CHAPTER 25

"Okay, so here are the rules." Said Mr. Balmeo as he handed several ticket booklets to Robert and Angela, "All contestants receive a minimum of 100 booklets, each booklet containing 10 tickets worth 50 pesos each."

"What?!" retorted Robert, "That's a total of 50,000 pesos! Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?!"

"That's where your friends and sponsors come in." said the teacher.

"See?" said Angela, "I told you it's just a popularity contest."

"Don't worry, you can give some to your classmates." said the teacher.

"Ugh..." moaned the class.

"Remember class, the triumph of one of your classmates is the triumph of the whole class!" said Mr. Balmeo proudly as he handed out the tickets. "And our main goal.." he continued, "Is to win EVERYTHING!!!"

Robert looked at the booklets he still held and gave another sigh. It was good that most of his classmates offered to help him (most of them girls), but he still had more than 40 booklets left to sell.

"What's with the long face?" asked Angela beside him.

"I've still got all these booklets to get rid of..." said Robert, "How am I supposed to do that...?"

"Hey, cheer up!" said Angela, "You'll figure something out."

Robert looked at Angela. She was walking ahead of him now, her arms swinging to and fro as they walked towards the school gate.

"Easy for you to say," he called after her, "our classmates took all your tickets!" he was about to follow her when someone called him from behind.

"Hey Obet." it was Carlito.

"Ei..." replied Robert still scowling.

"Something wrong?" he asked

"Nothing... just these tickets..."

"Ah, that's right, we did say we'd buy from each other, remember?"

"Ah... but I..."

"Here are my tickets," said Carlito reaching into his bag, "So, how many would you like?"

Robert dug his hand and pulled out a crumpled 50 and 20-peso bill. "Sorry, Carlito, this is all I have..." he said with sigh.

"That will do..." said the other. He took the 50 peso bill and gave Robert a ticket.. "So, where are your tickets?" he asked with a smile.

"Here..." said Robert, raising the plastic bag with the booklets in it, "I've still got about 40 booklets here..."

"Is that so?" said the other, "Let me have 4 then..." With that, Carlito took four booklets and dropped them in his bag.

"Eh?" said Robert, a little surprised, "What are you doing?"

"Taking 4 booklets." said the other still smiling. "Here's the payment..." he took out two 1000 peso bills from his wallet and handed it to Robert.

"Eh? Eh?" said Robert, a little confused, "Why that many! I only took one ticket from you!"

"It's okay, my mother would buy the rest of my tickets anyway." the other replied.

"But..."

"It's okay, really," Carlito assured him, "You hardly know enough people in campus, it would be hard to sell that many tickets..."

Robert looked at the smiling boy in front of him and grinned.

"Man, you're a real life saver, you know!" he told the boy, "I was starting to worry 'bout how I'm supposed to sell all those tickets!" the boy before him smiled even more, his face blushing.

"I'm glad to be of any help." he said.

"O—be—t!" called Mona as she jumped Robert from behind, her plump breast pressed on Robert's back, "How about buying some tickets from me?" she cooed.

"Hey, let go!" said Robert turning red.

"Oh, c'mon, no need to be so polite," she said, hugging Robert tighter, "I don't mind..."

"Mona, let him go, can't you see Obet's distressed?" said Carlito.

"Oh, shut up, we're just having a little fun!" replied Mona.

"So, Obet..." said someone, "should I go on without you?"

"Ange!" cried Robert alarmed, "Wait...!"

"Go on, we don't need you here." said Mona, placing a hand over Robert's mouth.

"I was asking Obet, Mona." said Angela, walking towards them. "Now, would you mind letting him go?"

"Why don't you make me?" replied the other.

Angela went closer and stared Mona in the eye, then she suddenly grabbed hold of her hand and twisted it away from Robert's mouth.

"Owowowowowow! You barbarian!" cried Mona. "How could you do such a thing to my supple hands!"

