Christmas surprise from a genuine sportsman

Young loves are born in summer, swooned a younger, starry-eyed Percy Della during a lap stopover in the old Tour of Luzon.
Percy now basks in the hugs and kisses of his cute, wonderful grandchildren in Sacramento, California, from where he sends a weekly column for the Inquirer sports section.
In my case, love came from the most unexpected place, the Big Dome (renamed Smart-Araneta Coliseum), which I have always associated with classic but loveless sporting wars, like Gabriel Elorde’s annexation of the world junior lightweight boxing crown in March 1960 and the historic Thrilla in Manila between the late Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali in October 1975.
Last Tuesday, Jan. 3, my youngest boy Sebastian was wooed by his two kids,
Coley and Coby, into taking them out to watch the final show of the Disney on Ice at the Big Dome.
Baste had his fears—the seats could all be sold out, going by the impact of the show on the holiday crowd.
Still, he took his chance, praying along the way they would not be turned away.
***
True enough, all seats had been sold out.
He sent me an urgent message, and I got in touch with the ever-reliable Siena Olaso
She agreed to help out, even as time was fast running out.
I myself felt desperate, knowing how deeply Baste loves the kids.
How he wished they had come a few days ahead, but he had many commitments with his celebrated children’s choir in Mandaluyong.
In desperation, Baste had thought of turning to the scalpers.
There was none in the area outside the red gate.
***
Refusing to give up, I texted Ms. Olaso a second time.
She tarried but asked me to wait a couple of minutes.
I had no choice but exult at her next reply.
Everything OK, she said. The two kids, the father, and the doting grandma, my dear
Pepot, were immediately accommodated.
And at the exclusive patron section at that.
Yes, love came from the most unexpected place.
But not from the most unexpected source.
When they came home, my wife excitedly reported that the tickets to the show were produced by Nene Araneta himself.
I was at a loss. I last saw and had a drink with Mr. Nene, a genuine sportsman who has been my idol since high school, in 2006 yet, during cocktails for the owners of the world famous Torres Distillery in Barcelona.
Knowing Mr. Araneta, he would scold me for mentioning his gesture of kindness.
Sorry, but he had just completed for my grandkids, their grandma included, their happiest, most memorable Christmas yet.
***
By the way, Nene Araneta is also set to present an offering, a gift of a sporting spectacle, for the countless cockfight aficionados hereabouts and around the world.
The Philippines stands as the undisputed cockfighting center of the planet and the World Slashers Cup staged at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum is widely regarded as the “Olympics of Cockfighting”