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"I bet you thought you've seen the last of me." I said in low, intense voice as I entered the theatre room. They were comfortably watching a movie like they didn't leave me in prison. Nakaupo si Dad sa lazyboy at nakakandong si Sid sa kanya. Monty and Brad were cuddled up against Mama on the big theatre lounge and Ate Drey sat next to them with Arthur's head resting on her lap. Pati si Ringo, ang labrador ng mga bata ay kumportableng nakaupo sa paanan ni Arthur. Look at them! They were a happy family without me.
Dad, Mama, and Ate Drey looked at me like they'd seen a ghost.
"TIta!" My Ate's son all jumped out of the couch and ran up to hug me. Even the dog came up to greet me.
"Did you miss me?" I hugged them back.
"Yeah!" They all answered.
"Wait, what are you doing here? Paano ka nakalabas?" Dad asked, rising from his seat.
"Oh, it's easy. I gave them all a handjob." I said, matter-of-factly. I knew it would piss Dad off which was what I was aiming to do.
"VERONICA!" Dad's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.
"You will be the death of Dad." Ate shook her head as she masssaged her temples.
"May mga bata, Ronnie." I heard the sharpness in Mama's tone.
"What's a handjob?" Monty asked, looking up at me with a pair of dark, innocent eyes.
"It's a candy." Dahilan ko. I totally forgot that there were children here. Nagpadala ako sa bugso ng damdamin ko. Gusto ko lang naman makaganti sa kanya dahil inabandona niya ako sa kulungan na iyon ng isang buong araw. I slept in a smelly, roach infested cell.
"I want a handjob, too." Sabi ni Sid.
"No you don't, Sidney!" Dad barked in controlled anger.
"Oh my God, you're ruining my kids." Ate groaned with a pained expression.
"I'm just kidding." I shrugged, apathetically. I pulled away from our group hug and slumped down the couch next to Ate. "Ah! I need a bubble bath and a massage."
"How did you get out of prison?" Dad asked, his stone sliced the air like blade. "What did you do again, Ronnie?"
"Hindi ba, Daddy, only bad people go to prison? Bakit nakulong sa prison si Tita Ronnie?" Brad asked Dad.
"Dahil matigas ang ulo ng Tita Ronnie mo." Ate Drey answered.
"I fought for what I believe is right." I confidently said. "I feel like I'm being oppressed here. Ako lang ba ang naniniwala sa karapatan ng kababaihan? Wyatt Lazaro is a horrible man. He is normalizing the sexual objectification of women. Do you want your sons to see those magazines and that it's normal? That it's okay? Because that's not the world I want the boys' to grow up in."
