Romance of the Four Juans

Track 15

Kiko can only thrust himself into activities that take his mind off his friend and her multitude of problems. Playing music with his brothers is one thing, but nothing ever beats doing something physical, like playing basketball in the community. At first, he played one on one with Huan every morning when the court was still empty, but the eldest's stamina was not as good. So, in the afternoons, after the school children’s class dismissal, he plays with whoever wants to play with him. It is not easy to find people who are not intimidated by his height, except for the school children who’d gang up on him in a game of one versus five, where he always wins.

Two days straight of showing up on the court and making friends with the neighborhood kids, Kiko sort of became a legend in his father’s community. His playmates even started referring to him as their very own Hanamichi Sakuragi. And through his plays, his brothers discovered one more thing about the second child, that he was once team captain of his basketball team both in high school and in college. Playing against school children is cheating. When Huan called him out for it, he promised to make it up by teaching anyone who wanted to be taught.

An-An even came forward once, though Jigo pulled him back. Staying at Dante’s house for more than a month now, the youngest had been conscious of his inability to do anything other than study. All his life, that was all he ever did. Studying was easy, and he was brilliant enough for teachers to even let him skip P.E. Now that he has dropped out of school, he wishes to experience everything he missed out on.

“What would happen if you broke your hands?” Jigo asks, when he pulled him back.

“I’m not delicate, kuya.” He reasoned. “I won’t be a surgeon, so there is no need to be so careful.”

“If you’re intent on destroying your hands anyway, start with slow damages, cut your fingers first. Don’t break it just yet.” The third child pulled him into the music room and handed him the bass guitar. For Jigo knew that, just like Kiko, An-An is also trying to distract himself from horrid thoughts and a bleak-looking future. So, every afternoon after siesta, for around two hours, Jigo taught him how to play the bass guitar, monitored his progress, and guided him all throughout his learning curve. And Jigo realized how brilliant the youngest was, absorbing everything quickly.

An-An thought he ought to return the favor and teach Jigo how to drive. But he’s younger and it feels inappropriate. More than anything, Jigo has a father who would jump at every opportunity to teach his sons anything. So that privilege went to Dante and An-An just resolved to be a quiet supporter of Jigo’s love life, happy to serve as the bridge when the time comes. When An-An was confident enough to jam with the elder brothers, they finally played a song as four. It was such a momentous occasion, that Kiko even set up several cameras around the room to record it.

Since they’re recording it anyway, Huan thought they might as well do it properly. He peels off the posters from what they thought was a simple wall. Except when they removed all the posters, a two-way window appeared and at the other end of it is a proper recording studio. When Huan said, “I’ll set up the equipment, bring out the mic,” everything became serious. As it turns out, Huan’s music degree is not so useless, he can produce and direct their music.

However, if anyone asks, what he really wants to do is act. He'd been trying to fulfill that childhood desire, and after receiving the script of Nine Lives from Kiko, he attended the audition and even met Jigo and Kiko’s sister Lucille there, both of whom were sworn to secrecy about his single attempt. After all this time, Huan is still afraid that if Dante Silverio finds out, he’ll hinder him in any way he can.

Just like Lucille, he acquired the script through nepotism, he didn’t really put much thought to the subject of representation. So, on the spot, he and Lucille also got themselves an agent s***h manager in the form of Jigo’s godbrother, George. The read through went well. He even got a call back. Jigo and Lucille too. As they waited for decisions, Huan sat with Jigo once. He asked the younger what kind of path he’s trying to carve for himself now, if he’s really intent on leaving the music industry that he’s been on since he was seventeen.

“I’ll take whatever offer there is. I have to make a living first.” The third child answered.

Huan realized that they differed in that manner. While Jigo thinks about the profit on the other side of what he’s doing, Huan can only think about his passion, about living his unfulfilled childhood dream. He believes there is a time to sit in front of a desk and earn a stable income, but youth should be sent chasing after dreams and trying not to let them die.

When he voiced those thoughts, Jigo answers, “Of course, kuya. Our mindset will always be different. You grew up with a rich father.” When the eldest didn’t speak in turn, the younger was quick to counter. “That statement is by no means an insult to the life you’ve led or trying to belittle mine. I’ve been working in the entertainment industry since I was six. I’ve seen the less glamorous side of it. I can’t unsee it and in the darkness of that side, I can no longer appreciate the glimmer or the sparkle. At this point, I’m only trying to survive, to express whatever is left, to inspire others, to move them like the way I was moved when I was at age six.”

Is it because he was raised by educator grandparents? Jigo is strangely traditional and highly principled. It warms Huan’s heart that he hasn’t given up any of those principles for a deal with the devil.

“I wish you everything your heart desires, brother.” Huan says, patting his back.

“Right now, I wish for dark and heavy rain.”

When that wish was finally fulfilled and the brothers were stranded at home, they could only play together at the music room. It was Jigo who chose the first song they played as four, with a title exactly the same as the one he wished for, Ulan. In all fairness, Dante Silverio’s four sons can sing. It’s just that they like different genres of music and their voices are suited to the differences as well. Huan and Jigo on the softer, heartbreaking side and Kiko and An-An on the rock side. But if someone asks, the three elder brothers would sit anytime and anywhere just to hear the youngest sing for them.

Jigo thinks that An-An’s voice is best suited for the band, any band for that matter. That is how much they loved An-An’s voice. The three older brothers teased the youngest to sing for them once. The youngest chose an old rap song, much to everyone’s surprise. An-An loves rap, and his singing voice, his tone is so akin to Top Suzara, which made them feel reminiscent of the Freestyle song, 'Before I Let You Go'. There’s a low growl whenever An-An lets go of the words, and it sounded so attractive. But alas, they couldn’t persuade the youngest to stand in front of the microphone, citing various reasons including the fact that his voice is selective.

The same goes for Kiko. “Drummers don’t sing.” Though he promised to do the background vocals if needed.

At the end of the day, Jigo and Huan alternated being lead vocals. Huan mostly, because Jigo has lost confidence in his singing, reasoning that after years of working as an idol, his singing has not improved as drastically as his dancing ability. The third child is fine without the spotlight and would rather go into a corner to write words, lyrics that will probably never come out of the notebook. Having brought that up, the rest of his brothers thought it was cool to browse through his compositions. Huan suggested they play an original song at least once. Jigo gave them the leeway to choose. Of all things, they voted on his latest creation, entitled Welcome Home.

An-An sighs for some reason. “Ahy~ You shouldn’t let other people sing this, kuya. Dare to sing it yourself.” The youngest voices out. He stares at Jigo for the longest time, wondering if how he saw Jigo act is merely an illusion or if Jigo is not aware of his own feelings yet. So, he adds after a long pause, “Kuya Huan is love averse at the moment. He will never get the emotions right.”

Huan agrees. “I can sing about heartbreak any minute, but not that.”