Strings of Memory

Chapter 3

"Nico, ipapalit na namin si Wynther sayo. He's improving so fast. Isang araw, magigising ka na lang na mas magaling na sayo itong anak mo," biro ni Youssef kay Daddy.

Napakamot ako sa ulo. "I'm not that good to replace my father," nahihiya kong sinabi.

Inakbayan naman ako ni Tori. "Stop acting so modest, Wyn! You're way better than your father. You learned things so fast, and the only thing missing is experience. Once na magkaroon ka na ng experience, I'm sure you will improve even more." Sabi niya na ikinatango ng iba.

I tried to counter what they were saying, but they didn't want to listen to me. They kept saying how fast I was improving, but it was all thanks to them. They had been teaching me so many things that I was able to improve this much. Sigurado akong kung ako lang mag-isa ay hindi ako mag-iimprove ng ganito kabilis.

The days went by, and my routine just consisted of going to school, looking for potential bandmates, going to the studio on weekends, and practicing on the bass. It was a repetitive routine, but I enjoyed every second of it.

I learned so many things from the band, and they were all so kind to me. They allowed me to watch them practice, and I could really say that they were amazing. They were on a completely different level, and that made me realize just how much I needed to do to achieve my dream of performing with my father.

I want to do it. I want to achieve it. That's the one thing that motivated me to do my best in everything because, in the end, I'll be able to perform with him. On that stage, with people watching. I would get to do the one thing I love with the person I love.

But I guess I was being too much of a dreamer because fate decided to turn my life upside down. It's like fate woke up and chose violence. And I was unlucky because I was the chosen one. Fate chose me to play with, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Oh. I thought you were going to be at the studio today?" Napatingin ako kay Mommy na kakalabas lang ng kwarto nila ni Daddy.

Umiling ako. "No. They told me they have a gig today." Sagot ko at muling ibinalik ang tingin sa music sheet sa harapan ko nang makita ko ang pagtango niya.

I spent the whole morning just studying the music sheet in front of me while playing it on the bass. I only stopped when my mother called me to eat lunch, and once I was finished, I went back to what I was doing.

At some point, my mother sat on the couch across from where I was sitting and just watched me practice until... she received a call.

I stopped when I heard the buzzing sound of her phone. She picked it up and stood up. She went to a corner and answered the call.

"Hello?" I heard her say, and I went back to what I was doing.

I was starting to get absorbed in what I was doing again when I heard a clattering sound. Napatingin ako sa pwesto ni Mommy at nakita ko siyang nakatayo. Para siyang natigilan. Nakataas pa rin ang kanang kamay niya at parang hawak pa rin ang phone niya kahit na nasa lapag na ito.

Dahan-dahan siyang lumingon sa akin, and the look on her face made my heart pound. Mabibigat at mahihina ang naging pagkabog ng puso ko habang nakatitig ako sa kanya.

She looked... so broken. As soon as our eyes met, her tears began to fall like a river. It flowed and flowed.

Itinabi ko ang bass, tumayo, at lumapit sa kanya kahit pa parang may kung anong nakadagan sa dibdib ko. Malalalim at mabibigat ang naging paghinga ko na para bang tumakbo ako sa isang marathon habang naglalakad papalapit sa kanya, pero kasabay nang pagbuka ng bibig niya at paglabas ng mga salita doon ay siya ring nakapagpahinto sa akin.

Just four words. But those four words were enough to destroy me. I stood frozen in my spot while my mother couldn't hold herself anymore and broke down in front of me. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to help her up.

I heard a loud ringing sound in my ear. It grew louder and louder, and I felt something stabbing my heart.

The world I was in. The world that was so vibrant. That was so beautiful with its colors, suddenly started to fade to gray. Kasabay ng pagkawala ng kulay ng mundo ay ang paghinto ng oras. I felt like time froze with me. It was as if the world was telling me it was with me. That like myself, it also stopped spinning.

Along with my mother's words, I felt the dream I was chasing after. The dream of us playing on that stage with lights all around us. The dream of us playing the bass we loved was starting to crumble. It started to shatter, making everything I had believed in until now feel like an illusion. Like a delusion I had clung to.

And I knew that even after this was all over, I would continue to live in this world. To live in a world that was devoid of any colors. I would continue to live in a world where time seemed to stop.

"Your father is dead."