forget me not series 2 – The Romance of Ayin & Will
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ohmygosh.
News Flash – The Phantom of the Opera is coming to Manila!
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega musical, touted as “the most successful musical of all time”, is being staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ main theater in Pasay City.
Ayin felt goosebumps as she read the news.
A press conference was just held to introduce the main cast of the international touring production crew. And with the reported number of extravagant set pieces, stage lighting equipment and lavish Victorian style costumes being brought to the Philippines from South Africa, where they last performed — it promised to be big.
Ayin squealed in excitement.
As New York City’s Broadway’s longest-running musical and London’s West End’s finest, The Phantom of the Opera is one of those classics every theater enthusiast shouldn’t miss.
Excitedly, Ayin grabbed her phone and called up her friend Allie in Manila, who was just as mad about theater as her.
As soon as she picked up, Ayin blurted, “Girl, did you hear?”
Allie knew of only one thing that could make Ayin this excited. “Yes! The Phantom is coming. This is it, girl!”
Like true blue fans, both Ayin and Allie let out girlish squeals.
Allie, “So, when are you coming? We have to match our tickets so we can go on the same dates. Want me to buy one for you already?”
Just then, Ayin remembered the boyfriend. She was so pleased that she didn’t have to go third-wheeling this time with Allie and her husband. She has a Plus One.
Ayin, “Um, will just buy the ticket online, have to consult someone first. Will update you on the final show date.”
A pause, then Allie’s teasing voice came through, “Heyyyy girl, are you dating someone? It’s that guy in the car on your FB, isn’t it? I knew your smile was different. You have to bring him! Haven’t grilled him yet.”
Ayin laughed. “Yes. Don’t worry, you’ll meet him soon.”
Allie squealed again. “Yay! See you guys soon. Don’t take too long on the tickets, it’s selling fast.”
Ayin, “Sure thing. Will book tonight or as soon as I know when he’s free. See you in Manila!”
They disconnected the call with big smiles on their faces.
Then Ayin got excited even more as she realized that this was going to be her and Will’s first flight together.
It couldn’t be more awesome flying with him to see a musical.
It never occurred to her Will would refuse to go with her.
She thought it was as simple as fixing their common available schedule for a trip.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
Later that evening, despite the long distance from her workplace, Ayin dropped by Will’s office to talk about going to Manila to see The Phantom of the Opera.
She felt that a first flight together was something that should be discussed face to face, and not over the phone.
“Hey, you busy?” Ayin asked as she perched on his desk. He was alone at the office, doing something on the computer.
“Not for you,” he told her. “You like coffee?”
“Sure,” she said.
Because she was in a good mood, she told him, “Don’t get up. I know where it is. I’ll make it myself.”
She went to the pantry and got their usual 3-in-one.
“You want one?” she called out to him.
“No, I just finished one.”
She went back to his desk and took a sip of the steaming coffee in her hand.
Then she began…
Her, “Do you know that The Phantom of the Opera is now showing in Manila?
Him, “The what? Phantom…? Like Darth Vader? Is there a new Star Wars movie?
Her eyes rounded, coffee cup suspended in the air. Was he kidding? “No, it’s musical theater, not a movie.”
He shrugged, not taking his eyes off from the computer, “I don’t know that.”
Her, “You don’t know musicals?”
Him, “Is that the one where they sing all the time?
She nodded. That’s one way of putting it. Though for her, musicals were so much more than that.
Her, “The Phantom of the Opera is one of the best musicals ever and they’re finally bringing it here in the Philippines! No need to go abroad, it’s just in Manila.”
He frowned. “So?”
Her, “Let’s go watch it.”
He finally stopped whatever he was doing in the computer and looked at her. “What?”
She repeated, “Let’s go to Manila and watch Phantom of the Opera.”
Him, “You want to go to Manila just to watch a show?”
She nodded.
Him, “A musical?”
She nodded.
Him, “And you want me to go with you?”
She nodded.
Him, “Me, go to Manila to watch a musical?”
As he finished processing the thought, he burst out laughing. Laughed so hard for what seemed like a full minute.
She frowned. This was not the reaction she expected.
He finally contained himself to say to her, “No way!”
She scowled at him. “Why not?”
Him, “I don’t like musicals. Much more go to Manila just to watch it. No way.”
He shook his head again.
She was struck speechless by his very blunt “No way.”
Why didn’t it ever occur to her that he would be averse to musicals?
