NAOMI'S POV:
"Why are you so excited to see her?" Bada asked me while I'm busy replying to Marella.
"Kasi she's my favorite cousin, lahat pwede naming pag-usapan walang filter and we grew up together ngayong college lang kami naghiwalay" sagot ko sa kanya, ang haba ng sinabi ko pero wala lang sa kanya uminom lang sya ng tsaa.
"So pati yung sakin pag-uusapan nyo?" Tanong nyang muli, napaisip ako. Need bang malaman ni Marella?
"Pwede ko bang sabihin sa kanya?" Inosente kong tanong sa kanya. She slammed the table in front of me but she's not angry, she just scared the hell out of me napahawak tuloy ako sa dibdib ko.
"You cannot!" Inis nyang sabi, nagbibiro lang naman ako.
"Feeling mo naman kakwento-kwento ka dyan Bhi! Syempre hindi baka matakot yung pinsan ko sayo no" nagcross arms pa ako habang tinatarayan sya, asa naman sya sasabihin ko nga lang dun pulubi sya na sumama samin 🙄
"I doubt she'll get scared with an attractive face like this" pagmamayabang ni Bada sabay haplos sa mukha nya. Ang yabang mo naman ate ko.
"Sus gumaganyan ka na ngayon ha! Sinabihan lang kitang gusto kita yumayabang ka na sa harap ko, yari ka samin ni Marella pagdating nun pagtitripan ka namin malala" pinagdiinan ko talaga yung word na gusto ko sya.
"I know, sa ugali mong yan Naomi I doubt your cousin would be any different. Sobrang chaotic nyo siguro kaya pagdating nya aalis muna ako tutal sya naman gusto mong makasama" sabi nito sabay tayo sa kinauupuan nya.
"T-teka lang san ka pupunta? Sabi ko dito ka lang diba?" Pagpigil ko sa kanya sa pag-alis.
"Hahanap ng hideout, ayoko ng dalawang maingay" masungit nitong sabi. Palakad na sana sya when a car stopped by in front of us and honked.
"NAOMIIIIIIIIII ~" Sigaw ng babae pagbaba sa sasakyan.
Kumaway pa sya kahit magkalapit nalang kami at ilang hakbang nalang para magyakapan. Bumaba na sya ng sasakyan ng tuluyan at tumakbo papunta sakin si Marella when Bada pulled her first and hugged her tight.
"V-vera, you are back" Sabi ni Bada while hugging Marella.
Year 1900
I've collected my souls today and now walking in a narrow alley. It was very quiet while everyone was busy working and minding their own businesses.
At the end of the alley, I saw a woman hitting a guy now on the floor with no life. Blood is everywhere and it greased her clothes as well. I can just disappear but I was astonished by what she was doing.
Her mind was blank and I can't read it, why did she kill the man? Why does it looks like she's used to doing this, I feel no remorse at all.
"You! How long were you staring?" My astonishment was interrupted when she noticed me.
I even checked my back to make sure she is talking to me.
"I just got here and don't worry about it, I won't tell the cops" she's very intimidating yet you can sense she needs some care. I know devils shouldn't meddle with human affairs but I am trying to save my ass here too.
"Sure you won't" she charged onto me and tried hitting me with her axe. Of course, I was able to hold her off. Small yet daring.
"You can trust me" I said calmly, her eyes full of fear became calm too and so I pulled the axe and threw it away.
Days go by and I kept seeing her, she told me stories about herself. How she always beg for love, that no one stays with her even when she pours so much of herself for them, they just go away after a while.
She was in a fixed marriage, looked forward to having a family only to know her husband was cheating and called her desperate. She killed him.
I was there looking forward to her next moves, she tried many times. Having boyfriends, affairs and husbands everywhere only to be heartbroken. I heped her clean her crime scenes, no questions asked I just did.
"I have a confession to make Vera, I'm a devil"
"Hahahaha aren't we all? I can be considered as one with all the bad things I did"
I showed my true form but she did not get scared.
"Ayaw mo ba talagang iligtas kita? I can change your life Vera. You can have your desire of loving someone and have a happy family, we can make a deal for it hindi kita agad kukunin" I offered.
"Ang kulit mo Bada! If this was my faith, it is my faith I don't want to change it just because you can. Maybe I was born to be miserable" she replied.
Word spreads so fast that I was protecting this little human, and all the devils nearby tried to lure her into having contracts with them but she had one answer 'if I ever decide to do that, only Bada can have me'
They thought I was having a mutual relationship with this girl but there was nothing going on between us. I just saw myself to her, so focused on her goal. I believe we all have a purpose in life.
"I have decided Bada"
"You're coming with me?"
"No, this is for the best. I will surrender myself, I am tired I just want to be alone and miserable my whole life."
"I told you I can save you!"
"I don't want to, so please even you, you should distance yourself from me goodbye Bada"
"What if I don't want you to be there? Come on let's just migrate somewhere else."
