Hinahanap - Hanap Ko Siya

Chapter 34

[A/N: Medyo lilihis na po tayo sa "reality setting", ha. :) Paalala lang po, fanfiction lang po ito, dedicated sa mga Ashboo fans, kaya kung di ka isa dun, please don't continue. Again, no harm intended on both parties, thank you.] "Bams, are you sure you wanna include these songs?", tanong ni Pancho kay Bamboo, hang hawak hawak ang mga song sheets.

Bukas na ang show ni Bamboo sa Perth at kasalukuyan silang asa rehearsal studio to finalise yung mga song cuts, if ever may mga changes. At meron nga. Bigla kase naisipan ni Bamboo a few days ago na isama sa song numbers na iko-cover niya ang Englishman In New York at Sunday Morning. 

Bakit? Kase he wanted to dedicate it to the most important person in his life right now, his Mommy Serah. In honor ng kanilang unang pinagsamahang duet. Kung saan una siyang na-in love kay Sarah. Yeah, he belatedly realize na matagal na siyang nagkagusto dito, in fact, yun yung mismong time na nagperform sila nung mash-up nung songs.

Nuong unang bese siyang ipinakilala kay Sarah sa unang rehearsal nila ay may kakaiba na syang naramdaman na di niya maipalaiwanaga at binaliwala lamang niya. Ngunit nung nagperform na sila, dun na siya nabighani. 

He later admitted that to himself nuong matapos silang magka-skype ni Sarah at ipinakit niya yung pina-print niyang photo ni Sarah from Balesin. [A/N: Please see Chapters 32 & 33, thanks :D]. Nilalagay na niya iyun sa wallet niya ng makita niya yung isang old photo ni Sarah na nakunan niya nung matapos ang unang duet nila sa backstage ng Asap. Yun yung tinutukoy niya kay Sarah na pinagpapantasyahan niya, hehehe.

She was very young then, but he enjoyed their performance so much, he almost forgot her age when she danced for him while he sang his part. After their performance, he saw her leaning on a wall at the corridor, just outside her dressing room. With his camera on his hands, he snapped a picture of her without her knowing. He had kept it in his wallet eversince.

Naisip nyang kantahin yung mga songs ng unang duet nila, nuong nagkaroon sya ng chance mainterview ng Filipino comunity sa Perth via internet radio. Though hindi niya sinabi iyun on air, binalak naman niya ipang surprise sa mga fans pagdating na sa show. He knows na madaming Ashboo fans na nagkalat sa iba't-ibang parte ng mundo, kaya he hoped they'd enjoy his surprise and guess that it would be dedicated to Sarah.

Because this show in Perth would mark yet another chapter in his life, not just in his career and so it's gonna ba quite special. So he felt na nararapat lang na bumalik siya sa unang beses niyang nakaduet ang pinakamamahal niyang tao sa buong mundo.

"Yeah", he replied Pancho, "I want those included."

Tumingin ng seryoso sa kaniya ang matalik na kaibigan. Gusto nitong makasiguro na handa na ang alaga sa binabalak niya.

"Bams.... You're really sure about this, naba?", he placed a hand on Bamboo's left shoulder.

Bamboo was gazing somewhere at a distance. He thought of all the times he has screwed up in his life.

The time when he rebelled against his parents while they were still living in LA, and his folks had split up. He couldn't accept their broken family and he resented the messy battle of custody (but he and his younger sister were able to stay with his mom), and then the visiting arrangements, his changing schools, where he'd been a target of bullying, numerous times. He had failed on a lot of his subjects and so he placed all of his concentration on playing soccer, the only source of outlet in which he gained happiness for a few hours a week.

Then there was that time when he left home, decided to stay in the Philippines and joined a rock band called, Rivermaya. Despite the success of his music career with the band, he had longed to finish his studies. Though it was hard for him to leave his band, he made up his mind. He knew he broke a lot of hearts and even stepped on a lot of toes, but his urge to have a better future drove him to decide to go, even as he knew he disappointed a lot of people.

While studying college in the Sates, he met Cecil. It was the first me he felt loved. She wasn't hard to love back, either in fact, it was easy to fall for her, though he didn't, he's aware of that, now. He told himself he was contented even after they had their second kid. But he eventually came back to music and formed another band, his monicker. He thought it would somehow fill in the gap inside of him that he couldn't quite understand how it even got there. But it never did. And eventually still, love hadn't been able to keep him and Cecil together, as well.

