Chapter 2

THE SUN IS SETTING when Lilia and Seraphim were dropped off at the Velasco Street where the latter is performing. They walked side-by-side as their eyes were looking at the horizon where the sun is setting, which is just ahead of them. 

Kahit na narinig na ulit ni Lilia ang mala-anghel na boses ng kaniyang kaibigan, ay tinanggap niya pa rin ang imbitasyon nito para panoorin itong kumanta ulit. Kaya ngayo'y patungo na sila sa lugar na ito na hindi kalayuan sa nilalakad nila.

Seraphim earnestly closed her eyes, and then accompanied it with a smile of satisfaction. 

"Ang saya ko ngayong araw..." puno ng emosyong sabi nito. Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned her head to Lilia who's now has a same smile as hers. "'Di pa tapos ang araw, but you already completed my day."

"The past days have been so tough for me, pero parang totoo nga ang kasabihang 'at the end of the storm, there's a rainbow.' You proved it to me. Ewan ko ba kung ano ang ginawa ko sa past life ko para magkaroon ng kaibigang tulad mo." 

Lilia's smile gets wider when she heard her saying those heartwarming words. 

Alam na alam ni Lilia kung gaano na-a-awkward si Seraphim sa tuwing nagsasabi siya ng mga matatamis na salita. It's not always when she get a chance to hear those kind of words from her, so she felt so happy and touched when she get to hear those at this very moment... Ngayong may magandang tanawin sa harap nila. 

"'Di ako mahilig mag-picture pero sayang 'yung sunset, oh! Ang ganda pa naman." Lilia suddenly uttered, picking up her phone on her purse. 

A few seconds later, she then extended her right hand where her phone is at, at inanggulo ito para makuha silang dalawa sa camera. 

"1... 2... 3—"

"Teka lang!" Seraphim exclaimed, which Lilia just giggled. Mabilisang inayos ni Seraphim ang sarili as she just tucked a few strands of her hair on her right ear. "Sige na." She said before curving her lip into a smile, and so does Lilia.

"Nice shot." Lilia murmured as her eyes met the photo of her and Seraphim. 

Upon hearing those, Seraphim then immediately moved closer to her to see that photo of them. 

"Uy, send mo sa 'kin 'yan, ah!" She told her, before returning her gazes at the pathway. And to her utmost surprise, narating na nila ang lugar kung saan gaganapin ang pagkanta niya para kumita.

Maybe because they too enjoyed the company of each other, hindi na nila namalayang nasa kanilang destinasyon na pala sila. That's always as it is, you could be lost when you're enjoying too much. You could also not notice the time, when you felt the same thing.

"Saktong-sakto ang dating mo, ah—" biglang bumungad sa kanila ang isang lalaking nakaputing v-neck shirt na may dalang drumstick, kay Seraphim. But he suddenly cut his words short when he noticed a foreign presence who's with the girl he welcomed. 

Pinasadahan niya ito ng nagtatakang tingin, dahilan para ipakilala siya ni Seraphim. 

"Ah, nga pala... Kaibigan ko siya, si Lilia." Seraphim replied with a wide smile as she casted her a glance. 

"Uh... Hi! Ako nga pala si Leighton," the man named Leighton awkwardly raised his hand at her and plastered an uneasy smile on the face. But, it didn't last longer when he suddenly returned his head to Seraphim who seems to be glad on their encounter. 

Leighton Perez is the very person who's with Seraphim since the beginning of her job as being a street performer, which started 5 years ago just right after graduating. Gaya niya, high school graduate din itong si Leighton at mas pinili muna ang kumayod bago mag-aral ng kolehiyo. 

They may be taking their time to get in to the college, however, they both believe that it doesn't matter if they were to be left out. They do have their own timeline after all. They can take their time no matter when.

As they started their duo, si Seraphim ang naging taga-kanta, habang siya naman ang nagsisilbing instrumento. He uses his old set of drum. Leighton had a helpful history that made their duo interesting. Bago pa magkakakilala ang dalawa ay tumutugtog na si Leighton ng isang drum. He was a former member of a band back when he was still a high school student. 

At simula noong naging mag-duo ang dalawa, may nabuo na ring pagkakaibigan sa pamamagitan nila. A friends who helps each other in times of struggles. 

"Alam mo bang muntik nang manakaw 'tong pwesto natin? Buti na lang at bago pa 'yon mangyari, nakarating agad ako." Kuwento ni Leighton kay Seraphim matapos hilain ang braso nito palayo kay Lilia.