Because she loved it so much and he was her boyfriend, that’s why.
This conversation was not going the way she expected at all.
He looked at her dismayed expression.
To soften the blow, he said, “Come on, let me treat you to a movie instead. We can still catch the last full show.”
She wasn’t prepared for a rebuttal, damn it.
All she knew was that, somehow, he should understand this early that the theater will always be a beautiful part of her life. And she wanted to share it with him.
But judging from his earlier reaction… tsk, she had her work cut out for her.
This is not looking good, she thought. Not looking good at all.
She needed a solid argument to present her case.
First day of negotiation…
Plan for Opening Argument: Present the beautiful facts about the show so he’ll like it, too
Her, “You know, musicals are just like movies. It has a story, but just with many songs in it.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “I’ve seen opera.”
She didn’t believe him. Her voice dripped with sarcasm, “Really? Where?”
He said, “On TV. The singers have white faces and thick make up. They’re all screaming and just showing off with their voices. I don’t understand them.”
Must be from one of those old foreign channels on cable.
Her, “This is different. The Phantom of the Opera is not really an opera, it’s a musical. An opera is just pure classical singing, a musical has dialogues and beautiful songs.”
He didn’t believe her. “But they’re still singing in high pitched voices, right? It’s all mumbo-jumbo to me. Why cant they just simply say what they mean?”
Well, that was true, especially for this musical.
Her heart sank. She began to doubt if she was right to convince him to see the show.
She realized that for a newbie theater goer, an immersion to The Phantom of the Opera might be a bit too much.
Even though it isn’t an opera, but a musical, it is, after all, inspired by the classic opera house and has elements of an opera with their soprano and tenor leads.
The story itself draws a striking parallel in many aspects to the real opera itself.
It’s one of those plays that demands either you hate it or love it.
Be that as it may, this was one show she didn’t want to miss.
She tried again.
Her, “Actually, they’re not just singing. They’re telling a story.”
He just shook his head again. “How do you expect me to like a show entitled ‘Opera’? Even in hospitals, it’s not a good thing to have an opera.”
She didn’t laugh at his joke.
She corrected him, “It’s not ‘Opera’. It’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.”
She went on, “Come on, this show is big. Spectacular. They say it has a 15-million budget for the Manila run. Just imagine the special effects, sets and costumes with that kind of budget. Think world-class. It will be unforgettable.”
Him, “Whoa! With that money, I can already buy 15 cars.”
She ignored his statement and continued, “This show is so good. In fact, it’s the longest-running show in Broadway history, the first ever to surpass 10,000 performances as of this year. And it’s still playing in theaters all over.”
He didn’t comment.
She told him, “This musical has won seven Tony’s on Broadway and four Olivier Awards in the West End.”
Him, “I don’t know Tony and Olive. Who are they?”
She started to correct him, “Olivier, not…”
Then she stopped herself. He was hopeless.
There’s simply no convincing this guy to understand and like musicals the way she does until he sees one.
And even then, given his personality, she wasn’t sure he’d change his mind about it after the show.
Should she just give up and find someone else to go with her?
No, she told herself. It’s not too late yet. She couldn’t give up until he at least tried it. It was important to her.
Going this line won’t do it. What she needed was a new argument.
She sighed as she considered her options. She has to do some more research on it tonight.
In the meantime, she asked him, “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how opposed are you to watching this play with me in Manila?”
Him, “Eight.”
Ugh. She never imagined she would say this about 8… but what a terrible number.
But then, she realized, it might be terrible but at least it wasn’t a 10.
He may not like it, but he wasn’t saying a definite ‘No’ yet, either.
Those missing 2 points gave her hope.
Second day of negotiation…
Plan for Second Argument: Let him see the advantage of being in Manila.
Her, “Hey, do you know that some people, even companies, buy their cars in Manila? They say that dealers offer cheaper prices there.”
Him, “I know.”
Her, “And they have more talyers (car workshops) so you can hunt spare parts there that are hard to find here.”
Him, “Have you been talking to Mike?”
Mike was the driving school’s mechanic who did house calls from time to time.
Yes, she had been. But she only answered, “I have my sources.”
He grunted.
Her, “So, there’s another reason to go to Manila. You can do research. It’s important for business, you know.”
He didn’t comment.
Her, “See? It’s win-win. I can watch my musical and you can shop for your new training unit or look for some spare parts you might need.”
Him, “Hm.”
Anything related to his business should tip the scales already.
