Saling-pusa: The Story of Arella
So, here we are, all 5 of us, well, we are supposed to be five except that Arella or Ayel, Maan’s daughter, is also present seated around the meeting table. Maan cannot convince Ayel to leave so we let her be. Not a bother because she is busy dabbling with her tablet, or is she? Maybe, she is waiting for the food we ordered or maybe, just maybe, she is eavesdropping on the meeting as she must have heard we are forming a choir. Eyes on the tablet, Ayel, ears on the topic!
After having agreed on creating a youth choir made up of high school and college students, Maan comes up to me and asks to let her 8-year old daughter be a saling-pusa in the youth choir. No problem, saling-pusa lang pala, eh.
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June 6, 2015, first day of registration in a small room, Room 6, I think, at the SHP Office, Pinky (Saret) is here with her children, Joseph and Alyx, to register for the choir. JR and Gabe, Menchie’s (Ecalnir) sons, also come to register. Mary Jane (Dominguez) registers her daughter Janelle who cannot come. Maan also brings Ayel and registers for membership. Ayel does not have to be here, I thought to myself. No problem, she is saling-pusa lang naman, eh.
June 20, 2015, first day of practice, at the Bible Room, 2nd floor of the SHP Gym. Tricia, daughter of Ferdie (Pangilinan) attends. Joseph and Alyx attend. JR and Gabe also attend. Oh, Ayel is here also. She is the only child and the youngest of the 6 attending the practice. I think to myself, Ayel does not have to be here. No problem, saling-pusa lang naman, eh.
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Not wanting to ruffle her feelings, I do the routine. The moment I hear Ayel's voice, whoa, my heart jumps and roars with excitement!!! She will become a great singer someday, I think to myself, like Karla. No problem, saling-pusa no more.
Holding the distinction of being the first member of the second-generation children's choir, Ayel is followed soon after by six more children - Janelle and JB (Mary Jane's children), Jared and Bernice (Armi Fajardo's children), Ysa (Jonna Reyes' daughter), Helein (daughter of Eva V. Adaza) and Kyle (son of Regie Untalan).
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Ayel in a recruitment ad we posted on Facebook last year. |
This is also a tribute to Karla, beloved AKBAY member, young face, sweet voice, powerful soprano, gone so soon ... that is another story.
Posted in Facebook, June 24, 2016, with revisions for this post.
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