His Favorite Song (Completed)

Chapter 7

That's What Friends Are For
Dionne Warwick
0:55 ──|────── 4:16
|◁          II          ▷|

PAUL

Nasa rooftop ako ng building. Nag-cutting muna ako sa class ko dahil wala pa rin akong ganang makinig sa walang kwentang lessons.

Nakatingin lang ako sa baba. Hindi naman medyo mainit kaya ramdam ko ang simoy ng hangin dito sa itaas.

Dito ang tambayan ko kapag gusto kong mapag-isa, with my headphones on. I just ignored the Restricted Area sign na nakadikit sa pintuan bago makarating dito. Psh, as if naman palaging nagch-check yung guard dito sa taas. 'Di rin naman ako nahuhuli dito.

Hanggang ngayon, hinahanap ko pa rin yung song na pinakinggan sa akin no'ng isang gabi. I just knew the tune pero hindi ko talaga alam ang title, ni kahit lyrics hindi ko maalala rin.

But whenever the song plays, I always remember that stranger who tried to comfort me. She even appeared in one of my dreams last night. I was about to kiss her pero pucha, bigla akong nagising. Alam kong siya 'yon. Kaya hanggang ngayon, nasa isip ko pa rin siya. I just wish I could meet her again sooner.

"Maybe the song will make a way for us to meet again."

That was the last thing she said before she went out of the jeep. I hope magkatotoo nga yung sinabi pero paano? That's way too impossible, but it seems she knew we'd be seeing each other again. Does she know me? Does she recognize me? Ang dami kong tanong pero wala akong makuhang sagot.

Ilang saglit lang ay nakaramdam ako na may umupo sa tabi ko. Si Marco. I didn't call him to come over, but he knew I'd be here sometimes. "Di pa rin makamove on?" rinig kong sabi kahit na naka-headphones ako.

Hinubad ko naman yung headphones ko. "I already accepted the fact na hindi talaga kami para sa isa't isa. She's not the one for me, and I'm not the one for her. That's it," I said.

"Besides, someone is stuck in my mind. I just want to see her again," I added.

He grinned. "Psh, naka-move on ka nga talaga. That's great, by the way, pero sino namang 'yan someone-in-your-mind? Is she the reason why I'm seeing you smiling again?" he asked.

"Di ko talaga alam pero the moment na naalala ko siya, napapangiti ako. She was the first one also na nagcomfort sa akin the night when Chesca broke up with me. She was just a stranger, yet she treated me like a friend. 'Di ko aakalaing aabot pa sa puntong gusto ko siyang kilalanin pa. She's an angel in disguise," I said as I shrugged.

"Pre, na-love at sight ka yata. Base sa sinabi mo, she was just a stranger na na-meet mo somewhere, kaya there's a higher probability na hindi mo na siya makita pa ulit."

Ginamitan na niya ako ng probability. Oh, I forgot, he's f*cking good at math.

"100 percent?"

"Siguro, 98 percent."

"What about that 2 percent?"

"2 percent chance of meeting her again. Kung gusto mo talaga siya makilala, then don't give up. Siguro naman, pagbibigyan ka ng tadhana para ipagtagpo kayo," sabi niya.

I never thought Marco would say something like this. Siya kasi yung tahimik at seryoso sa grupo namin. Ang alam ko lang, siya lang yung matinong kausap.

"Well, thanks for your words of wisdom," sabi ko.

"Naah. You're welcome. That's what friends are for, right?" he said, and we chuckled together.

Pagkatapos ng usapan namin ni Marco ay bumaba na kami mula sa rooftop at nagdesisyong bumalik na sa mga klase namin. Baka idrop out na ako sa kaka-skip ng class.

Kailangan ko pa namang makapagtapos ng studies ko. I have to prove to my family na hinding-hindi ko pinagsisihan ang pipiliing career na tatahakin ko.

Tutol si Dad sa pangarap ko, and he was expecting me to take a business-related courses for me to take over his long-time business, but I didn't. My dream is to be a musician, not a businessman. Walang akong planong sumunod sa kanya.

After knowing na ibang career ang gusto ko, he was so mad at that time at nagbanta pa siyang patitigilan niya akong magbanda kaya ang ginawa ko, naglayas ako at humanap ng matitirhan. Neither I nor he can live together peacefully in the house.

That mad man sucks, kaya nagpatulong ako kay Mom. Even though hiwalay na sila at nasa custody ako ni Dad, Mom continues to show some support to me.

Mom rented a decent apartment for me. She even said she could pay the monthly rental fee, but I refused. Mayroon pa naman akong naitabing pera tsaka may kinikita rin kami sa gig namin.

I have already accepted the fact that Mom has another family now, but she secretly gives me money sa bank account ko for my tuition and other expenses. She knows how greedy Dad is when it comes to money.

I just wished na sumama na lang ako kay Mom no'ng una, but I couldn't turn back time now. Hindi rin pwede na pumunta ako sa bahay ni Mom dahil kapag nagkataon, magugulo ko lang ang buhay nila.

"Hey, Paul, ba't nakasunod pa rin sa akin? Nandun yung building nyo," sabi ni Marco na nagpabalik sa wisyo ko.

I just found myself walking towards the College of Engineering building with Marco. "Oops, sorry. Kita na lang tayo mamaya," sabi ko sa kanya bago lumiko at pumunta sa College of Music building.

Sa aming apat, ako lang ang nasa College of Music even though we're all into music. They wanted to pursue a major career aside from being musicians. Marco wants to pursue engineering and the other two, Nathan and Daniel, want to become businessmen in the future.

Even though iba-iba ang path na ang tatahakin naming apat, nothing would break our friendship apart. There were my second family, since we were kids. We were even a little band back then, with our fake instruments, until we started to play real ones when we were in elementary school.

Days were really good back then, not until we realized the life sucks.

"Oh, glad you're here, Mr. Abellana," bungad ni Professor George, and everyone in the room looked at me.

"I thought you would skip our class today. Have a seat," he said.

I just walked towards my seat. I can't see everyone holding some instruments, so today's activity is just discussion. Psh.