Chapter 02: Nice To Meet You

I was catching my breath but that didn’t stop me from running. I have to get away, I don't want to get lost in this world. I’m not ready to leave everything yet. I almost broke down screaming, my leg aches and my stomach seemed to be turning upside down. My eyes were wide open but I could only see pure black.

May nagbabadyang sanhi ng aking kamatayan at hindi ko alam kung saan ito nagmula. I tried to run but I noticed that I'm not even moving from my position.

Saan ba talaga ako tutungo? Hanggang saan nga ba ang kaya ko?

The moment of silence was slowly making me crazy. Dahil minsan ay nagsisilbing palatandaan ng gulo at disgrasya ang katahimikan.

I was busy running for my life when the surface started swallowing my feet. May kamay na humawak sa aking binti at tinutulungan ang kadiliman na ako'y lamunin. I tried to reach the unknown surface but the darkness kept on dragging me down.

One last time, I screamed, begging the darkness to let me go.

I closed my eyes tightly. Inihanda ko ang sarili para sa susunod na makikita kapag binuksan ko ang mga mata ngunit iba ang sumalubong sa akin nang magmulat ako.

Tumama ang aking paningin sa pamilyar na kisame. May tumawag pa sa aking pangalan ngunit nalunod lang ako sa pag-iisip kung paano ako napunta rito. Sinagip ba ako ng kadiliman?

"Eve?" At that moment I was able to move, I got up and a pair of hands helped me. I moved a bit away, scared that they might hurt me. I can still feel my heartbeat and until now it drives me crazy.  "Daughter, it's me." The wind blew me away. I was relieved to see Mama's face. I was sweating and I wiped it off using the back of my hand.

"What am I doing here? How did I get here?"  I asked using a low tone. I looked at her with disgust in my eyes. She always acts like this, my parents pretend to be nice when other people are around. I don’t get her. 

"You'll see." Mom held my hand tightly. I looked at the door of my room when it opened then Papa walked inside but he was not alone. At his back, there's an unfamiliar figure of a man standing. I bit my lower, I see the reason now why my parents are acting and finally embracing their role as my guardian.

Pinasadahan ko itong mabuti, mapula ang kanyang labi, maputi ang balat, may katangkaran at ang mas kasabik-sabik na titigan sa kaniya ay ang kulay lupa nitong mata.

"You should eat, sigurado akong pagod ka." Papa placed the tray beside me while Mama's was busy wiping me with a towel. I rolled my eyes and silently scoffed. 

"Sa tingin ko, may dapat kayong pag-usapan." Dad said. I didn't answer him and just nodded. I tried not to reveal my discomfort. His presence brothers me.

Matapos nila akong panooring kumain ay lumabas na sila sa aking kwarto. Leaving me behind with a familiar man.

"Hey."

His voice gives me chills, it was soothing and relaxing but I can’t deny the fear I felt. How did my parents manage to let him into my room? This guy can kill me. He sure does look like a God but looks can be deceiving sometimes. 

"Who are you?" I looked at my hand. It was trembling and sweating.

He sat on the nearby couch beside my bed, there he crossed his arm along with his legs. "I'm the one who you bump with." He began to spit information . "Don't you remember anything? You passed out after asking for my help."

Matunog akong napasinghap. Doon ko na lang napagtanto ang lahat. I was being chased by a group of friends. Mas tumindi ang pag-aalala ko sa sarili, hindi ko alam kung anong pakay nila sa akin. Nalipat ang tingin ko sa lalaking aking kaharap. Maybe without him, I'm dead.

"Those kids are high school students, they just want to give something back to you."

My eyebrows met. "What? How can you be so sure?" My tone of voice rose up. "They could have killed me if I hadn't just run!” I yelled defending my perspective. 

"Wait, listen to me first," he interrupted using a baritone voice. My lips parted but I immediately pressed them back. One wrong move, he’ll explode, maybe? Or I’m the one who is assuming things. I overthink too much. 

"Your phone fell and they just wanted to give it back."

Lumipat ang tingin ko sa katabing cabinet kung saan nakapatong ang cellphone kong basag na ang screen. Napayuko ako at nakagat ang ibabang labi.

"Thank you," I said while embracing my uneasiness.

"I hope you're fine, I can't afford to watch another lady enduring her pain."

His one finger pointed something right beside my bed. My gaze shifted to the adjacent cabinet where my cellphone was sitting with a cracked screen. My head faced the bedsheets and bit my lower lip. I began accepting my mistakes as I collided with embarrassment. 

I’m a paranoid person, I should’ve thought of my condition. I tend to panic whether I felt threatened or got triggered with an act that I think would kill me. "Thank you," I said while embracing my uneasiness.

"I hope you're fine, I can't afford to watch another lady enduring her pain."What does he mean by that ? I was about to ask more questions but suddenly he stood up. He didn't even bother to say goodbye and just twisted the door knob before going outside.

I was frustrated. Did he really help me? My eyes scanned my bedroom door, hoping that he’ll come back and spill more information. He explained to me faster than I expected, my mind couldn’t absorb everything. All I know is that he’s the one who assisted me until I got home. 

