Strings of Memory

Extra 2

The Fretted Path

I was ten years old when I first met The Reverie. It happened on a day my mother asked me to come with her to my uncle's place.

Pagdating namin doon, naririnig ko na agad ang tunog ng mga instrumento, kasabay ng isang malamig na boses na kumakanta—kahit nasa labas pa lang kami ng bahay.

Nang makapasok kami, tahimik lang akong sumunod kay Mama papunta sa garage ni Uncle. And that's when I saw them. A woman with blonde hair singing, her voice so cold it sent shivers down my spine. A man playing the bass, another on the guitar, a woman on the keyboard, and... my uncle.

I was stunned. Napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko. Hindi ako makagalaw nang makita ko ang mukha niya. My always serious uncle... was smiling. Enjoying what he was doing.

And that made me wonder—if I picked up the same instrument he was using, would I be able to smile like that too? Would my eyes sparkle if I played? Would I feel joy?

So, to find out the answer, I picked up the drums.

And in doing so, it became my dream to become a professional musician just like him. Sinundan ko siya sa bawat hakbang niya, never questioning if it was the right thing to do.

I tried to copy him, hoping to feel what he felt. But I wasn't good enough for the instrument.

Masakit. Masakit na hindi ako magaling. Masakit na kahit anong gawin ko, hindi ko magawa nang tama. I was even trained by my uncle—the drummer of The Reverie! Pero kahit ganoon, hindi pa rin ako naging magaling.

But what hurt the most... was hearing it from him. Sure, I'm perfectly aware of my capabilities. But hearing it straight from him hurts more than failing to do as I was taught.

"You're not suited for the drums, Zeira."

That's what he told me after I made another mistake.

We'd been practicing for hours, pero hindi ko pa rin ma-maintain ang tamang tempo. I couldn't play a single song without messing up.

Napayuko ako. I couldn't take the disappointment in his eyes.

Narinig ko ang pagbuntong hininga niya, kasabay ng mabibigat niyang yapak. Akala ko aalis na siya, pero nagulat ako nang lumapit siya sa akin. I felt his hand on my shoulder, prompting me to look up. Our eyes met.

His gaze softened, and he gave me a warm smile.

"I'm sorry for saying that. I didn't really mean it," sabi niya.

Umiling ako at pilit na ngumiti. "I know. But you're right, Uncle. I'm not really suited for this," sagot ko, referring to the drums in front of me.

"You've been teaching me every time na uuwi ka. Nanood din ako ng mga tutorial videos para kahit wala ka, matuto pa rin ako. Pero ilang buwan na akong ganito. Wala pa ring progress," I admitted.

Masakit mang aminin, pero iyon ang totoo. I couldn't keep taking his time every time he was home just to teach me. Kailangan din niyang magpahinga, and yet, all I did was disappoint him.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he just stared at me, as if deep in thought. I swallowed and took a deep breath.

Maybe he just couldn't say it. Maybe he couldn't tell me to quit because he was afraid I'd get hurt.

Kinagat ko ang labi ko, ready to say the words he couldn't... but he beat me to it.

"It really doesn't have to be the drums," sabi niya.

Napakunot noo ako. "What do you mean?"

Ngumiti siya. "I mean, you don't have to copy me to become a professional musician. You can look for a different instrument that suits you better. Find your own style and master it."