The sunlight peered its way through the curtains. That, together with the ringing of my alarm clock woke me up. I gave it a pat on its head and it stopped.
Craving for water, I got up and headed for the kitchen. While walking through the short corridor, my eyes noticed that my parent’s door is slightly open. I rubbed my eyes, held the cold handle then took a peek.
Andito na siya, tulog nga lang, he might have arrived later last night after I went to bed. I hate to disturb him pero need ko mag paalam, baka hanapin ako pag nagising, tapos pag balik ko halos sunugin na niya ako sa tingin.
“Pa”, I entered a bit. He was indeed asleep that he can’t even hear me the first try at may pahilikhilik pa. “Pa”, tawag ko ulit nung sumagot na siya, may kasamang gulat yung reaksiyon niya.
“What do you want”, he said in a quavering tone with a hint of irritation.
“We will be having a group practice today, aalis ako”, a bit on the apologetic tone to not piss him off too much, hindi mo gugustuhin magalit yan kapag kulang sa tulog.
“Uh huh…”, he just turned around and face the other side of his bed then covered himself with the blanket.
Uh huh, usual na sagot, kahit nakatira kami sa iisang bahay, we rarely talk, that answer is already plenty.
I drank the water my body was yearning for, took a pee, brushed my teeth, cooked some eggs for the both of us, ate, and then took a bath. I just decided to wear simple casual shorts and a t-shirt with a sling bag for storage.
Even San Vicente Elementary School is a walking distance, though I’m familiar with the place, I did not study here for grade school. I’m from the other barangay, Rosal, we just relocated a few years ago here at Banaba.
I checked my phone for the time. A forest as my wallpaper, it had a simple set up, with the essential apps at the bottom, some games over it together with the messenger and contacts icon, most of the other apps are hidden on the two other folders. At the upper center was the Google search bar and beside it was the time. 7:30.
A bit early, yes, pero kapag nakapalit na ako and I’m prepared, I just can’t sit still kaya nandito na ako. San Vicente ES and almost every Elementary have no guard but only a cement fence too low that anyone can jump over it.
But since Kyle and the others graduated here hindi naman magkakaroon ng problema, kaya dito niya gusto mag practice. It has wide spaces and trees are close, providing shade for the table stones under them.
I’ve spent some time waiting outside. I don’t want to enter all alone. At least I should have someone with me. Empty school on a weekend radiates a different vibe than school days. Malay ko ba kung sementeryo pala ito dati.
8:00 at wala pa din sila, talk about Filipino time, masakit na ang pwet kong nakaupo dito sa fence na natatakpan ng shade ng puno mga ilang metro sa gate.
It’s already 8:30 when someone stopped in front of the school, riding a motorcycle. The driver wears a black helmet, jacket and shoes that complement the vehicle. The back rider went down then waved goodbye as the rider left.
She looked around, even reading the name of the school on the gate’s archway. She even checks the road for something before looking back down at her phone. “Nasaan na kaya sila”, narinig ko ng kaunti yung sinabi niya.
She then looked up again then faced my way. It was Cassie . Kagroup pala namin siya, oo nga pala, katapat pala niya si Gerald na nasa harap ko, “Even” si Gerald kaya it makes sense na kasama namin siya.
Hindi ko lang siguro siya napansin sa meeting kasi hindi naman ako gaano nakinig.
“Henry right?”, tanong niya.
“Uhmm”, tumango lang ako.
“Wala pa sila?”, napakamot siya sa ulo niya at sinilip ulit ang magkabilang parte ng kalsada.
I’m a bit embarrased, may atraso pa naman ako dun sa itlog na meryenda ata niya kahapon. “Wala pa, hindi lang halata sa mga yun, but they give the real definition of Filipino time”, sabi ko.
“Eh ikaw kelan ka pa dito?”, she asked as she fidgeted with her phone. I’m doing the same thing so who am I to judge.
“7:30”
“Ang aga, chinat ko na sila sa group chat, sabi nila papunta na sila pero kaninag 8:00 pa yun”, she replied.
“Oo nga eh”, ngumiti lang ako and that put the final nail to our conversation’s coffin, I don’t have anything to talk to at this point, and I doubt that she wants to talk to me. She too ended up waiting with me leaning against the wall, seeking refuge to the punishing rays of the sun sa lilim ng manga.
9:00 na at sa wakas dumating na din sila. Walking like they are in some kind of procession, nakita ko silang lumabas sa kanto, they made their way as slowly as humanly possible.
A minute more and they reached our location. No matter how I’m pissed on how lousy they are when it comes to time, thankful pa din ako cause they saved me from this suffocating awkward atmosphere we’ve been both enduring for half an hour now.
“Saan pa kayo galing?”, tumayo na ako sa inuupuan ko.
“Kila Kyle”
“Hinintay pa namin siya, and as usual, he’s just about to take a shower when we got there”, paliwanag ni Ella.
“Tara na pala practice na”, sabi ni Kyle and so we did. “Here is the script. We just need to figure out who’s who and what’s what”, he said as he handed us the script.
As usual, as I flipped and counted all the pages, it just as I thought, “Ang haba nanaman nito Kyle”, sabi ko. He always goes overboard when it comes to this kind of stuff, “Kawawa mga main charcter nito”, tawa ko habang tinitingnan si Rian at Clarence.
“Ganiyan na, muka lang yan mahaba, tsaka if ever na masyadong mahaba bawasan nalang natin on the spot”, he replied with a laugh.
We have then settled kung sino ang mga characters at gagawin ng bawat isa.
