CASSANDRA
Cassandra... Cassandra...
Huh? Kaninong boses iyon?
Cassandra... sorry...ka na...
I open my eyes and cover my mouth.
I am floating!
"Oh my gosh! I am lying on a hospital bed?! And—Why is he here?!" Soren is sitting beside me. His face changed. He has a beard and his hair is no longer at its clean cut. He still wears a suit, but it is not as gorgeous as it used to be.
Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko na may nakakabit na swero tapos binaon ang kaniyang noo roon. Mukha siyang nagmamano sa akin.
I lean closer to see his face clearly.
Cass... sorry... Please wake up.
He begged and cried.
Is this... is this what is really happening while I am in coma? Is this true? After all the pain they have given me, these people are here crying beside me and begging me to come back to life? Gusto pa ba nila ako masaktan ulit pagkagising ko?
Balik ka na... Please... Bumalik ka na... Cass!
"Soren." I blurted unexpectedly as I reach for his face.
He suddenly look up and stare. He is staring at...me.
"Soren!" Tawag ko na naman sa kaniya at tuluyang inabot ang malambot at mainit nitong pisngi.
"Cassandra?!"
Bumalikwas ako sa higaan ko at napasapo sa dibdib ko. Naramdaman ko na may mainit sa kamay ko, pero hindi ko alam kung saan iyon nanggagaling.
"Cassandra... Cass!?"
His voice! I hear Soren's voice again!
"Soren!" Napatakip ako sa aking bibig at naramdaman ko muli ang isang mainit na pakiramdam sa aking kamay. Hinahawakan pa rin ba niya ang kamay ko?
"Come back!"
Umiling ako at napayakap na lang sa sarili. There's not a single hint of me thinking that anyone would reach out to my unconscious state. I never thought Soren will wait for me. I never thought that he will cry beside me. I only thought that these people will leave me alone and let Death judge my ending. I want the suffering to end, but I leave them suffering instead.
"I'm sorry, Soren... I'm sorry, Emman. I'm sorry, daddy. Hindi pa ako pwedeng bumalik. Ayoko pang bumalik... sorry."
🧭🧭🧭
Nagising ako kinabukasan dahil sa kalabog sa labas ng aking silid. Hindi na ako nagtangka na mag-ayos ng sarili at nagmadali akong lumabas. Ang ingay kasi sa labas.
"What is happening?"
Nalaglag ang panga ko nang magtalo ang dalawa. Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang ibang pirata na pwedeng umawat sa dalawa pero natutuwa pa sila sa pinapanuod nila.
Seriously?! No one will pull them apart?!
Bago pa ako makarinig ng iba pang mura ay may tumakip sa magkabilang tainga ko. Nag-angat ako ng tingin at nakita ko si Tito Ymah na napapangiwi. Mukhang naririndi na siya sa sagutan ng dalawa. He look down at me and smiled awkwardly. Iginaya na ako ni Tito Ymah sa stern deck at doon na ako nanatili buong umaga. I guess this is better than staying in my room. At least I can be around with the people I care and not think about Soren.
The other pirates greeted me and patted my head. I smile at them and ask if they had rested well. All positive feedbacks flooded me and they left me alone to clean as well. I run near Uncle Ymah who is now steering the ship's wheel. I tug on his shirt to get his attention.
"Want to steer the wheel with me?"
I nodded, "Yes!"
"Stand here in front of the wheel. I'll teach you how to steer."
Pumalakpak naman ako tapos sinunod ang sinabi niya. Excited ako!
He taught me how to properly steer the wheel and I enjoyed the praises. Kaya naman noong bumitaw siya ay hindi ko sinasadya na iliko ang barko at medyo tumabingi ang I-Shav. Halos sumunod din ang katawan ko sa ikot ng steering wheel.
"Cassiara! I am sorry, darling!" Daling tinulungan ako ni Tito Ymah at itinabi ako palayo sa steering wheel.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON UP THERE!?" Idineretso niya ang barko namin at naiilang tumawa ito sa sinabi kay Shia na nagkamali siya ng ikot. I look up to him and he shush me.
