15. MUSIC

"MUSIC"

People are having fun in the canteen because Hunter thought of playing Pinoy Henyo. Hunter treats the foods of the winning pair. The player now is Blade and the gay Leah. Questioner Leah and Blade can only answer Yes, No and Maybe. Their magic word is MOSQUITO NET. The time limit is two minutes.

(PINOY HENYO- a game popularized by a noon time show EAT BULAGA. A word will put on the guesser’s forehead. The goal of the game is to correctly guess the word in two minutes.)

"People?" Leah asked.

"No!"

"Things?"

"Yes!"

"Used in the human body?" Leah asked.

"No!"

"Used at home?"

"Yes!"

"Ahm... Seen in the living room?"

"No!"

"Ahm... In the kitchen, Sir?"

"No!" Blade said emphatically.

"In the bathroom?"

"No!"

"In the room?"

"Yes!"

"Blanket, bed, bedsheet, pillow...?"

"NO!"

"Mattress?!"

"No, that's not!"

"Kulambo!"

Blade smiled...

"Of course, Yes and Yes!" he answered enthusiastically.

"English?" Leah asked excitedly.

"Yes!"

"Ahm... Musketero?!" Leah's tongue twitched.

(Musketero-local term for mosquito net)

"Anak na lase, not ah! English!" Blade's confused language.

He is still excited because it looks like he and Leah will win Hunter's game... By chance, he can eat a lot. He just thinks, he is excited. He has imagined himself in front of the table full of food.

"Ala, Sir! What now? What is the english of musketero?!" Leah was confused.

People laughed at what it said. Blade lost his mind and refused to look at Leah. He looked at Hunter and his eyes widened. Its a WARNING. He swallowed and turned his attention back to his companion.

"Ahm... Kulambo... English... Musketero? Ahm..." Leah was mentally blocked due to excessive excitement earlier.

Gradually, the excitement that Blade feels... Disappeared with nervousness. Leah continued to think but what he could see in his brain was black. He was also nervous so he just couldn't think properly. His hands started to get cold and he was sweating profusely...

"The musketero in english is..."

"Is...?" Blade was hanging.

But Leah was silent again. There was a long silence... Everyone was waiting for the answer.

"I know Sir! BAYGON KATOL!"

(Baygon katol-Baygon coils)

"Anak na lase! We're losing! WAAAH!..." Blade said frustrated.

People laughed at Leah's answer. And just like Blade said... They lost because they ran out of time.

Wilbur and Louie was next... Their magic word is OKRA(lady finger). Louie is the one who will answer Yes, No and Maybe... And Wilbur is the guesser... The two started playing and Blade just folded his arms watching.

"Food?" Wilbur asked.

"Yes!"

"Fruit?"

"No!"

"Vegetables?"

"Yes..."

"Long?"

"Yes!" Louie said excitedly.

"Is it slippery?"

"YES!..."

Wilbur thought for a moment...

"Long slippery... Eggplant?!"

"No!"

Blade smiled... These two also look awkward.

"I know, long slippery... Okra!"

"YES!" Louie answered enthusiastically.

The two shouted for joy and Hunter approached them.

"You're great! Because of that, I will treat you a snack. So come on, you two can choose what you want." He greeted the children.

"Thank you Kuya Hunter ah?" Wilbur's happy language.

Blade was indignant at those moments...

"It is so unfair animal! Why is that?! It's just long and slippery and they guess it right away?!" he retorted.

"Why, apart from okra what else do you know that is long slippery ah?" Hunter asked.

People giggled at what they heard.

"Why, of course there is more besides okra!" Blade answered quickly.

"Uy, don't continue that! You are rude!" Mrs. Solano stopped.

Blade looked annoyed at this... 'Here is this old woman again.' He will not hold back.

"The long and slippery apart from okra is..." he hung up on anything to say then laughed.

People giggled and even Hunter laughed as well. His cheek was already red and he was preparing his fists in case the word Blade could say was wrong. The mouth of this one is really brutal eh.

"The long and slippery apart from the okra I know is... He he he he he! Mudfish! Isn't that long and slippery?!" Blade laughed.

Everyone who looked at it was embarrassed. Because both thoughts are wrong. Blade noticed that. People really...

"You ah... The dirt of your brains, clean it up!" Blade yelled at everyone.

"Ehem! Excuse me, our brains are not dirty ah. That was just a mistake." Mr. Pinular inserted.

"Oh really? In that case, what do you first think of when you hear these words... Huh! Big and round?"

Mr. Pinular suddenly blush, it suddenly closed its mouth.

"You bastard, Sir Blade!" Alex's language was unbearable.

"No ah ... The only thing I mean by big and round is the watermelon fruit. It's big and round, isn't it? People, you have a dirty mind." He smiled.

"Hmf! Leave that Blade alone. That one is just sour-grape! Louie, Wilbur... Come on!" Hunter groaned.

Hunter seated the children at an empty table and let them choose the food they want to eat. When they choose the food, he immediately prepared everything. Blade couldn't stand it so he approached the children's table and walked around. He was very jealous... Until he couldn't stand it anymore and...

