Umiling si Rive. "Mas mabuti kung isa lang sa atin ang pupunta kila Wynther. Matatagalan lang tayo sa pagpili kung sasama tayong lahat. Besides, Luna's the one who will sing, so mas okay kung siya ang pipili ng kakantahin niya."
Gusto sanang umapela ni Elliot, pero naunahan siya ni Zeira.
"Yeah, that would be better. Plus, Wynther is very knowledgeable when it comes to music, so we don't have to worry too much," sabi niya, na ikinangiti lalo ni Rive.
Ibinaling ni Rive ang tingin sa akin at mas nilakihan pa ang ngiti. "It's been decided then."
Hinila niya ang deskmate ko at marahang itinulak papunta sa akin. "Enjoy," makahulugan niyang sabi bago kumaway.
Napabuntong hininga ako. I know what he's trying to do here.
Tumingin ako sa deskmate ko. "Let's go," sabi ko bago nauna nang lumabas.
We went to our house, and I almost stopped in my tracks when I saw my mother's shoes by the door.
Shit. She's here.
Napatingin ako sa relo na suot ko at nakitang 5:40 PM pa lang. Masyado pang maaga para sa pag-uwi niya.
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago naglakad papasok. I stopped in the living room when I saw her sitting on the couch, watching TV.
She turned the volume down and looked at me upon hearing my footsteps. Tumayo siya at lalapitan na sana ako nang mapansin niya ang kasama ko.
Saglit siyang natigilan at bago pa siya mag-isip ng hindi maganda ay inunahan ko na siya.
"Kabanda ko," I said. "She's here because we're going to pick a song for the school festival, Mom."
"G-good afternoon po," my deskmate greeted nervously.
Ngumiti si Mommy. "Good afternoon din. I'm Maya, Wynther's mother. And you are?"
"L-luna po. Luna Vega." Pakilala ng deskmate ko sa sarili niya.
Before my mom could say anything else, I butted in. "Mom, sa kwarto lang kami." Then, I grabbed my deskmate's wrist and pulled her with me.
Pagkapasok namin sa kwarto, pinaupo ko siya sa kama habang inilabas ko ang isang kahon mula sa cabinet. I placed it on the bed beside her and started taking things out. I was busy rummaging through the contents when she suddenly said something that made me freeze.
"It's Nico!" she exclaimed, holding a picture of me and my father.
I saw how her eyes darted between my father and me in the photo. Napatingin siya sa akin pagkatapos ay ibinalik niya ang tingin sa litratong hawak tapos ay pabalik na naman sa akin.
"I-is this you?" she asked, obviously confused.
I sighed. "Yes."
She swallowed hard. "M-May I know why you have a picture with him?"
I met her eyes na punong-puno ng kalituhan. I'm sure she already had an idea of what our relationship is—she just wanted confirmation. And I am willing to give it to her. Wala na din namang saysay kung itatago ko pa. She must have been wondering why every member we've met so far seems to know me. And now, seeing a picture of me with The Reverie's bassist only made her curiosity worse.
"He's my father," I said—almost a whisper, but I knew she heard it.
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya at parang may naalala, and then she suddenly gasped.
"So that's the reason," bulong niya na nagpakunot sa noo ko.
"Ha?" Nagtataka kong tanong.
Tinitigan niya ako sa mata. "When I told Ma'am Esquivel that you'd be joining the band, she looked so happy. Nangilid pa nga luha niya noon. I was so curious why, but I didn't dare ask, baka masyadong personal ang dahilan. I didn't want to pry or make her uncomfortable," she explained. "And of course, this explains why they knew you, why you know so much about music, and why you know how to play the bass."
YOU ARE READING
Strings of Memory
Teen Fiction"Hating the one thing you love is a pain worse than losing it." - Wynther Fynne Clemenceau Wynther never had a dream-until he heard his father play the bass. In that moment, music became his purpose, his passion, his future. He dreamed of standing o...
Chapter 19
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