"Don't tell her that it is you."
I grimace and nod.
Of course, I will still tell Shia the truth. I don't want my uncles to shoulder every mistake I have done. I couldn't bare it when they were punished.
🧭🧭🧭
Nightfall.
Weeks passed since we fled away from Childe Keenai's homeland. Thankfully, no officials came after us. The whole crew are celebrating for our successful escape, but there are others who aren't sporty enough. They all gawk and walk off.
Ganoon din si Shia.
Hindi ito sumabay sa kasiyahan namin. Siguro iniisip niya na hindi iyon oras upang magsaya dahil kasama namin ang Childe, tapos tinutulungan pa niya ito. Malaking pagsubok na ang haharapin nito. It is the same as what was written in the chronicle in my time. I'm starting to remember the details clearly. But it is not enough to conclude that I have the exact answers to Shiamira's curse.
Walang nasabi sa sulat ni Tito Ymah na natanggal ang sumpa niya. Tanging karumal-dumal na pagpatay sa mga kasamahan nito at ang nalalapit na kamatayan ni Shia ang sinabi. And nothing comes next. It was a cliffhanger if Shia did survive or not.
And I'm not going to let that happen.
Sa loob din ng tatlong araw, ay hindi ako mapakali. Mayroon kasi akong nadiskobre na kakaiba sa aking silid (dating silid ni Shia). Gusto kong malaman kung anong meron doon at baka may kinalaman iyon upang matulungan ko siya.
"But first, I need a knife."
Kasalukuyan ay nasa labas pa rin ako. "Ah! Keenai! Keenai!" Tawag ko sa atensyon niya habang nagbubuhat ito ng mabibigat na lubid, na nakasukbit sa kaliwang balikat niya, at timba, sa kaniyang kanang kamay.
Tumigil ito tapos nilingon ako. "Ca-Cassiara?!"
"Hello po!"
"Anong kailangan mo?"
"Pahiram ng kutsilyo, Keenai!"
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya tapos pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang paligid namin. Para siyang naghahanap ng tulong. "Cassiara, papatayin ako ni Shiamira."
"Hindi po." Diretsa ko namang sagot sa kaniya at ngumiwi ito.
"Hindi pwede. Tsaka, bata ka pa. Hindi ka pwede humawak ng kutsilyo nang walang gumagabay sa'yo."
"Pero—"
"Pasensiya na. Balik muna ako sa pagtatrabaho. Pinagtitinginan na tayo ng ibang pirata rito, Cassiara." Napasimangot ako sa kaniya at hinanap ang mga nakatingin sa amin. Well, there are others who are watching us but I did not care. I look carefully at their actions and pinned on one person.
She stood there in silent, watching our every move.
She has no reaction or emotion. Just her plain old stone-face Shiamira.
I stick my tongue out to her and glance one more time on the others. They aren't looking anymore. The Childe is walking away from me. Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi ko nang makita ko ang isang kutsilyo na nakasukbit sa gilid ng kaniyang pantalon.
If I can have my hands on it... "Hihi!"
🧭🧭🧭
I kneel down on the wooden floor and knock on it. One part is very hollow, the rest of the floor are not.
Kinuha ko sa aking bulsa ang kinuha kong kutsilyo kay Keenai tapos siniksik ang patalim nito sa pattern ng kahoy. Dahan-dahan kong inaangat ang kahoy upang hindi ako masugatan. "Aaah!" Tili ko dahil natatanggal ko ang kahoy sa sahig.
"Aha!" I remove the wood and search for anything valuable here.
"Cassiara. What are you doing?"
Naudlot ang paghahalungkat ko tapos ipinasok ko ang kutsilyo sa sahig. Muli kong binalik ang kahoy na tinaggal ko.
"Child." She called me in a warning tone.
"Shia!" Masigla kong tawag sa kaniya. "Anong kailangan mo?"
"I'm asking you first, child."
