When Tinker Bell Met Peter Pan
"Hello!" A woman about Mommy's age waved at me from their terrace. Sila iyong bagong lipat sa tabi namin.
I shyly waved my hand back at her.
"Come here.." She signalled an invitation with her hand as she mouthed those words.
Nag-aalangan akong bumaba sa terrace namin at tumawid sa kabilang lawn.
"Hello po."
"I'm Tita Shui. Bagong lipat kami. You are?" She bent her back to level my eyes. Itinukod niya ang kamay sa dalawang tuhod.
I slightly bowed my head, "Siri po. They call me Siri, T-tita Shui."
"You're pretty. Sa tingin ko ay kaedad mo ang anak ko. Anong grade mo na ba?"
"Grade five po." Bahagya akong nadistract sa naririnig na tugtog mula sa loob ng bahay nila.
It sounded so calm and relaxing. At the same time, it feels so lively.
"I'm right!" Pumalakpak siya. "Sa Es Federines Academy ka rin?"
Tumango ako. Natutulala pa rin sa bulong ng musika.
"Then you must have known him." Tumuwid na siya ng pagkakatayo. Nagkibit balikat lamang ako dahil hindi ko naman alam kung sino ang anak na tinutukoy niya.
"Halika, pasok ka. Wag kang mahiya." Inimbitahan niya ako sa loob ng bahay nila pero sa tingin ko ay nakakahiya iyon.
"Naku, hindi na po." Tanggi ko.
Sa una ay nag-aalangan pa ako, pero dahil ayaw kong isipin nila na hindi kami palakaibigang pamilya ay pumasok pa rin ako. Isa pa, curious ako sa kung anong minus one cd ang nakasalang sa salas nila. Hinubad ko ang tsinelas sa may pinto.
"Ano ka ba! Malamig ang sahig. You get your slippers, baby." Pinilit niya akong kuhanin ang tsinelas kaya ipinasok ko rin sa huli.
Nakakaisang hakbang pa lang ako ay sinalubong na ako ng mabangong aroma ng bahay. Bukas ang tatlong scented candle sa lamesa at ang malamig na ihip ng panghapong hangin sa labas ay nilalabanan ng apoy sa mga kandila. But I think that's not the sole reason while I find their home relaxing.
In the far corner of their living room, under the dim light of the only open corner lamp, a boy of about my age sat straight in front of a piano. Nakatalikod ito sa amin at tanaw ko ang bagsak na buhok na mahaba pero hindi sobra dahil nakikita ko pa ang maputi nitong batok.
Suot nito ang isang puting t-shirt na bahagyang maluwag at itim na jogging pants. May isang pares ng pambahay na tsinelas sa ilalim ng inuupuan niya. Yapak siya habang gumagamit ng pedal sa piano.
I was amazed by how professional his fingers moved through the tiles. Ni hindi na ako nakaalis sa tabi ng pinto.
"Huy." Tita Shui laughed from my side. Nag-init ang pisngi ko. Siguro ay nakakahiya na ang itsura ko ngayon habang titig na titig sa anak niya. Namangha lang kasi ako talaga sa galing nito sa pagtugtog. Akala ko nga ay recorded tape ang naririnig ko kanina.
"I-I didn't mean to stare po." I looked away.
She chuckled and her eyes sparkled with beauty, "It's okay. I understand people's reactions when they see him play."
Tumango ako, "O-opo, ang galing niya po."
"He's recruited by a lot of remarkable mentors. Gusto siyang i-train for national tournaments. Ayaw lang." Umiling si Tita Shui. "Ayaw naman naming pilitin ng Daddy niya sa hindi niya gustong gawin. I let him play whenever he wants."
"I hope Mommy thinks that way, too." Tumawa ako.
"Why? You play piano?"
"Ballet, tita. I'm not fond of the discipline though. Mas gusto ko po iyong malaya." I said, then glanced at her son again. "Wala nga lang po akong makitang gusto kong gawin kaya pumayag na rin akong magballet classes."
