Polar Opposites

Interstellar Activity

Napakagat ako sa labi ko. "Ay oo nga pala." Nalimutan ko na yung sound waves, ano ba yan.

"Don't bite your lip." Pansin ni Leone sa akin.

"Sorry," Tumungo na lang ako at nagfocus sa pagkain. Mejo na-awkward ako sa pagtitig sa akin ng green eyes niya.

Noong nagaaral ako sa Stanford, may mga naging kaibigan naman ako na blue at green ang mga mata. Ang kaso lang kasi, iba yung tingkad ng green ng mata ni Leone. At yung paraan ng pagtingin niya sa akin, parang yung tingin na binibigay sa akin ni Alec. Intense.

"Sophie, has anyone told you you're beautiful?"

"W-wala pa." Natatameme kong sagot. Ano daw? Ako, beautiful?

"Well, you're beautiful."

"S-salamat."

Nginitian lang ako ni Leone at nagpatuloy na siya sa pagkain.

"Leone?" Tawag ko sa pansin niya.

"Yeah? Ay sorry!" Pinunasan niya yung bibig niya nang may tumalsik na pagkain mula rito.

"Anong pinagaaralan niyo sa music?"

"Well, madami kaming pinagaaralan. Music theory for example is a subfield of musicology which is a subfield of arts and humanities. Music theory is concerned with abstract musical aspects like tones and rhythmic relationships pero meron din namang nagfofocus sa practical aspects ng music like performance, orchestration and improvisation."

Iba yung kinang ng mga mata niya habang nagpapaliwanag siya sa akin. Mahal nga niya talaga ang ginagawa at pinagaaralan niya. Bihira lang ang mga taong nakikita kong passionate sa napili nilang kurso.

"We have this music technology class that teaches us how to use different software, programs and various technology to write, produce, record and edit our music. Honestly, I'm not that techy but I get the basics and it's awesome kasi we had this project a few semesters ago where we actually made our own album. Nagenjoy dun si Louisse kasi she's also kind of the second manager of the band and if she's not singing back up or playing the guitar with me, she manages us and writes some of our songs."

Tumango tango lang ako sa pagpapaliwanag niya.

"Madami pa kaming pinagaaralan and it's not really all that easy. Some people look down on us kasi sinasabi nila kumakanta at tumutugtog lang kami but they don't understand that it's not easy to produce a song. You have to have the right rhythm, the right tempo, the right instruments and stuff like that. And it's a tough business to be in. I mean, the competition in the music industry is large. Our band wouldn't have made it big kung hindi namin pinaghihirapan yung pagccreate ng magandang music."

Natahimik si Leone at napatitig sa pansit niya na pinaglalaruan niya with her fork kanina pa. "It's hard to be in the music industry kasi some people think that being a singer or songwriter is just a temporary job. My dad included."

"Ayaw ng dad mo sa ginagawa mo?" Mejo gulat kong tanong.

"He wanted me to join the family business but I don't really understand much of it." Tinulak na ni Leone yung plato niya papalayo sa kanya. "If it weren't for my mom I would be in some business school learning how to do accounting and stuff that I don't really want. She's been very supportive of me until the very end."

"Ha?"

"Oh, mom died last year because of colon cancer." Malungkot na kwento niya.

"I'm sorry."

"I am too." Kahit na nalulungkot ay ngumiti pa rin siya sa akin. "Tara na, busog na ako."

Tapos na rin naman na akong kumain kaya tumayo na kami at naglakad papalabas.