So she asked him, “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how opposed are you still to going to Manila with me?”
Him, “Six.”
She frowned at him. “Huh? Even if you can meet with dealers and suppliers there? I should get at least a five.”
Him, “I can find the things I need here in Cebu. No need to go there. After shipping, the costs are more or less the same. Could be cheaper, but not much.”
Bummer.
Then he continued, “But I agree about the spare parts, they have more options there.”
At least. Thank you, Mike.
She sighed. Hope is a tricky thing.
Third day of negotiation…
Serve the Subpoena a.k.a the Boyfriend Card
Her, “You know, as a boyfriend you have responsibilities.”
Him, “Mm.”
Her, “It’s the boyfriend’s duty to escort his girlfriend to events that are important to her.”
Him, “Is it?”
Her, “Yes, especially when the matter is very, very important.”
Him, “Like your Phantom of the Opera?”
He finally nailed the title! There was hope.
She gave him a big smile in approval.
Him, “So… if I have mine, what are the responsibilities of a girlfriend?”
Her, tongue in cheek, “To create opportunities for the boyfriend to escort her.”
Him, “Hm.”
Her, “So…”
Him, “I’ll think about it.”
Her, “On a scale of 1 to…”
He interrupted her, “I’m not doing the scale. Just let me think about it.”
Fourth day of negotiation…
His Terms and the Renegotiation
Her, “Have you decided yet? Are we going to Manila?”
Him, “Okay. But I have terms and conditions.”
Her, “Okay, just lay it out on the table. Your terms?”
Him, “First, we go for two days only. It’s still peak season, I can’t leave the office for long.”
That means she wouldn’t have time to catch up with her Manila friends. Oh well, another time. Work was important.
Her, “Okay, done.”
Him, “Second, we go on a weekday. The school is fully booked on weekends.”
She gulped. She would have to file for leave at work. But she was the one asking for this, so she should be the one to make the concession.
Her, “Okay, done.”
Him, “Three, you include in our itinerary time for me to go around visit the car dealers and talyers in the area.”
Her, “Of course.”
Him, “And lastly, we take the boat going there.”
Her, “What?!”
Him, “I don’t like planes.”
For a driver, this was the one thing she never expected him to say.
Wasn’t a plane just like a car that flies?
She demanded, “What do you have against planes?”
He shrugged. “I’d rather have both my feet on solid ground.”
She pointed out, “On the boat, you’re not on land, either. You’re on water. So what’s the difference?”
He retorted, “I can swim. I can’t fly.”
She narrowed her eyes, “Don’t tell me… are you scared of flying?”
He didn’t answer.
Ayin tried to contain her laughter. It’s against proper etiquette to laugh when you’re at the negotiation table.
She asked instead, “Have you ever been on a plane?”
Him, “No.”
She was taken aback, but she saw an opportunity, “Then how can you say you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it yet?”
He countered, “What do you have against boats?”
Her, “A lot. Unlike you, I’ve tried it enough times to know why I don’t like it.”
Him, “Tell me.”
Her, “I get seasick.”
Him, “There’s a tablet for that. We’re just going to sleep.”
Her, “I can’t sleep when I’m on a boat. I never do. So it’s stressful for me.”
Him, “Hm.”
At the thought of it, she determined that she would win this point. She hated boats.
Her, “Look, with the promo rates that airlines are offering right now, it’s cheaper to ride a plane.”
Him, “Is it?”
Her, “And just think about the time we’d save. 12 hrs vs 1 hr. That’s me suffering for 12 hrs, whereas you only have to suffer for 1 hr.”
Him, “Hm.”
Her, “So time-wise and money-wise, it’s more practical. You like practical, don’t you?”
He didn’t say anything.
Her, “Are you really that afraid of flying?”
No answer.
She offered, “I promise to hold your hand.”
His features softened.
Encouraged, she went on with her case, “Think about it as testing your limits. It’s opening yourself to new things for you to grow and expand your world. It’s about spreading your wings and learning to fly like an eagle. Just like the goal of every businessman.”
She had no idea that the day would come that she’d make such an impassioned speech like a politician about something as random as airplanes.
Then, as a closing line, she said with much fervor, “Come on, let’s defy gravity!”
He just gave her a look. Then he asked her, “Are you sure you’re not a lawyer?”
Her, “Why?”
Him, “You argue so well.”
She beamed at him. “So… come fly with me to Manila?”
