#NewClassicRTMC

Chapter 24
Cycle

"Thank you so much for taking care of her, Sir Joel." Ike stood beside me and faced our manager. He slipped the strap of my guitar case on his shoulder.

It was already almost eight in the evening. After he was done with his schedule and work for the day, he quickly came back to Top Star and picked me up. He was relieved to see that Mr. Joel was still guarding me when he arrived.

"No problem. I'm also Aleena's manager. You don't really have to thank me," sabi na lang sa kanya ni Mr. Joel bago ito sumulyap nang mabilis sa akin. "Anyway, mauna na ako sa inyong dalawa. May dadaanan pa ako sa opisina ko sa taas. Be careful on the road, okay?"

"Don't worry. I'll be alert," Ike firmly said.

Sumabay na kami kay Mr. Joel sa paglabas ng studio. We took the lift and went down to the basement where Ike parked his extravagant car.

Like always, Ike opened the shot gun door for me. He even used his hand to cover the metal arc and shield me from bumping my head while I slid in.

Tahimik kong inayos ang aking sarili at sinuot ang seat belt habang umikot si Ike sa harap upang pumasok sa driver's seat. Wala siyang inaksayang oras at agad binuhay ang makina ng sasakyan. Mabilis din kaming umarangkada papalabas ng parking.

Ike's eyes were fixed on the road. He kept silent. I played with my fingers as I contemplated whether I should ask him about what Willow told me. However, I was scared if I interrogate him, he might think that I didn't trust him enough, and I didn't want that.

Kaya nga lang ay hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko. I was really bothered even though I had already made a decision to trust him. I was still looking for an assurance. I needed his words. I wanted to make sure that my efforts wouldn't be wasted.

"Ike..." I hesitantly called his name, my voice soft and quiet.

Since he was driving, he just gave me a quick glance. "Yes?" he replied. "May gusto ka bang daanan bago umuwi?"

Mabilis akong umiling. "Hindi, uhm, gusto ko lang itanong..." Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi sa pagdadalawang-isip. "May hindi ka ba sinasabi sa akin?"

Pagkatanong ko ay saktong tumigil ang sasakyan nang magpula ang traffic light. Nilingon ako ni Ike nang maayos. For a fleeting moment, he seemed a bit taken aback, but then his brows furrowed.

"Of course, not," he answered, looking skeptical. "Did something happen earlier when I wasn't around?"

Napalunok ako at pinilit ang sariling ngumiti bago umiling. "Nothing," agap ko. "Naisip ko lang na baka may problema ka at gusto mong sabihin sa akin. Medyo tahimik ka kasi."

His shoulders relaxed as I explained myself. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm doing fine," he assured me. "Just focus on the competition. I'll do the rest."

While nodding my head, I pursed my lips tightly. Hindi na lang ako nagsalita ulit dahil baka makaramdam na siya.

"By the way, have you made progress with your song?" he popped a question so casually.

"Yes. Tapos ko na ang kanta."

A smile automatically spread on his face when he heard a pleasing answer. "Great! I can't wait to hear it!" he excitedly replied. "I'm sure everyone would love the song you've written. We can visit the studio again tomorrow. I'll see if there are still some changes or if there are parts we still need to work on."

"Hmm, sige."

"We will also meet Mrs. Molina and the new performance director I got you," he told me. "You just have to tell them the theme that you want. Sila na ang bahala sa lahat. They're known to be very efficient and they both have a great team. Even though we're pressed for time, they can give you great results."

Tuluyan nang sumilay ang ngiti sa aking labi at tumango sa kanya.

His passionate eyes told me he meant every word he said. Seeing how he was very eager to help me with my song and my performance, I was more convinced that Willow was just spitting lies. May naiisip akong mga dahilan kung bakit niya ginawa 'yon, ngunit hindi ko nga lang sigurado. Maybe she wanted to make me feel threatened and lose my focus on the competition. She was trying to divert my attention.

Looking back, she successfully did that. I was just lucky I recovered right away.

Wala sa sarili akong tumango-tango. I was proud of myself that I didn't lose hope. I was relieved that I wasn't wrong for putting my faith in Ike.

