It's 11.30 pm, January 24th and I'm arriving home now, I came from Copacabana Palace Hotel, the hotel where Bono is in Rio (he arrived this morning with Adam). I was there since 7.00 pm and... prepare yourselves for what I'm going to tell you right now:
BONO HELD MY HAND FOR ABOUT TWENTY WON-DER-FUL, PRE-CIOUS, MA-GIC SECONDS.
Can you believe me? I knew something was going to go on today, that's why I stayed standing there in front of the hotel, there were too many journalists and fans, but something special happened just to me at exactly ten o'clock this night.
He was wearing the black coat that he wears when he sings 'Please' and the sunglasses with red lenses, his hands inside the pockets. He appeared, going out of the front door of the hotel (the best hotel in the whole of South America, as an international guide said).
The security guards were keeping people away at this moment, but Bono walked in my direction, I was in the middle of the confusion, wearing a t-shirt with a big picture of him. I cried: "Bono I love you!" and stretched my arms in his direction, he held my hand and stayed smiling for all.
Then, he put his finger in front of his mouth, asking for silence, cause everybody was so excited and were shouting. After he did it, he went into the hotel again. They said there were other exits.
It was the best thing that ever happen to me, that's why I always say: don't give up your dreams, in this particular case, I knew today that something special was going to go on.
I'm living a dream-come-true these days. I don't want to look like a snob, but I must tell you that I spent entire days in front of the hotel (Copacabana Palace, here in Rio). The second day I saw Bono (Jan, 29th) I asked him for a kiss and he kissed my lips (a smooth touch of his lips) and I kissed him a second time. This happened at 6.50 am and I had been waiting the whole night to see him so I was very, very tired. He was arriving from the beach in front of the hotel (but the fans didn't see him there). His clothes were dirty from sand and they were wet (he entered the sea wearing underwear, as the driver of the car told later). Edge was completely dirty with sand too.
Let me tell you from the beginning:
All the days they were here, there were lots of fans and journalists in front of the hotel. That day (better say, the night before), there were about a hundred fans and journalists there. Larry and Adam went out without speaking with the fans.
I went to the back door of the hotel, cause Bono and Edge were still there. They went out and into a big white station wagon, curtains closed. We didn't see anything, I almost cried, cause I was there for a long time, expecting to see Bono.
Some friends and I decided to wait till they come back, and so we did. At this time, I was thinking if it was appropriate for someone of my age (33) to do this, but I thought, 'It is only once in a life, it's the first time U2 have been here and I love Bono so much, so much, that he couldn't even realize in his whole life. So, I decided, nevermind and stayed there.
At about 3.00 am, Larry arrived from a strip Copacabana Night Club (he chose the worst place in Rio to go to). Some minutes later, Adam arrived with 3 girls, to be polite... (to call them "girls"). But, Bono and Edge...nothing...
Well, finally at 6.30, Bono's security man, Jerry, arrived in a Mercedes, telling us that they were coming, asked us to be calm and patient and not to bore them, cause they were able to gives us autographs and let us take pictures with them. He asked us to form a row, and to prepare our pens and cameras and to be silent. Finally the reward!
Imagine the scenery: the sun was rising from the sea, a big orange ball, the morning light was orange too. The fans were calm and silent (about 30 fans) and...THANK GOODNESS!... there wasn't any journalist at that moment!
As the security man had promised, they gave autographs to everyone there and they transmited peace and calm, as everyone felt and commented later and, mainly, Bono appeared to be very KIND and GENTLE with the fans (something that I've never seen before). All the time he appeared he acted that way, kind and gentle. When I asked him: "Bono may I kiss you?", he turned his head, looked at me calmly with those deep blue eyes (a kind of blue that I've never seen before either) and waved his head positively. I couldn't ever believe!
Just wanted to share this experience with you.