MJ's POV
Masaya akong umuwi kasama sila Carla at Louie. Pinakilala ko na din si Louie kila Mom and Dad as friend, pero iba yung ngiti ni Mom sakanya eh while seryoso naman yung tingin ni Dad kay Louie.
"Anak, sabihin mo nga saakin, nililigawan ka ba ni Louie?" Muntik ko nang mabitawan yung hinahawakan kong baso dahil sa tanong ni Mom. Tinignan ko naman siya at sinabing,
"Mom kaibigan ko lang si Louie, okay? Wala nang hihigit pa doon." Sabi ko na lang. Tumawa naman si mom at niyakap ako.
"Biro lang yun, masaya lang ako kasi sa wakas, bumalik na yung princess namin. Bumalik na yung dating MJ namin. Salamat anak at bumalik ka na!" I hugged her back. Alam na kasi ni Mama yung nangyari kanina sa playground, kaya laking tuwa nila ng nalaman na bumalik na ako sa dati.
Alam narin nila mama na kasali ako sa band ni Louie. Kaya laking tuwa talaga nila na nakabalik na ako sa dati. Yung tunay na ako. Yung masiyahing ako. At salamat kila Louie at Carla.
"Louie and Carla, Salamat talaga sainyo ah. Kung hindi sainyo, siguro hindi parin ako nakabalik sa dating ako. Salamat ulit" Sabi ko.
"Ano ka ba best! Nakailang pasalamat ka na sa araw na to? Okay na yun ano ka ba!" Sabi ni Carla.
"Oo, MJ. Okay na yun. Ang iisipin natin ngayon ay kung anong ipe-perform natin para sa nalalapit na music feast. May naisip ka na bang kanta?" Tanong niya saakin. Oo pala, I almost forgot na malapit na pala yung music feast. Ano bang kakantahin ko?
"Actually wala pa nga eh. Ako ba talaga ang unang kakanta doon?"
"Oo, bali ikaw yung ipa-prioritize namin since bago ka sa banda namin. Gusto namin na mas i-expose ka pa para naman tumatak yung pangalan mo sakanila, pero I doubt kasi nung kumanta ka ng kantang Shallow, ang daming pumalakpak sayo, pero mas mabuti paring kumanta ka ng solo. " Sabi niya.
Hmmm. Ano kayang kakantahin ko? Habang nagiisip ako, bigla ko namang narinig yung kantang 'Friend of Mine' dahil binuksan pala ni mama yung radyo.
"May naisip na akong kanta. Pero hindi ko alam kung ito na ba talaga yung kakantahin ko."
"Go lang best, kaya mo yan. Andito lang kami para suportahan ka!" sabi ni Carla. Ngumiti naman ako sakanya. Yes, I can make it. I will make it.
Kinabukasan ay dinownload ko na yung kantang 'Friend of mine' di ko din alam kung bakit ito talaga yung pinili kong kantahin sa music feast. Pero kino-consider ko rin to as my last sad song. Yes, last sad song for him..
Pinapunta ako nila Louie sa school, sa music room/studio to be exact para daw magpractice ng mga kantang kakantahin namin. Bali 5 songs pala lahat, 4 yung kakantahin namin as a band, and yung 1 ay para sa solo kong kanta. Kinabahan naman ako.
"Huwag kang kabahan, MJ. Kasi kung kinakabahan ka, mas kakabahan kami." sabi ni Kevin. Ngumiti naman ako sakanya at tumango. Oo, hindi dapat ako kabahan. Kaya dapat kong paigihin yung pageensayo ng kanta ko para naman hindi ko sila mapahiya.
Buong linggo, wala kaming ginawa kung hindi ang magensayo ng magensayo, at ito na nga, the day has finally come. Music Feast na dito sa university. Ang daming tao, obviously.
Tinawagan na kami para magpunta na sa harap, pero kinakabahan talaga ako eh. Nahalata siguro ni Louie na kinakabahan ako kaya nilapitan niya ako at tinapik ako sa may balikat ko.
