"I really think, I have seen you before."
"You met her here in Quezon, James. By the cafe." Sagot naman ng Lola niya. Napagdesisyunan namin ni James na magkita ulit bago bumalik ng England.
"No, before that." Pilit na inaalala pa din niya kung saan niya ako unang nakita. Nagpaalam sa amin ang Lola niya na pupunta muna ng mall.
"Don't stress out yourself about it. Basta, we met. That's it." Naging close kami ni James kahit ilang araw lang kami doon sa Bohol. We both have this interest in Music that brought us closer.
"Wow, you look good in here." Sabi ko nang nakita ko ang isang ad niya while scrolling through my phone. "Was this over a year ago?" Tumango siya nang nakita ito.
"I think I'd be staying longer in London than what I've expected." Sinabi niya din na sa tuwing may commercial na inilalabas, kailangan niya ulit magshow up sa public. But he finds it weird that this ad just got released here in the country after a year. "They really don't want me to take this break."
"Can't you just go easy on it? I mean, be a bubble? Like show up but vanish agad?"
"They don't like it like that."
Napahinto saglit ang usapan namin ni James. Hindi ko alam kung tama ba 'tong ginagawa ko. Ang ipilit siya indirectly sa hindi naman niya gusto.
"But it's been awhile since you had this break. Don't you have your realizations over it?"
"I do. I missed working. Making music, doing tour and meeting the fans. But sometimes, it's just getting out of hand."
"You've been in the industry for such a long time yet you still don't know what's the key." Napatingin siya ng seryoso sa sinabi ko. "You shouldn't be listening to comments from people who mean nothing to you, from people who does nothing but drag you down."
"It's easy for you to say because you're not in my place." Napatahimik ako sa sinabi niya, dahil totoo naman iyon. "It really is easy to shut down your eyes and ears for those kinds of comments but they matter. They're the people around you, seeing who you are."
"They do see you, but they don't know you." Nadalian akong hanapan ng butas ang sinabi niya. "The only comment that matters are from those who really really know you. You can't please everybody." I smiled at what I said. That's really how it goes. That is life.
Ngumiti lang din siya sa sinabi ko. After ilang minutes na nags-strum lang siya ng gitara, bigla siyang tumayo. "How about let's go out and get some things to bring in London?" Who am I to refuse the offer.
Right at the moment we entered the mall, mayroon nang mga iilan na tumitingin sa amin. Siguro narecognize nila si James through his commercial and hopefully for what he likes the best, his songs. Halos lahat ng mga nadaanan namin ay mga nagbubulong-bulungan. May ilang mga lumapit para magpakuha ng picture sa kanya, pero karamihan ay mga nahihiya pa.
Aside from clothes shopping, nagpunta din kami sa local shops kasi sabi niya mamimiss daw niya ang Quezon delicacies. We went around the mall for what I think two hours lang.
"I told you, things get out of hand most of the time." Sabi niya nang may mga napansin na kaming sumusunod at kinukuhaan kami ng pictures.
"Ganito ka talaga ka-famous? What more in London?" For someone na hindi pa masyadong kilala dito sa bansa, the crowd that has been following us is, what I think, quite big.
"Believe me, it's crazier."
