———

What is music to you?

Music is happiness, where it makes your mood better, lift you up, put a smile on your face and even make you laugh. It brightens your day in general.

But music could be heavy. It could be tears that have been hurting your eyes ever since the intro of the song. It could be a huge pain in your chest that gets heavier as you reach the chorus, or it could be regrets in the end of the song.

Either way, music could bring so much emotions and sometimes linked with a lot of memories.

"Judge!"

Nagpalinga-linga siya para hanapin ang boses na iyon. Hindi nagtagal na sa harapan na niya ang babae. Nakangiti at masigla. Niyakap siya nito at bahagyang hinimas ang buhok niya.

"Ang galing mo kanina! Saan mo gustong kumain? Kahit saan dadalhin kita!"

"Si dad?" Tanong ni Judge habang patuloy sa paglinga-linga. Baka sakaling na sa likuran lang ito, nahuli sa paglalakad.

Hindi siya nito sinagot sa halip ay ngumiti ang lang ito sa kaniya.

He knew it.

"He won't be here," he heaved heavily.

Hindi niya mawari kung malulungkot ba siya dahil wala ito ngayon o mabubunotan ng tinik sa loob. Atleast the old man didn't see how he did shit on the stage a while ago.

"Nandito naman ako!" Agad na agap nito. "So! Saan mo gustong pumunta? Let's celebrate!"

"I lose mom," he sighed. "Anong i-cecelebrate natin?"

Nauna siyang maglakad habang sukbit-sukbit ang gitara sa likod. Agad naman siyang hinabol nito at kinuha ang gitara mula sa likuran niya.

"Ma akin na 'yan!" Angal niya.

Umiling-iling ito. "Sa tingin ko talaga, ikaw dapat ang nanalo roon! Hindi naman magaling tumugtog 'yong number 13."

Judge rolled his eyes. "Sinasabi mo lang 'yan dahil anak niyo ako."

"Totoo! Gwapo lang iyon! Kaya ikaw dapat tumangkad ka, para maganda ang tindig mo kapag humahawak ng gitara."

"So hindi ako gwapo?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya.

"Let me see... hmmm..." the lady even squinted her eyes as if examining him thoroughly.

"Ma!"

"Of course! My Judge is handsome, always!" She chuckled.

"Judge," marahang tawag nito sa kaniya.

Lumingon siya rito, ngunit nanatili ang mga mata nito sa harap. Tinatangay ng marahan ang buhok nito ng hangin habang nakatanaw sa malawak na dalampasigan kung saan kasalukuyang papalubog ang araw. Ang kahel na langit, ang pababang araw, at ang repleksiyon nito sa dagat, iyon ang naabutan niya nang tuluyang matuon sa unahan ang tingin.

"Ang ganda diba?" Sabi nito, tinutukoy ang magandang tanawin sa harap. "Sometimes, if life refuses to rise, you could be a sunset. Though it sets, it goes down, it triggers darkness but it's still beautiful right?"

Maybe in his fourteen year old heart, he didn't really understand what the lady meant. But as far as he remembered, slowly, he reached for his guitar. Judge sang under the beautiful orange sky with the woman beside him smiling like a sunset,

beautiful.

A loud thud on the door made Judge flinched in shock. Hindi niya iyon pinansin at nagpatuloy sa pagkuskus ng buhok. Ngunit hindi pa rin tumitigil ang pagkakalampag ng pinto. Mukhang hindi lang basta katok ang gusto nito, may plano pa itong sirain ang pinto.

"Hindi pa ako tapos!" He shouted as he felt someone entered the bathroom. Foam visible on his hair and body, eyes squinted a bit, he veered around just to see an asshole peeing.

"Jeru seriously? Alam mo namang may naliligo diba?"

"I can't just hold my pee." Simpleng sagot nito pabalik sa kaniya. 

Hindi na niya pinatulan iyon at nagpatuloy nalang sa paliligo. Knowing Jeru, hindi ito magpapatalo sa anumang diskurso. Judge once saw Jeru participated in a debate competition in school, he's good in reasoning and proving his point. He's a smart-ass stem student after all.

"Jeru? Tapos ka na?"

