WRU?

Chapter 2

"YARAAAAAA" pagkapasok ko palang sa Neo Kit boses agad ni Yan narinig ko, I chuckled.

When I saw them, I immediately ran for a hug. "I missed you guys!" saad ko. Pagkadating ko sa condo kanina, nag pahinga muna ako bago ako nag ayos ng sarili papunta dito. My head still hurts from jet lagged, but I can manage.

"Tara! 'dun table natin" aya ni Vin, hawak-hawak pa ko nito sa pulsuhan bago ako hinila papunta sa lamesa namin.

Naglakad naman kami kaagad papunta 'dun sa lamesa namin, while walking I was looking at the place. So, this is where Yan is working? Hmm. The place was not that filled with people, kahit marami-raming tao mukha paring maluwag 'tong club.

"Kumusta ka na?" when we arrived at the table, nag tanong na kaagad si Vince. I guess they're still worried. I can't blame them though, what I was back then was in total chaos.

I smiled "I'm fine"

They all looked at me, then held my hand "Dito lang kami" ani Vin. I'm really lucky with these guys. I smiled at them. "I know" I whispered.

"Ano ba 'yan! Nandito tayo para mag celebrate!" saad k habang tumatawa, we can't spoil our night! Umaliwalas naman yung mga mukha nila. "Hoy Yan! Anong mga pagkain dito?" hinarap ko si Yan.

"Ay, sandali. Kukunin ko yung menu!" agad siyang tumayo para kunin yung memu.

"Ano ba yan! Waiter tapos, ganto?!" pag e-exaggerate ni Vin

"Oo nga! Cancel na natin 'yan!" dagdag kopa, agad namang tinaas ni Yan yung gitna niyang daliri, tumawa naman kami nila Vin.

"Loko-loko talaga 'yun" saad ni Vin habang tumatawa, naramdaman ko namang tinitingnan ako ni Vince, I looked at him, then gave an assurance look that I'm fine.

Vince, was like our Mom, kahit mas naunang lumabas si Vin ng ilang minuto bago siya. He acts like our Mom, always taking care and thinking about us. He's the type of person that likes to observe rather than speaking. I guess, dahil sa nangyari 4 years ago I traumatized Vince a lot.

I looked at Vin who's still laughing. Vin is the same with Yan, typical na type of friend na puro kalokohan, makukulit. Pero, sobrang maaasahan, without Yan wala ako ngayon sa banda, without Vin baka sobrang awkward ko parin sa banda. They were so dependable. I was lucky that when I was on the chaos part back then, these guys never gave up on me. They were checking me everyday, they didn't care kahit hindi na kami nakakatugtog dahil sa 'kin. What's important for them was helping me, to be okay.

"Here!" pagkadating ni Yan, agad niyang inabot yung menu samin.

"Taray! May rice meals pala kayo" saad ni Vin.

"Maaga pa naman, kumain muna tayo ng kanin. Mamaya na tayo mag beer!" saad ko, habang naka ngiti.

"Nagiinom ka na?!" gulat na saad ni Vince. Agad ko siyang inakbayan "Patola ka, nung nag try akong uminoom diba kausap ko pa kayo! Naka video call tayo" saad ko.

"Oo nga pala" napakamot naman siya sa ulo. Inalis ko na yung pagkakaakbay ko at si Vin naman yung umakbay sa kambal niya.

"Okay lang 'yan kambal" ani Vin, bago ulit nag salita kaya agad nabatukan ni Vince "Matanda kana kasi, kaya ayan makakalimutin kana!" dahil sa kambal napuno ng tawanan sa lamesa namin.

"May trabaho ka?" tanong ko kay Yan.

"Wala, syempre nandito kayo, dapat ko kayong pag silbihan" sabay kindat nito. "By the way, highway! Gusto niyong tumugtog? May gig dyan mamaya, pwede ata tayong sumingit!" dagdag mito.

Nagkatinginan kami, "Yara?" tanong ni Vince sakin, kaya ng tinginan 'din yung dalawa sakin.

Tutugtog? Ngayon?