I spent my remaining time thinking about what happened. I haven't slept yet, thankfully my parents haven't bothered me anymore. They were nice because someone was around. The next day, as expected they treated me differently. 

I went to Lyndsey’s luxurious condominium and there I was welcomed by my bandmates. As always, they were busy cleaning instruments. Lyndsey gave me a tight hug before lending a latte. 

"What time are we playing again for later?" Devika asked. She was holding her phone while walking back and forth. 

"Nine o'clock, why are you even asking? I already told you." Ivory's voice was full of curiosity. "No, Adiel sent me a text message, he's asking about our gig," Devika replied. Napaangat ang ulo ko at saka tinaasan siya ng kilay. Nang makita iyon ay umikot ang mata niya.

She shrugged her shoulders. 

A smile escaped from my lips that made my friends become furious, I just let out a sigh, attempting to understand them. 

"You're not the reason they're going," Ivory said to me. They knew how much I like Adiel, too bad we don’t share the same feelings. "Don't be ridiculous, Eve. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm sorry,” I stated. 

Isa iyon sa mga personalidad na nagustuhan ko kay Ivory, ang pagiging straight forward nito at pagiging tapat. Hindi siya takot na magsabi ng totoo at magpahayag ng opinyon, malakas din ang loob niyang umapila sa mga bagay na iba ang pananaw niya.

I heavily sighed. She has a point. No, erase that. She's right. Hindi ko lang talaga maiwasan mag-isip nang baliktad. Bukod sa umaasa ako, It's just that I want to think positive. I'm trying my best not to trigger my thoughts.

They push me to confess my feelings to Adiel but I don’t know if I’m ready for his response. On top of that, I also tried to admit it , a few times? I couldn’t even count how many trials I’ve made. In the end, I’ll always turn to something else or switch my attention to other things due to my intense nervousness.

“Hey, guys, Can I substitute for later?” Ivory’s forehead creased when I spoke. “I mean. I’ll sing. Please?” 

“Eveone, if you’re doing this to impress Adiel, then cut that shit of yours out. We all know that it’s not going to work!” 

My shoulders went down as my excitement slowly disappeared. “Ivory, easy. You’ll trigger her,” Collete suppressed a small smile at me while patting Ivory’s head. “It’s fine. She can sing.”

“Nevermind..” I almost stuttered. “I don’t wanna sing, maybe next time,” a weak smile appeared on my face. I continued playing with my guitar as I heard them sighed before silently scolding Ivory for being harsh. 

At seven o'clock the bar opens. We went in earlier because we still needed to rehearse. I greeted some staff and service crew and went inside our room. We’ve been doing this since we were in our second-year highschool yet everything feels surreal. 

"Fifteen minutes, girls!" Kumatok sa pintong nakabukas si Sir Robie. Tumango kami at sinimulan ang pag-ha-harmonize. Ilang segundo pa't umakyat na kami sa stage.

"Let's all welcome, Diamonds."

Nilibot ko ang paningin, hinahanap ang taong matagal ko nang gustong makita.

It seems that everyone wants to kill me. Mabuti na lang ay kumaway sa akin si Sara, doon pala sila nakaupo sa pangalawang linya ng lamesa malapit sa gilid. Mula sa kinaroroonan nila'y natatanaw ko si Adiel, kumaway rin ito sa akin at saka ngumiti.

There he is, the man whom I always wanted to be mine but never had a chance.

Si Devika ang unang kakanta ngayon habang magsisilbing second voice o backing vocals naman si Collete.

"Natapos ko itong isulat kahapon lang, sana magustuhan niyo," panimula ni Devika. Devika held the microphone tightly. The song she wrote is titled ‘Still You’.

Hinintay namin matapos si Eleanor sa pagtapik ng drumstick bago sinimulan ang intro. We waited for Eleanor to finish tapping her drumstick before starting the intro. Devika sang her heart out, it seems like she’s dedicating this song to someone that once became part of her life. 

Time passed and again they chose a person to suggest a song, I didn't pay attention to that anymore and found out that it was better to look at Adiel's eyes. But unluckily, he was occupied laughing with his friends and the next thing that happened surprised me the most. He raised his hand making Collete fix her gaze on their table.

"Can you sing one of your sweet songs? Please, dedicate it to Sara." At the same time, he pointed to Sara who was sitting beside him. I heard the audience tease them as I grinned bitterly. Right, how could I get him when he’s already courting someone who’s much better.  "And also , I want Eveone to sing for us."

Nag-aalalang lumingon sa akin si Collete, isang tango lang ang tugon ko sa kaniya. I know she wouldn't want to do this, her eyes was telling me to refuse.

"Alright." Umakyat itong muli sa stage.

Si Ivory naman ngayon ang mag-le-lead ng kanta, kinuha niya sa gilid ang gitara at saka pumuwesto malapit sa tabi ko. Ivory started strumming while I'm secretly preparing. She was also giving me soft whispers.

"Relax, Eve."

Naging handa ako sa pagkanta ng unang verse. Mas pinili ko na lang na pumikit nang sa gano'n ay maiwasan ko silang masipatan at para na rin hindi masindak ang sistema ko.

