My T.O.T.G.A. (The One That Got Away)

Chapter 10

Sometimes you need to start again in order to fly.

-Alicia Keys

***

"This next song ay para sa mga taong pinaasa ng mga walang kwentang nilalang. Who you kayo sa'min ngayon! Ayos ba tayo diyan?!"

It was gig day. Joey's Bar was all packed.
Naghiyawan ang lahat sa sinabi ni Veron.

Supposedly, ito ang last song nila for that set. It will be closed to public within an hour. Naka-reserve kasi ang buong bar para sa isang private engagement party. Sa kanila din ibinigay ni Kuya Joey ang extra gig na ito that's why they have prepared another set for that.

Nasa gitna siya ng entablado kaharap ang mic stand habang nakapalibot sa kaniya ang mga kabanda niya.

Nasa kaliwa niya si Jillian na nakaupo sa cájon at katabi ang iba pang mga percussion instruments gaya ng triangle at rainmaker. Nasa likuran naman niya nakapuwesto si Gibo na may hawak ding electric acoustic guitar gaya niya. Samantalang nasa kanan niya naman si Andrei na may katabing kalimba at may hawak na egg shaker.

Sinimulang i-pluck ni Gibo ang cover intro nila ng kanta ni Gotye na 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. Maya maya'y sinabayan na rin ito Andrei sa kalimba, bago sinundan ng brush beats ni Jillian.

Isa ito sa mga paborito niyang kanta. Napakalalim kasi ng lyrics at melancholic but catchy ang instrumentals nito. She's somehow glad na isinama ito ni Andrei sa line up nila ngayong gabi because this is exactly how she feels right now.

She is too emotional at the moment at damang dama niya ang bawat tipa at bawat lyrics ng kanta. Sumabay na rin siyang i-pluck ang rhythm part ng intro saka sinimulan nang kumanta.

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Natapos ang awitin with a standing ovation mula sa audience. May mga sumisigaw at humihiyaw pa ng "More! More!".

Handa sila sa ganitong mood ng crowd. Lagi silang may mga extrang rehearsed na kanta in case na mag- demand ang mga ito. Kaya naman isa sila sa mga dinadayong banda sa Joey's Bar dahil lagi silang game. In fact, laging puno ang bar tuwing Linggo lalo kung sila ang tumutugtog.

"You, guys want more?" tanong ni Veron sa audience over the mic.

It created a hype amongst the audience at sabay sabay na sumigaw ang mga ito ng "Yeeessss!" at may sumipol sipol pa just to show enthusiasm for them to continue playing.

Pumuwesto si Jillian sa drums, si Gibo naman ay lumipat sa bass guitar at iniabot sa kaniya ang isang puting Fender strut. Gayon din naman umistasyon si Andrei sa harap ng keyboard at inayos din ang mikropono niya since dalawa sila ni Veron na aawit ng cover nila sa isang kanta mula sa alternative band na Toad the Wet Sprocket.