Zephyr Strings

Kabanata 10

Iyon ang naging laman ng utak ko. Bawat galaw ng dalawa ay pinapanood ko na. Even Casimir. He was silent and seemed cool. For sure he's clueless. Ilang beses kong kinagat ang labi ko para lang pigilan ang sariling ibunyag ang nalalaman ko.

Mukhang hindi maganda kung sa akin mismo manggagaling iyon. But I can't stand them. Their bullshit is too much. It's beyond my understanding. 

Kaya naman nang magyaya si Cohen sa gig nila, agad akong pumayag. Sahri will be there, and also Comet. Kahit na kitang-kita ko na ang halikan nila ay tila hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. It's just so unbelievable. 

She was all smiles as she greeted us, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Kitang-kita ko ang pag-ngiti nila ni Comet sa isa't isa bago mag-iwas ng tingin. May kung anong bumaliktad sa sikmura ko. 

How can she do that? Really? Even though she treated me differently, I still thought she was a nice girl. But I was wrong. Ganoon ba kahirap iwan si Casimir kung ayaw na niya? 

But what do I know anyway? Wala akong alam sa relasyon nila. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nangyayari. And who am I to judge? When I do that too? But our entire situations are different. Pinilit ang sa amin ni David at wala akong choice. We're also in an open relationship. How about them? For sure mahal nila ni Casimir ang isa't isa. 

I shook my head and turned to the stage. Pinanood ko ang Spheroid Chambers na ayusin ang mga gagamitin nila. Seryoso kong tinitigan si Comet. Well, he's hot. I can't really compare him to Casimir because they're both good-looking and attractive. Siguro ay mas matured lang tingnan si Comet. 

"Ano'ng pangalan no'ng bassist? Hot." 

Nilingon ko ang babae sa kabilang lamesa at ngumisi. 

"Casimir," sagot ko upang makita ang reaksyon ni Sahri. 

Her lips parted, and she looked at me, irritated. Lalo akong ngumisi at pinagtaasan siya ng kilay. So, she still has feelings for Casimir. Pero bakit siya nanloloko? I want to know the reason. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit niya nagawang lokohin ang tulad ni Casimir. 

"Casimir ano po?" tanong ng babae. 

Of course, I won't tell her his full name. I turned to her and smiled. "Casimir Rozz Tadeo," I retorted playfully. 

Tumaas ang aking mga kilay nang irapan ako ni Sahri. I smirked as I watched the waiter serve our drinks. The crowd surged in front of the stage, excited for the performance. I took a glass of tequila and downed it without breaking my gaze from the stage.

I bit my lip when my eyes went to Casimir. The electric guitar was hanging on his torso. Magulo ang kaniyang buhok at may kung anong sinabi kay Conrad. Gaya ni Comet, mayroong mikropono sa kaniyang harapan. 

He'll sing? 

The surroundings dimmed. Ang tanging maliwanag na lang ngayon ay ang stage. Cohen was sitting in front of the drum set while smiling at the crowd. Umayos ako nang simulan ni Casimir ang intro. He owned the stage as he played the guitar with intense focus. My heart raced as I watched him, totally immersed in his performance. The electric guitar took a backseat to the powerful bass, while Cohen's rhythmic slaps punctuated the sound, creating a compelling backdrop. 

"Sa'n darating ang mga salita
Na nanggagaling sa aming dalawa?
Kung lumisan ka, 'wag naman sana
Ikaw'y kumapit na, nang 'di makawala..."

The electric sound intensified as the bass shadowed it. Halos hindi na ako mapakali sa aking kinauupuan. The tom-tom and tom floor drums boomed, yet I remained undisturbed. Titig na titig ako kay Casimir at ramdam ko ang bawat kabog ng aking puso.