"Don't worry, MJ. Everything will be okay, trust me. Just sing your heart out, feel the music and sing as if you're telling them a story. " Sabi niya tsaka ngumiti saakin. Tumango naman ako sakanya at sabay na kami na nagtungo sa may stage..
"WELCOME TO OUR YEARLY CELEBRATION OF MUSIC FEAST HERE IN OUR UNIVERSITY. HANDA NA BA KAYO NA MAKIPARTY SAAMIN?!" Panimula ni Louie. Naghiyawan naman ang mga tao sa kanya.
"I GUESS YOU'RE ALREADY EXCITED, BUT IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, WE HAVE HERE OUR NEW BAND VOCALIST. SHE'S MJ LEWIS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT! PLEASE, GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!" Pinalakpakan din naman ako ng mga tao. Shocks.
"KAKANTA SIYA MAMAYA, PERO NGAYON KAKANTAHAN MUNA NAMIN KAYO. SIT BACK AND ENJOY, GOOD EVENING AGAIN!"
Nagumpisa na kaming kumanta, kadalasan second voice ako, bali 4 na kanta din yun. Hanggang sa dumating na yung point na ako na yung kakanta.
"AND NOW, THE LONG WAIT IS OVER. I PRESENT TO YOU, OUR NEW BAND VOCALIST, LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, MS. MJ LEWIS!"
Naglakad na ako papunta sa gitna, nagpalakpakan naman yung mga tao, mostly boses ni Carla yung naririnig ko. Grabe talaga boses ng babaeng yun.
"Ahm, Goodevening. I'm MJ lewis again, And I'm going to sing a song that is close to my heart." I said as my introductory message.
I sighed. It was a heavy sigh because this song's for him.
"I dedicate this song to someone I've met 14 years ago, and at the same time, this serves as my last sad song for that person. Nonetheless, Enjoy the night guys! Thank you!" Finally, nasabi ko na rin.
Sinenyasan ko sa likod yung mga kabanda ko na ready na ako. Sabay tugtog ng kantang 'Friend of Mine.' Huminga muna ako ng malalim tsaka nagsimulang kumanta.
I've known you for so long
You are a friend of mine
But is this all we'd ever be?
I've loved you ever since
You are a friend of mine
But babe, is this all we ever could be?
Napapikit ako ng damahin ko yung kanta. Matagal kitang hinintay, ni hindi ko man lang nalaman ang pangalan mo.
You tell me things I've never known
I've shown you love you've never shown
Ikaw ang pangalawa na nagsabi saakin na kaya ko, kaya kong kumanta, na nagtiwala saakin bukod sa pamilya ko na kaya ko, na magaling ako. Pero bakit nagkaganito?
But then again, when you cry
I'm always at your side
You tell me 'bout the love you've had
I listen very eagerly
But deep inside you'll never see
This feeling of emptiness
It makes me feel sad
But then again I'm glad
Have you ever wondered how painful it was being left here alone? Or have you ever thought of how I waited you all these years to the point that it reached 14 years? 14 long years, but still it turns out to be non-worthy of.
I've known you all my life
You are a friend of mine
I know this is how it's gonna be
I've loved you then and I love you still
You're a friend of mine
Now, I know friends are all we ever could be
These are the words that I wanted to tell you. But probably, these words will be buried and will be forgotten like how you did.
You tell me things I've never known
I've shown you love you've never shown
But then again, when you cry
I'm always at your side
You tell me 'bout the love you've had
And I listen very eagerly
But deep inside you'll never see
This feeling of emptiness
It makes me feel sad
But then again
Then again
I sighed heavily in the midst of my performance and looked up at the ceiling and;
"Then again I'm glad...." And suddenly I heard a lot of applauses coming from the audiences. I bowed down at them and we called it a night at lumabas na.
It was great yet very fulfilling kasi atleast nagawa kong kantahin yung huling sad song ko para sakanya. I know bukas magiiba na yung buhay ko.
I am more than prepared on welcoming a new character in my life, and the story of once I had with the person I've met 14 years ago, will be inhumed on the ground and will be forgotten like how the owner of that memory did.