Unique

The blinding lights illuminating the stage hurt his eyes, as his ruffled hair blocks the view of the roaring, jubilant crowd. In the midst of the noise, the feedback from his guitar, and the deafening cheers and jeers of the audience, he feels uncomfortably out of place. He has been in this exact same position hundreds of times before, why was he feeling this way?

Ignoring the evident conflict in his heart, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he locks in. Looking at his bassist to his left and his lead guitarist to his right, his friends, he smiles and takes a deep breath. "1..2..3!", as his drummer starts off the beat to their most popular and captivating song.

He can see the joy in the crowd, as people sway side to side holding their loved ones in their arms, nodding their head to the incredibly catchy guitar riff. 

Sa'an Darating 

Ang Manga Salita

He does not waver as he continues the love song resonating within his heart, making its way to the annals of his voice and to the hearts of every single person within the crowd. 

He had written this song to the love of his life. His everything, his tadhana, his mundo. Wherever she was in the world, he knew that he would not forget her. And that this song most especially would be a reminder of the short time they had spent together.

Akin Sinta 

Ikaw Na Ang Tahanan at Mundo 

He still remembers that day, walking the streets of Manila, the sound of passing cars and children running around with no care in the world. As the sun set and as the streetlights came to life, they walked and strolled for what seemed like an eternity - as if they were the only people in the entire universe. It was at this moment that he realized, his world no longer revolved around the things he had in his life. His family, his friends, his music, himself. It revolved solely around this girl with the auburn eyes that pierced his heart, leaving it wondering where she had been all this time. Her smile that painted the world in bright, radiant colours. It seems that he was meant to gravitate around this girl just as the moon gravitates around the Earth; they both need each other. 

He was stuck and he couldn't let go. He started to believe that maybe it wasn't a bad thing after all.

As the guitar solo chimes in, he is brought back to present day. He searches the crowd for her face, hoping that maybe this time, she is there. But like every other night, she is nowhere to be found. So he lets his emotions loose, rocking his head back and forth erratically to the beat of the song. Losing himself in the series of notes, slides, riffs played by his incredible friend on the electric guitar. Closing his eyes he sees her smile, he hears her laugh, his soul is caressed by the simple thought (and dream) of her being somewhere in the crowd. A fantasy that he still holds onto today. Singing the chorus one more time, he unhinges and wails his song to the crowd, hoping to reach her someway, somehow. His true self comes out in the form of his art, his song, his words. 

His world is still her and it always will be. Distance and time play no role in hindering his adoration and care for this girl whom he was constantly pulled towards. Even if he didn't know where she was, he knew his song would proclaim his story to those in the crowd. The hopeful and innocent souls seeking their world, their mundo. 

Limutin Na Ang Mundo

Nang Mag Kasama Tayo 

Sunod Sa Bawat Galaw 

Hindi Na Ma Liligaw 

Forget the world when we are together, follow my every move and you won't be lost. She may not know it but he was still following her. Trailing the path that they had treaded on for so long, hoping one day it would lead back to her again. But he knew in his heart that it would. It would always find its way back to the sound of her voice, the beauty of her smile, the warmth of her chuckle and the park bench they had sat on that day.

Watching the children play, greeting dogs as they passed by and waving to cute babies on the track. It was during the moments of silence that he felt her presence, her gravity pulling him closer to her heart. The place where he realized that his world wasn't in the things he accomplished or did. His world wasn't it in his pride and selfishness. 

His world was sitting right next to him. 

And with the final chord of his love song to the crowd, he lifts his head. Scanning the audience with melancholic, drowsy eyes something captures his attention. A girl wearing a blue, floral dress and a brown cardigan, standing in the midst of the crowd. And as their eyes meet - the whole world falls away and is replaced with a new scene. 

Two souls sitting on a park bench, silently but peacefully. 

Certain that the world has never felt so close.

Mundo'y magiging ikaw