"Ange!" said Robert pulling free, "tha-"

'PAK'

"Ah! Obet!" cried Carlito.

"Ow! What was that for?!" cried Robert rubbing his cheek.

"Let's go." Angela simply said.

"Bye Carlito! Thanks again!" he called to the dumbfounded boy.

Carlito watched Angela hit Robert once more as they left, "She's... scary..." he thought.

"But she came at me from behind!" said Robert, trying to explain.

"And it looks like you were quite enjoying it, weren't you?"

"Who would enjoy such a thing? That girl gives me goose bumps!"

"Is that why your face turned all red?"

"C'mon, why don't you believe me, besides, it's no big deal anyway..."

"If it's no big deal, then why don't you just go back to her?!" said Angela. She tried to aim another slap at Robert, but he was able to dodge it this time.

"Hey, that hurts you know." he said flatly. Angela looked at him and turned around.

"Why do men have to be such perverts..." she mumbled as she walked.

"What is it to you anyway..." Robert mumbled back. Angela glared at him. He was holding his hanky, a frown in his face. "It's not like you're my... girlfriend or any..."

Robert rubbed his face, his voice trailing off. When he put the hanky down, he saw Angela. She was staring at him wide-eyed. Robert braced himself for another slap, but it never came. Angela slowly turned around and walked ahead of him.

"Um... Angela?" Robert called to her after a while of silence.

"Sorry, I shouldn't butt into your business" said she.

"Really," said Robert, "I should thank you for helping me out back there..." he looked at Angela. She had her back against him. "So, um... about the practice?"

"The others aren't coming anyway..." she replied.

"No, our violin class..."

"I don't feel up to it right now... besides, my father's still at home."

"So, tomorrow then?"

"Bye."

Angela ran the rest of the way, never looking back. Robert watched till she entered their gate before heading home himself. Inside her room, Angela threw her bags on the floor and jumped into her bed. Her eyes shut tight, she tried hard to stop the tears, but they kept flowing down her cheeks in torrents.

"Why..." she asked between sobs. "Why did it hurt so much?" she tried to wipe the tears away, but they still kept flowing. "Why does it hurt much more than the first time...?"

Robert was changing his clothes when the phone rang. He hurriedly put on a shirt and answered it.

"Hello? Obet?" said the receiver

"Hey, Tony, what's up?" he replied.

"Just checking out on you guys," said Tony, "Are you still practicing?"

"Nah, Angela decided to put it off."

"Huh? I thought she said she wanted to show you this new piece she's been practicing?"

"What piece?"

"Well, Mia told me that Angela found a new song and wanted to use it instead of the other one, didn't she tell you?"

"No... She said the others couldn't make it anyways..."

"Yeah, Bern's out on a date and Mia asked me to accompany her to the mall... Anyway, did you know that your picture's gone? Someone probably stole it again..."

"Yeah, Bern told me...." a short pause, "Say Tony, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Well, you see, Angela's been real moody lately, and since you've known her long enough..."

"Why? What seems to be the problem?"

"It seems like she'd been ignoring me ever since we started practicing, I mean, she keeps snubbing me and hardly talks to me when we're alone together..."

"U-hum..."

"And there's this time when she wouldn't even face me... and when I ask her what the problem is, she just ignores me completely! I know it doesn't show when we're all together, but when the practice is over..."

"Robert." interrupted Tony, "Wanna know something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Whenever you play the violin, she's always looking at you."

"Eh? So?" Tony was silent.

"Did you know?" he said instead, "Way back in 5th grade when I first became classmates with her, some of our classmates nominated her as the class muse. She refused."

"Why?"

"She said 'I'm not pretty enough'."

Robert stared at the empty air in front of him, thinking.

"Not pretty enough? Doesn't she know how pretty she really is?"

"Mia said that Angela never showed up in the past contests because she didn't want to win just because she sold the must number of tickets. She said winning that way meant nothing at all. But don't you notice something, Robert? She's really training real hard for the talent portion. It seems like she's serious this time."

