The Bridge

Chapter 39

Days have passed so quickly, Frances and I were busy in our lives. Can't blame my man, he's a singer, songwriter, model, a student - graduating student, doing his thesis, and doing internship. While me, I was busy keeping up on my units so I can fully enter my senior year, pero ngayon mas busy ako sa music. Halos araw-araw kaming magkausap ni Craeyan dahil sa gusto niyang mangyari na kanta. Naabutan din kami ni kuya Craeyon na busy din, we are reviewing the music and practicing it, he's also graduating, halos lahat sa kanila kung tutuusin. As I enter senior year yun naman ang pag-alis nila... halos sabay-sabay silang ga-graduate.

"Let's make changes." Nagulat ako nang sabihin yun ni kuya Crae. Nandito kami ngayon sa music club at nag-re-review ng mga dapat gawin dahil ngayong gabi na yung tree-lighting ceremony. Nagbulungan naman ang ilan. "I know, but this is just a minimal one. Tonight, one song is supposed to have a debut, yun lang naman ang papalitan natin." Napatingin ako sa tabi ko. Si Craeyan. He was listening to him. Napatingin sya sakin. Naramdaman nya siguro yung weird energy na binibigay ko sa kanya.

"Bakit?"

"May kinalaman ka ba jan?" Tanong ko sa kanya. Tumango lang sya. Gets ko na. We can't have 2 new songs in one event, kaya nag-give-way na si kuya Crae.

"Sorry for the last minute changes, yun lang naman, yung song debut. Hindi naman na'to complicated. Yun lang naman, nothing trivial." paliwanag ni kuya Crae. "The song to debut tonight is the song of Craeyan and Cerium. They'll be the last main performers. Let's keep going and support each other okay?" He still have the enthusiam in music. Nakakatuwa lang, hindi pa din sya nagbabago simula nung araw na nakilala ko sya. Mararamdaman mo lang na may mabigat syang nararamdaman, they took care of Lilania for a long time and it shows how they love her so much. So it's natural to feel gloomy. 

Nang ma-adjourned ang meeting ay nag-usap kami ni Craeyan. I dragged him on the corner side of the music club.

"You convinced him to play the song?" tanong ko sa kanya, he nodded. As the day goes by, mas lalo syang nagiging cold lalo na pag may ibang tao. He was changing but he was getting better physically but not emotionally.

"It's for Lilania." sabi niya. Nagpalabas ako ng hininga galing sa dibdib ko.

"I know." and I understand. "But... this is supposed to be a happy event... it's..." hindi ko alam kung dapat bang sinasabi ko to at hindi ko din maituloy. Labag din sa loob ko na we're trying to make things back to normal but it just can't. He looked at me coldly.

"Diba, it was hard to have fun knowing that you lose someone you love." His eyes were blank. It's not that I failed... it was still fresh... and everything is just coming back to him, everything that had happen to him. Naalala ko yung mga ngiting binigay niya sakin noong mga panahong hindi ko pa sya kilala, noong mga panahong hindi pa sya na-a-aksident, yung mga panahong masaya pa sya. "You understand it." He was so down right now at nahahawa ako. I am not that strong, not yet... 'cause even I... I am still moving on from everything. Hindi ako nakasagot sa kanya because he was right. nag-iwas ako ng tingin kase feeling ko may lalabas sa mga mata ko.

"Cerium. We'll sing it for Lili." His lifeless eyes were sparkling while saying that. I took a deep breath.

"I don't have a choice." then I chuckled.

"Tss..." he said and presented a fist bump na marahan kong tinanggap. "Let's eat, my treat." sabi niya. Tumagilid sya para paunahin ako pero sinalubong ako ni kuya Craeyon.

"You have it." sabi ni kuya kay Craeyan.

"Thank you. Maraming salamat sa pag-intindi." he said softly. He's choosing the people he will down his guard.