Surprise, surprise

I love surprises. The most recent one I've enjoyed was conceived almost a month ago when I saw the poster of a show.

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Gladys. Gladys is a twenty-something officemate whose love for music is evident. She can sing with the passion of an opera singer, even if her petite frame will make you wonder how. Not only can she belt out songs, she also, naturally, enjoys listening to music. Her ears are glued to the earphones of her Sony MP3-audio-playing-enabled PDA (For non-techies, it just means her digital organizer can play songs—in style). One particular singer, I’ve learned, catches her fancy: Christian Bautista.

I’ve been supportive of her admiration for this singer. I would lend her a magazine with a feature (and glossy picture) of him; text her even late at night when I see Christian’s concert being shown on TV. I try to recall if I’ve ever felt this way for a celebrity. No. Never. [Did I just hear a rooster crow? OK, so I once stayed up all night to watch episodes of Meteor Garden. But I only watched it because I admire the scriptwriters, able to churn out interesting twists in the plot. Did the same rooster crow again? OK, so I like the cinematic shots of the director, which almost made me want to go to Taiwan when I saw the lush scenery on screen. Is there a roosters’ version of Star in the Million? The rooster outside is crowing like crazy the third time! OK, so I liked—note the past tense of the verb— Dao Ming Szu. End of story of defensive me. :-) ]
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It was supposed to be a girls’ night out date composed mainly of Aileen, Ivy, Gladys and I. I told Gladys and Ivy (Aileen was an accomplice) that we will be having dinner somewhere in Glorieta but didn’t tell them what we’ll be doing after. After a carbohydrate-and-lycopene-rich dinner at Sbarro’s, with a quick stop-over at Tickles, we were headed to our ultimate destination. I told them we’ll be having dessert in a hotel (which wasn’t really a lie. It’s just that the dessert wasn’t food ).

It was amusing how Gladys didn’t see the huge sign of the show when we drove past the front of the venue, how she still didn’t have an idea after we’ve sat for an hour in the balcony. In fact, she was clueless until after the main performer, Kuh Ledesma (having already sung 3-4 songs) introduced her guest. When Gladys heard his name, she stared at me—disbelief and delight dancing in her eyes. She pushed me with all her might and screamed some. Even her other seatmate, a stranger, noticed her exhilaration.

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We all enjoyed the show last night. The acoustics was superb , set in a classy and intimate lounge. But what made me enjoy it even more was the fact that a girl grinned from ear to ear while watching the singer of her dreams. She thanked me afterwards but, really, that is to no credit to me. I’ve been surprised many times myself too—with unexpected gifts and lavish acts of kindness. From friends and family, and more so, from the generous God who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. I am just passing it on. :-)