Chapter 9: Rusty

After their performance, i turned off the pc and called them out to see me at the lounge. For some reason, after I got there, Christine was already there and readier 2 sits for me and her and she pointed at the seat which was more on front and her at my back. 

Shouldn't she be the one who will be in the front, being the moderator? Is she pushing this responsibility to me?

"And what job do you plan to do?"

"The manager of the club, not the band."

"Makes sense. Tsk."

She smiled at me happily, but that smile kind of piss me off a little bit to be honest. She's acting as if she's not reaponsible to any of this.

Not before long, the 2 came in. 1 lookinh confident and the other is quite the opposite. Jasmine is currently fidgeting specially when she saw us seating, waiting for them. Juan on the other hand has this soldier like attention but his right shoe is shaking. He's actually tense.

"So, you both. How was your performance?"

"Uhh.."

"It was great, sir!" Before Jasmine could open her mouth to say her piece, Juan interjects him. Giving his overconfident thoughts.

"You sure?"

He nodded in reply and this time, his right foot are shaking much visibly.

"Jasmine, what do you think of your performance?"

"Uhh.. Just like how ..we practiced. And uhmm, No mistakes.. sir." She fiddles with both of her pointer fingrrs 

"I see." She's right. I've never heard them fail on any particular part of the song. "Alright. Let's start with you, Juan."

His foot stopped after I called him.

"You voice is great. Your singing technique is good, it's just that... This is not Juan and the Band." I emphasized the words 'and the band'.

"Being the front men of a band, the one who talks to the crowd, the one that has to connect with them during performance and lastly, being the main face of the band and most importantly, the voice.

But it doesn't mean you have to keep the spotlight all for your self. You're not only the one who's doing the work. You're not playing 5 instruments at once, you're not singing with Minus one nor instrumental, you're not a 1 man band. You just happened to be a great singer who's really good at it. 

Yet like I said, You're in a band. You're just one of them, so if you want to continue in this Club, you have to forget that attitude and starthelping your bandmates get the attention they deserve. So, will you stay in this band or continue your solo venture?"

"I--"

It'e the lther person's turn.

"As for you jasmine. You have gifts. Can I ask a question?"

"Ye.. yeah?"

"How did come up with that rhythm part?"

"I.. idunno sir. It just sounds good and uhh.. experimented a bit and finally came up with that."

"Hmm, impressive. 1st thing, use your gifts. A lot more. I haven't heard and seen the full extent of your capabilities but I can say that you can do so much more and take the spotlight more. You've been holding back so much for him to shine more. Remember the two of you are a a duo, you have to show what you are capable of. Alright?"

"Yes!"

"Good. And oh. Second of all. I wanna ask. When was the last time you changed your guitar strings?"

"I actually don't know, sir. I don't own this guitar after all. I borrowed this from my grandfather, who thought me the basics... Oh! My grandfather told me the strings were new at the first guitar class we did. So i think it was the only time the strings got changed ever since I used it."

What? That explains something. Let me check something.

"Come here. Let me see your left fingers."

"Uhh... Here." 

She walked towards me and showed me her fingers. Even from meters away, I could see rusts from her fingertips. And when her fingers are right in front of my face, I can definitely say that the rusting problem on her guitar.

"Regarding the second thing. Your grandpa probably didn't told you about it but, you need to change your strings everytine it's losing it's vibration. The more the strings gets older, the more it's sound became duller. I'm actually impressed that even with how rusty and less accurate it is. So, once your guitar got rusty or you have to perform on something, like auditions, busking, stage performance etc. Always change your guitar strings atleast 2 days before. Dull strings can be problematic during a performance. One is that, they really sound boring. Two, they can go out of tune during the performance. Three, the strings could snap all of a sudden. And there are lot more things actually but those are one of the most important ones. So keep that in mind."

"Yes!!" Jasmine's now fired up. The tension she had are bow gone. These 2 are definitely a pair of rough diamonds.

"Okay now. For me, both of you passed. How about you Christine?"

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, kinda acting to make them feel intense. But her lips has failed her already. She's grinning like a mischievous kid.

"They passed."

"Yess!!!" The duo jumped and celebrated but I think they have forgotten something.

"You both passed in the club and now a member, but not in the band yet."

The two stopped their cwlebration halfway.

"I gave you two some pointers. And if you want to be part of the band, you have to keep those words of mine in mind and work on it. So, you two, are you ready yo change your ways?"

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"Umm!"

"Yes sir."

"Great. Welcome to the band."

...

After proclaiming that the two were now part of the band, we are now sitting in the table at the lounge talking about band related things and their experiences as performers. 

"The first and last time we performed in public is during the after graduation party of ours. Jasmine was still a beginner at that time but luckily we were able to pull it off."

"Ohh? When did you start learning the guitar?" Christine asked. I'm actually curious about it as well. It was still bugging me when she told me about not changing her strings ever since she started to learn how to play the instrument.

"Uhh.. around January of this year?"

"Huuuuh?"

I looked at christine who's mouth are hanging open. A chicken drumstick could definitely fit that gap for sure.

But seriously. It's just 4 months. And she's that good? But the guitar she's using, that one has a very big rusting problem, to rust by that much in such a small span of time.

"Btw jasmine. You can take home one of the guitars to practice for now. It would be bad to practice with rusting guitar to be honest."

"Really? I could?"

"Christine, she could, right?"

"Yes." Dhe nodded happily. "As long qs you take care of them."

"You heard her. Go pick guitar you want to bring home with. And ph it would be better if you bring home an electric guitar and start learning that."

"Really?"

"Yes yes. Go. Pick one."

Suddenly, she sprang up from her sit. Her attitude turned 180 from the timid to the energetic one.

After she reached the guitar rack, her eyes looking attentively.

Her arms extended to one of the guitars and the one she picked up is a,

"Ohh. Fender Telecaster Deluxe, huh? Why that?"

"It's the only blue around here. I like.. blue sir."

Hooo.. "i see. Nice pick tho."

"Sir, this one is very rusty."

"Huh?"

"Look."

She layed the guitar onthe table and what she said was right. The strings really are rusting so bad. Some of the pegs too, 

"Christine, can I ask something?"

"Yeah?" She smiling so bright. This smells like a problem.

"When was the last time this guitar is cleaned up?"

"...3 ..."

"3 what?"

She looked up and to the side and left, in short not meeting my stare.

"3 years."

Ughh. I feel q stab in the head. 

"I'm sorry, jasmine, you have to pick another one as this is rusting so bad."

"Ahh ehh. Sir, every guitars there are rusting like this."

I looked at christine again and she's still not meeting my stare.

I stood up and check it for my self and like what she said, 

"It is rusting so bad *

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