It started with a thought of 20 followed by a call to this lady. Then, like a flash of lightning, that thought became a stone.
20 is just a number if you think of it in the ordinary realm of the daily grind: a couple of tens; or less than a day if taken in hours; or an Andrew Jackson or a Manuel L. Quezon depending on which currency you hold dear (or cheap) in your pocket; or a little less than half-cavan of rice in kg... Oh forget it! Too many comparatives already.
My 20 wasn't any of those ordinaries. I was thinking in units of years. Wedding anniversary years! The LED RGB lights in my thought bubble were blinking mad the words:
"20TH ANNIVERSARY!!!"
"SPECIAL GIFT"
"SMALL BUT EXPENSIVE"
repeat 20x
This present day, two-and-a-half weeks short of 20-years-ago, I've got nothing but that thought. I must make that call, goes another in my mind that was a tiny bit away from panic mode.
That lady -shown here -is one lady who matters in matters like this. Together with another lady and assisted by a man -both pictures also shown here, can move heaven and earth for a slice of Sans Rival. Uh-huh!
NOTE: lest their cover is blown, the characters in this blog are left unidentified because up to this writing, this operation is still covert in nature.
All I wanted from lady1 was a telephone number of a friend who sells the small, dear stuff. She gave me not 1, not 2 but three contact numbers. Can't go wrong with 3 numbers, right? Wrong. All the-number-you-dial-is-incorrect-ly wrong.
Later that day in the middle of an important meeting at Pancake House in Robinson's Galleria, I got a call from the man-accomplice. I was told that all three were in a store in Greenhills which is just a few minutes away from where I was. They were there not for the purpose of getting me something but for something else. Or someone else. Stealth, just the same. But that's another story. There in GH, they found an interesting set that's worth xxx but the seller was willing to give a 25% discount. I was asked if I wanted to go and join them there to see it. I told the man-accomplice that I can't leave the meeting. Lorem ipsum sheish kebab, ladidah cut to the chase, we all agreed that they send me a picture via Viber instead. The picture was sent.
It looked good. But I wrangled for more discount -another 14% off the already discounted price. Cash. The seller agreed. Now the next hurdle is the payment. Lady1 didn't have enough cash in her big bag. Neither did lady2 nor man-accomplice. ATM is out of the question as the amount exceeds the daily limit. Let the wife take note of this. Ha!
Lady2 had her checkbook in her bigger bag. Issue the check, I'll fund it, I pleaded. She did and the deal was sealed! I just hope that the triad will be able to keep their silence on this deal prior to August 6. You see, the wife is related to lady1 and lady2. Lady1 is related to man-accomplice. Man-accomplice is related to me. And they are all related to the wife. And if Facebook is to be believed, the wife is related to me.
They're all excited. Me, too. Times 20.
My 20 wasn't any of those ordinaries. I was thinking in units of years. Wedding anniversary years! The LED RGB lights in my thought bubble were blinking mad the words:
"20TH ANNIVERSARY!!!"
"SPECIAL GIFT"
"SMALL BUT EXPENSIVE"
repeat 20x
This present day, two-and-a-half weeks short of 20-years-ago, I've got nothing but that thought. I must make that call, goes another in my mind that was a tiny bit away from panic mode.
 |
| Lady1 |
That lady -shown here -is one lady who matters in matters like this. Together with another lady and assisted by a man -both pictures also shown here, can move heaven and earth for a slice of Sans Rival. Uh-huh!
 |
| Lady2 |
 |
| Man-accomplice |
All I wanted from lady1 was a telephone number of a friend who sells the small, dear stuff. She gave me not 1, not 2 but three contact numbers. Can't go wrong with 3 numbers, right? Wrong. All the-number-you-dial-is-incorrect-ly wrong.
Later that day in the middle of an important meeting at Pancake House in Robinson's Galleria, I got a call from the man-accomplice. I was told that all three were in a store in Greenhills which is just a few minutes away from where I was. They were there not for the purpose of getting me something but for something else. Or someone else. Stealth, just the same. But that's another story. There in GH, they found an interesting set that's worth xxx but the seller was willing to give a 25% discount. I was asked if I wanted to go and join them there to see it. I told the man-accomplice that I can't leave the meeting. Lorem ipsum sheish kebab, ladidah cut to the chase, we all agreed that they send me a picture via Viber instead. The picture was sent.
It looked good. But I wrangled for more discount -another 14% off the already discounted price. Cash. The seller agreed. Now the next hurdle is the payment. Lady1 didn't have enough cash in her big bag. Neither did lady2 nor man-accomplice. ATM is out of the question as the amount exceeds the daily limit. Let the wife take note of this. Ha!
Lady2 had her checkbook in her bigger bag. Issue the check, I'll fund it, I pleaded. She did and the deal was sealed! I just hope that the triad will be able to keep their silence on this deal prior to August 6. You see, the wife is related to lady1 and lady2. Lady1 is related to man-accomplice. Man-accomplice is related to me. And they are all related to the wife. And if Facebook is to be believed, the wife is related to me.
They're all excited. Me, too. Times 20.
