Are they even getting foods? They look like they are just waiting for their deaths.
I tried hard not to create a sound as I walk pero siguro dahil madilim at hindi talaga nila makikita kung may pumasok sa loob ng kulungan ay ang pakiramdam nila ang ginagamit nila. Dahil kahit gaano pa ako kaingat na walang gawing ingay ay nakuha ko ang atensiyon ng babaeng nakakulong sa ikatlong kulungan. Even in the darkness, she's able to see or feel me?
"Help me." I never heard someone as desperate as she is. The man needed help but he's not as desperate as she is.
I looked at her. She has a lot of bruises just like the man in the second Bastille but her wounds are different. Like she experienced all the sufferings she can ever experience. Maiitim ang ilalim ng mga mata niya na para bang ni hindi niya man lang naipikit ang mga mata niya para makapagpahinga. If I were in her situation, I wouldn't dare close my eyes either. Hindi mo alam kung anong naghihintay sayo kapag ipinikit mo ang mga mata mo. Baka bigla ka nalang patayin habang natutulog ka. I don't know if that's better than to experience more pain when you're awake. Magulo ang buhok niya at madumi ang damit na suot niya. Gutay -gutay pa.
"I know you are there." she said so certain that there's really a person looking at her right now. A person who can finally hear her, help her. I can't even help myself. Judging how she threw her words, I know she's not ordinary. Mukhang Alta. She has this accent that only those who stayed outside the country can speak.
"Stop looking at me and help me." I wanna commend her instinct or was it even her instinct? Maybe she's trained. Malakas ang pakiramdam niya at may tapang pa rin siya sakabila ng mga sugat at pasa niya. Kung tutuusin ay parang pareho lamang kami ng kalagayan. Ang kaibahan lang ay natutulog ako sa mas maayos na higaan at may maayos na damit. Pero kung sakit na pisikal ang pagbabasehan ay hindi nagkakalayo ang mga sugat naming dalawa.
"You are not the person I wanted to see." mahinang sabi ko at naglakad na palampas sa kulungan niya.
"Who? Your Mother? Your brother?" natigil ako sa paglalakad at bumalik sakanya ang mga tingin. Bumalik ako sa harapan ng kulungan niya. She knows me, I am certain. "You really think he'll make them live? You think they survived? Think again, Alessandra!" my eyes widened. She knows me! Alam niya ang pangalawang pangalan ko.
Sino siya?
"The poor kid is just what? Thirteen? Your mother is old. They can't survive the beatings and the whippings. You were just holding onto the idea that Marcus will make them live when in fact, he is fooling you with the idea that they are still alive. For what? To hold you."
"Once you found about their death, he knows you'll eventually leave. There's no one he can use to threaten you. The reason why he is keeping their deaths." I can't feel my own legs right now. I am trembling hard with what I've heard. Namuo ang mga luha sa mga mata ko. I don't want to believe her. She's lying. She's making up stories. He said that he'll make my brother live. He won't do that. Umiling ako, pilit kinokombinse ang sariling hindi totoo ang mga sinabi ng babaeng 'to. Anong alam niya!
"Y-you're lying! They are alive! We have an agreement!" she laughed sarcastically. 'Yung tawa niya parang sinasabing ang tanga ko para maniwala kay Marcus.
"You are blinded by your selfish love, Alessandra! Kahit halughugin mo ang buong Mansion, hindi mo na makikita ang pamilya mo. They are probably decayed by now." she said like she is certain. I couldn't believe it. Unti-unti nang nakukuha ng babae ang tiwala ko. My rage doubled.
"And why would he send you away? Hmm? Nagmamadali pa ngang bumalik dito pagkatapos kang ihatid sa kung saang lupalop ng Pilipinas. That's to fully bury your family while you were there, fighting your life just to fucking comeback here! Estupida! Anong binalikan mo dito? Ang kahibangan mong ikaw ang pipiliin ni Marcus at gagawing asawa? Na may pagmamahal na nararamdaman sayo ang lalaking 'yon? Tigilan mo na ang kahibangang 'yan! I should have killed the man and escape already. Napakalaki mong tanga!" she furiously shouted at me. I can almost feel her rage. Siguro kung hindi lang siya nakakulong ay sinugod niya na ako at iniuntog sa galit niya.
"Help me. Magtulungan tayo." she said calmly. Nawala ang galit sa boses niya.
"Who are you?" nagtatakang tanong ko.