Props men are Dion, Sonny, Christy, and Jean. Kyle is the narrator. Gerald is the King, Me as Apollo, Psyceh is Rian, at si Cupid si Clarence. Zack and Jack bilang yung mga lalaki na sumasamba kay Psyche.
Si Venus si Gemma. Eden and Cassie for Psyche’s sisters. Lyn for sound effects.
Inabot pa kami ng ilang meet up and overtime sa school bago kami nakapag practice ng maayos. Puro tawa, nakakahiya umakting, I don’t know how actors does this job, but me? I can’t keep a straight face pati na rin yung iba.
“Ayusin niyo ah kasi”, Kyle keeps insisting but then siya naman yung tatawa. Mas madami pang break sa totoo lang.
“Ok na yan, aayusin namin kapag actual performance na promise”, tawa ni Cassie . Isa din yan sa tawa ng tawa, I just noticed but she always has food beside her, maybe that’s why ang aga aga palang may dala na siyang itlog kahapon.
And then the date of the performance came.
Enter the cinematic sound effects and Kyle started narrating.
“Sa isang kaharian ay may isang haring may tatlong anak na babae, isa dito ay si Psyche, isang napaka gandang babae na hinahangaan ng lahat ng kalalakihan. Dahil din dito ay nagkaroon ng inggit sa kaniya ang Dyosang si Venus”
The characters Psyche, her sisters, and the King were revealed as Dion and Sonny opened the curtains. Kahit na prepared kami sa gagawin, we can’t actually afford fancy clothes to match with the characters as the story suggest.
Instead, pinagtsagaan nalang namin yung mga semi formal or casual na mga suot namin, at para sa mga Diyos at Diyosa, binalot nalang din namin sila ng putting kurtina.
Hindi nagtagal at palapit na ako, my hands are shaking and my knees are feeling weak.
“Sa kabila ng kagandahan ni Psyche ay tila hanggang pagtingin at samba lamang ang gusto ng kalalakihan sa kaniya, samantalang ang kaniyang mga kapatid ay matagal nang nakapag asawa…”.
“Ang pagsamba sa kaniya ay naging mas masigasig kaysa sa Diyosang si Venus, kaya inutusan niya si Cupid na kaniyang anak na paibigin ang babae sa isang halimaw. Hindi niya naisip ang maaring maging epekto nito sa kaniyang anak…”
Just watching Kyle narrate is already enough actually, he owns the whole stage as he narrates, as expected talaga sa mga taong sinalo lahat ng katalinuhan nung nagpaulan si Lord.
“Ang hari naman ay napag desisyunang humingi ng tulong kay Apollo. Binigyan siya ng Diyos ng isang Urakulo…”.
Enter me, shaking down to my spine, pero bahala na, grade muna bago kahihiyan.
“Ano ang iyong kailangan at ikaw ay naparito”, pagrecite ko sa line ko. Nakataas pa mga kamay ko habang nakaupo ako kunwari sa trono, kitang kitang naginginig ako.
Gerald also recited his line as the King and after what seemed like an eternity, sa wakas natapos din. My seat felt cold as I sat down, as cold as the sweat I’ve been wiping with my blue handkerchief. Basta tapos na ako bahala na sila.
“Maaring may masamang binabalak ang iyong mga kapatid sa iyo”, in character delivery of Clarence.
“Mga kapatid ko sila hindi nila iyon magagawa saakin”, sagot naman ni Rian.
They are one of the best actors of the class, role nila hindi na pinagisipan kung kanino ibibigay.
“Hind alam ni Psyche na labis ang inggit ng kaniyang mga kapatid sa kaniya, totoo ngang binalak nila na gawan ng masama ang kapatid”, a short narration from Kyle as the Curtains closed and opened back again replacing Pscyhe with her sisters.
“Hindi karapat dapat para kay Psyche and natatamasa niyang ito”, sambit ni Eden.
“Dapat ay magawan natin ng paraan upang masira ang buhay niya”, sagot ni Cassie .
“Naiisip mo ba ang naiisip ko?”
“Syempre naman”, tawa ni Cassie .
It’s actually surprising, although just a minor character, she was into her role. Her laugh is believable, parang tawa ng mga kontrabida sa mga paulit ulit na palabas sa TV na agawan ng asawa.
Akala ko lagi lang siyang may pagkain, but as the course of the group practices, hindi lang pala siya may pagkain lagi, lagi siyang gutom. Hindi, joke lang, she amazes me, siguro dahil kilala ko na lahat at siya lang ng abagong mukha.
The first month of school at maingay na siya, yun ngalang hindi gaano nasisita, pero pag tinanong naman nakakasagot lagi. Samantalang akong minsan lang magsalita, napagalitan pa ni Sir Mathematics.
“Okay group 2 salang na”, sabi ni Ma’am Garcia habang nag papalit na kaming mga tapos na.
“Time na ma’am”, Rigil replied.
“Haba haba kasi ng skit ni Kyle, hindi na kaya sa time”, reklamo ng mga group 2.
I can’t blame them; they are all dressed and ready to go.
“Bat naman kasi ang haba Kyle”, pabirong sabi din ni Ma’am.
“Ay hala si ma’am”, sagot din naman ni Kyle bago siya tumawa.
“Hoy”, tawa din ni ma’am. “Ok lang ba group 2 kung mamayang hapon nalang kayo bago uwian, after class?”
“Sige po ma’am”, sagot ni Selena.
“Okay, have a good lunch everyone”, huling sabi ni Ma’am Garcia bago siya lumabas.
“Tara lunch na tayo”.
I heard everyone say as I also packed up my bag. Hindi ako umuuwi ng tanghalian kahit malapit bahay namin, may Canteen naman baka mabankrupt pag hindi kami bumili.