Till My Last Breath

Part 4

   Part Four

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Pagkalipas ng isang araw ay bumalik  ako ng Relejante at naabutan ko ang Which Option. Pinapakielaman nila yung mga musical instruments sa stage.  Tinamtambol ni Ralph yung drum at si Miguel naman ay sa bass guitar. Pero si Ryder ay nakaupo lang at nag e-earphone. Di pa kasi ito bukas dahil 1:00 p.m palang.

Napansin naman ako ni Ralph kaya bumaba siya sa stage at tinawag ako.

"Zhaniah!"

Nginitian ko siya, Tumayo rin si Miguel at binati ako. Pero si Ryder ay walang paring pakielam. Nakasandal patalikod yung ulo niya duon sa sandalan ng upuan.

"Utang na loob Ryder naman oh" sabi ni Miguel sabay alis sa earphone nito. Pagkatapos ay biglang umalingaw-ngaw ang kantang

Someday,someones gonna love me
The way I want you to need me
 Someday

Someday ni Nina pero boy version.

Humagalpak ng tawa si Miguel at nakisama na rin ako at si Ralph

"Pre,tanggap naman namin kung ano ka eh,pero sana naman noon mo pa inamin" biro ni Miguel kaya lalo akong natawa at mura naman ang iginawad sa kanya ni Ryder.

"Oh! That's enough. So let's start the meeting. "Ralph glanced at me "...so Zhaniah, we will be joining on the Battle of the Bands a month from now."

Napa-gasp ako dahil masyadong mabilis.

"I know. Yes, masyadong mabilis. It's because ngayon lang kami nakahanap ng kapalit kay-"

Di na niya ito tinuloy at medyo napatingin kay Ryder na parang tamad na tamad na nakikinig.

"...ng bagong vocalist,so today,we will start the practice,but don't worry Zhaniah, di ka namin papagurin"ani Ralph.

Medyo napatawa si Miguel pero pinigilan niya. Hmm...maybe about some greenish mind. Makaluntiang mundo.

Nagsimula na kaming mag-practice. Ako ang vocalist at nagse-second voice dapat si Ryder pero nagtugtog nalang siya ng electric guitar.

"Okay break!" sabi ni Ralph.

Napagtanto kong si Ralph yata ang leader dahil parang siya lagi ang nagli-lead sa amin. Umupo ako sa isa sa mga upuan doon, samantalang sila ay nilapitan si Ryder na kauupo lang.

"Dude,we understand you. Pero dude,maki-join ka naman! Next month na yung Battle of the Bands, pero parang wala lang sa'yo." Ralph sounded frustrated but Ryder remained still like that as if he didn't hear what Ralph just said.

Lumapit ako sa kanya. " Sobrang sakit ba?"tanong ko.

What a stupid question Zhaniah! Of course it hurts too much! He would never act like that if it didn't hurt him so much! Stupid question Niah!

Medyo nahiya ako dahil siguro ay naiisip niya na feeling close ako.

"It's okay, you do-"akala ko ay di na niya iyon sasagutin pero...

"Sobra. " sabu niya tsaka bumaling sa ibang direksyon. Akala ko di na siya magsasalita...

"It was two years ago when the three of us courted Anya. We've known each other because of musical play. I were chosen as the prince and Anya chose as the princess " he chuckled "yeah, it was a corny play but I just joined there because she was applying there and luckily I became her partner. Ralph, Miguel and I courted her but I were only the one she chose. I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world on that time. " he smiled bitterly. "Because Ralph, Miguel, Anya and I still remained as friends , we built a band and named it 'Which Option' " he smiled bitterly again. "...then I thought everything's perfect. Then one day, Anya said that she was out of love with me. She told me that she love someone else. Then after that, she left the band. She left us. She left me. " may nakita akong luha na tumulo.

After I heard those words, parang...parang...naramdaman ko yung sakit. But I was ended speechless. Maybe I shouldn't judge him the first time we met. Don't judge a book by it's cover, ika nga. But still, I still don't know what to say.

"I-i don't know what to say"

Bahagya siyang napatawa "you don't have to."

"Hehe...thank you. " medyo nahiya pa ako.

"Bakit?"tanong niya.

"...kasi sinabi mo 'to sa akin. Kinakausap mo ako. Nilabas mo yung niloloob mo. " sabi ko nang medyo nahihiya pa rin.

"Tss.."sabi niya tsaka nailing at napabaling ulit ang tingin sa ibang diteksyon.

"You know what. She was stupid for leaving you. Ahm... sorry to say."nasabi ko nalang out of the blue.

Napalingon siya sa akin. "Why?"he asked.

"Because you truly love her. You love her more than what she expected and deserved and that's why you got hurt so much becausw you love her more than how you love yourself but she didn't love you back more than you expected and deserved." Oh! I was straight forward there.

"Prangka ka rin pala. " napatawa siya ng bahagya. "...alam mo ba kung bakit ansama ng tingin ko sa'yo n'on?" medyo natawa na naman siya.

"Bakit nga ba?"takang tanong ko.

"...kasi nakikita kita sa kanya. Not that I saw you as her because of appearance. I just see you as her because how you love the music, how you feel it, you really are like her. " sabi niya habang nakangiti ng mapait.

"So mas,naaalala mo siya kapag ako ang vocalist ng banda? Kaya ba ayaw mo na ako ang maging vocalist?"

"No, but your personality is different with her. And not that I don't like you as a vocalist, uh-I don't know. Just don't mind me. Don't worry magaling ka naman talaga. Tama lang na ikaw ang kinuha nila. " napa-iwas pa siya ng tingin.

Medyo natuwa naman ako doon. Kasi kahit papaano ay may interaction na kami sa isa't isa.

"Oh, tama na 'yang lambingan!"

Napalungin naman ako kay Miguel na nagsalita. Sinamaan naman siya ng tingin ni Ryder kaya nag-peace sign siya. Napapatawa nalang talaga ako.

Siguro ang mali lang nila ay ang hindi sila nakinig sa saloobin ni Ryder.

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