"Hindi mo ba ako naaalala?" I saw how she flashed her smile. I had goosebumps all over my body when memories came flashing. Her smile. That smile! The very same smile. Nabago man bahagya ang mukha niya dahil sa mga sugat at dumi roon, nanatili naman ang parehong ngiti.
"Remember me?" she said with her usual playful tone. How can I forget her. Hindi ko siya nakilala dahil pumayat siya, she have wounds all over her body, she's dirty as shit but her smile. I can't forget how she smiled at me back when were still in college. When we were still having good time together. When everything seems good and easy.
"How are you, bestfriend?" kinilabutan ako. Hindi ako makapaniwalang nasa lugar na 'to ang matalik kong kaibigan. I got my tongue tied.
"Paano ka napunta dito?" naguguluhang tanong ko.
"Just like what your father did, my father also betrayed the organization. Too bad, I wasn't picked to be Marcus' woman." she then laughed mockingly. "On the contrary, I think I'll have a chance now. I heard that you killed Anastasia. That bitch!" she uttered her last sentence angrily. Tumalim din ang mga mata niya. What did Anastasia do to her?
"How long have you been here?" I have a lot of questions. Gustohin ko mang paulanan siya ng tanong ay pinili kong huwag gawin. Hindi ko pa rin lubos maisip na nasa harapan ko siya ngayon. Is this really true? I missed her pero hindi ko gustong dito kami magkikita. This isn't even an ideal reconciliation.
"When you came, I followed. Our fathers were into it kaya sabay din tayong nasangkot." she said bitterly.
"How about Tita Kaye?" I asked worriedly.
"Things happened, Aless. Pareho ang naging kapalaran ng pamilya natin." my tears silently ooze. I cannot phantom what I truly feel right now. I am grieving, I am fuming, I am happy because finally, I found someone I know, Kavanagh, my best friend. Pero hindi ko maisip na pati pala ang ama niya ay nasangkot din sa organisasyong ito.
"Are you going to help me?" muling sumeryoso ang boses niya.
"Makalabas kaman dito, hindi pa rin tayo makakatakas sa dami ng mga tauhan ni Marcus. They are scattered all over the seaside, Kavanagh. At kahit paglabas palang mismo natin sa kwartong ito, may nakaantabay ng mga kutsilyo at baril. We will be dead before we can take a step." sabi ko. "We tried escaping. Nahuli kami kaya mas marami ang nagbabantay ngayon sa tabing dagat."
"I'll rot in here, I guess." umiling ako.
"I'll plan things out. For now, rest. You fucking look like a damn zombie. Have you forgotten about sleeping?" pangaral ko sakanya.
"I can't sleep in this garbage! Mabuti sana kung kasing lambot ng kamang hinihigaan mo ang tutulugan ko. Wala man lang unan o di kaya'y kumot. Ang lamok at ang lamig pa ng sahig!" she whined. Fuck, I missed my best friend. Kavanagh and her mouth. Gusto ko siyang yakapin. Was it a year since I was chosen by that old woman to be her son's wife?
"What's your plan? Are you seriously here to look for your family?" tumango ako.
"I told you." she said pertaining to what she said a while ago. I sobbed and I saw how she threw me dagger look.
"There's no place for a weakling here, Alessandra! You've been through a lot. You survived. We lost our family. We should avenge! Dammit! That Martino Del Prado, Marcus, even Trinidad Del Prado, I'll fucking kill them!" ramdam ko ang galit niya.
"Ipaubaya mo sakin si Marcus at Martino. Tinuluyan ko na sana ang matanda!"
"I don't trust you with Marcus! You love the man, Aless!" hindi kombinsidong sabi niya.
"Watch me! I can dig dagger in him. I pulled trigger against him. What more I cannot do to kill him? He will die in my own hands, Kavanagh! That's the least he can do to compensate for all the pain and lives he took!" I said with gritted teeth. Tumango siya pero kita ko ang pagdududa. I don't trust myself when Marcus is involved. But he deserves to pay.
"Are you going to stay here? I thought you hate this place?" pagod siyang sumandal sa kulungan niya, tuluyan ng pinuputol ang nauna naming pinag-usapan. Alam kong gusto na niyang magpahinga but she can't even close her eyes because of the possibilities that she might encounter when she closed her eyes.
"I am loving the comfort of this place for the first time." I said and gave her a weak smile. Alam kong hindi niya naman kita pero nakita ko ang pagngiti niya.
