Releasing a breath, I gazed onto the lake in the midst of the park, its greenish color blending perfectly with the greenery of the park around it. A few boats were already afloat in the lake, some by groups and some by pairs - couples on a date probably.

Dinukot ko ang phone mula sa bulsa at binasa ang reply ni Grace. Malapit na daw siya. We agreed to meet here in the park at exactly 9AM. Magna-nine fifteen na eh parating palang siya. I resisted the urge to chuckle. Women.

I returned my gaze upwards, observing the clear blue skies as her words re-echoed in my head. Was she a prophet or something? How could she seem to always know the right words to say? I try to deny it, but the goosebumps I feel whenever she speaks is too evident for denial.

'To some... it happens so that they would learn to draw near to God.'

I took in a breath, my gaze still upward as I thought. Ganon ba 'yon? Did You let that happen to my mother so I could draw near? I felt pain bubble up to my throat. How could You choose such a heart-wrenching method?

Napukaw ang atensiyon ko nang marinig ang boses niya. I turned around, and immediately my gaze was filled with her petite form. A vibrant smile adorned her face, her eyes smiling with it as she did.

Admiration overtook me. It was fascinating to me how she seemed more attractive than any woman I've seen. Her features were surely of a highlander's - undeniably beautiful, but none of it was over the top. It was, however, a mystery how her very presence could light up a room, and I'm very sure that I wasn't the only one noticing that.

"You're fifteen minutes late," I remarked, a shy smile made its way to her lips.

"Hala sorry," Sambit niya, "Wala kasi pinsan ko ngayon kaya pinakain ko muna mga pamangkin ko bago naka-alis ng bahay." Pagpapaliwanag niya.

I nodded in percipience, "Sige, start na tayo?"

Tumango siya at sinundan ako patungo sa damuhan. "Ano nga palang gagamitin nating music?" Tanong niya. "Wala akong speaker eh. Pero malakas speaker ng phone ko!"

Tinignan ko siya, nag-oobserba nang ilabas niya ang phone niya mula sa kaniyang bag. Nangunot ang noo ko. Samsung model pa 'yun since 2014 ah. Napabuntong-hininga ako.

"Okay sige," sagot ko nalang. I lowered my head in thought, confused of the urges that surged my head. Bakit ganito? Strange that I have this sudden desire to make her life somehow... better? I shook my head discreetly. "Pero may copy ka ba ng music?"

Umiling siya, "Hala, 'yon lang! Wala eh, pa'no na?"

"Sige, sandali at i-download ko," I brought out my phone and searched the song title I've read from the GC. Mabuti nalang at sinend ni Shane ang song information ng gagamitin naming music. In less than a minute, the audio file was downloaded to my storage.

"Open mo share-it mo," I instructed, and with this she nodded. I sent the music to her phone and the instant she played it, I stretched my hand towards her.

Reluctantly, she lifted her hand and met mine. Again, I held her carefully - as careful as I can possibly get. Not that I wanted to. God knows how much I wanted to caress her, but everytime I try to, something always seems to catch me off-guard. It was as though I was handling something sacred, and the thought of inappropriately doing so gave me a strange feeling of discomfort. I gazed down her.

"Sigurado ako 'yang kantang 'yan lang ang secular song sa playlist mo 'no?" She lifted her head.

"P-pa'no mo alam?"

"I figured," I replied, remembering the steps in my mind as we danced along, "Pagkatapos ng sinabi mo kahapon tungkol sa boses mo, naisip kong baka pati sa mga pinapakinggan mo ganon din."

"Ohh," She mused as she nodded, "Oo, tama ka. I stopped listening to worldly songs."

"Care explaining that, as well?" I immediately spotted the wonder in her eyes. I can't blame her. I was the 'God does not exist' guy. Surely it was strange for her to hear me ask such questions. Believe me, even I was shocked by my own curiosity.

"Uh," She breathed, "Ganito kasi ang reason behind n'yan. According to Jesus inJohn 6:63; words are spirit. And we know very well that songs are mainly composed of words. So they are basically declarations, only that these declarations are expressed musically. This implies a difficult truth that a lot of people find hard to swallow. It's this - the types of songs that one listens will inevitably have an effect on their spiritual life."

Nangunot ang noo ko. So what if one listens to songs that are not Christian? Does it make them evil per-se?

"I don't understand," Kumento ko. Tumigil siya sa pagsayaw at tumingin sa'kin ng maigi.

"I think a scientific explanation will help you,"

"More than you think," I nodded in agreement.

"Okay, it's a scientifically proven fact that the two lobes of the brain have different functions right?"

Tumango ako.

"The left brain is mainly for logic, reason, analysis et cetera, while the right brain is for dreams, aspirations, belief systems, passions - all those emotionally related things."

Once again I nodded, knowing that what she was saying were proven facts.

"Don't you know na kapag nakikinig ang isang tao sa music, right after about sixty seconds, the left brain processes all shut down? So... gone are all the logic, the reasoning and all that stuff! And it all gets dumped in the right brain area where the dreams, aspirations, and belief systems are."

