Chasing Happiness (Completed)

Chapter Nine

Nakabalik kami ng unit nya nang walang imikan.  Hindi sya nagsasalita habang inaayos nya ang mga pinamili nya.

Gusto ko syang kausapin at magtanong pero hindi ko alam kung paano at kung ano ang tamang tanong. Kaya wala akong ibang nagawa kundi pagmasdan sya habang nakatalikod sya sakin at inaayos ang mga pinamili nya.

Naiinis ako sa sarili ko. Trabaho kong tulungan sya, pagaanin ang loob nya at wag hayaang maramdaman nyang mag isa lang sya.
Pero anong ginagawa ko ngayon?

Wala. Wala akong magawa.

Ni wala akong masabi para man lang sana mapagaan kahit konti ang nararamdaman nya.

Tama bang ako ang pinadala ng Tagabantay para tulungan si Aelius?
Kaya ko ba talaga to?

Huminga muna ako nang malalim at kumuha ng lakas ng loob bago magsalita.

Ako: A-alam mo, mas bibigat yan at mas mahihirapan ka kapag hindi mo nilabas.
Sabi ko naman sayo diba, andito lang ako kung gusto mo ng kausap o mahihingahan ng sama ng loob. O kaya naman, kung ayaw mo, pwede ka namang magkunware na wala ako rito at gawin mo kung anong gusto mo.

Again, hindi sya sumagot.

Sa halip may kinuha syang maliit na remote at in-on ang isang stereo. Kaya naman ang kaninang napakatahimik na bahay ay umingay na. Nagpatugtog sya ng maingay na tugtog. Yung mga kantang tugtog na tulad ng mga tinutugtog nila ng banda nya.

Sleeping with Sirens. All Time Low. RJSA. Twentyone Pilots at kung anu ano pang rock bands.

Lumingon sya sakin.

Aelius: What? Hindi mo ba sasabihin na masakit sa tenga ang pinakikinggan ko?

Ako: Hindi ako fan ng mga ganyang genre ng music. But I believe there must be a reason why you like listening to those.

Hininaan nya na nang konti ang volume saka nagsalita ulit.

Aelius: They are all my musical influences. I started listening to their music when I needed to distract my mind. Sometimes when it's too quiet you'll hear your mind. Telling you things that you wouldn't want to hear. Kaya para maiwasan yon, I started listening to loud music. And eventually, it became a part of me.
I never felt alone when I hear and play this kind of music. Their music kinda have this power to heal a soul. Yung tipong kapag pinakinggan mo ang music nila, maiintindihan mo yung lalim ng pinagmulan ng kanta. Hindi lang sya basta sigawan e.  There's a depth in each and every melody and beat of it.
Then you'll feel like you're not the only one feeling that way. That somehow, some where, someone understands how you feel.

Habang sinasabi nya yon, nakatingin lang ako sakanya. And I saw something in his eyes.
Something that I've never seen before. It just shows kung gaano kaimportante sakanya ang music.

It's his passion. It's his art. It's everything to him.

At tama nga sila, someone will automatically be more attractive when they talk about something they love, something that they are really passionate about. At yun ang nakita ko sakanya. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit andaming taga hanga ng banda nila. Kase napaka passionate ng gumagawa ng music na yon.

Ako: Wow. I've never heard someone talk about music that way. I guess you really love what you're doing.

Aelius: It's my life. If you want to survive, you need to avoid loud voices inside your head.
And that is the only way I can see to do it.

I smiled at him.

Ako: Can I confess something?

Aelius: What?