Napakamot ako sa ulo "A-ano, may jet lagged pa kasi ako" napangiwi ako sa sinabi ko. Jet lagged ba talaga Yara? O hindi ka na naman handa? Napayuko nalang ako "S-sorry"

"Ano kaba! Edi manood nalang tayo!" Vin spoke trying to lift my mood.

"Oo nga, next time nalang! Para makapag handa 'din ayo! Tapos, pag nag perform ulit tayo, gulat na gulat ulit sila sa vocalist natin!" dagdag ni Yan sa sinabi ni Vin.

"Ang mahalaga ngayon, kompleto na tayo. Comzone is back!" Vince said while smiling at me. Nilagay ko naman yung kamay ko sa gitna, nag tinginan pa silang tatlo bago nilagay yung kamay nila sa ibabaw ng kamay ko.

"WE SANG! WE COMFORT! COMZONE!" We did our chant, just like in the old days. I missed this. These 4 guys I am with, without them I don't know anymore. They gave me another reason to comeback here. Another reason to keep living. Another reason to continue music.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, umorder na kami, maya-maya natapos na 'din kaya kumain na agad kami, we planned to watch the performance later. After we ate, we ordered beer, habang hawak-hawak yung beer sa isang kamay, naglakad na kami papunta sa concert hall. I didn't expect this place to be this big. Pagpasok mo sa Neo Kit unang bubungad sayo yung parang restaurant, I never knew there was a concert hall here. I thought it's just a small club.

"Ilan 'daw yung mag pe-perform?" tanong ni Vin kay Yan.

"3 lang 'daw, including yung sikat ngayong banda" sagot naman ni Yan, sikat na banda?

"Bago?" tanong ko.

"Nope, matagal na 'rin. But then, nagkaron sila ng vocalist. The vocalist's voice is seriously nice. They performed last time here already, mag pe-perform lang ulit" Yan's gaze was locked into the stage.

"Is that the Given band?" ani Vince, tumango naman si Yan. Given? I was gone for 4 years, it's expected that there would be a lot of band now.

"Welcome to Neo Kit, concert hall! We're hoping that all of you would enjoy!" the host stated that the concert was starting.

We were not that near sa stage, nasa likod kami to be exact, but it was the exact place to atch, hindi 'rin masikip. Marami-raming tao. Looks like the guys that are performing have fans, that made me chuckle. While roaming my eyes around, it caught something, someone to be exact.

It was a guy on our left side, he was somehow ahead of us... Wearing a black long sleeve and jeans, with his pair of shoes. His hair was long and curly enough to somehow cover his eyes. Looks like he's anticipating someone. The place where I am were enough to see his face....

Nanlaki yung mata ko ng matandaan ko siya, if I am not mistaken that is the guy I bumped into the airport. He's here for someone?

The curtains from the stage started to pull up, revealing the band "That's the Given band..." bulong ni Yan

I looked at the stage, there was 4 of them. Just like us. I looked at the guy from the airport, looks like this is what he was waiting for, his eyes were pierced at the performers at the stage.

"Even if I can't sleep, a new day will dawn. And I sit here staring at it"

Because of that voice, napatingin ako sa bokalista ng banda. After that the other members of the band started strumming their guitars and hitting the drums. Each strum and hit from the other members. All I can see from them was passion... And love for music.

He's voice....

I looked at he guy, he's eyes widened like he expected that kind of voice from the vocalist but still was shock.

"Even though this white wall is unchanging" the way he sang each notes...

It was so satisfying...

You can hear there was something he wants to tell people. And not every vocalist can do that.

"The morning sun shines on it, and the clock moves forward" one thing I know about this guy, he has something he wants to express....

I can feel my bandmates are also shivering from the vocalist voice.

"I keep moving further away..... From the seasons we spent together"

Everyone's gaze was locked into the vocalist, while here I am looking a the guy from the airport, he was not smiling, he looks like he was just observing. Some people was actually vibing with the song, some people looks like they were experiencing the song the vocalist is singing.

