Ni: Nora Calderon
AMINADO si Maine Mendoza na pessimistic siya at hindi mahilig sa competitions. Ayaw niyang ipinipilit ang sarili at mas sanay siyang gawin lamang kung ano ang makakaya niya.
Pero nabago ito nang biglang magdesisyon ang Eat Bulaga na magkaroon ng competition ang Dabarkards, bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang nila ng month-long 38th anniversary. Tinawag nila ang competition na #DabarkadsGoalsTheUltimateBattle, magkakaroon ng pairing sa pamamagitan ng bunutan ng kanilang pangalan. Ang ipi-perform ng bawat team, ang mga sumikat na mga sayaw noon pero kailangang lagyan ng innovations ng millennials. Binigyan din sila ng dance groups na tutulong sa kanila para mag-execute ng mga bagong dance moves.
Paskong Pilipino, pinakamahabang kapaskuhan sa buong mundo
Hindi magkasama sa team sina Maine at Alden Richards, dahil si Ryan Agoncillo ang nabunot na ka-partner niya at tinawag silang #TeamRaMen. Nanalo sila sa unang presentation, kaya lumaban sila sa weekly finals. Muli silang nanalo at sa grand finals ay nakalaban ng #TeamRaMen ang #TeamAllOut nina Alden at Sinon Loresca, #TeamLaban nina Patricia Tumulak at Joel Palenica, #TeamRicoMambo nina BaebyBaste at Kim Lasts.
Last Saturday ginanap ang grand finals at umaga pa lamang ay tumanggap na ng text si Maine na hindi puwede ang Kuya Ryan niya dahil maysakit at masakit na masakit ang likod kaya hindi makatayo.
“I was like a kid out of frustration,” post ni Maine sa Instagram. “When Kuya Ryan texted me, naisip ko na ang possibility that I might do this whole thing on my own. I was willing to do it for our team, at the same time, I was scared that I might not be able to do well without Kuya Ry. We didn’t have much time to rehearse.”
Binigyan lamang sila ng one hour to rehearse pero wala silang nagawang tama. Parang lahat ay nag-aalaala na baka hindi nila kayanin. At inisip ni Maine na “hindi ko ‘to magagawa” dahil wala nang time, pero p’wede pa silang magpalit ng stunts. Kaya naging optimistic na si Maine na kaya niya.
“I locked myself inside the restroom to pull myself together. I was praying for the safety of everyone, I looked in the mirror ang told myself I can do it. I went out the stage wearing my warrior mask-that cannot be seen by anyone but me -- then I repeatedly said this inside my head ‘This is it, Meng! Kaya mo yan!’
“Thank God, we had a successful performance. ‘Yung tuwa ko sa bawat salo sa akin! Thank Heavens no one got hurt and everything went smoothly. I am just sooo happy because I can proudly say that I put my heart into this, as in buong puso, sa unang pagkakataon yata? Our team did our very best not to win, but to give everyone a great show. Malaking bagay sa akin ito because I rarely put my whole self in the things I do. But this #DabarkadsGoals competition is an exception. Di ko in-expect! This is one of the few moments I feel proud and satisfied for doing something “great.”
Thank you for this memorable experience, dabarkads! I wish Kuya Ry was with us today, but nonetheless, nasa puso ka namin kanina Kuya Ry! We did it, we won! Thank you very much and congratulations to us, Team, RaMen! ALARMAAAA!”
Sino nga ba ang magpapatunay kung sino si Maine kundi ang mapagmahal niyang Nanay Dub. Ganito raw talaga ang anak, kapag ginusto ang trabaho kahit ano pang hirap, hindi ito susuko. Pero kapalit ng performance na iyon ang nakuhang maraming pasa sa katawan ni Maine. Pero thankful pa rin siya na hindi nila binigo si Ryan at ang mga manonood sa loob ng Broadway studio at sa mga manonood ng Eat Bulaga sa buong kapuluan.
