บท 20: Opening Night

<p>"I'm gonna kill that bitch!" singhal ni Monique. <br/><br/>It is the opening night and the lead actress bailed the show. Nakatanggap lang si Via ng text message mula sa pinsang hilaw. The message says...<br/><br/>'I'm out Bitch! Good luck with your play.'<br/><br/>She felt like panicking. It's opening night. Honestly, she have so much hope for Samantha. Expected niyang hindi ito mawawala. She stayed all throughout rehearsals. Hindi naman niya inakalang sa mismong opening night ito magpapa-importante. <br/><br/>Gustuhin man niyang alamin kung ano ang rason nito, her bitchy cousin is unreachable. Nakaramdam siya ng pag-alala. What should she do? This is last minute. She felt screaming but natulala na lang siya. <br/><br/>"Vi?" nagmamaktol na turan ni Monique. "Via?" <br/><br/>"What time is it?" tanong ni Via in calm but clenched teeth voice. <br/><br/>"6pm. The play starts in 2 hours,"simpleng sagot ni Monique. <br/><br/>Napapikit si Via. Nahilot ang ulo. Saka tumayo. <br/><br/>"I'm tired. I'm beat. I have so much stress. Kahit gano ko pa ka-love tong propesyon na 'to, ayoko ng mangyari ulit ito," she said na nakaharap kay Monique. "I may not be princess like and I do not have Princess Alurah's character but I'll do it." <br/><br/>It took awhile bago nagregister sa utak ni Monique ang sinabi ni Via. Unti-unting nanlaki ang mata nito. Natututop niya ang labi and showed an excited expression. <br/><br/>"No way!" bulalas nito. "You're perfect!" ani ng Asst. Director. "We have to get you ready," anito na mabilis din nitong reaction saka hinila siya palabas. <br/><br/>"But will you be ok?" aniya sa kaibigan. She'll be playing as lead. Therefore Monique will take charge. <br/><br/>"You as the lead? Comm'on, my work will just be a piece of cake," turan ni Monique in full excitement. <br/><br/>******<br/>The curtain have been drawn accompanied by the orchestrated music. The show is starting. Lumabas sa stage si Matt. The stage was dressed in a creepy forest like setting. Tila ito naliligaw. Matt acted out luring his way out of the woods. <br/><br/>"Where am I?" ani Matt base on his script. "I think I have been here earlier. Hello?! Is anyone out there?"<br/><br/>Sa backstage, Via shook her body off. Pilit iwinawasiwas ang kabang nararamdaman. She was dressed as Princess Alurah. She's getting ready, waiting for her que. <br/><br/>"20 seconds, Vi. You know what to do," bilin ni Monique. <br/><br/>"I'm having a mental breakdown. Do you still believe I know what to do?" sarcastikong turan niya sa kaibigan. But Monique just smiled widely. Mas excited pa ito sa pag-ganap niya bilang star lead. <br/><br/>"Look, kahit ano pang mangyari. Magkalat ka man diyan, just remember, you're still the most beautiful. And we really need to capture Matt's reaction. This is once in a lifetime," puno ng siglang turan ni Monique. Tila tuwang-tuwa pa ito na nagback out ang lead actress nila on the opening night. <br/><br/>Matt didn't know and somehow excited din siyang makita ang reaction ni Matt. <br/><br/>"Ok, 5seconds," announce ni Monique. <br/><br/>Nagsimulang lumakad si Via sa loob ng stage. She hid in one of the trees as the script says. She's acting as if nagtatago siya sa prinsipeng naliligaw. And as the script also indicates, she will be creating a sound. Tinatapakan niya ang isang twig that made the sound. <br/><br/>Prince Lucas draw out his sword and pointed on the place where the sound was coming from. Medyo madilim sa bahaging iyon ng gubat so the Prince couldn't see kung sino ang lumikha ng ingay. <br/><br/>"Who is that? Show yourself!" Matt said in a very good acting..<br/><br/>Napapikit si Via. Hinuhugot ang lakas na loob para harapin si Matt on stage.<br/><br/>'There's no way out Via... panindigan mo na 'to,' bulong niya sa sarili. <br/><br/>Dahan-dahan humarap si Princess Alurah and walked thru the light para makita siya. Via looked straight at Matt. Kitang-kita niya ang genuine na pagkagulat nito. The script says that he should be surprised because of the Princess' beauty. And Matt delivered the scene genuinely. <br/><br/>The whole world stopped as describe sa script. But with the two actors on stage, it literally happened. Matt couldn't move. Tila andami niyang gustong itanong but tila nakalimutan niyang magsalita. Via literally forgot everything. Tila nakalimutan na nila pareho ang script. <br/><br/>"What the hell?! You're lines Vi!" sigaw ni Monique sa in ear headphones nilang dalawa. <br/><br/>Tila naman naalimpungatan si Via. "How did you get here? This place is concealed to anyone," ani Via in a soft voice. <br/><br/>Matt couldn't reply. But he gave a slight smirk. And asked out of script. "May I ask the same thing? Why are you here?"