I remember staring into the eyes of Ely Buendia...
Back in the 80's, my father was an engineering student with a band of his own.
He was a bassist. Sometimes, a keyboardist. And other times, he was also the vocalist. But even so, he enjoyed it! Music was his life, and he made it his passion.
Then one day, he met a particular band, hoping to make it to the top. They met at a studio that they shared. The name of that band was... Eraserheads. Of course, like my father once told me, their name was not Eraserheads yet. It was, "The Curfew".
And one thing they all had in common aside from sharing a studio was that they all studied in UP Diliman.
Since high school, my dad was already in a band. He would perform at events, whether it was in school or elsewhere. But after graduating high school, he got into another band because the previous one had already disbanded, having enrolled in other universities most likely.
With this new band, my father practiced with them from time to time, even having to make-shift their own studio on campus because they didn't exactly have a place to practice. (At least, from I think he told me.) Then someday, sometime, his band decided to practice in a real studio. And that's where they met...Eraserheads.
For some reason, unknown to me, they took a picture together - my dad and Eraserheads - way before they became a hit band in the Philippines. I'd like to think that they were probably thinking they would see each other in the future, meet again in the music industry.
Of course, only of those two bands made it. And it wasn't my dad's.
Soon, my father's band and Eraserheads parted ways. His band, of course, was eager to pursue stardom in the music industry, become famous musicians.
But to do that, they wanted to drop out.
Of course, my father said no. He was hesitant that being a musician will pay the bills in the future or feed his future family. So, he did what any man would do...he dropped out of the band.
My dad said, without him, the band didn't do well trying to make it in the music industry. I knew he was joking, but a part of me also knew it was true. Nobody ever heard of the band that he left.
Years later, he got married to his girlfriend (my mom) and gave birth to two daughters, my sister and me. Then one day, he told us that story...the time that he had to choose between his passion and his future. He chose us. And that touched me.
There was a time that he finally introduced me to the young men who would one day become Eraserheads. He held up his phone, pulled out a picture, and there they were...I finally saw Ely Buendia and the other members of Eraserheads. All in their prime.
Was I jealous that my father did not become stars like they did? Did I wonder what life would have been like if my dad ended up becoming like them - a famous musician?
But I also know that if he did, he would have probably broken up with my mom and neither me nor my sister would have been born.
That is why if there is one thing that I can be sure of, no matter what, it is that I'm proud of the sacrifices that my father did to bring me into the world. I will always be proud of my father.
