If I’m not in love

Strolling along Alabang Town Center one Saturday evening, I happened to pass by the open area circle right in the middle and saw a band performing. At first, I wasn’t able to recognize who they were but the performance was so beautiful that I decided to stop, watch, and listen.

Turned out that they were none other than Passage Band, the band that gave us the song “Forever” (one of my favorites). Though they’ve had several member changes since then, the style was still somewhat recognizable. They were performing songs taken from two albums (one was a greatest hits compilation of Sergio Mendes, and the other was also a love song compilation, but from different artists) to promote them.

After spending quite some time standing at the back, I was able to spot an empty seat third row from the stage, so I quickly took the opportunity to come closer and get a better view.

It was then that they started playing the song “If I’m not in love”.

“If I'm not in love with you
What is this I'm going through, tonight...”

Vocalist Trinna Alcantara looked gorgeous in her pink shirt and maong skirt. And as she sang the first lines, she got out of the stage and came down.

“And if my heart is lying then
What should I believe in
Why do I go crazy
Every time I think about you, baby
Why else do I want you like I do
If I'm not in love with you...”

She seemed to be searching for something in the crowd, and then having found what she was looking for, she said “Eto pala e...” She then made her way and sat, guess where... in the empty seat right beside me! I heard the crowd’s cheers getting louder until I lost them and all that was left that I could hear was her voice.

“And if I don't need your touch
Why do I miss you so much, tonight
If it's just infatuation then
Why is my heart aching
To hold you forever
Give a part of me I thought I'd never
Give again to someone I could lose
If I'm not in love with you...”

She was looking at me eye to eye while singing, then she asked, “do you know this song?” and I said “yes, pero...” while putting my hand on my throat and shaking my head to show that I can’t sing (I’m not a singer nga e, hehehe).

“Oh why in every fantasy
Do I feel your arms embracing me
Like lovers lost in sweet desire...”

Playfully, she rested her head on my shoulder while she sang, and the crowd’s cheers came back to my ears (perhaps because they were amplified, hehehe).

“Oh why in dreams do I surrender
Like a little baby
How do I explain this feeling
Someone tell me...”

All the while, I was actually lip-syncing along with her. Yes, I know the lyrics, this song also being one of my favorites.

“If I'm not in love with you
What is this I'm going through...”

There was a pause, even the music stopped. She said, “say tonight” as she moved the microphone closer to my mouth. And I thought “sige na nga, baka sabihin sobrang arte ko naman kung itulak ko pa yung mic pabalik sa kanya”. I cleared my throat and...

“...tonight”

The crowd’s roar was deafening (at least to me). I said to myself, “gosh, wala sanang nakakita or nakarinig na kakilala, kakahiya, hehehe”.

“And if my heart is lying then
What should I believe in
Why do I go crazy
Every time I think about you baby
Why else do I want you like I do
If I'm not in love with
If I'm not in love with
If I'm not in love with you...”

Just like that, the song was over. After exchanging “thank-yous”, she rejoined the rest of the band upstage where they were to continue performing for another hour or so.

As for me, I stayed up until the end of the show, then met her downstage to thank her once again, and went on my way home playing the song over and over again in my head.

Katuwa, hehehe.