Chapter 6: Grunge Days

I don't want to carry my own chair or something but I felt I am becoming really good with playing the guitar. My friends in highschool, especially my fratmates, are all into classic rock and the new rock style Grunge. Its 1994. From Black Sabbath to Nirvana to the Eraserheads, man we were into it. But as for me, I love rock ballads more as I can play and sing even without other instruments around me and I truly believe that I'm getting good at it. Back in the province, I played a lot for my friends there and teaches them a new tune or two and jammed to the wee hours of the night as well. I was at senior high and I have established a little bit on our school that I can play, that I can rock.

Back in our province, I also joined my uncle's choir and honed my vocal skills there. I was so busy then, and then I was also introduced to my mortal enemy: Drugs. I was 15 yrs old, the 1st few weeks into senior high when I tasted it. Man, I can't forget how it felt and tasted. I was so alert after that, it tasted like sipping a fresh coconut drink, I was so attentive, and got very high. And I never liked it afterwards as I couldn't sleep and felt so exhausted the next day. I was also introduced to weed, and I appreciated it much more than drugs. I was so hungry after taking a couple of joints and even a littlest thing I noticed, I just couldn't stop laughing. My school mates were rich so they could afford those things and I loved hanging out with them. But because of my asthma, I passed out one time taking too much weed. I never had a joint ever after that.

Music and friends was taking too much of my time and I just couldn't cope up with my studies. I was failing senior high and my mom knows this and she told me to stop going to my grandma's house for a while and concentrate on my studies during weekends. But that didn't stopped me from finally joining my very first band in school and perform during one of our school programs. That is the time I met John, one of our lead guitatist with National Scandal Band, and we performed Everything About You by Ugly Kid Joe. I played lead vocals there and wore an Axl Rose outfit: Yes, that white shirt, big headband scarf, and a cycling shorts that could be used today as underwear. Oh yeah I was rocking that day.

At our annual school reunoon, my high school friends recalled that story to me and we just can't help laughing. Drinks are all around the venue. It was a fun time, alright, but seeing them again as changed men, driving with their hot wheels, learning that most of them are lawyers now, doctors, and even a couple of them are now politicians, I just shake my my head squirking to myself, "what the hell happened to me?". Another batchmate arrived and after seeing me, he asks "hey man, how are you? long time no see man, I missed you brother! Are you still performing? I just said, "nice to see you too man", and just shaked my head. I'm such a loser.