom's line-up till I couldn't contain my excitement and went to one of the teller and showed her the confirmation number that was given to me. She went to the back of the office, check the computer and asked the number again, typed it in the computer, pulled opened another drawer and voila, she came back with an envelope and asked for my ID. All Nette and Mommy was looking at the whole scene with amazement that indeed we went there just to really pick-up the tickets. Nette said: "Ikaw talaga, Galing mong magtago ng secret!"

At last we have the tickets and we decided to call Arnel to thank him from the bottom of our hearts, but, it was only the voicemail that came on and we left messages right there and there. But because of the casino gamblers and slots noises, I wasn't able to answer his 5:09 call. It was only while eating at the Flaming Noodles that heard from my cell that he left a message telling me to text him my real name together with Nette's for he's arranging a VIP Pass for us. And that call is now locked-in my Message log forever. It doesn't get any better than this. We'll get to see him sing and get real close in meeting him at the same time. We went home very excited and eagerly chatted with our friends in Hongkong and Manila to tell them about the good news.

And for the next five days nothing can deplete my happy feeling, not even the bad news on Wall Street, the hot and cold weather and the feeling of helplessness of some of the people I've talked to. Those things can wait, a have a concert to watch and prepare. Solving the world's problem I am not prepared and equipped, but, I can give you the three titles of the Journey's songs: "Be Good To Yourself," Change For The Better and "Don't Stop Believing" and I believe every good things will follow from those lyrics.