He closed his eyes and saw Sarah face. He could hear her sweet voice, "Basta tandaan mo, love na love kita, Daddy Boo." He now understand why he had to go through all the mishaps in his life. It doesn't matter now how badly he had messed up before, because God has given him a second chance to love and be loved again. And he knew, without a doubt, that this time, he has fallen in love. For real.

"Yeah, Panch", he confirmed. "Very sure."

Tinitigan siya ni Pancho. Naalala ni Pancho nuong nagshoshopping sila ng nawala ng bigla si Bamboo. Hinanap niya ito at inakala pna baka nagkasalisi na sila o di kaya'y baka niloloko nanaman siya nun.

"Bams! Answer the damn phone!", sabi niya, habang tinatawagana cellphone si Bamboo. Ngunit di ito sinasagot.

Maya maya pa ay nakita na niya lumabas ng Tiffany's si Bamboo. 'Huh? Nu ginagawa nun sa may jewelry store?', pagtataka niya sa sarili.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "BAMBOO!"

Nalingon naman si Bamboo at nakita siya may labasan lang ng isang pizza house. Nagtungo sa kaniya si Bamboo, bakas ang pagkakangiti nito ng malaki.

Hinihingal hingal pa ito ng napahinto sa harapan niya. "C'mon, let's get some pizza and I'll show you something", sabay hila sa kaniya papaloob sa pizza house.

"Teka-teka!", sabi ni Pancho. "Anu ba ginawa mo sa Tiffany's, ha?"

"Basta! Later, I'll show you", sagot ni Bamboo, "besides, I'm starving!"

Nang matapos silang kumain, nangulit na si Pancho.

"So why pink, pare?", he asked. "Pagkakaalam ko, di naman niya favourite color and pink, ah."

"Uhm, because it's rare, and she's rare, obviously", Bamboo chuckled, "and, and, well.... Pink is for girls, and right now, she's the most important girl in my life, so there!"

"Now why the 8th naman?", Pancho asked again.

"Because....", Bamboo looked a little hesitant, "April is the fourth month, and the word "love" has four letters", he paused, "tapos 8th kase, well the word infinity has 8 letters so...."

Tumawa ng malakas si Pancho. Siniko siya ni Bamboo ng maraming taong napalingon sa kanila.

"Sorry", sabi ni Pancho habang natatawa parin, "kaw naman kase brad, di ko alam ang cheezy mo rin pala, eh! Love + Infinity, talaga?"

Nangiti lang si Bamboo. Oo, pagdating kay Sarah, cheezy siya.

"Ayos na ang lahat, by the way", napabuntong hininga si Pancho. Naalala niya nuong isang araw na nagtatatawag sila ng mga kamaganak at kaibigan nila Bamboo at Sarah, para malaman kung sino ang free sa April 8th. Tapos sa pakiusap narin ng alaga ay inayos narin niya ang mga dapat ayusin sa  private rest house ni Bamboo sa Batangas pati narin ang mga taong makakatulong sa kanila sa paghahanda. Walang sinu man ang nakakaalam ng rest house na yun maliban sa kaniya, dahila sobrang napaka pribadong tao ni Bamboo, kumbaga iyun ang isang lugar kung saan siya nagpapahinga at walang inaalala. Ngayun, ready na siyang makita iyun ng iba. Para sa babaeng pinakamamahal niya.

"Thanks, man", Bamboo smiled. "I'm really grateful for all you've done for me."

"Sus! Wag ka magdrama!", Pancho cleared his throat. "Eh itong Forever's Not Enough ni Sarah? Kasamaba ba yan sa performance mo bukas?", indicating in a sheet of music.

"Nah", nangiti si Bamboo, "sa special day yan, ako kakanta nyan."

Nagtaas ng kilay si Pancho. "Kala ko ba si Ms Lea gagawa nun?"

Bamboo sighed. "Nope. Ako nalang. Para mas special."

"Hmm....", napakamot ng baba si Pancho. "Gusto ko yan. Gusto ko yan pre. Mas magandang idea nga yan."

Bamboo smiled. But in reality, he couldn't help feeling nervous. He wanted to see her, be with her, already. He missed her so much. Onting tiis nalang, malapit na. Andth time, he'll make damn surna di na sila maghihiwalay pa ng landas. Sana umuoo siya.