LIKE I NEVER LEFT °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

32. Family Day

Amara

For the next few days, my heart is so happy because Four stays at home a lot especially that he needs to practice with us for the song performance for the Variety Show. It's for a charity cause that the school hosted.

"Who's going to play the drums?" Four asks on our first day of practice. It's Saturday today and my parents are here as well.

"I would love to." Darryl responds. "But I'm going to be the lead singer so I'll just play the piano and dad..." She looks at her father who raises the bass guitar. "Perfect." She approves and everyone in the music room laughs. "Mama lola, papa lolo, you suggest the song."

Napatawa ulit kami. Bakit may division of labor na naganap? My daughter is just so adorable. I wish she never grows up at all and just stays as my baby forever. Naaa, that's impossible anyway.

"Honey? You remember singing A Million Dreams when you were only four? How about you sing that again, this time with mom and dad?" Suhestiyon ni mama na nagpalaki ng mata ni Darryl. She loves that song! "You play it on ukulele, your daddy plays the guitar and mom plays the piano."

"Oh mamalove, you are a genius! I would love that!" She exclaims excitedly. Ang saya lang talagang panoorin ng anak ko kapag ganito siya kasaya. Nang tingnan ko si Four, alam kong pareho kami ng nararamdaman dahil nakangiti siya sa'kin ngayon, nakapinta ang saya sa mga mata niya.

"Alright then. Let's start practicing." Darryl declares and we then get to our respective instruments.

As it turns out, the Variety Show is also the opening event for the whole week celebration of the founding anniversary of the school where they will also be celebrating the 'Family Day'. The week passes by in a blur. The next thing we know, the three of us are going to perform on stage. It's so surreal. The moment when I seat on the piano bench, looking at my two precious gems sitting on the stall with microphone stands in front of them, I realize that I want to perform with them. I want to embrace my passion and music but while doing so, it's with them. 

Before strumming the ukulele, Darryl turns to me with a smile. As we arranged the song, she is going to sing the first few lines with the ukulele as her only instrument.

(Play the youtube video above and imagine their voices as Darryl's and Four's.)

I close my eyes and I can see
The world that's waiting up for me
That I call my own

While waiting for my turn, I just enjoy the moment to gaze at both of them. Smile spreads across my face as Four strums the guitar and smiles at his daughter to inspire her to go on with the song as practiced.

Through the dark, through the door
Through where no one's been before
But it feels like home

The two look at me, smiling. I smile back before I press my fingers on the piano keys. I can spot my parents looking so happy while looking at us on stage. I even see papa wiping his eyes. Is he crying? Oh, he must feel so proud. He used to love listening when mama and I sing together.

They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy
They can say, they can say I've lost my mind
I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy
We can live in a world that we design

The audience gasps in awe at my daughter's sweet angelic singing voice that just really demands to be heard. Nobody would not want to listen to her voice. Darryl is a nightingale. Napaisip ako, hindi ko natupad ang buhay na pinangarap ni mama sa'kin pero tiyak ako ngayon na masaya siya dahil si Darryl ang nagtupad ng lahat ng 'yon. To mention, she is still this young when she accomplishes it all.