"Son-of-a grasshopper! Tomas Jared Xavier... back from the dead!"
Joseph Andrada or Otep as we fondly called him in high school, widened his eyes while opening the red metal gate of his home. He was wearing a white tank top, basketball shorts and a mop of hair that says 'I just got out of bed a few minutes ago'.
I laughed. "It's nice to see you too, Tep." I embraced him and tapped his back.
He eyed me from head to toe. "Damn, Bro. You look very... adult. TV news anchor hairstyle, tucked in shirt.. What's with the black eye though?"
Otep pointed at my shiner and I turned my head towards Dee, who frowned.
"Long story."
His attention turned to Dee who was yawning behind me while cradling a surprisingly behaved Combo Jumbo. I didn't like the smile Otep gave me next.
"Who's the chick, Bro?" he whispered.
"Shut up, Tep. That's Macy's sister," I whispered back.
Otep frowned. "Damn! How'd this even happen? The two of you in the same place, far away from home." He knotted his eyebrows. "and by the way... are you okay?"
I leaned my head to the side and shrugged my shoulders. "I'm getting by, Tep but I still see her everywhere... like she never... left."
"Damn, that's heavy, Bro," Otep said with a sigh. "I know it's not my place to say anything but, to hell with it. He shook his head. "Nine years. Don't you think it's time to move forward?"
Shrugging my shoulders once more, I looked at the ground where I stood. "I'm trying, Tep."
He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Well, at least you came out here to see me. That's a huge step." He leaned his body to the side and waved at Dee.
"Hi, I'm Otep. I went to high school with your Ate and we're band mates too!"
Dee waved back as Combo Jumbo, still sitting on her arms, let out a big yawn.
"Oh, where are my manners? All aboard, the Otep Manor. " He gestured at the open gate like a butler. As we went in, I noticed muffled band music coming from the tiny concrete building built to the side of the gate.
"You got a band, Tep?" I asked Otep as we walked towards the Andrada home, a single story Bungalow with a small open garage that housed a White Suzuki Mini Van.
He waved his right hand and frowned. "Nah. It's just a bunch of high school students practicing for the battle of the bands." Then, he leaned to my side to whisper. "They suck but it's good business so I just let them be even though it hurts my ears."
I snickered. "Speaking of high-school, I never thanked you for getting me that job at Fort Bonifacio High. I owe you big one, Tep."
Otep waved it off. "I was just glad that you came back, Bro. Even though you didn't visit me as soon as you landed."
I lowered my head. "Sorry. You know..."
"I was just kidding,Bro! Lighten up, will you? You already look older than me by a decade!"
He play-punched me on the chest.
Over a cup of coffee at their terrace, I told Otep the real reason we came here and without a moment's hesitation, he agreed to let us practice at the schedule I picked which was from 6 PM onward. He looked like he received an early Christmas present.
"Here's to the legendary TJ Xavier going back to his home... music," Otep said while raising his mug.
"Not quite though, Tep. I'm just helping out Dee and her friends. They're not that good but I will make them... Or we will, rather."
"Hey! I'm right here, Lolo! I can hear you! And we don't suck. We got radio airtime at NU."
She stuck her tongue out at me while Otep snickered. "You two look like you've already made quite a history together. You're already like a bickering married couple."
I shook my head and shot him a glare.
"Tep... please shut up."
We started practice on Monday inside the concrete Sari-sari store that Otep converted into his band rehearsal studio. In a semicircle at the corner of the room was a drum kit, a couple of amps, and a microphone on a stand. A poster of the Eraserheads' fab four covered an entire wall behind the kit.
I spent the first half hour explaining to the band the proper arrangement of my songs - where each instrument would come in, which effects to use at different sections of each song and how to keep each section interesting and slightly different from the other ones.
Easy peasy, right? Except it wasn't. As expected, nothing came together properly the first time.
...and I wasn't the only one who was getting frustrated.
"No no no no no no no!" Otep pulled his hair in frustration.
"What did I do wrong?" Erwin asked from behind the drum kit.