That's right. Just trust Ike, Aleena.

My mood improved right away after having a conversation with him. Inabala ko na ulit ang sarili ko sa kantang sinusulat. I already finished the whole song but I still did some last touches.

Naging busy kami kinabukasan ni Ike. We were cooped up inside their private studio at Top Star Records. Lumabas lang kami nang dumating na sina Mrs. Molina at ang performance director para pag-usapan ang tungkol sa magiging performance ko sa finals. They just asked me about the theme of my song, and they already came up with various ideas.

The preparation for the finals went flawless. Three days before the live broadcast, the rehearsal for the soundcheck took place. All finalists were just wearing casual clothes since it would just be quick. Pagkatapos ng turn mo ay puwede ka nang umalis.

Hawak-hawak ang aking gitara, lumapit ako sa may stage dahil ako na ang susunod. I told Ike I would like to do everything live so we didn't make any instrumentals. We also didn't prepare any backing track. It would just be me and my guitar. It'd be pure live.

"Are you ready?" Lumapit sa akin si Ike. "You're next."

Nakangiti akong tumango sa kanya. Nang nilingon ko ang entablado ay nagulat ako sa nakita.

Willow was already standing on the stage when it was supposed to be my turn. The staffs placed a grand piano in the middle of the stage.

"Why is she there?" I heard Ike whisper, like he was also confused about the situation.

From the draw lots, I was supposed to perform second while she would be last. I had no idea why it was suddenly her turn. We didn't receive any notice.

Naagaw ng isang staff na tumatakbo palapit sa amin ang aking pansin. She looked so troubled and stressed.

"What's happening?" Hindi pa siya nakakapagsalita nang nakalapit sa amin ay agad nang nagtanong si Ike. "Bakit biglang si Willow na? Hindi ba dapat ay si Aleena pa lang?"

"Pasensya na po, Sir Ike." Hinihingal ang babae habang nagpapaliwanag. "Nagkaroon po ng last minute changes sa order."

"How come I wasn't informed? I'm her mentor!"

The veins in Ike's neck were already protruding. I felt his frustration. It was very rare to see him angry because he has always been patient, but it seemed like he already had enough.

Mas lalong kinabahan ang staff. Her lips were trembling that I stepped in between them. Marahan kong hinawakan ang braso ng babae. Her gaze shifted to me. Even her eyes were shaking.

I gave her a comforting smile. "Thank you for informing us," I said. "I'll just wait for my turn. Puwede ka nang bumalik sa trabaho mo."

Kabado pa rin ang babae nang ngumiti ito sa akin. Sinulyapan niya si Ike upang magpaalam at humingi ulit ng paumanhin bago tuluyang umalis.

"Ike..." I craned my neck to look at him.

He took a deep breath as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, I lost my cool..." he apologized. "I'll just try to talk to the production team. Soundcheck pa lang naman."

Umiling ako at ngumiti upang ipakita sa kanya na ayos lang sa akin. "Huwag na," pigil ko. "Ayos lang naman sa akin kung una siyang magperform. Baka naisip lang din nilang ayos lang na pagpalitin kami dahil parehas ka naming mentor."

His eyes narrowed and his tone went back to normal. "Are you sure?"

I smiled wider when he finally calmed down. "Yup."

His lips curved upwards as he nodded. "If that's the case, then no problem," he said. "I'll head in front to see Willow's performance."

Tumango ako ulit at hinayaan siyang maglakad papalapit sa stage. Nang makita siya ni Willow ay agad itong kumaway sa kanya. She was just waiting for him before she sat on the piano bench. Her sweet expression changed right away as she stared at the piano keys in front of her.

Napanguso ako habang pinapanood siyang naghahanda. She always mocked me for writing a melancholic song and doing emotional performances, but it seemed like she also prepared a sad song because of the piano.

I didn't ask Ike about Willow's song when we were together. And these past few days, Ike was always with me. Kahit nasa Top Star lamang kami ay hindi niya pinupuntahan si Willow.