"If we are in our normal state, I'm sure we are having a good time right now. Loud music, good looking guys, hard drinks, Aless!" she said dreamily. "When was the last time I even had a sip of an alcohol? Fuck! Kung alam ko lang na mapupunta ako sa ganitong sitwasyon, I should have drink my ass off and get laid. I will die virgin. Dammit!" I chuckled hearing her laments. That's her concern, not getting laid. Napailing nalang ako. Hindi pa rin talaga siya nagbabago.
"I missed the real world! Why would our stupid Fathers even join this nonsense organization? And worst, betrayed them? Hindi ba sila nag-iisip?" hearing her anger made me think of the whys. Why would they join, indeed? May makukuha ba sila sa pagsali nila dito? Why would they betray the Del Prado's organization? And who made them join this organization? Aren't they aware of the consequences? Hindi ba nila naisip na pwede kaming madamay sa pinasok nilang gulo? Of all the organization, why would they choose this one?
I am aware of the illegal transaction this organization work into. I've seen some with my own eyes. Hindi basta-basta ang deals na nagaganap sa pagitan ng organisasyon at ng mga kasosyo nito. They will lose millions of money once the transaction failed. By the look of it, hindi nga malabong patayin nila lahat ng traydor sa organisasyon.
I looked at Kavanagh. We are experiencing the same. Parehong biktima ng hindi pinag-isipang desisyon. I must say that I'm still lucky. Tama siya, malambot at komportable ang hinihigaan ko. May mga pagkain at malinis ako. If I wasn't chosen by Trinidad Del Prado, saan ako pupulutin? Sa kulungan ding ito. I wonder how the woman in the Del Prado's clan accept this dirty deeds? The killing itself won't make me sleep peacefully at night, won't give me a peaceful life to be specific. And how the hell she handles the Don? Her son? Does Marcus follows his mother? I am wondering.
"I must say, we had the stupidest Father." she said like she's blaming all these things to our Father. I can't blame her. I used to adore my Father for providing us an extravagance life. Wala akong maalalang kinapos kami sa pera. Sobra-sobra pa nga e. Now, I'm questioning his credibility as a Father. Sa mabuting gawain niya kaya naacquire ang perang pinapagamit niya samin? Sure, we have businesses but doon lang ba talaga nanggagaling ang pera? If he joined the Del Prado, sangkot din siya sa mga masasamang gawain nito.
"Fucking fools." she added. I watched her shed tears. Gusto ko siyang yakapin pero hindi ko magawa dahil nakakulong siya.
"Why drag us here? Nandun na tayo sa sumali sila sa organisasyong ito pero bakit kailangang tayo ang magbayad ng mga kasalanan nila? Sila ang nagtraydor kaya bakit pati tayo nasasagasan ng kasalanan nila? I only want to be happy, walang inaapakang tao, get married. But I will I fucking do that if I am here, barely surviving? I may be a spoiled bitch pero hindi ako masamang tao. I don't deserve the beatings and the whippings." humagulhol siya. I cried with her. I can feel her. Every pain of her.
"Maybe you'll met the man who'll laid you here." I tried to joke when we both stopped crying. Nakita ko ang pagngiti niya.
"Pass sa lalatiguhin ako. Tsaka wala akong makitang may itsura dito aside from Marcus. Deserve ko ng gwapong malaki ang katawan na kukuha ng virginity ko pagkatapos ng hirap na pinagdaanan ko dito, no!!" umiirap na sabi niya. Nailing nalang ako.
Natahimik ulit kami.
"You better prepare, Aless. Once the Don heard about the death of Anastasia, he'll surely come after you. Nakaligtas ka sa ginawa mong pagtatangka sa buhay niya dahil hindi ka niya inabutan dito but he will surely move heaven and earth to find you and avenge that death of the Queen he wanted for his King." seryoso at nag-aalalang sabi niya.
"Why did he choose Anastasia? What's with that woman?" hindi ko napigilang itanong.
"The girl spend her whole life with the Del Prado. She was trained by Martino. Bata palang nakatadhana na siyang maikasal kay Marcus until our Father came into the picture. They betrayed them. At nabago ang plano nang piliin ka ni Trinidad Del Prado para makalaban ni Anastasia sa pwesto. They have this myth that a Queen should be deserving of the King by killing the woman chosen by his mother or father."
"At alam kong gagawin lahat ni Martino para hindi ikaw ang maikasal kay Marcus. You're still the daughter of the traitor. Hinding-hindi tayo papaburan dahil dinungisan ng magagaling nating ama ang organisasyon."
"You sounds like you've studied them for a long time, huh. Saan nanggaling ang mga impormasiyong iyan?" mangha at nag-alalang tanong ko.
Mas madaming alam, mas delikado.