But Seraphim managed to reach out her wrist, causing Lilia to be dragged beside her. Ngunit, kalaunan di'y nagpaalam na siya kay sa kaniya para makapaghanda sa pagkanta. 

Sa gilid lamang ng kalsada sila sa kumakanta, yet it is the most convenient place where they could perform, na nagiging rason para pag-agawan 'to rati. It is convenient in a way that a lot of people can easily notice them.

"Mic test, 1.. 2.." Seraphim repeated the microphone test thrice, before making an opening remarks which caused some of the people to stop by.

After the short remarks, Leighton then proceeded to do his job which is playing the drum that serves as the intro of the song that he and Seraphim have agreed to perform. Since drum ang instrumento ni Leighton, ay mga Alternative songs ang kinakanta nila. In Seraphim's case, walang problema sa kaniya ang genre ng kanta, because she can sing a song regardless of its genre.

Amidst of singing a certain song that is pretty trendy these days, Seraphim displayed a smile on her face when she noticed a lot of people starting to gather in front of them. Maybe because of their chosen song, maraming tao silang na-attract. 

"Go, Sera!" A feminine voice surfaced in the middle of the crowd that is singing along with her. Seraphim knows those voice, so her eyes prompted to find her bestfriend whom she left in a certain spot where she can easily see her. 

Ngunit wala na ito roon, kaya habang kumakanta siya ay napakunot siya ng noo dala ng pagkalito. But a moments later, she noticed a hand making a huge wave, making her smiles to get wider than earlier. Kitang-kita niya kung gaano nag-e-enjoy si Lilia, dahil napapatalon ito habang sumasabay sa pagkanta.

And just in an instant, Seraphim becomes more energetic when she reached the chorus. Hindi lang siya, dahil pati si Leighton din, at ang mga manonood. Nagmistulang concert venue pa nga ang daan dahil sa daming tao at ang enerhiyang binibigay ng mga ito.

They are too drowned by the song that they don't mind how hyper they have become. May mga napapansin nga siyang mga tao na hindi naman magkakakilala no'ng una, na biglang naging 'bestie.' 

Bilang nasa harapan, kitang-kita niya ang mga pangyayari sa harap niya. May napansin pa nga siyang babae kanina na muntik nang matapon sa isang basket kung saan nilalagay ng mga manonood ang mga pera na para sa kanila.

But that just proved that they enjoyed the seemingly mini concert that they held.

However, just like a thin air, those energies suddenly vanished when an unexpected accident happened. Sa halip ay napalitan ito ng isang tili ng pagkagulat.

Habang in-e-enjoy nila ang kantang kinanta ni Seraphim, biglang may isang puting kotseng humarurot sa mismong gitna ng nagkukumpulang mga tao. All of them, even the performers, got caught off-guard that they were prompted to stop performing. The audience screamed in the top of their lungs in utmost shock caused by the sudden interruption.

"Gosh, that was too sudden!"

"Gago, lasing ba ang nagmamaneho niyan?"

"Oh my gosh, si Ate Singer!"

Seraphim, whose distance from the car is just an inches away, stood frozen with her wide eyes and dropped jaw. She held her breath as her widened eyes stared at the front window of the car where she can see a man who's also shocked as her. 

Mabibilis na tibok ng pusong tinitigan niya ang kotseng muntik nang sasagasa sa kaniya, habang unti-unting nawala ang kulay sa kaniyang mukha. When she seemingly recovered from the shock, her eyes then slowly gazed beneath where she can see the tiny gap between her and the car. Ngunit hindi lang 'yan, dahil nakita niya rin ang mga barya at papel na pera na nakakalat sa semento.

But due to the sudden dispel of her energies, she didn't get to have a chance to pick them up anymore. And it was then followed with her legs trembly met the ground, causing her to lose the grip of the microphone.

"Miss, Miss!" Biglang lumabas galing sa loob ang lalaking naging dahilan ng insidente, habang nag-aalalang palapit naman si Lilia sa kinaroroonan ni Seraphim. 

"Sera!" She exclaimed as she ran towards her direction.

"Are you alright?" tanong ng lalaking naka-rounded dirty white shirt at itim na trouser sa baritonong boses.

Lilia, upon hearing that question, then immediately turned her head to the man and looked at him with her blazing eyes. Disbelief is vivid on her face as she gave those look to him.

"You expected her to be okay just right after you almost crash into her? Are you serious?" she responded with another question in behalf of her bestfriend. 

But the culprit didn't get to make a response, when Seraphim suddenly forced her trembling legs to stand up. She rested both of her hands on her knees and let out a very heavy breath. When she's satisfied with the pace of her breath, her mind then started to process the current happening. 

"Gago..."