The Rebel Guitarist

CHAPTER 4: HOSPITAL ENCOUNTER

THE next thing Kyle saw was a white ceiling. The light from two brightly lit fluorescent lights was reflecting on all sides of the room.

He tried to cover his eyes with his right hand as his eyes hurt, but he couldn’t move his arm. Mariing pumikit siya para i-adjust ang mga mata. He looked at his arm when he opened his eyes again.

May makapal na benda sa kanang braso niya at naka-arm sling iyon. Naupo siya sa kama gamit ang kabilang kamay niya.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, 'tol.”

Clyde was sitting on a single sofa near his bed, a laptop was on his pillowed lap. Kanya-kanya namang higa sa mahabang sofa at sa spare bed ang iba pa nilang kaibigan.

“What happened?” tanong niya rito.

“You don’t remember?”

“Nakatulog ka lang naman at nahulog sa stage,” sabat ni Grendle habang abala sa cellphone nito. He could see that he was chatting with his girlfriend.

“Kami dapat ang nagtatanong sa iyo niyan, Kyle.” Bumangon si Aser sa kama. “What the heck happened back there?”

The memory of Jazmine’s face flooded his mind. She was looking at him with those lovely chinky eyes. The way his world and heart stopped whenever she was doing that…. it felt so real.

It’s impossible.

Yeah, he knew that. It sucks.

Nasapo niya ang ulo at inis na ginulo ang magulo nang buhok niya. Nang humupa ang inis ay saka siya nagtaas ng paningin at sumagot.

“Nothing,” he murmured.

Nakita niya ang kakaibang tingin ng mga kaibigan niya.

“Nag-aalala na kami sa iyo, 'tol, ha? Baka bigla ka na lang mangagat.” Clyde was typing on his laptop and only glanced at him. Malamang na busy na naman ito sa business ng pamilya nito.

“You said you need to see something, dude. What is that? Or who?” ani Mackey na siyang nakahilata sa mahabang sofa katabi ni Clyde.

“I said nothing. I’m just tired.”

“I heard you shouting her name, dude.”

Iniiwas niya ang mga mata ito. “Guni-guni mo lang iyon.”

“She’s not coming back. If there’s anything we could help you, dude—”

“I’m fine, Mackey,” inis na angil niya rito.

He was tired of hearing that. Kahit sarili niyang utak ay sinasabi iyon palagi sa puso niya.

Natitigilang napatingin sa kanya ang mga kaibigan.

He wiped his face with emotions. Pinakalma niya ang sarili.

“Why is my arm like this?”

“You sprained your arm. Not to mention the wound,” sagot ni Clyde.

“Sinagupa mo ang mga fans. What do you expect?” sabi naman ni Aser.

“By the way, Andrei will be here in the morning. Ready your explanation. He won’t accept those answers, Kyle. You ruined the gig.” Seryosong tumingin sa kanya si Grendle.

“At kung ano man ang dahilan mo, malalaman at malalaman din namin iyon,” ngisi ni Mackey sa kanya.

Napabuga siya ng hangin.

“You are all suffocating me. I want some air.” Tuluyan na siyang bumangon. “And I want food.”

Tiyak na pagkakaisahan na naman siya ng mga ito hanggang hindi napipiga ang gustong malaman. Hindi siya patutulugin ng mga ito ng matino.

And he doubted if he could sleep well after what happened.

“Samahan na kita, dude.”

“No, Mackey. I can take care of myself,” he snapped at the keyboardist.

“You’re injured.”

“So what? I can still walk and move my left hand. Hindi ako baldado.”

“Suit yourself, then.” Bumalik si Grendle sa pagkalikot sa cellphone nito.

Habang si Aser naman ay bumalik sa paghiga. Pinalitan siya ni Clyde sa kama at humilata roon kasama ng laptop nito.

Kyle saw the active chat box in his friend’s laptop. It was Nhica’s message box. Nang nakaraang linggo lang ay magkaaway pa ang mga ito pero ngayon ay sweet na naman ang mga ito sa isa’t-isa. Kahit na ba nasa Italy ang dalaga ngayon.

