Hands locked tight

Chai
Bos Coffee, 2006


Chai got in Pinoy Dream Academy, for all the world to see and to hear. This photo was taken about three months ago, when Chai and Russ gave Yen, Liyo, and I the story of Red Brain.

Last night, Liyo did not show up AGAIN, did not send any message AGAIN. For the life of me, once and for all I would love to have the opportunity to jump inside his crazy world and tick off schedule after schedule just so there's a little white box there that spells US.

Yen was busy working over at Tequila Jos, shooting for that band contest. It was also that place that witnessed Chai's gag-show-feel of a surprise, with rest of us conniving with ABSCBN's Manila staff.

Russ and I decided to go to Ayala, snatch Yen away, and watch Chai sing and dance her way out in the open stage fronting the Kapitolyo, mobbed by hundreds, thousands of people; that center of the province suddenly turning into glittering swirls of sweat, lights, cameras, voices... I only wish there were more songs in the varied dialects of the country.

So there we were, back home, back to where almost everything always happened for us, there at the center of night drinks at the mall. My iced chocolate didn't even go half-finished. I was nervous, paranoid, happy, hysterical... all of these put together; but silently, just inside the head...

...from outside of East West, three souls sat looking up a big screen, two girls with hands locked tight, one boy having a headache, perhaps due to the consciousness of all things, surreal and real.