Umiling na lang ako at naisip na huwag nang problemahin iyon. Nagsimula na akong maglakad pabalik sa backstage dahil magkakaroon pa ng lunch break bago ang second batch ng mga performances. Kaya nga lang ay hindi pa ako tuluyang nakakapasok sa dressing room ay napatigil ako sa paglalakad.

The piano started playing a melody which is very familiar to me. There were a little changes made, but the heart of the song or the main melody was still incorporated. It was like revamped version of the song I wrote for the finals—the song I had written for my mother.

Pagdating ko sa langit,
Ika'y hahanapin upang makitang muli
At balang araw,
Ang hiling ay makasamang muli
Ika'y aking yayakapin at yayakapin nang mahigpit

The moment I heard Willow's voice, singing my song, my mind went blank and my heart felt numb.

I was feeling lost. It was like someone put a blindfold on me to cover my eyes. And once I took it off, I was in the middle of the vast, open sea. The blue sky turned gray with thick clouds, carrying a heavy precipitation. It started to rain hard. The waves got bigger and harsher that could swallow the boat I was on. I felt hopeless. There was nothing I could hold on to until a warm, calloused hand reached out to me and held mine.

"Let's go, Aleena!"

I was pulled back into the harsh reality. Hatak-hatak ako ni Ike at dire-diretso ang paglalakad namin palabas ng arena mula sa backstage at dressing room. Hinayaan ko lang siyang dalhin ako kung saan dahil hindi ko na rin alam kung ano ang gagawin ko.

I could only see Ike's broad back from behind. Hindi ko makita kung ano ang kanyang reaksyon. However, his tight grip on my hand gave me a hint.

Mabilis akong ipinasok ni Ike sa kanyang sasakyan. Siya na mismo ang nagsuot ng aking seat belt dahil tulala pa rin ako sa nangyari.

I caught his dark expression when he leaned closer to me. His eyes were like a fire pit. His jaw clenched repeatedly. He was breathing heavily as he tried his best to hold back his anger.

Everything happened so fast. Nagulat na lamang ako nang nakarating kami pabalik sa tower. Ike's moves were fast and precise when he helped me out of the car. It felt like I lost my consciousness even when I was wide awake. I couldn't care less about my surroundings because the intense emotions inside were taking over me.

Once we were inside the unit, silence filled the room. I remained standing in front of the door. I was staring blankly at the carpet when Ike filled my view with his concerned expression. Nawala na ang dilim sa kanyang mukha.

His gentle gaze triggered my emotions. Unti-unting nag-init ang gilid ng aking mga mata at namuo ang luha sa loob nito. I didn't know why but seeing him felt like my heart was pricked with thousand needles. I didn't know why it hurt more.

"I-it's my song..." I croaked, my voice was hoarse, and tears finally rolled down my cheeks. "It's the song I made for my m-mot—"

Ike didn't let me finish my words. He quickly pulled me into a tight embrace like he was trying to shield me from anything that could hurt me. However, he was already too late. The pain had reigned in my heart. It would be hard to bring it down from its throne.

"I know, I know..." His voice was calm as he caressed my back.

The song Willow stole from me isn't just any song. It's a song I wrote for my mother. It's a song dedicated to her. It's the song where I poured all my longing and promises to her.

It means a lot to me, but she stained the song with her wicked ways. Pakiramdam ko ay hindi lang ako ang ginawan niya nang masama kung hindi pati na rin ang aking ina. I was hurt and angry because it felt like she also disrespected my mother by doing such thing.

I wondered why nothing ever went right in my life. Just when I was super close into reaching my dreams, in the blink of an eye, I was pulled back to the ground. Lagi na lang ganoon. Lagi akong umaasa at pinapaasa.

My life is a never-ending cycle of me hoping and getting hurt.

"I'll fix this, Aleena. I promise you that," he said while his arms locked me tighter. "I'll go to Top Star and speak with the management to deal with this."

His words were very promising but none of it gave me comfort. Even being wrapped in his arms felt cold. Hindi ko na naramdaman ang init na nadama ko mula sa kanyang kamay.

Bumalik sa akin ang mga sinabi ni Willow. What if she is really telling the truth?

"I got you," he whispered softly. "You have me."

Should I still really trust you?

"Just trust me," he firmly said like he heard the voice inside my head.