Hindi ito sumagot, ngunit ramdam pa rin niya ito sa loob.

"What the fuck! Are you jerking off?" Natigil siya sa pagsisigaw nang batohin siya nito ng handsoap. Naiwasan niya ito ngunit hindi nakaligtas ang paa niya. Doon tumama ang mabigat na handsoap.

"I was washing my hands." Jeru slammed the door.

Asshole.

It was a normal day inside the household. Lola Millie's fried rice was neatly prepared on the table, together with her perfect sunny side up eggs looking like a prestine canvas on the plate. The older was even humming her favorite song playing in the radio, when suddenly that hum turned into a scream.

Hinihingal si Judge nang maabutan si Lola Millie na nakatulala habang unti-unting nahuhulog mula sa pagkakahawak sa kamay ang cellphone nito.

"Anong nangyari?" Abot-hiningang tanong ni Jeru na nakatapis pa ng tuwalya.

He shrugged.

Sabay nila itong nilapitan nang hindi pa rin kumikibo ang matanda. Bigla silang napaatras nang muli na naman sumigaw—tumili si Lola Millie.

"Lala! Why do you have to shout like that?" Bahagya siyang napahawak sa dibdib niya. 

"And what the hell are you wearing?" Tanong niya nang bumaba ang tingin sa agaw-pansin nitong damit.

"Bought it from shopee. Ganda no?" She even turned a round, sporting her bright neon green overalls.

"You look like a walking traffic light," Judge whispered.

"Ano?" And she heard it.

"Or magsu-zumba ka ba?"

Jeru cleared his throat. "May nangyari ba Lala? Why were you screaming?"

With her lips formed into a big "o", exaggerating gasp, Lola Millie picked her phone and showed it to them.

"Trending kayo sa twitter!" Patiling sabi nito sa kanila. May pinindot pa ito roon at bumungad ang video kung saan nagkatahan sila sa detension kahapon.

What the hell?

"Jeru, you look like shit," that slipped his mouth unconsciously and swear he could feel Jeru's middle finger cursing him.

"Wait— Lala, you have a twitter account?"

--

"You're viral in facebook too!" Nakangisi at tuwang-tuwa habang nakatanaw parin sa cellphone. Ipinakita pa nito sa kanila ni Jeru na kapwang nakatungo habang kumakain.

"Tignan niyo ang Likes! Ang dami!— oh! Basahin mo Judge ang comment. Ang galing niyo raw!"

Jeru stood up and fetched his backpack. Tumungo ito kay Lola Millie at humalik sa pisnge.

"Una na ako Lala," paalam ni Jeru.

"Hindi ko alam na magaling ka pa lang maggitara," Lola Millie said as she dropped her eyes on Jeru. "You should do something like this more... 'di ba Judge?"

"Do what?" Nagkibit-balikat si Judge at sumunod kay Jeru sa pagkuha ng bag. Napatalon sila nang biglang na namang sumigaw si Lola Millie.

"Wait— I have an idea!"

Judge sighed.

"Passive voice will do when voicing out ideas. I'm reminding you, that you could actually do that, Lala." Nanghihinang sabi niya sa matanda. Parang sila ang mas mauunang atakihin sa puso nito.

"I've been thinking this lately, I actually wanted a bit of a music inside RORO. Patawag na ako ng mga bandang available tumugtog. Turns out, bakit hindi na lang kayo tumugtog?" Lola Millie said joyfully, as if entering the gates of heaven by gate crashing. Iyon ang saya niya, epic.

Unconciously, Jeru and Judge looked at each other, mirroring a confuse look.

"Bring your friends here tomorrow, para makapagpractice kayo sa gig next week."

"La," Judge sighed. "We're not friends."

"Jusko Judge! You're so harsh to your friends. Hindi 'yan mabuti. Jeru pagsabihan mo 'tong si Judge."

Jeru looked away. "It's true. We aren't friends."

Napatitig ang matanda at maya-maya ay iniharap muli nito ang cellphone sa kanila.

"Sinong niloloko niyo? Tignan niyo? Ito ba ang hindi magkaibigan? Ang saya-saya niyo tignan."

