Chapter 7

Andrew Castillo was born on October 18, 1987 to a middle-class family in Las Pinas. His father is an architect while his mother is a college professor. He has a brother and a sister. Their names are Keith and Jade. He is the middle child.

The Castillos lived in a two-storied house on the busy street of the city. The house was cream with dark blue roofs. It was sandwiched by two trees and there were some bushes at both sides. There was a tall white gate in front. A Hyundai was parked in the garage.

Andrew Castillo was a creative and talented boy with a laid-back attitude. He is skinny and curly-haired. There is nothing remarkable about his appearance, except that when he smiles his eyes seem to disappear because they are chinky.  Andrew did not have Chinese or Japanese blood. His eyes were just small. He wore glasses when he had to read books and use computer, but most of the time he didn’t wear them because they make him look geeky.

As a kid Andrew loved to draw, sing and play guitar. He wanted to be a rock star like his idol Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. He ran around the house and screamed until his throat hurt. He copied the way Chris Cornell screamed because it was such a cool thing to do, at least for him. His parents told him not to scream so loud.

“You’re disturbing the neighbors,” his father said.

“You might lose your voice if you keep doing that,” his mother warned him.

So, Andrew stopped screaming like a rock star. Instead, he just copied the way Chris Cornell sang. He pretended to have a deep mature voice.  He sang in a fake baritone and strummed an air guitar. At the time he did not have his own guitar.

His parents noticed that their son liked to pretend that he’s a rock star, so they enrolled him in singing and guitar lessons. His music coach was just an ordinary music teacher named Billy. Billy was a friendly-looking man in his early 20’s. He was thin man who always wore baggy clothes. It was a fashion trend in the 90’s.

“Wow, you’re named after a famous rock icon!” Andrew said. He was impressed.

Billy laughed. “I would like to think so, but that’s not true. My parents do not like rock music. They’re very religious and they think it’s the music of the devil.”

Andrew frowned at this. He did not like when people say that rock music is bad.  “No, that’s not true!” he said. “Rock music isn’t evil!”

“Of course, it’s not true,” Billy said. “My folks just belonged to an era when they thought rock music was bad. Most religious people hated the Beatles especially John Lennon for saying that they’re more famous than Jesus.”

“They probably said that without meaning it,” Andrew said innocently. “Anyway, I don’t believe that rock music is evil. Rock music lets you express your anger in a healthy way, so it isn’t a bad thing, right?”

“We share the same sentiment,” Billy said.  He paused then a few seconds later he said, “Alright, let’s talk later about our favorite bands. It’s time for our music lessons.”

He liked teaching kids because they learn easily and they’re funny. Kids absorb everything like a sponge. He knew that Andrew was a fast learner. He was right.

After a few sessions Andrew learned to sing and play the guitar like an expert. Andrew was so passionate. He already had a gift in music; all he needed was to hone his God-given talents. If he pursues his passion, he might have a career in music. He might even follow the footsteps of his idol and become a well-known artist. Of course, that would happen in a perfect world. Fate could only decide what would happen to Andrew.

Andrew got his first guitar on his birthday. His father gave it to him as a present.

“Thank you so much, dad!” he said. They hugged each other.

“You are welcome, son,” his dad said.

“Your music teacher told us that you were a good student,” his mom said. “Since it’s your birthday, would you perform a song number for us?”

“Sure,” Andrew said. He sang “Light My Fire” by The Doors. It was not a kid-friendly song, but he sang it for his dad who liked The Doors. Andrew’s voice was beautiful and raw and full of emotions. He sang like an angel. His parents and siblings applauded.

“That was great!” his dad said.

“Keep it up!” his mother said. She believed that Andrew was a music prodigy. If he finished his lessons and continue playing music, he could be a successful singer someday. But she did not tell him this because she wanted him to finish his studies. She did not want her son to be like other aspiring musicians who didn’t finish their studies. Education is important, especially in the third world country they lived in. Without a college degree, one could not land a decent job.

Andrew had a best friend named Fred. Fred was his neighbor who skated on the street. He was a year older than Andrew. Andrew saw him skating on the street and was amazed at his skills.

“That’s awesome, Fred! Would you mind if you teach me how to do that?” Andrew said.

“No problem,” Fred replied. “But let’s go to the park first. It’s safer to skate there.”

Fred taught him how to ride the skateboard in a park nearby. The first time Andrew rode it; he got out of balance and fell.

Thud!

“Ouch!” Andrew yelled. Fred snickered. “Better luck next time, kid.”

Andrew went home with bruises and wounds on his arms and legs.

His mother exclaimed, “Oh my God, what happened to you?”

Andrew told her about the skateboarding incident. She scolded him for being reckless.

His mother cleaned up his bruises and wounds with water and a white Safeguard soap. Then she poured Betadine over it and later on covered it with band aids.

“Please try a safer sport,” she advised.

 

Fred taught Andrew how to skate again. Finally, Andrew got the hang of it. Then they started skating on dangerous roads feeling the wind on their faces as they evaded cars, buses and jeeps. None of them got hit by a vehicle; they were experts. Soon they joined skateboarding competitions. The duo competed with other pre-teen boys just for the fun of it. Their mind-blowing and death-defying stunts impressed the crowd and the judges. They could not believe that they would bag awards and money with their little sport. They split the awards and the money between themselves. Andrew kept some of their trophies and medals in his blue bedroom which was adorned by posters of his favorite bands.

Andrew enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. He loved music and adventure. Nothing and no one stopped him from doing what he wanted. He was a daredevil who always did fun and dangerous things. As a kid he thought life was a big playground where all he did was play, play and play! He did not want anything that robs his happiness. He hated drama. But life doesn’t always give us, what we want, does it?

When he turned fifteen, Andrew’s world turned upside down. His father went home drunk every night and beat his wife and children when he’s upset. After numerous beatings, Andrew’s mother got fed up by her husband’s awful and violent attitude. So, she told her husband to leave the house. Andrew’s dad left the house.

Andrew and his siblings asked their mother why their dad suddenly turned from a loving father into a hostile drunkard. She told them that their dad got fired so he put out his wrath on them.

A week later Jade told her siblings that she saw their dad with a younger woman at a clothing store.

“I don’t think dad will ever come back,” she said.

“Good for him. He better not come back or I’ll break his neck,” Keith said.

“Please don’t tell mom about this,” she said.

Their mom overheard their conversation in the living room. “I already know!” she said. Mrs. Castillo looked haggard. Her hair was tied loosely and there were bags under her eyes.

“Your dad was not a good father. He acted strange and was very hostile because he was keeping his secret affair.” She drank a bottle of Pale Pilsen, which she got from the kitchen. It was her third bottle.

“Promise me you won’t end up like him,” she told her sons in a drunken voice. They simply nodded and assisted their drunken mother in her bed.

The next morning Mrs. Castillo told her children to transfer to another school when the summer was over. She did not want to see the school where her husband drove their kids. She wanted to get rid of their horrible past with the man who hurt them. She wanted a new life. Her children agreed with her decision.

So, Keith, Andrew and Jade transferred to a new school named Saint Anne College. It was the school where Dianna and Kristine studied.