Jake Zyrus hinding-hindi malilimutan ang eksena nila ni David Foster sa ospital

HINDING-HINDI makakalimutan ni Jake Zyrus ang isang mala-bangungot na eksena sa isang bahagi ng naging buhay niya noon bilang si Charice Pempengco.

Tandang-tanda pa niya yung araw nang magising siya sa ospital at makita roon ang isa sa mga taong tunay na nagmahal at nagtiwala sa kanya matapos magtangkang magpakamatay sa ikatlong pagkakataon.

Isang madamdamin at inspiring chikahan ang napanood namin sa panayam ni Toni Gonzaga kay Jake sa kanyang latest vlog sa YouTube kung saan muling ibinahagi ng singer-songwriter ang naging buhay noon ni Charice at ang hirap na dinanas nito bago ilantad ang tunay niyang pagkatao.

Ayon kay Jake, napakaraming pinagdaanang pagsubok at sakripisyo ni Charice lalo na noong kailangan niyang itago ang kanyang tunay na pagkatao para lamang hindi masaktan ang mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya.

“Probably a lot of people won’t believe me but I was five years old when I realized na I was really confused,” simulang kuwento ni Jake.

Pagpapatuloy pa niya, “I was Grade 1 and I remember ‘yung mga classmates ko, tinutukso ako sa ibang classmate ko na lalaki and one thing in my mind was, ‘Bakit, eh pareho kami?’

“At five years old, that was my thought. Obviously, I didn’t know any labels or anything like that. So I don’t understand. And I remember that my first crush in Grade 1 was a girl,” aniya pa.

“Definitely, I knew. At the same time, alam kong there was something weird. Why am I feeling this way and yet I am seeing someone different?” sabi pa ni Jake patungkol sa kabataan ni Charice.

“Before I transitioned, before I came out, at the very end, I was like, ‘No, no, no.’ But at the same, it came to the worst of the worst like my mental health, suicidal, all those things,” rebelasyon ng international singer.

“I tried to kill myself three times. I was 18 or 19 at that time. Nasa isip ko kapag nag-come out ako, it’s over. That’s the thing.

“Yung nasa isip ko at that time was other people, I don’t want to disappoint them, the fear of acceptance. I didn’t want to disappoint David (Foster), Oprah (Winfrey), my mother. The pressure of you fitting in as well,” pag-amin ni Jake.

At pagkatapos nga ng ikatlong pagtatangka niya sa kanyang buhay, nagising siya sa ospital at ang una raw niyang nakita roon ay si David Foster.

“We had a show that night. I remember I woke up in the morning, I was in Singapore. He was there. He was the first person I saw. He was like, ‘Are you okay? Do you think you can perform? You don’t have to.’

“I remember looking at him na talagang worried siya. He knew why. We weren’t naman talking ng super personal but definitely he was one of the first few people na nakaalam.

“He knew that I was having a hard time. I remember nakahiga pa din ako sa bed and I told him, ‘Nope, I will perform tonight.’ I remember just a small gesture from him, telling me, ‘You know what? For tonight, you don’t have to wear a dress or something,’” lahad pa ni Jake.

“I remember when the Singapore, the last one, happened, some people saw me sa lobby wheelchaired and I think the news that came out was I had food poisoning,” dagdag pa niyang kuwento.

Nagpasalamat din siya kay Charice at sa lahat ng natutunan niya sa mga pinagdaanang pagsubok, “The moment I transitioned, the moment na nag-undergo na ako ng hormone change and all that, I would still talk about what happened before, with Charice and all that.

“I will always be grateful, I enjoyed ‘yung experience, ‘yung mga tao na nakilala ko. I am grateful na until now, I am still able to get in touch with them, with David,” sabi pa ng award-winning singer at composer.

Nabanggit din niya na bukod sa life experiences, ang Diyos daw talaga ang nag-fix sa kanya.

(Editor’s note: A group in the Philippines is dedicated to addressing those who have suicidal tendencies. Narito ang kanilang hotline numbers. Information and Crisis Intervention Center:
(02) 804-HOPE (4673)
0917-558-HOPE (4673) or (632) 211-4550
0917-852-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-6876
0917-842-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-4084)