The Andrea Bocelli Concert

On the way home from work, Jan left the Saab running as she sprinted into the dry cleaners. Sam wanted to chitchat but Jan quickly cut him off telling him she had a lot to do tonight to get ready for a concert. She quickly paid and headed out the door to the car. Things started falling apart when Jan realized the Saab was gone.

"This can't be happening, Sam" she shrieked, "call the police, some asshole has stolen my car!"

Later as the taxi pulled up at Jan's house to let her out, she tried to regroup. Okay, I can't do anything about the car right now. Sue can drive us to the concert; I'll just have a nice evening and worry about the car tomorrow.

As Jan unlocked the door, she heard the phone ringing and quickly grabbed it on the way to the bathroom.

Sue immediately began apologizing, "Jan, I'm so sorry, Nickola is sick, she's so sick, I just can't leave her tonight, I'm so sorry, surely you can find someone else to go."

"Oh Sue, no, no...please, you've got to go, please, I need you...my car was stolen, Sue!"

After five failed attempts at getting anyone to go to the concert, Jan resigned herself to asking Sharon. Her cousin was the last person she wanted to go with but it just couldn't be avoided.

Impeccably dressed in her little black dress, new heels and matching black evening bag, Jan stopped for a moment to admire herself in the mirror on the way to the door. She hoped Sharon would not be wearing those purple spandex pants and was pleasantly surprised when she opened the door to find her in a nice black pants suit. Thank God, she thought.

"How am I supposed to get in?" Jan asked as she incredulously stared up at the monstrosity of a truck. Sharon showed Jan the side step and Jan then tried to hop up into the truck. Unfortunately, as she hopped up her foot got hung in the little side step; she got all twisted up and fell back out the side of the truck. "Owww", she shrieked hanging half out of the truck and half on the ground. Sharon rushed back around to help her up as Jan said, "I'm okay, I'm okay". Shakily she got up and hauled herself back up into the truck this time managing to land in the seat. Breathe, Breathe she repeated to herself...just breathe.

Jan wiped the blood off her right shin with a Kleenex as they pulled out onto the highway. She noted the long run in her panty hose all the way up the front of her leg and wondered if the day could get any worse.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Jan's head began to pound. Sharon got out with her gigantic clunker of a set of keys on her big black keychain and asked if Jan minded putting them in her evening bag. Never mind that the bag was four inches wide and the black key thingy was about six...never mind that she ripped the teeth right out of the little zipper trying to get the blame bag shut and then the blame key thingy ended hanging out the top of the bag anyway...she'd took some deep breaths and told herself, it's okay, I'm going to hear Andrea Bocelli and it's all going to be okay when he starts singing, just get to the seat, get a glass a wine and enjoy the concert, everything is still going to be okay."

As Jan handed the tuxedoed doorman the tickets she tried to ignore the pounding in her head.

"Ma'am, what's this black thing you have in your purse."

Sharon butted in, "Oh, that's just my Mace."

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to empty your purse, please step over here."

As Jan limped over to the little table she heard the crowd began to cheer as the orchestra began playing Amore.

"I'm so excited, Jan! Do you mind if I go on in?" asked Sharon.

As a tear welled up in Jan's eye she whispered, "knew it was too good to be true, just knew it".