"Yeah, she really is trying her best... I guess she really hates that Mona..." Robert heard Tony sigh. "We bumped into her earlier, Angela looked real mad..."

"Why? What happened?" Tony asked with interest.

"Well, she was flirting with me when..." Robert froze.

"When?"

"Nothing..." he said, "Hey, I just remembered something, I'll see you tomorrow 'kay? "

"Okay, bye!"

Robert put down the receiver and frowned while rubbing his chin.

"She got angry when Mona flirted with me... could it be...?"

"Hello?" said Ria as she answered the phone.

"Hello? Can I please speak with Angela?"

"Hey, Obet? Is that you?"

"Yes, ate Ria?"

"Heeey! How come you didn't come over today? Aren't you gonna teach Ghe violin today?"

"Oh, she told me she wasn't feeling up to it..."

"Really? And after all the trouble she had to get that piece from Dad..."

"A piece?"

"Yup, Daddy caught her in his room rummaging in his drawer. They got into an argument, but Ghe refused to return it, in the end, Daddy just decided to leave early for his flight to Canada... He's got another case there you know..."

"Is that so... Can I talk to her please?"

"Sure!"

Ria took the phone and went up the stairs to her sister's room, knocking twice.

"Angela, Obet's on the phone!"

"I'm asleep." came the reply.

"Who's that?" asked Pia, coming out of the room next door.

"Obet..." said Ria.

"Here, let me have that... Hello? Obet?"

"Hello?"

"This is Pia, my sister's a little busy right now, why don't you just come over?"

Robert took the violin and passed his mother's room. She was still sleeping.

"Mom, I'm going next door..." he said softly.

"Uhmmm... snow globe..." she mumbled back, pointing at her dresser where a small globe with an angel in the middle sat.

"Okay..." he said, picking the globe up, "I'll tell her hi for you."

With that, Robert left the house and went next door. The gate was already opened when he arrived, and the twins were standing in front of it waiting for him.

"Come in! Come in!" said Pia, taking him by the hand while Ria gently pushed him from behind.

"Angela's waiting for you upstairs." said Pia.

"Yes, she told us to let you in." said Ria.

"Come this way, we'll take you to her room..."

"Wait... um.... is it okay to..." said a confused Robert.

"It's okay! It's Okay!" said the two in unison as they climbed the stairs.

"She's just fixing something in her room..." said Pia.

"We'll give you some privacy!" said Ria.

"I don't think..." Robert tried to say, but by that time, they were already in front of a Door with a cardboard angel hanging in front of it, the word 'Angela' written in the middle.

"It's okay, really!" said the two, "Now in you go!"

Robert didn't have time to react. Pia opened the door and pushed him in, the door slamming behind him. Robert looked back and tried the door, but it was locked at the outside.

"I said I was sleeping!" mumbled Angela from behind. Robert froze. He tried the door again, but it was still locked. Slowly, he turned around to face Angela. She was lying face down on the bed.

"Um..." he said hesitantly. "Angela?" Angela tensed and turned around. Her red eyed round with shock. Her jaw fell as she stared at Robert, speechless. "Y-your sisters let me in..."

Before Robert knew it, a pillow was suddenly flying at his direction.

"What are you doing here?!" she yelled.

"I told you..." he tried to explain, "your sisters..."

"Get out!" another pillow flew.

"I can't... the door..." said Robert, dodging a stuffed bear. Angela bolted out of bed and tried the door knob, but it wouldn't turn.

"Ria! Pia! Open the door this instant!!!" she yelled to her sisters. "Pia!!!"

"Sister, not so loud!" said a voice outside, "The neighbors might call the cops on us again!"

"Just open the door!" yelled Angela turning red with rage.

"Not until we hear that piece you took from Daddy this morning." said a firmer voice, probably Pia.

"I said open up!"

"No. We went through all the trouble hiding your violin lessons from Dad, you should at least let us have some fun!"