Him, “Let’s see.”
Not a complete ‘Yes’ yet, but she didn’t push it. Just let him think about it some more.
She knew that she may not have won this particular battle yet, but she had already won the war.
He already agreed to go with her to Manila, didn’t he?
The rest were just details.
Fifth day of negotiation…
Sealing the Deal
Her, “So, is it a yes?”
He smiled at her. “Yes. Let’s defy gravity!”
She whooped. “Yes! You won’t regret this!”
Him, “But the other conditions remain.”
And then, he added, “And I don’t promise to like the show, so don’t be disappointed.”
Whatever. For as long as you’re going with me, she thought.
She took his hand and shook it firmly. “Deal!”
Then excitedly, she took the show tickets from her bag and showed it to him.
He gaped at her. “You already bought the tickets? Even without my confirmation yet?”
Her, “Yes, it’s almost sold out. I want good seats.”
He looked at her suspiciously, “Ah. You still would have gone there even without me, wouldn’t you?
Her, “Of course. But I’m much happier that you’re going with me.
She hugged him.
Maro-kay (Sneaky girl), Will thought.
But he was getting infected by her happiness. It felt good to give her this. He hugged her back.
Her, “Since I bought the show tickets, you pay for the air fare.”
He nodded, “I’ll go to the ticketing office tomorrow.”
Her, “No need.”
She then whipped out her laptop and went to the airline’s web page.
She grinned at him, “I’m buying the tickets now before you change your mind. I just need your credit card.”
He just shook his head in resignation as he gave it to her. “You’re quite the negotiator.”
She sang in cheer, “Thanks! You’re quite the opponent yourself. Harder to get your approval than having my GM (General Manager) approve my annual marketing budget at work. He already signed it days ago. Whereas you, it took me over a week to convince.”
Like a seasoned online booker, Ayin entered their details and had their air tickets printed in a matter of minutes.
She showed it to him. “Here you go! You can’t change your mind. It’s already booked.”
She did a little dance in excitement.
He laughed at her.
Curious, she turned to ask him, “By the way, what finally convinced you to go with me?”
Him, “I was ready to go with you when you played the boyfriend card. I want you to be happy.”
Her heart melted.
So she also told him, “And I was ready to go with you on the boat if that was your bottom line. I want you to be comfortable.”
They grinned at each other.
Bugoy, she thought
Maro-kay, he thought
Then they drew closer and wrapped their arms around each other. Nothing like a long kiss to seal the sweetest deal.
A week later, they boarded the plane bound for Manila.
She eyed his single backpack suspiciously as he easily put it in the overhead compartment next to her wheeled luggage.
Her, “Are you sure you packed enough clothes for this trip?”
He nodded.
Her, “What about clothes for the show?”
He paused, “Why, do I have to wear a suit?”
Her, “Not really, but it has to be above casual.”
He shrugged, “I can always buy what I lack in Manila.”
And here she thought he was a Boys Scout.
Before she could argue, he continued, “Besides, the lighter the baggage, the easier for this plane to fly.”
He winked at her. As if.
When they were all settled in their seats and the captain announced takeoff, he turned to look at her like a puppy.
He whispered, “Do you remember your promise?”
Her, “What promise?”
He extended his right hand.
Understanding, she chuckled and held it firmly in both hands. “Is this tight enough for you?”
He didn’t answer as he closed his eyes.
She realized then how deeply this guy was afraid of flying. She shouldn’t be taking it for granted. Her heart went out to him.
She whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
He just squeezed her hand. Then, he squeezed even tighter when the plane tilted in take off.
After a while, she felt him relax. When the plane leveled and the seat belt sign went off, he finally opened his eyes.
She smiled at him. “Are you okay?”
Him, smiling back. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”
She gave him a look that said, I told you so.
Him, “Hey, can we switch? I want to look out the window and see what’s out there.”
There’s the Will she knew. Always going forward. He got over his fear quite fast.
They switched.
Halfway through the flight, she heard him say, “Wow, look at that. It’s like we’re floating on Cloud 9.”
He turned to her. “This is great. I can’t believe it took me so long to do this.”
She teased him, “Congratulations, proud of you.”
He smiled as he continued to look out the window.
Yep, spreading your wings to fly wasn’t bad at all, Will thought.
Ayin settled comfortably back in her seat, purring with satisfaction like a cat who just caught a mouse.
She knew the flight was just the beginning. A whole new adventure awaited them.
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