Curtain calls

Yesterday’s post was sort of about my boyband chasing days. This night’s post is amusingly about my OPM phase.

 

Senior year in HS till I left, OPM bands have been making quite the scene back home. There’s always that next big thing coming out with some great song that you like the first few times you hear it but then they start playing them in really cheesy local stations and some cheesy TV show uses it in one of their episodes or some guy beside you on the way home ruins the essence of that song for you. I have a couple of those songs.

 

This was also about the same time that i seriously picked up a guitar and started teaching myself how to play. I never got good though. i knew the basics but i never had the rhythm to actually play a song properly.

 

My song tonight reminds me of this one night in HS when a LOT of up-and-coming bands came to my school and played one kick ass show. I was part of crowd control and i got most of the backstage action and it was a heck of an experience trying to play a roadie. The big ticket that night was Rivermaya. Of course, i was not as psyched as i should have been because Bamboo has long left the band and i wasnt as big of a Rico Blanco fan as much as i thought the world of Bamboo. I still wished they had played this song, though. It would have been a hoot hearing this song played live with someone in the same room.

***

 

Am I real? Do the words I speak before you make you feel
That the love I’ve lay for you will see no ending?
Well if you look into my eyes then you should know
That there’s nothing here to doubt nothing to fear
And you can lay your questions down ’cause if you’ll hold me
we can fade into the night and you’ll know

The world could die and everything may lie
Still you shan’t cry. ‘Cause time may pass
But longer than it’ll last I’ll be by your side

Take my hand And gently close your eyes so you could understand
That there’s no greater love tonight than what I’ve for you
Well if you feel the same way for me then let go
We can journey to a garden no one knows
Life is short my darling tell me that you love me
So we can fade into the night and you’ll know

The world could die and everything may lie 
Still you shan’t cry ’cause time may pass
And everything won’t last but I’ll be by your side
Forever by your side.

***

 

“Everybody ready in three!”

 

The final  through the closed curtains as everyone tried to find their place. Each person looked like the next one as I tried to check if anyone who needs to be somewhere is actually there.

 

“Kate! Jordyn! Matt! Ready for center stage, please!” I called amongst the crowd. “Tracy, make sure that after Devin’s scene we have him ready for curtain call this time.” I gave instructions to the gawky girl across the stage. She fumbled with her earphone battery pack, which flew out of her hands, and as she nervously crouched to pick it up, nodded at me and disappeared backstage.

Sa William

Song: Pare Ko

Artist: SpongeCola

SpongeCola's version from the Eraserheads tribute album

Pare ko meron akong prublema
Wag mong sabihing na naman
In lab ako sa isang kolehiyala
Hindo ko maintindihan

Wag na nating idaan sa mabuting usapan
Lalo lang madaragdagan ang sakit ng ulo at bilbil sa tiyan

Anong sarap
Kami’y naging magkaibigan
Napuno ako ng pag-asa
Yun pala haggang dun lang ang kaya
Akala ko ay pwede pa

Masakit mang isipin kailangang tanggapin
Kung kelan ka naging siryoso tsaka ka niya gagaguhin

O, diyos ko ano ba naman ito
Di ba, Tangina
Nagmukha akong tanga
Pinaasa niya lang ako
Lecheng pag-ibig to

O diyos ko ano ba naman ito

Sabi niya ayaw niya munang magkasiyota
Dehins ako naniwala
Di nagtagal naging ganun na rin ang tema
Kulang na lang ay sagot niya
Bat ba ang labo niya
Di ko maipinta
Hanggang kelan maghihintay ako ay nabuburat na

Pero minamahal ko siya
Di biro, T.L. ako sa kanya
Alam kong nababaduyan ka na sa mga sinasabi ko
Pero sana naman ay maintindihan mo
O pare ko meron ka bang maipapayo
Kung wala ay okey lang
Kailangan lang ay ang iyong pakikiramay
Andito ka ay ayos na

**

I love OPM (Original Pinoy Music). I remember my first OPM concert. It was in my high school and a bunch of bands played. I got so sick of one band’s cover of Madonna’s Crazy For You because the morning after, everyone was playing it all over the school. Ironically, they’re one of my favorite bands now. SpongeCola, this group of guys from an exclusive boys school, became one of the best selling OPM bands to date. I went thru this phase when I watched as much of their shows as I could. I loved every minute of it. One show that I will never forget was the one they did in my university. It was nice and intimate, just a small theater with not even 100 people.

**

Napakahirap umupo ng ganito kalayo sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nandirito. Noong isang araw ko pa naisip na huwag na lang tumuloy. Alam ko naman na madadatnan ko siya rito. Binigay ko sa babae sa pinto ang tiket namin ng kaibigan ko. Pasalamat ko sa kanya na pumayag siyang sumama. Aanhin ko ang extrang tiket? Sayang naman kung itatapon ko. Mukha namang may taong pinagpuyatan ang paggawa nito. At saka para rin naman sa charity. Kaya salamat at may nahanap akong kasama.

May isang panahon na napadaan na kami dito sa teatrong ito. Hindi naman ganon kalaki ang campus para hindi kami madaan dito. Eto ang mahirap. Nasanay na ko. Nasanay na katabi siyang lumakad. Nasanay na kasabay siya kumain. Nasanay na salubungin siya pagkatapos ng klase.

Leche. Kahit na alam kong andito siya ngayon, mahirap hindi maapektuhan. Siya lang mag-isa. Hindi sa ingrato ako at binabaliwala ko ang pagsama ni Alfred. Pero… siya ang dapat kong katabi ngayon. Bakit ba ko tanga?

Masakit mang isipin na ako ang may kasalanan, hindi ko na mababawi ang mga salitang nasabi ko na. Para bang nakikiisa ang panahon sa mga pangyayari sa buhay ko. Nung tinalikuran ko siya, tila ba lumamig at pumait ang ihip ng hangin. Alam ko rin na talagang napapanahon ang ulan sa buwan na ito, pero para talagang mas malupit ang pagpatak ng ulan. “Gaga, mahina pa ‘yan kumpara sa sakit na nadarama nya ngayon. Gaga ka. Gaga.”

Dumaan ang isang oras na parang wala lang. Ni hindi ko maalala kung ilan at ano ang mga kantang tinugtog nila. Sa pagkakataong nakaupo ako dito, ni hindi ko namalayan na tinutugtog na pala nila ang paborito kong kanta. Sa kahihintay kong lingunin niya ako, kahit saglit lang, aking ikinagulat na ngayon ko lang lubusang naintindihan ang lyrics ng kanta. Pinaasa kita, ipinangako ang mundo, ngunit tinalikuran sa unang pagkakataong natamo.

Nagpaalam na ko kay Alfred at nagpasalamat muli sa pagdamay sa aking kalokohan. Nagpayo rin naman siya na umuwi na lang ako at subukang huwag masyadong sisihin ang sarili. Sino pa bang ibang sisisihin? Ako naman talaga ang may kasalanan.

Paakyat sa tren, sumindi muna ako ng yosi dahil nakita ko siyang paakyat na rin. Nagbagal ako ng paglakad. Mahirap magsabay sa ganitong oras. Mahirap umiwas kung lilima lang kayong sakay ng karo. Bumili ng tingi kay manang sa baba ng hagdan at nagbagal umakyat papunta sa stasyon. Siya na muna mauna, masyado ng maraming inconvenience ang naidulot ko sa kanya sa isang araw.

© Maia Vida: January 5, 2010