Mended Broken Souls (✔️)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"It was necessary. I want to disagree, but I won't."

Nakatingin lang ako sa piano nang sinabi iyon. I don't have any other choice but being near with him again.

"Just don't go near me whenever we don't have a practice. Sa practice lang tayo mag-kalapit nang ganito. 'Pag nakita mo ako, 'wag mong ihakbang ang mga paa palapit sa 'kin. Go with Shiela like what you are doing now." Itinuon ko ulit ang mga mata sa kaniya, at nakitang nakatitig lang din siya sa 'kin.

He unhurriedly nodded, and bit his bottom lip.

"Sige... O-Okay ka na ba? Wala ka nang lagnat?" He was a bit hesistant with his question.

"Yes. And don't ask me another question again. It will just lead into another long conversation. Let's start planning," malamig kong ani. Inunahan ko na siya dahil alam ko na kung saan patungo 'to.

I saw how sadness passed across his eyes, pero hindi nagtagal 'yon. He smiled after that, and nodded his head. Nag-plano na nga kami kung anong mga kanta ang kakantahin.

"Alam mo kung paano tugtugin ang Still by Hillsong?" he asked. 

Tumango ako at sinimulang tipahin ang piano.

I love the song that he mentioned that's why last year, I practiced to play the piano with its melody. Nagsimula rin siyang kumanta dahil sabi niya'y memorize niya 'yon dahil palagi niya ring kinakanta.

The second song that we planned was entitled 10,000 reasons by Matt Redman. Hindi ko pa iyon masiyadong master dahil kaka-simula ko pa lang last month sa pag-practice ng melody nito. However, there's no need for me to worry because we still have two months to prepare before the Parish Day.

Ganoon ang naging gawi naming youth servants sa bakasyon. Monday at Friday lang ang practice namin. Sa sabado naman ay ang BEC sa iba't-ibang Barangay, kabilang na ang aming Barangay.

Sa tuwing walang ginagawa at walang practice, palaging nag-aaya ng gala si Venice pero tumatanggi ako dahil ayaw kong lumabas kapag hindi kailangan. I want to be in solitude inside of my room. Ang paggawa ng articles at pagpa-practice ng piano sa iba't-ibang songs ang pinagkakaabalahan ko.

Writing and playing a piano are my hobbies. I am trying to improve my writing skill and my vocabulary because the strand that I will take for the upcoming school year in Senior high is Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS). Ang sabi no'ng mas nakatatanda sa 'min, those who belonged to the first batch of senior high school, more on writing and public speaking daw talaga ang strand na ito, so now, I'm honing my writing skill because I'm confident enough to sa that I'm already good at public speaking.

"Anong kukunin mong strand sa senior high, Ashia?" Abruptly, my mother asked as soon as I went downstairs for breakfast. Kasuwal lamang ang tono ng kaniyang boses na parang wala siyang ginawang nakasakit sa 'kin nang lubos. 

Naroon sila sa hapagkainan sila Papa at Akisha. Si Papa ay nakatingin na sa akin ngayon.

Sumasabay na ako sa kanila ngayon para ipabatid kay Mama na ayos na ako sa ginawa niyang pagsira sa 'kin noong graduation.

Since the day that I chose to continue living here with them again, she hasn't been open anymore about the thing she confronted me about on my graduation day. Perhaps there was a hard thing that shook off her head. 

My father said that he explained everything to her. Mabuti naman at nakinig. Despite of that... what happened on that day would always leave an indestructible painful mark in my heart. Hindi na iyon kailanman mabubura pa.

"HUMSS," I briefly replied, and sat on the chair that was meant for me to sit on the dinning table. I didn't look at any of them. I did the sign of the Cross first before putting foods on my plate.