The tour bus & motorcycles finally finished the
I-35 portion of the tour when they reached San
Antonio, Texas (Fred Sanders' home town).  The band
stayed @ a beautiful hotel with a view of the San
Antonio Riverwalk.
     Later, the band decided to eat @ Mi Cantina
Mexican Restaurant @ the famous Mexican Market.  Eric
had bought a sombrero as Frank asked,
     "What's with the hat?"
     "For our stop in Laredo, the last city I-35 goes
to." said Eric.
     "We don't have a Laredo stop." explained Frank.
     After placing their orders, a mariachi band
performed consisting of trumpets, guitars, violins & a
marimba.  After doing a couple of songs, one of the
guitarists came over to their table.
     "Perdona, senor?  Aren't you Fred Sanders, the
marimba playing heartthrob?"
     "Pedro?" asked Fred.
     "Si si!" then explained, "This gringo played in
our band.  He looked so handsome in his mariachi
uniform.  Las damas de adolescentes would sigh when he
played the marimba & would have their pictures taken
with his after the show."
     Pedro showed the band a pic of Fred in his
mariachi uniform playing marimba.  Eric looked @ it &
started laughing his head off!
     "Ignore the drummer," said Pedro, "He's loco en
la cabeza de Homer Simpson.  Would you play a song
with us?"
     Danielle encouraged Fred & he got up to play with
the band.  Fred played on a marching marimba (used in
marching bands).  The band played the traditional
tune, "La Negra" & let Fred play a solo.  After the
song, the people cheered "OLE!"
     That night @ the hotel, Fred heard guitar music
coming from the bar.  Fred asked Joe to follow him as
they saw a handsome dude playing Spanish music on his
acoustic guitar.
     "Celso Salazar?" asked Fred, "Why aren't you
bartending?"
     Celso stopped playing & shook hands with Fred.  
     "This is my late gig." he explained, "You must be
Joe Roman."
     Joe shook his hand & asked, "How long have you &
Fred known each other?"
     "Since teenagers." explained Celso, "My family
has a mariachi band.  Fred would come over & mess on
the marimba, that's how he got started.  Now he's a
star of The White Angels."
     "Nice knowing you." said Joe, but Fred told him
to wait.
     Fred whispered into Celso's ear.  Then he put
down his acoustic guitar & grabbed his electric guitar
(he had the Joe Roman model).  He strummed fast as he
sang Ricky Martin's hit, "Livin La Vids Loca".  Joe
wasn't too impressed until Celso played a fast guitar
solo.  After that song, Celso played a Joe Roman
guitar solo he learned from their CD.
     "Cool!" said Joe.
     Celso asked Fred to come by his house near where
his parents lived.
     The next morning after breakfast, Fred & Danielle
were about to leave the hotel until Ray Walters saw
them.
     "Where are you going?  We got a tv interview @
4:00 pm."
     "Going to see Mom & Dad." said Fred.
     "Go over to QLOM-21, studio A @ 4:00 pm. 
Slammer's waiting."
     Fred went over to the parking lot & got his
motorcycle.  He picked up Danielle & drove off.  They
went down I-37/U.S. 281 South to reach the exit for
I-10/U.S. 90 East/U.S. 87 South.  Then exited to U.S.
87 South & went a few miles towards his neighborhood. 
He saw Celso's loft house & then pulled up to his
home.  His Mom was thrilled to see him, but Dad
wasn't.
     "If it isn't the prodigal son back from
Philadelphia.  Fall on your face?"
     "No I didn't." said Fred, "Mom, Dad, this is my
fiance, Danielle."
     "You got a girl?  How wonderful!" said Mom
hugging  her.
     They sat down in the living room & talked.
     "You got a very talented son." said Danielle, "An
awesome musician who knows how to play the marimba. 
He's a hottie when Ben & him do Tropical Breezes. 
Have you seen the video?"
     "Yeah," quipped Dad, "With him in that swimwear,
I first thought it was Tarzan playing!"
     "Dad!" Fred groaned, "What's with you?"
     "Don't you like your son as a musician?" asked
Danielle.
     Dad left the room & came back with a picture
frame.  It was a pic of Fred in his basketball
uniform.
     "You played basketball?"