"Everything! One more minute and my ears would've bled."
"I don't understand. I mean... people at the bar didn't complain."
"Because you probably were playing for a bunch of drunk musically-challenged hobos!"
"That is quite true," I said.
"Stop it! Don't pick on my friend like that!" Dee protested.
Seated on monobloc chairs, we watched while Otep went full-on drill sergeant at Erwin.
I leaned to the side to whisper at Dee. "Don't take it personally, Dee. Otep picks on everybody and... your music does suck a bit!"
"Why you... Do you want me to kick you, again?" she shouted.
I quickly covered my crotch area with my hands.
Otep turned his head towards me and laughed. "She kicked you?"
"Long... and painful story, Tep. Just go on with your rant."
"It's not a rant, Bro! It's a very valuable lesson on fundamentals."
He turned back to face Erwin. "Alright. What's your name, Kid?"
"Erwin."
"Alright, Bearwin. You listen well. My next few words are going to change your drumming life."
We listened intently waiting for what Otep's going to say.
"Seduction," Otep said while moving his hands apart like a mime feeling up a glass barrier in front of him.
"What?" Dee asked with a frown.
"See... The drum kit is like a girl. You don't beat her up. You make love to her. Drumming is the ultimate art of seduction."
"Ah. I always thought the drum kit was a 'He'," Erwin said, scratching his head.
Otep chuckled. "No wonder you've been beating it so hard."
Dee wrinkled her nose. The other boys and I laughed while I shook my head.
"Tep. I don't think this is an appropriate analo-"
He ignored me and proceeded on lecturing Erwin. "First, let's fix that grip. You're punishing the cymbals, Bearwin."
"It... it's Erwin."
"You're in my turf. So, I'll call you what I want to call you."
"Okay."
"Now, Bearwin, who's your crush?"
"What does that have to do with dr-"
"It has everything to do with drumming!"
"I... uh... I don't have a crush."
Johnny and Kyle snickered. Erwin shot them a dagger look and then they clamped their mouths.
"Liar! Liar! Briefs on fire!" Otep teased.
"It's Toyang," Johnny piped up.
Erwin pointed a drum stick at Johnny. "You, traitor! You shall suffer my smite."
"Toyang? Like the Eraserheads song?" I asked.
"Definitely the Eraserheads song. Good taste, kid!" Otep patted Erwin's shoulder.
"It's Victoria by the way but... yeah. Whatever."
"Alright. Now, imagine this is Toyang. You don't want to start getting aggressive at her. She'll slap the shit out of you!" Otep feigned slapping Erwin's face.
Erwin nodded.
"Just relax, man. In the drumming world, we have something we call overplaying. The way you played a while ago? That was the perfect example of overplaying. Remember this. You want to be musical, not loud. Got it?"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Don't 'Sir' me. TJ's the teacher here. Just call me Otep."
"Yes, Kuya Otep."
"You don't have to call me Ku- Ugh! Whatever. Let's continue. Now, where was I?"
"Be musical, not loud?"
"Yes. Good boy, Bearwin. Now, do you know what that means?"
"Hmmmm... Not hit too hard?"
"Not exactly. What I mean is, you got to serve the song. You got to know when to release all that power and when to pull back a little. No matter what you do, always serve the song when you're behind that kit. It's a freakin' huge responsibility. It's easy to bang on the drums like a cave man all throughout the song but control... hah! When you have control, you rule the freakin' world!" Otep explained with animated hand movements.
"Tep, you're confusing him," I interrupted.
"Are you confused?" Otep asked Erwin.
Erwin shook his head.
Otep turned his head around. "See? Now, stop interrupting our lesson." He turned to face Erwin once more, crossing his arms in front of the drum kit.
"It must be the first time someone listened to his 'lessons' intently. Usually, when he criticizes another drummer, it results in a fist fight," I said to Dee.
"Kuya Otep is scary," she replied.
"But so cool!" Kyle and Johnny said like they were watching a spectacular display of fireworks.