"Yeah, I really want to hear that song again... Please Robert? Can you play it for us?"

Silence. Robert didn't know what to say. He looked at Angela, her eyes cast down, fists shaking.

"Let me see this piece..." he finally said. Angela looked at him teary-eyed, "Tony told me about it too, you know." he continued, "Why didn't you tell me you found a new song?"

Angela was silent. She looked away and went to her dresser where she took something from the bottom drawer. It was an old Manila envelop. Inside, she took out several music sheets. The notes were hand written, the paper yellowed, and on top, were the words 'Angelus'.

"It's not a song..." Angela finally said, handing him the piece. "It's a violin duet." Robert took the sheets from Angela. "I want to play this piece with you." said she.

Robert examined the piece. The fine hand in black ink wrote several notes on the side of the sheet music. There were words like 'I feel lucky today' and 'for my little Angelo' scribbled on the side with a list of other names, all of which, were male. He then looked at the composition itself.

"This is good..." he whispered, flipping to the next page, "Did your father do this?"

"Yes, he composed it while my mother was pregnant with me. They used to play it together." explained Angela in a low voice, "He planned to play the solo part when I was born... He wanted so much to have a son..."

Robert didn't reply. Instead, he took the violin out and spread the notes on Angela's study table. "It may not sound as good, but..."

The bow touched the string. A serious look in his eyes as he read the notes. The room was filled with an unearthly tune, so soft it makes you quiver. The violin was crying. Crying with joy and thanks giving.

Robert trembled as he played, the music going faster. It was as if he was floating in mid air. He wanted to close his eyes to grasp the feeling more, but he had to read the notes. After the second part, he stopped. Gasping, he looked at Angela and handed her the violin. She was staring at him, her blurry eyes wide.

"Why did you stop?" the twins called from outside.

"You wanted Angela to play it right?" said Robert. He was still handing the violin over to Angela, but the other didn't budge.

"But you play much better than her..." said the two.

"C'mon, Ange, it's a very beautiful song, you should be proud your father made it for you." he said, ignoring the twins' complains.

Angela finally took the violin from Robert. With a final quick glance at him, she lifted the bow and played the first few notes. Robert smiled. Angela has improved so much since they started the lessons. She was truly gifted, and he knew that she could master the piece if she tries her best. Angela suddenly stoped.

"Go on..." said Robert encouragingly.

"Um..." said Angela, "I can't read the notes..." the other replied.

"...Eh...?" said Robert

"It's too complicated, plus, I've only heard it once today... so..."

"So what?" Robert suddenly said, surprising Angela "You don't need to know the tune, you're supposed to read it! You're saying you don't know how to read music notes?" Angela stared at Robert wide-eyed and nodded. "You mean you never learned?!" he asked onece more. Angela gave another nod.

"Our father forbids us to play anything but the radio when mom died..." said a soft voice outside the door. "We learned a little on the piano, but Angela never did."

"Then I guess I have to teach you that as well..." said Robert with a sigh. He dug his hand inside his short pocket to look for a hanky, but he forgot to bring one. "Damn..." he swore beneath his breath.

"Sorry..." said Angela in a low voice.

"No... it wasn't you..." he said, rubbing his face with his hand as he fumbled in his other pocket and found the snow globe instead.

"I really want to learn, Obet..." she said, "I really want to play this..." Robert sighed and sat beside Angela on the bed. She looked surprise.

"Here." he said, handing her the angel globe. "Mom asked me to give you that..."

"...thanks..." Angela finally said, taking the snow globe and shaking it a little. The glass angel in the middle glittered as the flakes fell around it. Slowly, she smiled.

"Okay, I'll teach you how to read notes, and the piece as well." said Robert.

"Really?" said Angela, looking up at him.

"Yes, you really want to win this, don't you?" he asked Angela, the girl before him blushed. "I'll help you," he added. "but in one condition."

"What condition?" she asked, a little suspicious.

"In return," he said, "I want you to smile for me."