     "Yeah," Fred said, "My Dad wanted me to get into
basketball.  So I played a few years in high school
just to please him.  But I also played marimba in
marching band."
     His Mom left the room & brought out sheet music &
a trophy.
     "This is a song Fred wrote & the trophy he won in
a percussion contest." said Mom.
     "That Celso Salazar poisoned our son." said Dad,
"First he let him practice on the marimba, then took
him on a motorcycle trip to Corpus Christi.  When they
got back via U.S. 181, they got stung by the Beeville
Police & placed them in jail for speeding!"
     "Stop it, Dad!" snapped Fred, "Being an only
child, Celso was like a big brother to me.  He let me
have his bike when he bought a Viper convertible, got
me a job doing something that makes me happy, music! 
If you can't accept me as a musician, fine!  The only
reason I came over is to give you airline tickets to
Los Angeles.  Danielle & I are getting married @ The
Hollywood Bowl."
     Dad then adnmitted, "You're a very gifted kid. 
You took a chance to move & it worked.  Mom & I would
love to attend your wedding." as he got the tickets
from his son.
     As they left, Ben arrived on his motorcycle.
     "Fred, Slammer's waiting!"
     Fred spotted Celso waxing his convertible.  So he
told Danielle to ride behind Ben.  Then he told Celso
to drive his motorcycle for old times sake.  So Celso
drove, with Ben holding on, going to Channel 21.
     At Channel 21, they saw Slammer wearing his Guts
& playing a fanfare on his tympani, followed by a drum
roll.  He stops & says,
     "Today on my show, I'm not showing off my body
because it's summer.  I got the hottest band on my
set!  So give it up for Copper Bod's 2000 Summer
Hunks, The White Angels!"
     The band played Tropical Breezes with Ben & Fred
soloing.  Then they were interviewed.  After Slammer
talked to the band, he interviewed Fred.
SLAMMER:  This band may be from Philadelphia, but 
          Fred's a San Antonio native.  How did you
          get started playing marimba?
FRED:  My neighbor, Celso Salazar, had a family
       mariachi band.  His uncle played the marimba &
       I loved the sound of it.  So I took lessons,
       played in the pit section of marching band.
SLAMMER:  You also started writing songs.
FRED:  I entered a mallet percussion contest with a
       song I wrote & won.
SLAMMER:  After graduation, you still played?
FRED:  Celso got me into a mariachi band & I played
       marimba.
SLAMMER:  So how did you join the band?
FRED:  Once I saved enough money, I wanted to join my
       cousin Ben in Philly.  So I packed my clothes,
       belongings, motorcycle & marimba on a U-Hall
       headed to Philly.  Frank liked my music & I
       became the 8th White Angel.
SLAMMER:  If you hadn't done music, what would you do?
FRED:  Play basketball.  I was a school player on my
       team, #23 of the Toros.  My cousin Ben was a
       running back for the Mustangs football team
       wearing #24.  We did a cool public service
       commercial in our sports uniforms.  Check it 
       out.
     The commercial showed Ben in football uniform,
playing the vibes & Fred in basketball uniform,
playing the marimba.  They played as they spoke.
BEN:  Being part of a team's not only for sports, but
      music as well.
FRED:  Every instrument's important for an orchestra,
       marching band, jazz band or rock band.
BEN & FRED:  Teamwork rules!
     After the show was over, Fred, Danielle & Joe
were @ Celso's watching home tapes of Fred playing
marimba in a mariachi band.  Then the next section had
Fred & Celso jamming by the pool.  Fred on marimba,
Celso on electric guitar, both wearing Guts.
     "You guys look dorky & you never knew Eric then."
said Joe.
     "We only did it to attract babes." explained
Celso.  Then Celso got his electric guitar out &
handed Joe another electric guitar.  Fred taped Celso
& Joe jamming together.
     Splash Park, Texas  is where the concert was
held.  Fred's parents got to see their son & the band
perform in Guts.
     "He still looks like Tarzan." quipped his Dad. 
But girls screamed over Fred.
     During the concert, Fred got to play his solo
song he wrote that won him the trophy in the
percussion contest.  Then Fred got to sing & play
while the band backed him up.  Then he & Ben did
"Tropical Breezes."