Strings of Memory

Chapter 2

Muli kong ibinalik ang tingin kay Daddy na nakangiti lang habang pinapanood ako. "Is.. is this really mine?" Tanong ko gamit ang hindi makapaniwalang boses.

Tumango siya at naupo sa kabilang tabi ko. Hinawakan niya ang bass at marahan na kinalabit ang isang string nito. It created a much deeper sound than what I did earlier.

"Yes, this is yours. This is my bass when I was still starting, and I want you to have this, Wyn," sabi niya gamit ang malumanay na boses. Napatingin ako sa kanya saglit bago ko ibinalik ang tingin sa bass.

It's... mine. The bass he used to play is mine now.

My heart pounded against my chest, and I felt so many emotions all at once while looking at the black bass. I felt my eyes sting, but I tried to hold back the tears. I didn't want to cry here when my father was giving me something precious to him.

"Why don't you try playing it?" he suggested, which made me look at him. He had an encouraging smile, so I fixed the bass's position and put my right arm over its body. My fingers slightly touched the strings while my left hand held its neck. Because of my small stature, I couldn't quite hold it properly, but feeling the weight of the instrument in my hands sent a shiver over my body.

I tried strumming it, and it made a deep sound, but it wasn't as deep as what my father created earlier. I looked at him, and he was wearing a proud smile.

We spent the whole night playing the bass he gave me. Dad taught me how to properly play it and how to change the tune. He also taught me some chords! He even gave me some advice, like how calluses would form on my fingers as long as I keep playing it, and the pain would lessen the more I played. He said that it would help protect my skin from pressing down on the strings. But I should also watch how I play, how much pressure I'm putting on the strings, and how to maintain proper posture to avoid any injuries.

At the end of that day, I slept with my fingers aching from playing too much, but it didn't matter. Having to play it with my father made my heart flutter so many times na kahit anong sakit ay okay lang.

The days passed, and I felt so much better because I finally found something I wanted to do. The bass consumed my time. I would always excitedly play it after school, practicing what my father taught me whenever he wasn't home.

He couldn't teach me that much since they were still in the middle of their concert, so I made sure to practice everything he showed me. I would also sometimes watch tutorial videos on YouTube because I wanted to surprise him. I wanted him to be amazed at how much I had learned when he got home.

Every day since I was introduced to the bass has been so much fun. It made my heart pound multiple times, and knowing that my father played that instrument made me love it even more.

Because of that, I started to dream about the future. I began thinking about what I wanted to be and how I would achieve it.

"Wynther, do you want to come with me?" Napahinto ako sa pag-strum ng bass at napatingin kay Mommy.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang makitang nakaayos siya. "Saan, Mommy?" Tanong ko.

Binigyan niya ako ng isang malaking ngiti. "Sa Daddy mo. May practice sila ngayon so why don't we give him a surprise visit?" Suhestiyon niya na nagpangiti sa akin.

Kaagad kong inayos ang mga gamit ko, maingat na ibinalik ang bass sa case nito, at nilagay sa kwarto ang mga gamit ko.

After I finished putting everything back, we drove to a studio in my mother's car. Nang makapasok kami sa loob ay iginiya kami ng isang staff papunta sa isang kwarto kung saan maririnig mo ang tunog ng iba't-ibang instruments. Isang pamilyar na tunog ang nanggagaling doon. Mukhang nandoon sila Daddy sa loob dahil isa ang kanta na iyon sa pinerform nila noong araw ng concert nila.