"I believe this was my purpose so women will know their values, that they can fight back when they are being dragged by those stupid men"
She was pretty popular back then, not because of good deeds but because of her crimes but it did made an impact. Women during these times were considered just 'housewives' or a man's trophies. Thankfully it changed, they had the right to vote and do man's works.
1910
Vera is still in prison, she became old and weak inside but I visit her from time to time and tell her situations outside.
"I'm thankful Bada, that even if I failed in love I got lucky with friendship at least." She said while coughing. I'm just glad she sees me as a friend now unlike before when she says I was a nuisance.
"Can you promise me one thing? If reincarnation is true and you see me again just ignore me. Pinagod lang kita sa mga ginawa ko" she added.
"You're not dying yet haha, if that happens in the future I will really ignore you. You are very troublesome" I said jokingly, but it's not true. If I see you in another lifetime I will try to protect you again. If you ever fall in the same fate as now I will try to change it without you knowing about my powers or whoever I am. So you won't get rid of me.
"Guards! Get this corpse out of here and throw her away" I saw them dragging your body like you were a rug. Till we meet again Vera.
NAOMI'S POV:
"Sorry Miss, yung pinsan ko dapat yayakapin ko nakikiyakap ka naman" Marella said habang tinutulak si Bada palayo. Eto namang isa may paghalik pa sa ulo, tangina baliw ampota nakakainis.
"S-sorry" Bada said taken aback from what she did, she let go of Marella quickly and my cousin ran towards me.
"Beeeeh I miss you sobra huhu sino ba yun bat nangyayakap. Kamag-anak ba naten yan?" Bulong nya sakin pagkalapit..
"Hindi napulot ko lang yan sa tabi-tabi" sagot ko sa kanya pabalik sabay tawa ng mahina.
"Marella anak andyan ka na pala!" Lumabas na din si Tita when she heard the honk, umalis na din yung papa niya at hinatid lang talaga sya dito.
"Daughter? Anak mo sya Lai? I mean Tita Lai?" Tanong ni Bada na napalakas pa yung boses. Problema nito?
"Oo naman ano ka ba! Hindi lang kami magkamukha, namana kasi nito yung mukha sa papa nya but yes she is my daughter" natatawang sagot ni Tita sabay yakap din kay Marella.
"I see, excuse me I have to go somewhere" sagot nalang ni Bada sabay umalis. Nagtinginan tuloy kaming tatlo nila Tita at Marella sabay nagyakapan din. Finallyyyy may makakabonding na din na kaedad ko.
Anung connection ba meron sila nun, pangalawang beses na akong magseselos sa patay ng more than 100 years ago pa! Pero kasi kamukha daw ni Marella, tapos yung reaction ni Bada kanina parang tuwang-tuwa sya na makita si Marella, nakatulala tuloy ako habang nag-uusap sila Mom dito sa sala.
"Insan ok ka lang? Sorry ha! Girlfriend mo pala yun" sabi ni Marella sakin and held my hand.
"Baliw bat ikaw nagsosorry? Ok lang yun" weh ba Naomi? Ok lang sure ka na?
It was almost evening when Bada went back to the house. Pagpasok nya ay nagtinginan kami sa kanya but she only stared to one person.
"Bada san ka galing? Sorry di tayo nakaalis ngayon biglaan kasi dating nitong si Ella, upo ka muna dinner is almost ready na din" sabi ni Tita sa kanya.
"Naglakad-lakad lang po" sagot ni Bada saka umupo sa katapat na upuan ni Ella sa lamesa. Kahapon katabi ko sya 🙂
"Sorry if I scared you a while ago, kamukha mo kasi yung kakilala ko. I am Brynn by the way" pakilala nya kay Marella at inabot pa ang kamay nya dito para makipaghand shake.
"Ay ok lang yun Miss Brynn wag nyo lang po uulitin kasi baka mabatukan na kayo ng girlfriend nyo hehehe" pabiro namang sabi ni Marella at siniko ako saka inabot din yung kamay nya para makipagkamay. Nabanggit na yung girlfriend nyan pero di nya pa din ako nilingon.
"Alagaan nyo pong mabuti tong pinsan ko Miss Brynn ha alam ko namang mabait ka, ako kasi laging malas sa pag-ibig hahaha" kaming tatlo nalang ang naiwan dito sa sala, gusto ko pang kausapin tong si Ella ayaw naman umalis ni Bada. Ayoko din syang itaboy kasi baka pagalitan ako ni Mama sabihin pinasama dito tapos i-a-outcast.
"Really? Tell me about it" mas invested pa si Bada sa kwento ni Ella kesa sa mga kwento ko. I don't know how to feel honestly, parang wrong naman na nagseselos ako sa pinsan ko e she's clueless.
"Inaantok na ako, una nako matulog" paalam ko sa kanilang dalawa.
"Mamaya na insaaan! Pilitin mo magpuyat" pigil ni Marella but I insisted na gusto ko na talaga matulog.
"Sunod ako Naomi, samahan ko muna si Marella" sabi naman ni Bada saka tumingin ulit kay Ella at tinanong ito about sa pinag-uusapan nila. Edi sige gowww ako na nga lang mauuna matulog!