9 Chapter 9: The Evil that Men do

Here we go. It is about 10pm and the boys in the party are starting to get drunk and excited for the raffle. I'm enjoying too though I wanted to go home early. It is not my thing anymore. Maybe in my bachelor years I have partied a lot and had a superb time that I was kinda bored now. It has been years since I last partied and Malcolm may have noticed it and whispered to me that I needed to stay until the end because there will be a batch meeting afterward. It will be held at the batch president's place. He'll drive me home around 2am later. There were already some of our batchmates leaving the venue and I really wanted to leave too. They were those who are not included in the "inner circle".

When I was getting addicted to that substance, my family already noticed that something is wrong with me. I was getting thinner and thinner, I dont eat regularly and I'm always up all night playing Playstation until sunrise. I skipped the next semester and many of my valuable things are gone. I sold my watch, shoes, even our VHS player. I lied on almost anything just to have money. I also learned to gamble because of drugs Mom would not give me extra money anymore and what I did was stole from her. I almost ended up on a rehab center as I was already hearing voices in my head. Too much drugs and it already affected everything in my life, including the one I truly loved. Music.

John and Paul were not around during the reunion. I thought they were coming but I think Paul is living in the states for about 10 years now and John is an Attorney now. They were spectacular guys in my opinion. Not only they were good at playing, they were Dean's Listers as well. They are good, clean guys who just occationally drinks and never smokes. And during those days, we almost made it big time. Our lead vocalist left and the four of us, with Vinnie, made some great songs which we were able to make a demo. I sang some of the vocals but we really needed some guy who could generate stage presence with great vocals and enough star quality. I'm just a regular looking guy, and an addict too.

We were almost there, and I destroyed that chance. I'm always late to our gigs, I dont show up to our practices, until I just didn't showed up at all to them. I'm always high those days that my mom already asked for police help. And finally she gave up, she loved me so much that in order to just save me, we left Cavite in 1997 and went to Bulacan. She though that by moving there, I will have a new life.

During the first year there, It has been smooth sailing. I am enrolled again to the school where I went through my grade school days, I'm reunited with my old friends and relatives, and everything seems to be pretty fine. I became the school's choir master and the sole performer during school events. Uncle Manuel formed a band and he got us playing weekly gigs on a resort. I was like a celebrity on my school and my confidence sky rocketed. I was also playing piano on the school's hotel when there are events such as weddings, birtdays, etc, and I am being paid handsomely.

I'm sober and completely forgotten drugs for that time being when fate would bring me back to that thing again. I became more addicted than ever. Drugs are very expensive here and I became even worse than before. Here, I really experienced sex, drugs, and rock and roll.