The Way It Was - Abridged (Complete)

12

Now

"WHAT DO you think would happen next?" tanong ko kay Robyn. Nasa studio kaming dalawa. Doon kami nagkulong pagkaalis ni Lolo Hank. Nakaupo ako sa upuan ko habang nasa isang couch si Robyn. Thank God I didn't have to be in the clinic today.

Robyn had a background in PR. Hindi naman talaga niya ganap na tinalikuran ang parteng iyon ng buhay niya kahit na abala siya sa snack shop niya. She was still freelancing. She had a very few clients. Isa na ako roon.

"They–the band–have to release a really good statement soon. Hindi dapat gaanong magmadali pero hindi rin puwedeng maghintay nang matagal. The right timing is the key. The right wording also."

"Kailangan bang umamin ni Roarke?"

Nakita ko na parang hindi niya ako gustong sagutin. "There are pictures, Yani. It was definitely Roarke and he's definitely kissing you. This would hurt the band."

"And his marriage, Robyn. It might ruin his marriage and I don't think I can ever forgive myself for that. I don't think I can ever be happy after that. I would never deserve happiness." Nagtubig na naman ang mga mata ko.

"People doubt he has a wife," ani Robyn sa mahinang tinig.

Yes, some people on the Internet did not believe Roarke had a wife. It had been years, and no one appeared to know who she was or what her name was. Parang napaka-imposible niyon lalo sa panahon ngayon. Many people, women who were obsessed with Roarke especially, believed it was just a ploy to discourage fangirls.

There were also fans that respected Roarke's need to protect his wife. Hindi na nagpupumilit pang alamin ang mga bagay na ayaw ibahagi ni Roarke sa publiko. As long as the band produced good music, good contents and awesome live performances, they should not care about the wife. I could only imagine the lengths he and the band's management had to go through to protect one woman's identity and privacy.

"He won't say he's married if he's not married, Robyn. Natuto na lang siya sa akin, sa palagay ko. It's not easy being that girl–that woman. The one who gets the unnecessary hate and attention just because you're the one he chose to be with, to love. I know what it feels like to be 'just the fucking girlfriend.' I know what it feels like to see him with other girls... I can't believe I did this to another woman when I know exactly what it feels like." I refused to cry anymore. Hindi ako dapat umiiyak na para bang ako ang biktima. Hindi ako ang biktima.

"Accountability would be crucial," sabi ni Robyn na napapabuntong-hininga. "They'd most likely release a statement admitting he kissed someone that is not his wife. They could play it off as a crazed fan kissing him, catching him off guard. Which would be a hard sell because he's gripping your face on the photos. He's very into it. He's kissing you as if his life depended on it. It's gonna be a nightmare, Yani. Ang upside, wala sigurong makakakilala sa 'yo at nasa malayo ka. Hindi ko pero sasabihin na huwag kang mag-alala dahil alam kong mag-aalala ka pa rin at hindi talaga natin alam ang mga susunod na mangyayari. I'm sure they have a good PR and crisis manager. The Sleepwalkers is a very established band. People behind the scenes would not let this ruin everything they had worked for for more than a decade."

"But it's gonna hurt them."

Tumango si Robyn. "Roarke's reputation as a stand-up guy, clean rockstar–the good guy–will be gone."

Ang reputasyon na pinagsumikapan niyang buuin sa mga nakalipas na taon. "He had a bad reputation before and he fixed it."

"Madali siyang napatawad ng fans dahil bata pa siya noon. Bago pa lang at hindi media trained. He appeared cocky and disrespectful, but he was just untrained and brutally honest. Blunt, gaya ng madalas mong sabihin. He just tells it as it is. Fans liked that he was rough around the edges. Many people liked his honesty. And he was proven right over the years. His controversial statements had been true. Storm was a bigger talent than Noah. Noah was an ungrateful dick. The first album with Roarke is one of the greatest albums in ten years. The band outshone Noah. People like that he said what many people had just been thinking."