"Sabi ko nga! Hehehe," napakamot ako ng aking ulo tapos tinapik ko ang sahig. "Curious ako sa sahig natin, Shia."
"What? What's so interesting about the floor?"
"Nagtataka ako bakit hindi magtugma yung pattern ng sahig nitong I-Shav."
Kumunot ang noo niya tapos tumakla. "Tsk! You have weird curiosity, child."
"Hehe! Ang cute kasi!"
"Yeah. Cute."
Tumayo na ako tapos kumapit sa beywang ni Shia. I snuggle my face on her leather corset and look up to her. "Shia, gusto ko ng chocolate."
Bumuntong-hininga siya at ginulo ang buhok ko. "Tsokolate na naman hanap mong bata ka. 'Yang ngipin mo! Bulok na!"
I pout my lips and she let go of me. "Sama mo! Sige na kasi, Shia!"
"Don't whine. Wala ka ring makakain na tsokolate rito dahil wala tayong nabili noong birthday mo."
"Hindi mo kasi ako binilhan!"
"Because you don't deserve to have one. You need vegetables instead. You are a naughty kid who keeps consuming sweets."
"Eww! Yuck! No!"
"Cassiara."
"Chocolate gusto ko!"
"Babatukan kitang bata ka at nagpapaka-spoiled ka na naman." I pout again and battered my eyelash. "Don't do that. You look like a duck--an ugly duck."
"Bad~!"
She giggles and messes my hair. "Okay, I'll give you one later."
"Aha! Meron ka pala na binili, e!"
"Yeah, yeah. I bought it to tame a little child. Maybe for once, it will shut you up.--But don't tell your uncles. They will scold me as if I am not their captain." Para naman akong nakarinig ng mga anghel na kumakanta sa paligid ko at napatili. Tuwang tuwa naman si Shia habang pinapanuod akong masaya sa kaniyang sinabi.
Ah, that smile. I got to see that genuine smile!
"Thank you, Shia! I love you, Shia!" I cover my mouth and look at her in shock.
"Your welcome, child. And stop with your weird curiosity."
Naluluha ako at hindi ito nagalit o nailang. Hindi rin nagkaroon ng hinanakit sa kaniyang tingin. For the first time, the first I said 'I love you', she only smile and hug me. It's very warm.
"I love y-you..." I sobbed my words.
"I know, child. You said that already."
"I always love you. Always."
And I'll never get tired reminding you how much love you deserve.
🧭🧭🧭
When I was alone, I cried.
"Aaah! Yung hinahanap ko! Yung kutsilyo! Waaa!" Hinampas ko ng malakas ang sahig na binubuksan ko kanina. "AAAHHH!!!" I sniff and cross my arms above my chest. I'm so stupid for putting the knife inside. I should've kicked it under my bed.
"Stupid! Stupid! Ang tanga mo Cassandra!" Tumayo na ako at nag-isip ng bagong paraan. Baka merong kutsilyo si Shia. Iyon na lang kukunin ko. O kaya sa mga tito ko.
Lumabas ako ng kwarto at nagkakagulo ang mga pirata rito.
Anong nagyayari? Nasaan sina Shia?
Nagtungo ako sa tabi ng hagdan at nakita kong pinaggitnaan sina Shia, Tito Ymah, Tito Oka, si Keenai, at ibang mga pirata. The others who surrounded them are part of our crew too.
What is happening here?
"Yari ka!"
"AAAAHHH!!!"
"CASSIARA!?"
Lumakas ang daing ko nang higpitan ng isang pirata ang paghawak sa likod ng damit ko. "BITAWAN MO SIYA!--POTANGINA! HUWAG NIYONG IDADAMAY ANG BATA!" Mura nitong si Shiamira tapos may hawak na itong espada.
18x7 March 17
Thou shalt bend the captain's words. Thou shall be killed by bloody cutlass.
The pirates face the wrath of the pirate lady.
We were trapped by our crewmates--pirates who doesn't want to submit to Piratia's leadership. Immerse still to Yuping's tyranny. A load of barnacle brains who wants oppression rather than passion.
"SHIA!!!"