TRACK 2: Hello

[K-Ci's POV]

Nang i-dismiss na kami ni Mr. Lee, dumiretso kami ni JoJo sa basement. Nagpaiwan sina Devante at Dalvin, nakatira kasi sila dito. Pumasok na kaming dalawa ni JoJo sa kotse ni ninong na hiniram ko.

Inilabas ko ang papel mula sa jacket ko, at binasa. H-Town, Dru Hill, SWV, at Jagged Edge. What a coincidence, they have just the same names as the...

Nanlaki muli ang mata ko. I keep remembering them, and that place.

"What's wrong, kuya?" JoJo asked.

And I bet there's no coincidence. Is there? I shook my head. It's just business. Walang personalan. I didn't answer that question. JoJo looked at me suspiciously.

"Parang ang lalim-lalim ng iniisip mo, ano ba talaga? 'Yung totoo?" He asked me again. Should I say it?

"Wala," I coldly answered.

"Please naman, K-Ci! Sabihin mo kung ano talaga yun?" Pagpupumilit ng kapatid ko.

"I won't answer you." But JoJo glared at me. I won't give in to that, he should know his place.

"May bayad ang tingin mo na ganyan." Pero masama pa rin ang tingin ng kapatid ko sa'kin. What does he want to know?

"Kilala mo si Babalu?"

Kanina may mga tinatanong siya sa'kin tapos nag-change topic na agad siya. Ang gulo ni JoJo, honestly!

Sinagot ko ang tanong niya. "Hindi, sino ba siya?"

"Asawa ni Babala? Babala, wina-warning-an na kita!" He was giggling when he said that, at bumalik ang pagiging seryoso niya. Nilapit naman ang mga mata niya sa'kin. "Sabihin mo," pagpapatuloy niya. 

I sighed. Wala na akong choice para sabihin sa inyo ito.

"The rest of the top five thug groups that are afraid of us, they make music too. There, I said it."

Ngumanga si JoJo sa sinabi ko. He closed his mouth afterwards.

"Weh, hindi nga." He raised his eyebrow.

"Oo nga!" I yelled. "Basahin mo pa 'yung papel," sabi ko. Kinuha naman ng kapatid ko ang papel mula sa kamay ko. Pero binalik niya sa'kin. "They're too easy for us. Takot sila sa'min after all."

"What if..." it's the other way around? I wanted to continue. Whatever happens underground doesn't happen in business. "Anong what if?" tanong niya.

"Hindi natin sila kaya."

I was worried to hell! Alam ko naman how the music industry works, kahit mas sikat ka pa kaysa sa iba, they'll grab your hard-earned money and your own work, basically they will steal the credit from you and make it theirs. And no matter what, sasabotahiin ka ng mga kalaban mo. I would rather be independent, but the choices of my members? Hindi ko maiiwasan yun.

"Kayang kaya natin sila, ano ka ba naman Kuya! You just worry too much." Pina-andar na niya ang kotse, sinabi niyang siya ang magda-drive. Eh di ikaw na, kuya JoJo! Napasapo siya nang may napagtanto siya.

"Ibabalik pa natin 'to kay ninong 'di ba? Sino ba kasi yun?" tanong niya sa'kin while driving.

"Si Ninong Gin, hindi mo siya kilala? Hinahanap ka sa'kin noon! Mamaya, puntahan mo. Katabi lang natin siya."

JoJo is just busy driving. I may seem cold and distant to everyone like a lot of people say, pero kahit papaano family oriented ako. I try to keep touch with my extended family, and closest friends.

Ngayon lang ako nakapag-salita nang marami. Maybe because I missed this country so much. I went back here galing Canada, kasi sinamahan namin ang nanay namin sa ospital.

"Well now that we're musicians, what do we want to do first?"

"Malamang, we're going to make music!" JoJo answered. "Kung gusto mo, gumawa na tayo ng kanta. Bukas ang pasahan, sabi ni Mr. Lee," dagdag pa niya. Kinabahan ako doon.

"Wala pa akong nagagawang kanta!" I panicked. JoJo turned on the radio.

"H'wag kang OA!" pinagsabihan ako ng binata. "You have a long day tomorrow. Sleep tight, kuya."

Seryoso siya? Hindi ko kasi alam kung nagjo-joke siya eh. At... anong pinagsasabi niyang OA ako? I'm not OA!! 

'Hello, it's me

I was wondering if I after all these years you'd like to meet

To go over everything,

They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing...'

Hindi ko namamalayang naaantok na pala ako. Bakit kasi ganito ang patutugtugin? Ayan tuloy. Humikab ako, at pumikit.

