Strings of Memory

Chapter 29

But I let my cowardice win. And now, wala na akong magagawa para baguhin 'yon.

All I can do now is try my best to convince them. It may be insensitive, but I need them. I want to be on that big stage with them.

"I still want you to join me," I said firmly.

Natigilan siyang muli bago siya matawa ng mahina. "You really sound like Luna right now," he murmured, before meeting my eyes again.

"Tell me, Wynther. Why are you doing this? Why now? After months of doing nothing, why are you suddenly making a move? Are you trying to carry on Luna's dream? Is that why you're doing this?"

Umiling ako. "This is my dream," I said.

"This has been my dream since..." Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago nagpatuloy, "since I was a kid."

"Yeah, maybe in some way, I'm doing this to keep her dream alive. But more than that, I'm doing this for myself. For my own dream. I'm sick and tired of running away. Of being a coward. Of... abandoning my dream."

I clenched my fists. "I don't want to regret anymore. I don't want our dream to be forgotten. I don't want it to vanish into nothing. This time, I'm willing to fight for it."

There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes. He clenched his fists, as if trying to suppress whatever he was feeling.

He took a shaky breath, opened his mouth to speak—but no words came out.

I sighed. "If you really don't want to join me... if that's what you truly want, then I won't force you. But can you at least... listen to my song first?"

His eyes widened.

Ngumiti ako, and I saw the way it added to his shock.

"I just finished a song, and I want you to hear it. I'm planning to talk to Zeira and Elliot too, so... can you give me your decision after you've all heard it?" I asked, almost pleading.

His eyes glistened with something I couldn't quite name. Mabilis siyang yumuko at tumango.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-iinit ng mga mata ko dahil doon, pero mabilis akong tumikhim para mawala ang kung anumang emosyon na 'yon.

"Thank you," I said, my voice filled with sincerity.

I know this won't be easy. Asking them to come back after everything that happened—it's going to be hard.

But I'm ready.

And if this doesn't work out... I'll have no one to blame but myself.

After our talk, we went back to our classroom without saying a word to each other. Mukhang malalim ang iniisip niya, kaya hinayaan ko na lang siya.

When lunch break came, kaagad akong lumabas ng classroom at pumunta sa classroom ni Zeira—pero wala siya doon. Halos halughugin ko na ang buong school para lang hanapin siya, pero nabigo ako.

I was on my way back nang marinig ko ang pagtugtog ng isang gitara sa di kalayuan.

Kaagad akong nagmamadaling tumakbo papunta doon, pero habang papalapit ako sa pinanggagalingan ng tunog, bumagal ang bawat hakbang ko. Then, I finally saw where it was coming from.

Huminto ako sa tapat ng lumang pinto. Kahit na may kung anong bigat ang bumara sa dibdib ko, pinilit kong buksan iyon.

Inside, the chairs were lined up in the corner, making space at the center. The writings on the board—where we once wrote down our dreams—were still there. The old scent of books lingered in the air. And in the middle of it all, there she was.