"We finished our two songs, can I have some water?" I ask the audience and turn to Saifah. He's opening a bottle of water and putting a straw in it before handing it to me.
Saifah raises his eyebrows and asks me, "What is it?"
"Nothing," I reply and lower my head to drink water from the bottle in his hand.
Aaaaaahhh!!
Moment!!!
I am dead!! They're getting fed!!!
I wonder what there is to shout about, I stop dead in my tracks when I have this thought. Now, however, I'm tired of paying attention to their cries. I am absorbed in looking at the person who is handing me the water, I look at him so long that Saifah gives me a confused look again.
"What's wrong, Zon? You look at me and smile, what does that mean?"
"It doesn't mean anything," I raise an eyebrow and place a hand on Saifah's head. He raises his brilliant gaze for a moment and looks back at the people below the stage. But when he looks back at me, who is smiling, he frowns as if he wants to ask me something more. "Saifah?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"Per...?"
"For everything that allowed me to get to know you." I reply and ruffle his hair. I am grateful to him for reducing my stubbornness and coming to teach me to play the guitar. Thank you very much.
"Er. No problem," Saifah replies and now I can see a hint of embarrassment on his face. He finally starts giggling and I find it funny that Saifah suddenly feels embarrassed. But now is not the time to make fun of him because we still have a few songs we need to sing.
I take the microphone and turn to the audience: "So, are you ready to listen to more songs?"
We are ready!
"Then let's get started!"
I start singing again. Now three songs are missing. I put my all into both singing and playing the guitar and it may be because of that and too many feelings that in the end, while I press the guitar strings, I do it with strength.
Idiot!
"Ah..." A rope breaks with a sharp noise and I scream: I hurt my fingertips. I raise my injured hand to see if I cut myself on the rope but I can't stop singing because down there they are having fun and enjoying the music. In the end I have to hold on and keep playing like this until the end of the song.
"Thank you!" I say smiling at the audience.
Another song!
The choir I hear makes me forget the pain in my fingers and as I'm about to speak into the microphone, someone pulls it away from in front of me.
"That's all for today! You can meet the band later! Thanks for coming!" Saifah finishes speaking and reaches out to take my guitar off, then takes my hand to follow him off the stage. I hear voices coming from below making me wave my hand to tell them to wait but Saifah doesn't let go of my hand.
"Saifah, wait. They are waiting to hear our song. Where are you running to?"
"Shut up, Zon. Didn't you cut yourself on the rope?" This abrupt way of speaking is not typical of Saifah, I have never seen him like this.
"Yes but..."
"No buts."
"Er... Okay, okay." I nod, accepting his words without daring to reply. We walk until we reach the backstage. P'Soda and P'Luktan approach me.