We continued watching Otep teach Erwin the proper way to hold the drum sticks. To demonstrate his point, he went behind the kit and played a steady grooove while bopping his head and biting his lower lip which made Dee cringe.
When it was Erwin's turn on the kit, Otep would slap his hands with every mistake.
Slap! "You're holding them too tightly, Bearwin!"
Slap! "Don't bury the tips into the drum heads! Jeez!"
Slap! "Don't slow down during fills!"
Slap! "Too many fills. O.A. lang?"
Slap!
"What did I do this time?" Erwin asked.
"Nothin'. Sorry. Force of habit."
This drew laughter from the three of us watching the Jedi-like master-apprentice scene unfold. I shook my head while rubbing Combo Jumbo's belly as he lied stretched out on my lap. When Otep was finally completely satisfied with Erwin's new grip, he gave us a thumbs up sign.
"Finally!" Dee exclaimed as she stood up and stretched her arms upward.
Kyle woke up Johnny who was sleeping with an open mouth. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.
They positioned themselves behind their instruments. "Alright. Sweet Uncertainty from the top. Cue it, Erwin," I made a twirling motion with my finger.
They played and it's all coming together now. It's a far cry from the noise they made back at Karlo's bar. They breezed through the set of three songs, 'Sweet Uncertainty', 'Stellar', and 'Afraid to Fall'.
It was going fine until 'Ikaw,Araw'... and the familiar headache started drumming into my skull.
"I'm heading out for some air," I told Otep. "Just let them keep on playing."
I stepped out of the practice room and out into the open front yard of Otep's home. Massaging my head, I heard the door open from behind me. Otep stood next to me.
"Hey, Bro. Are you alright?"
"It's that song, Tep."
"You remember Macy, don't you? With that song..."
"Clear as daylight, Tep."
"Well, how about we just take it off the set list until you get... better."
"Yeah... I think it's a good idea. Thanks, Tep."
"Anytime, Brother. Anytime." He patted my shoulder.
We went back inside and Otep clapped his hands. "Hey, guys. Mama's prepared some snacks in the house."
"Nice. Let's go," Johnny said to his band mates while un-slinging the bass from his shoulder.
"Hep!" Otep stopped Dee as she was about to go outside with her friends. "Stay here for a bit, Dee. Let's jam to some old tunes."
"But I want to eat too," she said with a pout.
Otep smiled. "This won't take long. Just one song."
"Uhhh. What are you doing, Tep?" I asked him.
He winked at me. "You'll see."
Dee grumbled. "Okay. Just one song, huh?"
"Yep. One song. Do you know 'Tabing Ilog' by Barbie's Cradle?"
"Uh. I guess so. It was very popular when I was a kid."
"Cool beans! Alright. Let's jam to it," Otep said as he hopped towards the plastic chair behind the kit.
I stood by the door motionless while Dee re-adjusted the mic on the stand.
"You know the song, Bro?" Otep asked me while spinning a drum stick with his fingers.
"Yeah. I've heard it quite a few times on the radio when I came back from the States." I scratched the back of my head.
"Chords are just A and E major 7 for the verse and the refrain... F sharp minor, E, C sharp minor 7, A, F sharp minor and then back to A and E major 7," Otep said.
"Okay. I'll try."
"Do or do not. There is no try," Otep said, imitating Yoda from Star Wars. "You're TJ Xavier, you breathe chords."
"The old TJ maybe."
"Let's get that rust off you, old friend. Now, grab your choice of axe." Otep pointed to the guitars.
I grabbed a standard Sunburst Strat off a stand and slung it over my shoulder gingerly like I was about to pour alcohol on an open wound.
"Are you ready, Dee?" Otep asked her.
She answered with a thumbs up.
Otep hit the sticks together. "One, two, three, four." Then, he began the hi-hat filled drum intro as I strummed the first bar of chords.
Dee stood next to me, bopping her head. She closed her eyes as she moved her lips closer to the mic and then, she sang the first line of the verse.
My mouth dropped open.