Strings of Memories

seventh string

Nagising ako nang maramdaman ang isang marahang tapik sa aking balikat.

"Napagod ka?" nagulat ako sa lalaking nasa harapan. Quin, always flashing his signature serious face.

"A-ah, sorry." tumayo ako mula sa kinauupuan at kinuha na ang bag. Medyo nahilo pa ako sa biglang galaw, parang magkakasakit pa yata ako.

He looked at me with worried eyes. Mariin niya akong tinitigan sa mata, at saka siya nag-buntong hininga.

"Hindi ba pwedeng 'wag ka na lang mag-trabaho?"

"Hindi pwede, Quin." suminghot ako, ramdam na ang pagod at sama ng pakiramdam.

Lumapit siya sa akin at kinapa ang aking noo.

"Mainit ka, mas mabuti kung hindi ka na magtatrabaho. Baka hindi mo kayanin yung pagod." maingat ang boses nito.

"Pahinga lang 'to, Quin." I smiled to assure him.

The next days in the restaurant were so much worse than before. Hindi natatapos ang araw na walang customer ang nagagalit o naiinis sa akin. Si Quin naman ang humihingi ng pasensya sa mga customers.

"Huy, babae. Sabihin ko lang sayo ha, uso magpahinga." si Desiree.

"Parang nawala na yata yan sa bokabularyo ko, Des." I smiled bitterly.

"Asus!"

"Malia!" tawag sakin ng isa sa katrabaho ko, walang masyadong tao sa ganitong oras kaya ang ibang waiters ay walang ginagawa.

"Bakit?"

"Nakita mo ba 'to?!" a video was playing on his phone. Tiningnan ko itong mabuti.

The girl on the video was me! This is the time when Von and I tried to cover up for our other bandmates. My eyes widened by surprise!

"Bakit—anong ginagawa ko diyan? I mean, bakit nandiyan ako?" I didn't know what to say. Sino naman kaya ang kumuha nito?

"Ikaw pala 'yan! Ang galing!" si Tonio, yung katrabaho naming nagpakita sa akin ng video.

"Mahigit 300k na yung views dito sa facebook! Grabe ka naman, Malia. 'Di mo naman sinabi saming kumakanta ka." biro sa'kin noong isa kong katrabaho.

"Ano 'yan?" si Quin. Pinakita na tuloy nila ito sa kanya at laking gulat niya nang narinig akong kumanta.

"Shet, Lia!" natutuwang sigaw nito ni Des. She turned to me and wriggled my shoulders. "May naisip ako! Pero kung gusto mo lang naman! Oh my!"

"Ano 'yun?" pagtataka ko.

"Bakit hindi ka na lang mag youtube? Mag-cover ka. I heard may kita sa youtube, lalo na kapag marami ka ng viewers and subscribers."

Pinag-isipan ko yun. Ako at si Des ang natira para sa closing. Nauna na siyang unuwi kasi may 'date' pa daw siya kasama ang boyfriend niya.

"Yung sinabi ko sayo ha, pag-isipan mo." she said before leaving.

Bago matapos ang gabi, Quin encouraged me to do what Desiree told me.

"Lia, heard what Desiree suggested to you. And I think it's a good thing." Quin smiled at me.

"Talaga?" natuwa ako dahil narinig ko ang opinyon niya dito.

"Yup, that's why you're gonna do it, tama ba? Quit your job here."

"Huh? Pero wala akong magiging pera."

"I highly doubt it! With your talent, you can gain thousands of views in just a week. Or even a day."

At heto na nga, out of desperation nandito ako sa apartment. Humiram ako ng isang camera kay Desiree. Kasama ko rin siya ngayon, tuwang tuwa dahil gagawin ko ang gusto niya.

Desiree put on a black eyeliner to emphasize my eyes. Ayun lang ang dinagdag niya pero natural makeup lang ang ginawa niya sa akin. She just applied a tinted balm on my lips, which explains why it has a rosy glow on the camera.

"Mas excited pa ko kaysa sayo, gurl!" I just laughed at her statement.

Ang sabi niya'y 'wag na daw ako magsalita sa simula ng video at deretso na daw agad sa kanta. Marami raw kasing nanonood na naboboring kapag ganoon.

"Start na tayo?!" my director slash camera man, Desiree, said loudly.

I put my guitar on my lap and placed my hands where it was supposed to be.

The camera clicked, signaling me to begin.

"He said, let's get out of this town."

"Drive out of the city, away from the crowds."

"I thought heaven can't help me now, nothing lasts forever."

"But this is gonna take me down."

I plucked the strings of my guitar before saying my favorites lines. "He's so tall, and handsome as hell. He's so bad but he does it so well. I can see the end as it begins, my one condition is..."

I looked at the camera, "Say you'll remember me, standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset babe." and back at the guitar again.

"Red lips and rosy cheeks, say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams...." as I sang the lyrics, I made sure that I drag my own style in it.

"Wildest dreams..."

Desiree clicked the end button and we both looked at each other's eyes! Now, all that's left to do is upload it on youtube! I'm nervous and a little bit excited!