He walked to the door.

Naiiling na lang si Mackey.

“You are so stubborn, dude. Don’t get yourself in trouble. We’re also tired and it’s two in the morning. Kung ayaw mong magpahinga, kami ang magpapahinga. Though, you need to sleep in the floor when you get back.”

He returned to his sofa and shut his eyes.

Kyle walked out of his hospital room without looking back inside.

Tiyak na malilintikan nga siya kay Andrei mamaya. Pero anong magagawa niya? He saw Jazmine in the crowd and he just wanted to go to her. To see for himself na hindi lang siya naghahalusinasyon. Na hindi lang ito produkto ng isipan niyang nababaliw na yata sa pagka-miss dito.

When he jumped off the stage, hindi na niya ito nakita sa kinaroroonan nito. Namalikmata lang ba siya? O baka may napagkamalan na naman siyang kahawig lang nito?

Hindi niya iyon matanggap. Kung sana lang nagpakita pa ito sa kanya ng mas matagal. Hindi eh. Pati sa panaginip, ayaw nitong magpakita sa kanya.

Jazzy, I missed you so much.

He wasn’t familiar with this hospital, so he didn’t know where to go or where he was. He wanted to get some air and find at least a window, but there was none. All he could see here were doors. Mas lalo niyong pinapasikip ang pakiramdam niya. Dumiretso siya sa elevator nang mamataan niya iyon sa pagliko niya sa isang pasilyo.

He pressed the ground floor when he got in. Nang sumara iyon ay saka niya nakita ang kanyang itsura sa pinto ng elevator.

He was wearing a different shirt now, there was a sling in his arm and he looked ten years older. Kinukulang na yata siya sa pagtulog.

Sumandal siya sa elevator at pumikit habang bumababa iyon. He saw Jazmine’s smiling face. Tila queue iyon ng utak niya para i-rewind ang nakaraan nila. Ang mga alaala kung saan masaya sila… masaya siya.

How did they end up like this—Or should he say, how did he end up alone like this?

The world was so unfair. He already knew that when he was young. But Jazmine happened and he started to see things in a different perspective. Because of her, napagtanto niyang may kulay pala ang mundo.

But he lost her in the end. Tila gumuho ang mundong iyon na kinilala niya dahil sa dalaga.

The elevator opened and closed as the floors passed by. Pero wala siyang pakialam at nanatiling nakapikit lamang siya.

Then, he heard another ping but still he remained unmoving.

“Excuse me, ground floor ka rin, 'di ba?” a serene voice of a woman said beside him. It felt like a distant sound. “Ground floor na.”

“Hmm-mm.” Patamad na dumilat siya at diretsong lumabas ng elevator.

Hindi niya nilingon ang babaeng kumausap sa kanya, but her voice was still ringing in his head for some reason. It was deep and silent but there was a timbre in it that sounded so familiar.

He suddenly stopped at a realization. Someone bumped on his back.

“Aw!”

Mabilis na hinarap niya ito… at nahigit niya ang paghinga.

“Bakit ba bigla ka na lang huminto? Ano’ng problema mo? Kita mong biglang liko 'tong daan. Hindi mo ba naisip na may kasunod ka? Natural na susunod ako sa 'yo sa paglabas dahil ito na ang ground floor at iisa lang naman ang daan dito papuntang exit…”

Hindi na niya pinansin ang pagtatalak ng dalaga. O kahit na ba salubong ang mga kilay nito at matalim na nakatingin sa kanya. Her shoulder-length short hair, chinky eyes and familiar heart-shaped face got his attention more. She was wearing a gray loose t-shirt—it was the same shirt he saw in their gig. Hindi niya alam kung nagha-hallucinate na naman siya o ano.

Pero gustuhin man niyang malaman kung totoo nga ba ang nakikita niya, ayaw niya namang pumikit sa takot na maglahong bigla ang mukhang iyon sa harapan niya.

All he could do was to breathe a single world.

“Jazzy?”