I sang the first verse, choosing to close my eyes so that I could avoid being scolded and so that my system would not be stunned. When I came back from my sight, my eyes spontaneously hit Adiel who now had his lips pressed to Sara's. My lips parted after what I saw, I just stood straight and forgot that I'm performing.

"Eveone, ano bang ginagawa mo?!" sambit ni Ivory, patuloy pa rin ito sa pag-strum. Nakita ko pang natigilan si Adiel marahil ay napansin nilang tumigil ako sa pagkanta.

I can't focus anymore, suddenly I felt scared towards Ivory. Before I could even walk out of the stage, we heard a singing voice from behind. It was cold voice yet smooth

Ivory and I both deviated our gaze and fixed it behind me. A man was  holding the microphone and was currently combing his hair back with his own hand. A charming face and a familiar figure pinned my heart.

Devika smirked and gave me a thumbs up. Ivory just shook her and chose to smile widely, thankful that the man I was facing saved our performance.It stepped closer to me. My foot seemed to be glued to the stage and I really couldn't move.

"Eveone-"

Humakbang ito palapit sa akin. Tila nilagyan ng pandikit ang paa ko sa stage at talaga namang hindi ako makagalaw dahil batid kong nakikita nila na sa akin nakapako ang paningin niya.

But their stares didn't bother me that much when he smiled at me. Telling me that everything's gonna be alright. Malamig ang timbre ng kanyang boses. Hindi pilit at walang kahirap-hirap na kinakanta ang lyrics. I almost shut my eyes tightly when some random girls started to cheer for him from the audience.

Nang matapos ang unang chorus, huminga muna ako nang malalim. Muntik pa akong mapatalon sa gulat nang mas lumapit pa ito sa akin. He whispered something that diverted my attention.

"Don't look at them, Eve. Just stare at my eyes."

Ngumisi siya, tila kandila ako na tinunaw. Inginuso niya ang mikropono saka ko na lang naalala na malapit na pala ang susunod na lyrics, narinig ko pa itong mahinang tumawa.

Natiklom ang palad ako.

Natapos ang gig nang hindi ako lumilingon sa gilid. Sa harap lang ang mata ko upang maiwasan ko ang pagiging balisa. May parte sa akin na nagustuhan ang presensya ng lalaking katabi ko hindi tulad noong una naming pag-uusap, somehow he helped me calmed down.

"Salamat sa pagpunta!" Ngumiti si Collete kila Adiel na ngayon ay nagpapaalam na sa amin.

"Next week ulit, kung hindi masyadong busy." Magsisimula na ng aming klase sa lunes, kada-sabado naman ang schedule ng gig namin. Unang linggo pa lang naman, siguradong hindi magiging mabigat sa oras.

"Thank you rin pala Eveone, wala ka pa rin talagang kupas," bati ni Adiel sa akin. I gave them a small smile until I noticed Adiel's hand was slowly sneaking around his girlfriend's waist.

"Sige, ingat kayo, ha!"

"All right, be careful! Drive safely," Colette interrupted. I felt my bandmates beside me. A warm hand held my hand and pressed it lightly, when I took a glimpse of who was the owner of it, a comforting eyes of Ivory flavoured me. 

Hindi ako nakatiis pa't naglakad ako papasok sa bar. Hanggang doon na lang sana ang lahat, sana ay wala nang susunod pang ikakasakit ng damdamin ko.

I went into a small room that was reserved for us and sat on the couch. Dinukot ko sa bulsa ang cassette, isinalpak ko sa magkabilang tainga ang earphone at saka ipinikit ang mata. Maraming ganito sa bahay nila Collete, ang iilang cassette ay nanggaling pa sa kanyang lolo. The first time I held one, I decided to listen to it more than playing from my phone.

Tumugtog ang isinulat kong kantang may pamagat na Sandalan.

Nasa gitna na ako ng karagatan nang may humugot ng isang parte ng earphone, natagpuan ko na lamang ang isang estrangherong sinamahan ako sa entablado kanina na nakikinig din sa kanta. Naglakbay ang kaba sa buong sistema ko, sinubukan ko itong bawiin ngunit pilit ako nitong hinaharangan gamit ang kanyang braso.

"Ano ba? Give it back!" Hindi ko rin maaaring hilain ang earphones nang basta na lang, baka masira pa 'to.

"Let me listen, please."

Eventually, I moved away a bit, preventing myself to stick with him. Kahit pa ay iniligtas niya ako, maaari niya pa rin akong saktan kung gugustuhin niya. I can't risk myself.

"Pwede ba akong makahingi ng kopya nito?" sabi niya nang matapos ang kanta.

"Bakit?"

Natawa siya. "Gusto ko pang mapakinggan." Napaiwas ako ng tingin bago tinanggal ang earphone.

"Sa'yo na." I placed the cassette above his thigh. He looks surprised because of what I did.

"Tatlo ang kopya ko n'yan." Napasandal akong muli sa sofa.

"At oo, ikaw ang unang nakarinig."