~

[Devante's POV]

"Thank you, Sisqo." Tinanggap ko ang paper bag sa kanya. Naglalaman ito ng pagkain.

Tumawa si Sisqo at sinabing, "Wala yun, that's what friends do! Is there anything I can't do more than bringing your food for you boys?"

"I wish I could share our food with you, pero baka busy ka ngayon."

"Alright, go ahead. Give it to me bebeh!" Then I gave Sisqo one ordinary hamburger that was supposed to be Dalvin's. Magagalit yun.

"What, no drinks?" Oh, eh di drinks! Binigay ko naman sa kanya ang regular-sized Coke that is supposed to be mine!

'Di bale, may milk tea pa naman ako.

"Oh, are you solved? " I asked.

"I'm still not solved yet... you need to pay me. Marami ka nang utang saking patay-gutom ka!" Sumimangot siya.

Ako pa ngayon ang patay-gutom?

"Soon, babayaran ko utang ko sayo... sa tamang panahon!" Sinabayan ko ito ng tawa. Sisqo scowled.

"Tigilan mo nga ako sa 'Tamang panahon' mo na yan, nood ka nang nood ng AlDub eh!"

"Oh sige na ngang Showtimer ka! Umuwi ka na sa inyo. I'll pay you, I promise!" I raised my pinkie pagkasabi ko nun sa kanya.

"Oh, sige lang. Good luck tomorrow, enjoy your meal, brads!" Then he left for his home right beside us.

Sisqo is our friendliest neighbor ever. Ang yaman nya, syempre! Anak siya ng businessman na si Tito Elvis, na kapitbahay namin sa dati naming tinitirahang subdivision. Talagang malakas ang bond namin. I don't suspect he'd do any harm and that's why I trust him. 

I shut the door of our apartment unit.

I sighed. "Paano 'yan bruh, lugi tayo!"

"Eh, meron pang pasobra dito," Dalvin said while he scanned the content of this paper bag.

Pumapayag naman siyang utangan ko siya... rich kid ang gago eh! Wala ba siyang tiwala sa'kin? I could even pay him right away! And when I say next week, today, or even tomorrow, I mean it.

Hindi ko sasayangin ang pagkakaraming tubo ng trabaho ko by going back and forth to buy these. At sasakay pa ako ng elevator just for this. Masakit sa paa ang umakyat!

"How I with we could thare our foodth with K-Ci and JoJo, ketha naman dalawa lang tayo ang kakain neto..." I said while chewing my sandwich.

Tinawanan ako ni Dalvin. "You're funny when you sound like that." Me, funny? Sadyang bulol ako sa "s", Dalvin knows that.

Oh, jusko! I still have food over my mouth.

I swallowed my food right away and looked at Dalvin who's sipping his Coke float.

"If you want, you can have my Chicken Sandwich." I then offered him.

"That's okay, I'm not hungry though..." Not hungry daw sya? Kanina pa tumutunog yung tiyan niya looking for food, h'wag nga nya akong lokohin.

"What if we all go together... like tayong apat nila Ced at Jo? For a date?" Alok ko kay Dalvin but it looks like he has a different reaction. Mukha kasing lalabas ang eyeballs niya eh.

"Date ka diyan? Dev, mga mag-syota lang ang nagde-date!"

"Ikaw, kahit kailan ka talaga, brad! Puro kalandian lang kasi ang nasa isip mo! Mag-aral ka muna," biro ko kay Dalvin, and it looks like he's serious about it!

"I'm just kidding! A date is for almost everyone today, not only for couples. Deal with it! I'll just text the two." Nginusuan ako ni Dalvin.

And so I headed for the kitchen to brew warm tea, tinext ko naman si K-Ci.

To: K-Ci

Dinner date is on us, let's meet you guys tomorrow.

Sinend ko sa kanya. Naghanda ako ng ice cubes, black pearls, whole milk, at asukal. Ibinuhos ko ang tsaa sa mga baso at sinabay yung iba pang ingredients. That's how much I love my milk tea.

I hope this dinner date we'll solve us. Sa isip isip ko, uminom ako ng milk tea ko. Dalvin jealously looked at me.

"Ano? Ikaw lang may milk tea? What about me?"

Binigay ko sa kanya ang isa pang baso ng milk tea. "Mag-timpla ka kaya ng sarili mo next time."

"Brad nam---" Tinakpan ko ang bibig niya.

I pushed him back to his chair. We just silently drank our tea, and ate our sandwiches. My phone's notification tone broke the silence.

From K-Ci:

I have something to discuss.

Anong something kaya yun? Tungkol ba 'yun sa...

Natigilan ako, may narinig akong bumusina sa labas. Hindi naman ito AlDub ah!

-----------------------------------------------------------

To be continued