"I see." She nodded. Sabay tingin rin sa anak niya na akala yata'y nasa terasa pa rin kami nag-uusap. "But you know, music is free in its every form. Perhaps you could make a passion out of it. Why don't you try doing it instead?"
"Ah.." I was about to say na isasuggest ko kay Mommy pero nagsalita na si Tita Shui.
"Zero," she called. Her son didn't stop hitting the notes but his head turned to us for a second. Sa mata ko siya unang napatingin. His eyes were pitch black and deep that I sudden had a foreign feeling when he looked at me. Mabuti at binawi niya agad ang tingin para ituon sa kaniyang ina.
"Mommy," he said then faced the piano again. "What is it?" He asked lazily, still continuing the piece he plays.
I ain't very welcome here, am I? Medyo nahiya ako sa presensya ko.
"You stop playing for a while and face us he-"
"Hindi po, okay lang." Pigil ko kay Tita Shui. I don't want to be a disturbance to him. And besides, I want his eyes locked somewhere. Para akong inaatake pag sa akin siya nakatingin.
"This is Siri, our neighbor."
"Hmm." His only reply was a bit insulting. Alright, I'm going out! I know when I'm welcome and when I'm not!
"You teach her piano." My eyes widened with Tita Shui's command.
I think he was caught off guard, too. Napatigil ito sa pagtugtog at tuluyan nang napaharap sa amin. Nagtitigan silang mag-ina at sa huli ay bumuntong hininga ang lalaki. He slid his feet on his slippers and stood up from the chair.
"Nice to meet you." Nagulat ako nang bumati ito sa akin. "I'm Zero." He said defeatedly and distanced himself from the piano.
Saka ko lang napansin na matangkad pala ito para sa isang grade five. Nagpamulsa ito habang nakatayo. The way he brought himself was a little mature, too.
Tita Shui laughed when her son started acting grumpily afterwards. Mabilis rin itong tumalikod at naglakad patungong kusina.
"He never taught anyone how to play piano. Ewan ko ba diyan. He doesn't state his reasons, basta ayaw niya raw. I always blackmail him na pagtuturuin ko siya if he won't behave well. By behaving, of course, I mean being a little bit social." She laughed. "By the way, familiar ba siya sayo?"
"I don't notice him at school. Siguro ay taga-kabilang section po." Kahit nagsasalita ay hindi nakalagpas sa pandinig ko ang tunog ng bumukas na ref at kalaunan ay pagsara din nito.
"Siguro." Tita smiled and then pointed the sectional sofa. "Come, sit down. Do you want muffins? Mayroon pa kami sa fridge."
Tumanggi ulit ako. This time, decided to stand with my decision. "Hindi na po. Aalis na rin po ako. Baka hinahanap na ako ni Mommy."
I saw the shadow of his son through the gaps of the divider. May hawak na itong baso at nakasandal sa counter. He drinks a glassful of water habang nakatingin sa ceiling.
Napatalon ako nang bumaba ang mata niya at magsalubong ang tingin namin sa siwang ng divider. Nasamid siya sa tubig at biglang naubo.
"U-uh.." binawi ko ang tingin ko at ibinaling kay Tita Shui. "Uuwi na p-po ako. Salamat po ulit."
Cheeks flustered, I ran out of their door and crossed the lawn again. Nang makapasok ako ng bahay ay kabababa lang ni Mommy ng hagdan.
Sinalubong ko ito at biglang niyakap.
"Oh!" She was taken aback by my sudden weird action.
"I.." my heart is racing, probably because of the meters I've ran from the neighboring house. "Mommy, buy me a piano, please."
"What?"
It took me several weeks to let her agree but I wanted her to buy me a piano. I wanted to turn it my passion. I wanted to touch a new world.
Only years after did I realize, my actions back then was not because I wanted to touch a new world but because I wanted to touch... someone's world. Maybe shallow, but the double heartbeats I've had wasn't only because I've run.
Damn Tinker Bell, digging her grave for as early as ten years old.