A Breath of Faith

Chapter Four - In Need of a Job

Chapter Four

I walked on the stage and sat on the stool in the middle. The spotlight hit my face. I raised my eyes and met the gaze of hundreds of people. Shit!  I felt the churning down the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard and tried not to choke my guts out.

Breath Iz. Stop feeling nervous. You're just going to sing. One song. Just one. Get through this. You need the money.

>flashback<

"Iz!" sharp knocks followed Vis' worried voice. "Iz! Si Nanay Luz! Bilisan mo!"

Napalabas ako ng banyo ng marinig ko ang pangalan ng nanay ko. Tumutulo pa ang buhok na hinarap ko si Vis.

"Bakit?"

Nagsimula na rin akong mag-alala hindi ko pa man alam ang nangyayare. Worried na worried kasi si Virtrus. Hindi niya ako sinagot at tumakbo na papunta sa sala. Napasunod ako, bahagyang nainis dito kay Vis dahil nakakaramdam na ako ng panic sa mga ginagawa niya.

Inabot niya sa akin ang telepono. 

"Hello Nay?" ako.

"Izel! Anak?" 

"Ako nga Nay. Bakit ho? Ano hong problema?"

"Anak, ang tatay mo!" ang tanging nasabi nito bago tuluyang umiyak.

-----------------------------------------------

Feeling weak she sat on the sofa. Tapos na siyang makipag-usap sa nanay niya and she was letting the words sink on her and when it did she just felt exhausted and weary.

"What happened?" si Vis na naupo sa tabi ko at hinawakan ang kamay ko.

"Si Tatay inatake sa puso.."

"Ano?! Kumusta siya?!"

I sighed. "He's fine now. He had a minor heart attack kasi 'yung grocery store namin nanakawan kagabi."

"Oh God!"

"Kailangan namin ng pera. Natangay ng magnanakaw 'yung ipon ni nanay at wala silang pambayad sa ospital. Hindi pa makakalabas si tatay sa ospital kasi kailangang i-monitor 'yung kalagayan niya. Maraming kailangang gamot. Wala na rin silang panggastos doon."

Maraming sinabi si Vis. Tutulong daw ito sa kanila at baka raw may pera itong mapapahiram. Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya, really. I was just feeling so tired to express it.

Pabagsak na sumandal ako sa sofa. I closed my eyes and tried to think positively. Her father would be okay. They would be okay. And she wouldn't let her mother down. Tutuparin niya ang sinabi niya rito.

Ako ang bahala sa lahat.

>end of flashback<

"Uhmm.." she adjusted the mic in front of her. "Hi people of The Grill" she tried to sound a little less troubled than what she really feels. "My name is Izzie and I'm going to sing "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne."

The keyboards and strings from the in-house band of the Grill sounded. I feel like my throat is getting dry and closing up and with difficulty I swallowed again. Here it comes. I drew breath like I was about to jump off a cliff.

I'm standing on a bridge 

I'm waiting in the dark 

I thought that you'd be here by now 

I focused my eyes on the entrance of the bar. Ayokong tumingin sa mga tao dahil baka lalo akong kabahan at malunok ko na ang dila ko.

There's nothing but the rain