Yumuko ako at napa-isip. If that was the case, then that would affect greatly affect how one lives his or her life. I released a breath. I think I know where this is going.

"Just imagine if one listens to lustful love songs all day, or when one listens to rock songs for how many hours per week?" She paused and spoke again, "Sa isang Kristiyano na gustong magkaroon ng isip na katulad ni Hesus, sa isang Kristiyanong gustong maging Christ-like, don't you think listening to all that song content, sung in a sensual or soulish way, will have grave effects on the person's pursuit?"

My gaze remained lowered as I listened to her explanation. I didn't know science could go this well with biblical principles. And if in such simple things she was able to draw the connections, how much more fascinating if I found out more on bigger issues. Tumango nalang ako, gazing at her as I comprehended her words. She could very well be a Bible teacher right now. And never had I been with a bible teacher as attractive as her.

She smiled and then took hold of my hand, the gesture caught me off-guard. "Tuloy na natin, naka second round na 'yong song eh,"

I lifted her hand and began to lead her through the steps, again refreshing each one as we did. "So anong idadagdag nating choreo? May alam ka ba?" Immediately, I regretted the question. What were you thinking Gabriel?

"Sus!" Natatawa niyang sabi, "Ako pa talaga tinanong mo?" She grinned. "Mag-youtube nalang tayo, may load ka naman eh," tumigil siya sa pagsayaw.

"Okay." Naglakad kami patungo sa benches at umupo. Agad ko namang inilabas ang phone mula sa bulsa. We watched videos for about half an hour, at nang nakapili na siya ng mga steps, agad ko narin itong isinaulo. Take note; siya ang pumili ng steps. And it wasn't a surprise to me that she chose the most conservative ones. I smiled in amusement. I let her be, at least nga at mas madadali ang mga napili niya.

Tumayo kami at muling nagpractice, isa-isang ginagaya ang nasa video para ma-master ang mga ito. It was a good thing she follows very well, kapag nagkakamali siya agad rin siyang nakaka-sunod. It wasn't very long when we began to notice the people gathering around us momentarily, their eyes in observance as though watching a performance.

"Uh," narinig kong bulong niya, "Anong meron? Ba't bigla yatang rumami ang tao dito?" she mused.

"'Di ko rin alam eh," I shrugged and looked over the phone again to see the steps, "Hayaan mo na. Aalis din ang mga 'yan."

I heard her release a breath, her gaze downcast as we danced. Grabeng titig nito sa mga paa namin ah. "Mag-chin up ka," suhestiyon ko.

"K-kailangan ba?"

"Isipin mo naman, alangang ganyan ka magpeperform sa Monday." I tilted my head down at her, "Kasama sa rubrics ang posture, hindi ba?"

I watched as she slowly lifted her head, meeting my gaze as she did. Once more brown eyes filled my perception - much better.

Pagkatapos ng ilang oras, na-master na rin namin ang sayaw at bumalik sa bench upang magpahinga. Sakto namang may dumaang nagbebenta ng ice cream. I knew instantly by the look in her eyes how she craved for it, kaya kusa ko nang tinawag ang vendor at bumili. Tuwang-tuwa naman ito nang maibigay ang pagkain.

"Wah, ice cream!" Bigkas niya, a wide smile upon her face as she licked the pastel pink cream. I smiled in amusement. "Alam mo, ito palagi ang kinakain naming magkakapatid kapag bumibisita kami sa Lagawe. Sobrang init do'n kaya dagdag sarap kapag kumakain kami nito," kwento niya.

"Ah, ganon ba. Ilan ulit kayong magkakapatid?"

"Apat kaming lahat, ako lang ang babae. Boys lahat ng mga kapatid ko," bumuntong-hininga siya, "Miss na miss ko na sila, lalo si Mama." Rinig sa boses niya ang pagkalungkot. Mahirap nga talaga ang mailayo sa pamilya. Inilipat niya ang tingin sa'kin.

"Ikaw? Sa'n ang Mama mo? Si Father mo lang ang nakita ko no'ng first PTA meeting eh."

Lumipas ang ilang segundo bago ko siya nasagot. Nanatili sa'kin ang mga mata niya. "Namatay siya limang taon na ang nakalipas. Cancer."

A silent gasp escaped her lips, her eyes upon me in sympathy. "Hala, sorry for that." She uttered, her voice low. Tumango nalang ako. Ano namang sasabihin ko? After five years, I've gotten used to it.

My thoughts were altered as I heard my phone ring. Agad ko itong inilabas at nabasa ang salitang 'Pa' sa screen. I swiped the screen in haste. Anong meron? Ngayon lang 'to tumawag ah.

"Oh?"

"Nasaan ka?" Tanong niya.

"Nandito ako sa burnham, bakit?"

"Pumunta ka dito sa BGH, ngayon na. Nandito kapatid mo, nabangga siya ng jeep kanina."

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*Pictures attached are actual images of the chapter's setting.