Each notes the vocalist is singing, and each strum by the person who's playing the electric guitar and the bassist too. They all looked like they were so into it. Like the music they are playing has their life.

"Yet I just want to drift through.... This night"

From the place where I am, I saw how the drummer smirked. Like he was saying, how he never hates music, that music... That was his life. And he'll continue living it

"Even if I can't sleep, a new day will dawn... And I sit here staring at it"

Even the bassist looks like he was proud with their vocalist.

"The things that are changing, the things that are ending... The things that are about to begin"

His voice was really something...

I looked at my bandmates, and I saw how Vince looked at me. I smiled at him, an assurance - that I am fine....

"Even though you're gone, I can go on living. In the end, that makes me sad, See? Soon now, a new day will dawn."

Up until the last lyrics of the chorus, the drummer was smirking. Looks like the message the vocalist wants to say, entered and was understood by the drummer's system.

"A new day will dawn"

'Yeah... I love music.' that was the exact thing the drummer said in his mind.

"It blooms in the spring and withers in the fall"

Everyone was now vibing with their performance, that's when I looked at the guy from the airport again... His eyes still shows he's shock. Like, he expected this, I bet this guy also watched their last performance.

"But still, it sprouts again, over and over"

While looking at the guy, I bet he knows the vocalist is something...

From his shock eyes, he smiled while looking at the band. He chuckled. He was looking at someone. From his gaze, his not looking at the vocalist.

He was looking at the drummer... Looks like that's the person, who made him watched the performance. While, looking at the drummer, his eyes changed it's gaze. From the drummer to the bassist.

"I realize that it's not what has passed"

The way he loos at the bassist, I think he just found the answer to his question, it looks like he was just waiting for that person to come.

"But what's about to happen"

He looks relieved when he looks at the bassist, but there was a hint of pain...

"Even if I can't sleep, a new day will dawn. I'll eventually have to let go of your hand"

The guy looks like he wanted to keep someone, but he knew... It's better to let go.

Each of the performers was doing their best on playing their instrument: the vocalist was singing to his heart's content, the person playing the electric guitar was so into it, the bassist knew was there for a reason, and the drummer looks like he finally knew all the answers of his why's.

"Even if I'm left at a loss and cry my eyes out. I'll eventually stop crying"

And the guy, he looks like he knew what he needed to do. Even though that will cost him a lot.

"Even though you're gone, I can go on living"

I looked at my bandmates, the 3 of them was so hooked at the vocalist. Everyone inside this concert hall is.

"Even if I can't be loved, I still want to see you"

The message the vocalist wants to tell was completely inside every single person in here. Lahat sila - kami, naiintindihan kung ano yung gustng sabihin ng bokalista.

"See? Soon now, a new day will dawn. A new day will dawn"

Loving someone is not easy.

"When there's a wish that we don't know will ever come true. We call it hope"

There would be a lot of challenges coming. A lot of questions. And A lot of times kung saan kwe-kwestunin natin yung sarili natin.

"Even though you're gone, a new day will dawn"

Times where we would question our love for someone.

"My hand is empty now, but one day I'll find another hand to hold. After a long night, we discover the light"

I looked at the guy, kun hindi ako nagkakamali. This song

... Was dedicated for him.

"That's why even if we're scared, we can live on"

This song was for him, a message. That he needed to hear.

"So as long as the sun rises, we can take that step forward again.... See? Soon now, a new day will dawn"

Everyone clearly was enjoying the performance, the performers was clearly playing until their heat's content.

Music, is for everyone. But not everyone can understand... What music means to people like us.

"So don't worry"

I was not wrong... By looking at the guy. I knew it.

We're both the same. We're broken.

"See? Not long now, it's just around the corner"

As I roam my eyes around this concert hall, some people was vibing, some were crying, some doesn't look like they care but deep down they knew this is what they needed. If there is something harder when you fall in love. That is letting go, moving on, and...

"See? Not long now, it's just around the corner"

Forgiving yourself, as I look at the guy. He finally knew what he needed to do. It would be hard, But he knew that.... He wanted the pain to end..... They deserve it.

= END =