TWENTY-FIVE

70 1 0

by LensahFranchez

by LensahFranchez

" Mum, let's go."
" Am coming little Cai, what's the rush. I can see the line is still long."
" It is long but we have not acknowledged our presence yet. I also have to pick my guitar and..."
" Ok then shish! Stop it with the complains. I just wanted to listen to that song."
" Yeah right. More like you just wanted to go for another round of emotional roller coaster. The photo I have posted is enough for you to be emotionally harassed by my mean uncles, please mum..!"
" CAI XUKUN!!! you have the guts young man to make fun of your mother ha!" I said as I charge towards him
" Ok mum, I surrender. Just go sit there and and wait for me. When they see you, they will acknowledge us, please!!!"
" (Sigh) sure thing little Cai just hurry back before I..."
" Yes mother"

And with that I was left alone between people who were busy warming up their voices while others were just conversing. I went and sat down on a sofa on the farthest end of the room and decided to put on my ear plugs to switch off from the world around me. After sometime past, Cai came back and told me that we would be the last to perform. A part of me was glad but something else told me that we were about to sing to the whole group of contestants. All eyes will be on us. I don't know if it is good or bad. Looking at the contestants, I saw that we had to wait for two pairs before we enter the stage. I was nervous but I tried to hide it from little Cai who was tuning the guitar. The emcee called the next pair which meant it was only one remaining for us to go on stage. Just when I wanted to take my phone and call one of my brother's for encouragement, the doors to the backstage opened and there was my dear twin brother standing while smiling at me. I don't know what happened to my body because all over sudden it had a mind of its own. I stood up and went to hug Tae...

" Silly girl. Why are you this nervous... Remember you have an army of talented handsome K-pop artists brothers backing you up. Just go and do what you do best.. sing. Do you know why Jimin printed for you that t-shirt? Because he knew that you needed some encouragement. Look at it, it even shouts his name.. that show off ha. I know you will be great out there siz. I will be cheering you on there ok. If you feel nervous, just search for my eyes..."
" Wow uncle, how did you know that she is having a nervous breakdown?"
" She is my sister, dummy. I grew up with her."
" Oh. Mum relax. We are going to sing our favourite song. Just imagine that you are singing it to me ok!"
" Ok. You guys are the best. " I said and hugged them both before Tae went away. " Let's do this ."
" Yes, let's shock them silly with our awesomeness."
" You are next, please enter the stage." The usher told us and then Cai took my hands and led me to the stage.

Looking at the audience, everyone was looking at us eagerly. Some were mummering and pointing at us. Ok it's not that I was being paranoid but jeez, all eyes are on us. Cai as still holding my arms when we reached the middle, he brought to stools and made me sit. Then he smiled at me then looked back infront and started talking to the audience
" Annyeonghaseyo to the Korean community present , Wãnshàng hão to my Chinese brothers and sisters, to the Japanese people in the house konbanwa"
"Swasdī ten yēn to the Thai community present, Chào buôí tôí to the Vietnamese in the house today."
" It will be rude to forget our friends from Taiwan, Li ho. We are Les Parks. I am Cai Xukun from China and this is ..."
" Lensah from Kenya. Don't mind our long greetings people, it is an African thing and it is good to acknowledge everybody present. Heck no one even greeted me in Swahili but I will not complain." At this moment everybody was laughing. What a ice breaker.
" Yeah right, we are the last performance of the day so we promise to take our time"
" And entertain you. We are a sight to behold here people. A Chinese boy and an African woman, when in your dreams did you picture this ha!"
" We will not sing any kpop song or even from any country present here"
" Because you guys have done that perfectly well. We will be singing CONSEJO DE AMOR by Tini and Morat."
" We hope you enjoy the song with us."
" If you feel the music, please dance or even wave, just enjoy."
" Clapping is also allowed . Welcome to our presentation." And then we bowed. The stage became dark and then there was on two spot lights that reflected on Cai and I...( I sang all Tini's parts while Cai sang Morat's parts. For the chorus we just harmonized as usual.)

Lensah

Si me toca escoger entre volverte a ver
O aceptar que te fuiste
Yo prefiero fingir que por ti estoy feliz
Aunque no me escogiste
Si me toca romper todo mi corazón
Para atarte a mi vida
Ya tendré que entender que en las guerras de amor
Siempre hay balas perdidas

Cai

No me obligues a disimular que quizá no te vi si te veo
Porque sabes que lo prometí, aunque si yo fuera tú, no me creo
Si me toca borrar cada marca que a ti te dejaron sus besos
Yo prefiero escribirles encima con los que faltan de los nuestros

All

Pude haber sido yo la que tiene tu corazón guardado
Pero alguien sin piedad me lo robó
Cuando por fin pensé haberlo atrapado fue que se escapó
Pude haber sido yo la que a tu lado siempre se despierte
Pero el futuro nunca nos llegó
Me prometí que nunca iba a perderte y no sé que pasó
Pude haber sido yo

Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh
Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh

Lensah

Si me toca esperarte
Lo haré y no desvaneceré con las horas (no desvaneceré)
Y aunque llegue alguien más y no te pueda hablar,
Es igual que estar sola
Sé que me cuesta ver
Que al final voy a ser yo quien termine herida
Pero debo entender que en las guerras de amor
Siempre hay balas perdidas

Cai

Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh
Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh

Cai
Pude haber sido yo
Pero dejaste un loco enamorado
Buscando un beso tuyo en la estación
Y no hay peor desgracia que extrañar lo que nunca pasó

All

Pude haber sido yo la que a tu lado siempre se despierte
Pero el futuro nunca nos llegó (no llegó)
Me prometí que nunca iba a perderte y no sé que pasó
Pude haber sido yo (pude haber sido yo)

All

Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh
Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor
Oh oh oh oh oh
Si tú tan solo me hubieras pedido un consejo de amor

After that the lights came on. The audience were clapping so hard. I even noticed Tae wiping some tears . Cai and I stood and bowed to the audience and the judges before exiting the stage with smiling faces.

" Wow, what a way to finish an event. Thank you Cai and Lensah or Les Park. That performance mark the end of our entertainment segment. We will now have speeches from our judges who will tell us the way forward from here so if there are any contestants outside, you are requested to kindly enter the hall so that we get the way forward."

We entered the hall and I immediately found an empty chair near the guy who sang Stupid in love. Ok I was eager to know him but damn I was tired to make small talks. Cai came and sat next to me and I got my bed back so I laid my head and drifted away to my slumber until I had Cai wake me up that the event was over and we were free to go and rest. He never went into the details but just that we were to be grouped tomorrow and that we were suppose to be up by 5 am . I guess the rest was just bla bla bla. I stood up, yearned and then held onto Cai who became my guide until we reached the junction that separates the boys' dorm and the girls' dorm. I walked slowly and reached my room where my bed was too inviting to bother with my roommates.