<br/><br/>Via understood what Matt truly meant kahit pa iniba pa nito ang script.<br/><br/>"This is where I belong. It's not actually a choice to make." sagot ni Via. The closest reply she could say out of script.<br/><br/>Matt smiled. He felt excited. In his debut project, tila magiging natural ang pag-arte niya. The scene requires them to be soft and awkward. But Matt can't help it. Tila gusto niyang asarin ang dalaga. Hindi niya matanggal ang ngiti. <br/><br/>"I'm Prince Lucas. May I ask for the pretty maiden's name?" Matt said in a teasing tone trying to remember the original script. Hindi din niya inaalis ang tingin sa mukha ni Via. <br/><br/>Via was trying to hide her irritations on Matt's teasing grin. obviously anlayo na ng reaction nila sa dapat na feeling ng script. But they have to keep going. <br/><br/>"The name's Alurah..." sagot ni Via as the script says but on different feeling. Sa original na script, Princess Alurah should've been eager to meet a prince. She was a cursed princess. Para makawala sa sumpa, a real prince should fall in love with her. But because she turned a dwarf ogre at day malabong makahanap siya ng magkakagusto sa kaniya. So for this limited hours na nakakaharap siya ng isang prinsipe, she have to show eagerness and hope. But on Via's side, Princess Alurah is showing irritation. <br/><br/>"Well, pretty maiden, do you happen to know the way out here on the dark forest?" ani Prince Lucas. <br/><br/>"I do," sagot ni Via. She sounded sarcastic. Hindi na niya alam actually and eksena. They are just winging it up. "But it'll be a long way out."<br/><br/>Umangat ang isang kilay ni Matt. "I really do wonder why a pretty maiden like you happened to be here in this dark scary woods..." sabi pa rin ni Matt with double meaning. "Would you be kind to lead the way?"<br/><br/>"As if, I do have a choice," Via answered. "Comm'on, I'll show you the way," aya na ni Via makaalis lang sa stage. <br/><br/>"Well, this'll gonna be a long night..." ani Matt as he bow down in front of the crowd. The crowd somehow laugh.<br/><br/>Nagtungo silang dalawa sa backstage. Naglapitan sa kanila ang backstage staff.<br/><br/>"That was pleasantly surprising," bungad ni Matt. "What happened?"<br/><br/>"Samantha bailed on. I have no choice," simpleng sagot ni Via. <br/><br/>Lumapad ang ngiti ni Matt. "Don't get me wrong, but I liked it better now that you are my leading lady," diretsong sagot ni Matt na hindi na ininda kung ano pa isipin ng mga nakakarinig. <br/><br/>"If that's how you confess you like me, that's so baduy. I still look forward to better versions," turan ni Via. Humarap si Via sa team. "Monique, I need screen lines. Frac, pakibuksan yung TV. Namemental block ako sa stage."<br/><br/>Tumalima si Frac, mabilis na tinungo ang tech booth. <br/><br/>"I need change wardrobe and pakiaayos yung timing ng sounds. Nadedelay. Please make sure everything is in place. I am on stage yet hindi ako makafocus because I am seeing these defects. I know I am surprisingly beautiful on stage but please don't mess this up," mabilis na pep talk ni Via. The team clapped and eagerly cheered. <br/><br/>"Comm'on team, Let's work it!" turan ni Monique and lead everyone out. <br/><br/>Humarap si Via kay Matt. He still has this boyish grin. Ramdam niya excitement nito sa nangyayari. <br/><br/>"And you," turo ni Via sa kaniya. "You are well rehearsed. Wag mo ko guluhin. Help me out on stage,"<br/><br/>Matt made a courtesy like a prince. "Your wish is my command, my princess,"<br/><br/>"You'll only be doing this on opening night, so make it right."<br/><br/>"I don't think so," apila ni Matt. "With you on the lead, I'll perform until the last show," deklara ni Matt. <br/><br/>Napatanga si Via but napangiti. "Anlakas ba talaga ng tama mo sakin?" biro niya. "Sure ka ba diyan?"<br/><br/>"Cross my heart," sagot ni Matt na nanumpa. <br/><br/>"Whatever! Get ready to your next scene then," ani Via na tinaboy na si Matt. Matt mouthed ok and happily moved along. Halatang excited ito. Napailing na lang si Via sa akto ng binata.</p>