"Louie, Wilbur... Give me some, please?"

Blade is behind the two and Hunter has finished serving them. Lumpiya, pancit, carbonara and very cold Coke soda.

"HOy, Blade! Get out of there, don't be like a fool wandering around! SHOO!" Said Hunter.

Instead of leaving, Blade approached Hunter and looked carefully...

"Why?" Hunter asked irritably.

"Don't you have a consolation price there?" Blade asked.

"No consolation price. But if you hit the tutong(leftover rice) and soup... It's up to you." Hunter retorted.

"You Hunter! It's mine! Give me the tutong and soup you say! I'm easy to talk to, I am!

Hunter was stunned by what Blade said.

"Are you really going to hit that?!"

"Yes, it's also full of stomach eh... I can still be full. Besides, it's free isn't it? I don't have a problem with soft drinks anymore because I'll just ask Louie and Wilbur. I'll share!"

Annoyed Hunter pinched Blade's left-cheek...

"I have nothing to say! The thickness of your face really! You are starving!"

"A-Ageeeeh! That's enough!" Blade complained.

Hunter had already stopped Blade. The latter caressed his aching cheek.

"Your cruelty really!" he complained to Hunter.

But he just shrugged his shoulders and didn't speak... So...

"All right, I'm hungry. There you are and I'm just going to eat some tutong and soup!" he said goodbye.

After Blade said, he immediately went to the kitchen of the canteen. He opened the pots one by one. He looked at the contents... Those were leftovers at lunch. He smiled. He ate some left over rice that he saw... And his luck because somehow the soup of the remaining pork porridge still has a little flesh.

"Hunter thought ah... I guess this is Blade! I have no grace to miss!"

Sister Lani laughed watching Blade at that moment.

"Oh my, Blade! You look like a cat out there roaming pots!" she added.

"Hungry eh..." Blade just said.

The teachers and students were shocked to see Blade when he came out of the kitchen carrying the tray with a plate full of a mixture of leftover rice and a bowl with only soup of leftover porridge...

He sat at the vacant table near Louie and Wilbur. And just like Blade said, he asked for soft drinks from the two who were willing to give. Hunter was the one who felt ashamed in those moments. He couldn't handle the scene so he went out first.

Meanwhile... Karen and Rane were just going to the canteen at that moment. Because Rane accompanied Karen to buy outside the illustration board for her art project. They found Hunter outside the canteen with his chin up and sighing...

"Hello Kuya Hunter!" they both greeted.

Hunter just smiled at the two.

"Sir Blade?" Karen asked.

"Tsk, there..." was his sparing answer.

"Ahm ... Brother Hunter, Mommy asked if you want to part time on our Grandfather's upcoming birthday. You know, we need a Head Chef because it's a big party." Karen began.

"Hmm ... All right, it's okay. Your Mommy and I will talk about that." Hunter replied.

"Thank you Kuya. It's really easy to talk to you!" Karen's happy language.

"Ahm... Excuse me, I'll leave you because I have to go to Sir Blade." Rane said goodbye.

She did not wait for their answer because the two were busy talking. She entered the canteen and saw Blade eating. She immediately approached it...

"W-What is that?!" Rane asked in shock when he got close.

Blade stopped eating properly and looked at Rane who had just arrived.

"What else? Leftover rice with leftover broth. Hmm... Delicious!" then he eat it.

Rane sat across from Blade.

"Why are you eating that?" she asked.

"It's free... And I'm saving my money. Why?"

Rane sighed before speaking.

"Daddy asks if you know anyone who is good at playing the violin. He wants to surprise our Grandpa this coming birthday. That's what he thought was a gift."

Blade stopped eating and thought. He smiled as he remembered who he knew was good at playing the violin.

"I know someone..." he said with a smile.

"Really? Who?" Rane asked excitedly.

"Corpse! I mean... Drake." Blade answered quickly.

"Oh?!" Rane's language was surprised.

Blade laughed slightly at her reaction.

"Uy, Rane! Don't be like that. Drake just looks like he has no talent but he really has talent. I'm telling you he's good. He can really play that... Hmm... Just the music during the renaissance." Blade added.

Rane smiled... She was really surprised by what she found out.

"Honestly, I just found out about that talent of his. You know, what I'm telling you is our mission in Devil's Music."

"In that case, I will call him." Rane retorted.

She called Drake and the latter readily agreed. This afternoon, he said he will come to school... He will go with Blade and Hunter to their house.

Meanwhile... Drake sighed deeply after he talked to Rane. He woke up to its call and it was not his case to disturb him. As long as it was Rane... He was sitting in his coffin. A few moments later, he got up and went to where the old closet was in his room. He opened it and took off his hanger clothes. He opened the secret container of his closet and exposed the box containing a violin... He stared at that instrument for a long time.

He can no longer remember how long he kept the violin. But he still remembers when he last played it. He did not think he would use it again. He smiled because he remembered something beautiful. But it also quickly wiped away and shed his tears. He grabbed his chest and took a deep breath...