Well, Lola Millie's right. Stupid big mouth, foolish laugh and Jeru's annoying smirk, if they weren't having fun there. He couldn't find any word to describe that. They were indeed having fun.

"You look shitty here." Sabi ni Judge habang hawak ang cellpone at nakatayo sa loob ng bus. He didn't even have to look at Jeru because he knew, Jeru's middle finger's up again.

"It was fun right?"

Agad na ibinaba ni Jeru ang cellphone. Ngunit bago iyon mangyari, Judge took a glance at the screen.

"We should do it again," biglang sabi ni Judge. "Well, wala namang mawawala kapag gawin natin diba?"

"No, I have work."

"Kahit weekends?" Giit pa ni Judge.

"Yes, Saturdays and Sundays," sabi ni Jeru na deretso lang ang tingin sa labas ng bintana ng bus.

"Saan? Counter sa RORO ka lang naman—"

"Other jobs."

Napahimas ng buhok si Judge. "Why do you have so many jobs? May pinapakain ka bang pamilya?"

"Yes."

He bit his lip.

Judge meant that to be a humor but when he saw Jeru's cold eyes and stern face, he knew, the humor wasn't successful.

Jeru faced him. "Unlike you, I have to earn to feed myself. Things like this aren't really big deal for you— It's always been like that. Dapat ngayon ay sanay na ako. The things easy for privileged kid like you will always be so hard for deprived inborn like us."

Napayuko siya. It was once crossed his mind that Jeru could be a deep person. That behind those few words he spoke daily was a million thoughts clouding his mind. Jeru's words hits different because maybe it was true.

Was life always easy for him?

"But Lala said she'll pay us."

Ngunit hindi siya liningon ni Jeru at nagpatuloy sa pagbaba sa bus.

He shouldn't said that, right?

Bumaba siya mula sa bus. Nangunot ang noo niya nang makita ang kumpulan sa harap lang ng football field, ngunit bago pa man siya makalapit doon ay hinarang na siya ng ilang mga babae. They're freshmen basing on the patch on their blouses. They left after asking for pictures and giggled all through out the process.

"Ang galing-galing niyo!" Tili ng isang babae at tumakbo paalis.

"Bitch!"

Habang palapit ng palapit si Judge sa kumpulan ay palakas ng palakas din ang sigawan sa paligid. Napasinghap siya nang tuluyang nakarating sa gitna.

"Putangina! I said stop filming me!"

It was Jung. Nanlilisik ang mga mata habang kinkwelyuhan ang isang babae, namumutla na.

"Tulungan niyo!"

"Please! Si Shine!"

Bago pa man makarating ang mga SG police ay kinuha ni Jung ang cellphone ng babae at hinampas sa lupa. Maging ang mga smartphones ng mga estudyanteng nakatutok rito ay nagawa nitong itapon.

"What the hell?" napabulalas siya.

Naguguluhang tinitigan ni Judge si Jung na kinakaladkad ng mga SG police.

What's up with that guy?

Judge's morning started that way. Magulo at maingay. Maya't-maya may mga magpapapicture at babati sakanya. The video's really something. Narinig niyang umabot sa ilang shares at likes ang video'ng iyon. Positive comments and feedbacks.

They must be happy right? But somehow they aren't.

Agad siyang napatigil sa pagbukas ng pinto sa cubicle na pinasokan niya nang marinig ang ingay sa labas.

"Asan na ang assignment ko?" Matigas ang boses na iyon at kasunod lamang non ay ang malakas na kalampag.

"A-austin, I can't just do your assignment forever. N-nahahalata na rin nina maam Sy—"

Napatakip ng bibig si Judge nang marinig ang mga pagsigaw.

"Putanginang palusot 'yan! Gawin mo ang assignment ko. Hindi porket sikat ka dahil sa pesteng video na 'yan, malaya ka na?" ibang boses naman iyon.

"Akala mo magaling ka? Basura ka, 'yan ang tandaan mo."

Dahan-dahang binuksan ni Judge ang pinto, hindi na siya nabigla ng makita si Jon na nakasalampak sa sahig.

"Jon," mahinang tawag niya rito. Ngunit agad itong tumakbo palayo.

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