will you let me take more than a peek?

The most beautiful thing that ever happened to this unworthy soul.

Hey there, stranger!

Peej and I met yesterday at Festival Supermall in Alabang. He sure lives up to his punctuality slogan (written in his friendster profile), albeit he traveled twice as much time as mine. Black polo, orange bag, plastic ng odyssey. That's him.

Chicken in all its incarnations.

We dined in at Max's.

We both love chickens, anything chicken. So he had an idea. Whenever we go out, we would only eat in chicken restaurants or food chains until we've exhausted all of them. Max's. Kenny. KFC. Texas (meron pa daw nito sa Megamall sabi nya!). Popeye's. Anu pa ba?

I saw some college orgmates while we're dined in. Little introductions and there! He said he saw one of them throwing us a curious look. Nyehe.

SH will be very excited to go with you on that concert.

We were a bit late for the show. The Side A concert at Casino Filipino will start in 10 minutes but we were still unsuccessful at finding a cab to take us there. Festival happens to have a taxi request service. So there, they gave us a Revo at first but we transferred to a traditional-looking cab 'cause a 350 was just too soaring high. But then with the next cab, 250 was still pricey.

Anyway, from Muntinlupa we buzzed off to Parañaque on which way Peej noticed 7 (was that 7?) Chowking branches. Anyway, anyway!

We arrived at the casino past 9, with the front act already half their way with their pro-like performances. They happen to be employees of Casino Filipino who do regular gigs in one of their lounges there.

Then Side A silhouetted on the lowly-lit stage. And the woo-hoos began to surface.

After a few medleys when everybody was just beginning to heat up, there was a shaking on the floor. At that instant, it didn't occur to me that there is an earthquake. You see, I haven't really felt an earthquake yet. Never according to my conscious, present-state brain. You'll go, Who wouldn't know about that 1990 killer quake? But I just don't really remember the very moment when all the world around me was quivering then. I was in school then, in class maybe. What my memory quite vividly accounts is the total chaos after the tragedy.

It took me a second or two before it dawned on me that there was an earthquake. Especially when everybody got to their feet and rushed to the stampede. Peej and I stayed on our seats and he said I shouldn't panic. The trembling stopped but some people continued their ways out of the amphitheather possibly expecting an aftershock. Side A, on the other hand, without any tinge of fear in them, continued their rendering of Hands to Heaven. The words apt for the situation... As I watch you move.

The whole fright-factor just made the concert an even more enjoyable and memorable experience. It left me a bit dizzy though.

Gonna teach you places, like that romantic, secluded, grill bar

After the concert, as planned, we headed to Malate. He was my date-cum-tourguide that time of the night. He took me to The District, where he's supposed to take me had we met in Malate last Saturday. It was indeed cozy, conducive to conversations kind of ambience. Fighting off sleepiness and fatigue, we played 21 Questions which didn't really reach 21. 10-12 only, I guess. It got funny to a point that the questions went from weird to errm weirder to weirdest. Hehe. The likes of...

Why do you love chicken?

What are your going-to-bed rituals like?

How are you gonna blog about this date?

Hmmm, weird ba? Oh whatever! I can't remember anymore of them. But nah, there were pretty serious questions din naman. Shawarmas and iced teas kept us company. I found out he's a sucker for kebabs. Teehee.

After our final questions and after exhaustion was seeping in, we called the morning a night already. It was almost 3am then. But just when we thought the long night was over... it wasn't.

So, was that a bye-bye night-night already?

Along Taft, we waited for our bus. Mine arrived after some 15 minutes. As I got in and sitted, I checked the busmates to gather guts to bring out my celfone and beep Peej. Earlier as the bus approached, it was all fast and I wasn't able to say much parting words. So I texted him. He replied. I texted him again about his books I forgot to get from him. No reply. I did not worry 'cause I thought he was just keeping his phone safe in his pocket.

So I spanned the night to Alabang. Half-asleep in the bus, I almost got past the Alabang terminal had it not been for the movements of the people who were also alighting the bus there. In the jeepney on my way to our house, I did not have anymore luck. Lumampas na ko.

Dozed off for the past hour, I was awakened by a call. Surprisingly, because I am not normally roused by a ringing phone especially that I'm puyat. I looked at the phone's screen, squinting my eyes for vision. It was Peej calling. I rattled on my phone and said hello a couple of times without my clicking the answer key. Then the voice in other end cracked open- gasping, fearful and weeping. Peej was mugged. That moment, I lost all suspended sleep in my senses. All I can mutter was Oh my god!

Like him, I have never been held-up. And I could not imagine that happening to me. So I shared his horror of the event. I was guilty. I shouldn't have left him there, I told him. I was there comfortly logging Z's on my bed while he was there running to some bastard cops who chuckles their big abdomens out the moment they heard his cry for help. I was shamefaced. But as he said, there was nothing anymore we can do about it. Good heavens, he's safe. That's enough reason to be thankful.

The following daybreak, I called him (through his landline) to check things with him. There was still a hint of fright in his voice. I so wanted to console him and make him feel even a little better. If I can only take away that fear that bothers him, I will. Cliche yeah, but damn, I mean it!

He's fine now though. You go check out his blog.

Later, our lives are gonna change. I can feel it.

That fateful night! Unbelievable things happened in such a Whew! haste. But like what I said before, it made the entire experience all the more unforgettable. I remember some lines from Angels and Demons that go, when two souls go through a tribulation together both will have some exclusive, indelible spot in each other's hearts already.

(Updated October 11)