Love story starts with a song

MANILA, Philippines - Music is like a prerequisite to a love story, an element that’s almost always present if only to provide romantic dimensions.

Their love story is no exception. As with most people, all that happened at the start was rather inconsequential, as with initial attractions go between a man and a woman. He was a young lawyer who would frequent this hotel lounge, a watering hole for his group. The place had a band that supplied music, simple rhythm and blues to keep the atmosphere alive.

Christine Elizabeth Flores was a singer in the band in this watering hole that attracted young lawyers. Young and pretty, with the winsome charm of a theater performer, under the given circumstances of the establishment, all that mattered was for Christine to carry a tune, maintain a melody, hit the right notes, and hold the interest of the guests once she’s succeeded to catch their attention. Working to her advantage was having majored in voice at the UST Conservatory of Music.

In this one night, Christine caught the attention of this young lawyer, which was nothing extraordinary for her. Neither was it for the lawyer, though peer pressure must have led him to brag to his lawyer friends about knowing the pretty singer in the band.

In fact, he’d go ahead and ask her to sing him a song.

He expected her to do just as he had requested, it was after all what she’s supposed to do as an entertainer. He quickly noted down his requested song, “Ikaw,” and to be sure, he wrote down his name.

Christine got the request slip, read it, and much to the lawyer’s disappointment expressed her regrets, as the song, Ikaw (popularized by Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez and Ariel Rivera) was not part of her repertoire. She was quick to add to her apologies to Atty. Cordero, that she would learn and sing the song for him the next weekend should the lawyer promise to come back.

“Atty. Cordero?” Christine looked around, not knowing who the lawyer was in the crowd.

The incident was a source of delight for the group of lawyers, as the pretty songstress unknowingly let on that Atty. Cordero was not at all familiar to her, contrary to his claim. She actually misread the name on the slip of paper, much to lawyer Francis Escudero’s dismay.

When the two finally met, formally, they would look back to this incident with much amusement. Of course, with that initial slip, never would Christine ever forget the Escudero name, as she eventually even acquired it for her own.

Music is what brought Christine and Francis together.

For this love month, Christine along with friends Odette Garcia and Marisse Santos, and Bimbo Cerrudo as special guest, are set to perform in Quezon province for Valentines, and then the following week will bring the show to Teatrino in Greenhills on Friday, Feb. 20, with Bibeth Orteza as director. Titled A Song for You, the show features familiar songs that echo love stories, including that of the songstress and the senator.