KARAMIHAN sa mga bumibisita sa libingan ni Vanilla ay dumadating ng gabi at umaalis nang madaling araw. Bukas ang munting musoleo sa publiko kaya sandamakmak na mga fan nito ang pumunta sa ikatlong anibersaryo ng pagkamatay nito. Hindi alintana ng mga ito ang haba ng pila, makasulyap at makapagbigay lang ng mga bulaklak o ilang memento para sa kanilang paboritong rapper-singer.
Para makaiwas sa dami ng tao, lalo na sa mga reporter, mag-a-alas kuwatro na ng madaling araw pumunta sa sementeryo si Meika Dasilag na mas kilala bilang Jen Duh. It was such a quirky name for a serious pop diva who usually collaborates with rap artists, but in her opinion, the weirder the better and she's right. Her stage name caught people's attention and she surpassed their expectations of her. 'Jen Duh' sounded unserious, even the way she specifically instructed everyone to pronounce it. She would always smile and teach them to call her 'Jen Duuuh!' But when she starts singing her songs, they were blown away by the intentional and purposeful details lyrically, vocally, and musically.
But at this hour, Meika was caught in between her two personas. She needed to keep up her Jen Duh image, because who knows if she'll come across a sneaky paparazzi or reporter? At the same time, her personal self, Meika, was present. Katrabaho lang kasi ni Vanilla si Jen Duh, pero si Meika talaga ang kaibigan nito.
Meika wore a pair of big, dark tinted sunglasses. Everything was black too, from her long hair tied carelessly in a low ponytail to her long-sleeved turtle-neck shirt, tight pants, and thigh-high boots.
Her car stopped at the side of the concrete street. Hindi pa siya nakabababa pero kitang-kita na niya na may mangilan-ngilang mga tao na natitira sa tapat ng musoleo. This scenario was so similar with what happened on Vanilla's actual burial. Then in the next two years, people have already forgotten to visit her. What made Vanilla's third year death anniversary so different was that it was heavily publisized. Paano'ng hindi? Ang pagkamatay ni Vanilla ang naging resulta ng isang scandal video na kumalat nitong nakaraang mga linggo lang.
It took three years before the truth has resurfaced, but the wait, for Meika, was worth it.
"Are you still going? There's still people there," sabi ng kanyang manager na si Istela. Isa itong Fil-Am na natural na blonde ang alon-alon na buhok na lagpas-balikat nito. Her skin is almost pale and her eyes were light brown.
She took in a deep breath. "I'm already late. It's better to be late, than not visit her at all."
Sinukbit na niya ang shoulder bag at hinintay na pagbuksan siya ng pinto ng kanyang bodyguard na si Rommel. As soon as Meika stepped out of the car, heads turned and eyes curiously tried to identify her immediately. She was easily recognized by her friend's fans, but no cheers or greetings happened. Sa halip, habang naglalakad siya ay walang mga sumugod sa kanya para yumakap, magpa-picture, o anuman. After all these years, Meika is still impressed with how Vanilla influenced her fans to be kind and respectful on any occasion.
These fans gave her space to get close to the mausoleum. Its white-painted fence gates were already closed, but she can still poke her hand in to place the flowers at the foot of the white tomb in it. Hindi niya nilingon si Istela. Nilahad lang niya ang kamay para iabot nito sa kanya ang isang bungkos ng puting mga bulaklak. It has vanilla flowers—Vanilla's favorite—and white daisies.
Meika just stared at the tomb, mentally talking to her friend. Some of Vanilla's fans just watched her, waiting what she'll do next. This time, she did not shed a tear, nor tremble. She was as cold, immobile, and hard as the stone that cased her friend's coffin. Pagkatapos ay walang-imik siyang umalis. Nagmamadaling sinabayan naman siya ni Istela.
