Saling-pusa: The Story of Arella

It is the month of May 2015, Maan (Andan), Jazmin (Sison), Joy (Sison), Alice (Fernandez) and I are gathered for a meeting. We are organizing a youth choir, exciting. Meeting is at Maan’s residence at K-3^rd, Kamuning. I remember the times with Karla (Domingo), sister of Maan, and other choirmates, as soon as the fireworks for the New Year had died down, we gathered here in this house and celebrated. That was many years ago.

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.


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.

Being the first day of practice, I do the routine and let each one sing. I listen to Tricia, then Joseph, then Alyx, then JR, then Gabe. I do not have to audition Ayel, I think to myself. Saling-pusa lang naman, eh.

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).

Ayel in a recruitment ad we posted on Facebook last year.

Together with Ayel, these pioneering children of Batch 2015 will form the "Magnificent 7", the seeds of the new AKBAY Children Choir. They are saling-pusa no more!!!

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.