SASKIA
"My, wag ka na mag-alala sa akin. Kaya ko ang sarili ko." Bumuntong-hininga ako at tinitigan ko si Mammy mula sa salamin na nasa harap ko habang inaayusan ako ni Ninang Jodie. Nakaupo siya sa likod ko at tahimik lang na nakatitig sa akin. Kahit hindi na siya nagsalita noong magpumilit ako na magsayaw sa club, alam kong tutol pa rin siya doon. "Saka hindi naman ako sa pipitsugi na club magsasayaw, di ba, Ninang?"
"Oo nga naman. Di yun yung sa mga pinagsasayawan mo noon, Sasha." Sabi ni Ninang habang kinukulot ang buhok ko.
"Lush Execution Club yun, My. Puro mga mayayaman ang kustomer."
"Gaga, ano'ng execution? Ano yun bibitayin ka?" Pinukpok ako ni Ninang Jodie ng suklay sa ulo. "Executive! Lush Executive Club! Nako, Saskia, d'yan tayo sumasablay sa'yo. Ang ganda mo nga, kung anu-ano naman lumalabas d'yan sa bibig mo."
"Ninang naman eh." Inirapan ko siya. "Wala ba kayong bilib sa beauty ko?"
"Yun na nga eh, pasalamat ka maganda ka. Kasi kung pangit ka pa, ano na mangyayari sa'yo niyan?." Natatawang sabi ni Ninang. "Pasalamat ka sa dugo ng tatay mong Briton."
"Gaga! Sa akin nanggaling yang ganda mo! Kaya nga patay na patay yung hayop na yun sa akin noon." Nalukot ang mukha ni Mammy.
"Pero nakatulong yung dugong forenjer ng tatay ko, aminin." Sabi ko.
"O kaya yun, nung nabuntis ka na-thank you ka! Alam mo ba gusto kang ipalaglag ng tatay mo noon, Saskia. Di lang pumayag si Sasha."
"Syempre, anak ko yan. Kahit naman pokpok ako may prinsipyo pa rin ako. Binuhay ko kayo ng mga kapatid mo kasi binigay kayo ng Diyos sa akin."
"Kaya mahal na mahal kita, My eh." Sabi ko.
"Saskia, wag kang tutulad sa akin. Ipangako mo sa akin na hindi ka na magpapagalaw ulit." Seryosong sabi niya.
"Hindi na mangyayari yun. Nakainom lang ako nun saka malaki naman ang nakuha ko nun kaya keri na rin." Kibit-balikat na sabi ko.
"Magsasayaw ka lang! Huwag kang magpapahawak sa mga lalaki. Lalo na yung mga mukhang walang pera!" Paalala niya.
"Oo nga, My. Paulit-ulit?"
"Hoy, Jomar! Bantayan mong mabuti yang inaanak mo!"
"Maka-Jomar 'to! Kinikilabutan ako sa'yo! Jodie ang pangalan ko! JODIE!"
Pagkatapos akong ayusan ni Ninang ay umalis na kami. Dinala niya ako doon sa club ng mga pangmayaman. Hindi na din sumama si Mammy dahil ayaw niya daw akong makitang ganon. Tutol man siya sa gusto ko, para naman ito sa ikabubuti namin. Lalo na ng mga kapatid ko. Hindi naman ako nagsinungaling sa kanya noong sinabi ko na hindi ako magpapa-take out. Iyon na ng una at huling beses na gagawin ko yun. Maliban na lang kung may mayaman na magkagusto sa akin at mag-alok na igarahe ako. Syempre hindi na ako tatanggi nun. Sabi nga ni Ninang Jodie sa akin kung sasama daw ako sa lalaki piliin ko yung MMMM o matatandang mayaman na madaling mamatay. Para kapag namatay siya, sa akin na mapupunta lahat ng kayamanan niya. Malay natin baka swertihin ako at mahanap ko yun.
"Alam mo na ang gagawin mo." Sabi sa akin ni Ninang habang nasa backstage kami. Pinagsuot nila ako ng manipis na two piece at pinagtakong ng mataas. Kanina ko pa kinukundisyon ang sarili ko. Nagawa ko na ito noon at kakayanin ko ulit ngayon.
"Nang, yakang-yaka ko na 'to. Don't worry, be happy." Nakangiting sagot ko bago lumabas sa entablado. Nawala ang ngiting iyon at napalitan ng malakas na kabog ng dibdib ko ng makita ko ang mga tao. Nagsimula akong sumayaw sa harap ng mga lalaking naghahanap ng panandaliang aliw. Hiniwalay ko ang pagkatao ko mula sa katawan ko. Iyon lang ang paraan para masikmura ko ang ginagawa ko ngayon. Hindi si Saskia ang nananahan sa hungkang na katawan na ito.
Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko at nagsimula na akong umindayog. Sinasabayan ng katawan ko ang nakakahalinang tugtog. Hindi ako anak ngayon, hindi ako kapatid, hindi kaibigan... hindi ako tao. Ngayon isa lang akong katawan na nagbibigay aliw sa kanila.
Pagkatapos na pagkatapos pa lang ng kanta ay tumakbo na ako papunta sa backstage. Saka lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag ulit.
"Ang galing galing ng inaanak ko." Agad na sumalubong si Ninang na may dalang roba at ibinalot iyon sa katawan ko.
"Saskia!" Lumapit sa amin ang kaibigan ni Ninang Jodie na manager ng club na ito. Siya din yung kumuha sa akin na magsayaw sa party kung saan ko naisuko ang bataan ko. "Halika, dali! May gusto magtable sa'yo."
"Hindi ako pokpok. Nagsasayaw lang ako." Sabi ko.
"Gaga! Kakausapin mo lang. Malalaki magbigay ng tip ang mga yun." Excited na sabi niya.
"Mare, hindi pwede hanggang sayaw lang si Saskia. Paano pag nabastos 'tong inaanak ko?" Pumamewang si Ninang.
"May mga bouncer kami dito. Hindi namin hinahayaan mabastos ang mga empleyado namin dito. Hindi 'to cheapanga na club remember." Taas kilay na sabi ng friendship ni Ninang. "Ikaw din, Saskia. Sayang yun. Libu-libo magtip yan mga kustomer ko lalo na kung gusto ka nila."
"Okay, game!" Agad na sabi ko.
"Saskia!" Pinandilatan ako ni Ninang.
"Nang, ako na bahala dito. Malay mo magustuhan ako." Bulong ko sa kanya at sumama ako sa friendship ni Ninang.
Dinala ako ni Ninang sa table ng lalaki. Forenjer ito at medyo may edad na. Ito ang mga hinahanap ko ang mga MMMM. Tinuruan ako ng friendship ni Ninang, si mamang Vera, kung ano ang dapat gawin. May kumisyon din ako sa mga inoorder ng mga kustomer kaya kailangan umorder din ako ng umorder pag nagpapatable ako.
"Have you eaten yourself yet?" Tanong ko sa kanya.
"Have I what, darling?" Kumunot ang noo ng kano.
"You want food? Or you want something drinks?"
"Oh yes, please..."
"Waiter, can you bring us something drinks?" Tinawag ko ang isa sa mga waiter at kinuha niya ang order namin.
"So, what's your name?"
"Uh... Moira." Sabi din sa akin ni Mamang dapat daw mag-imbento ako ng pangalan. Magandang hindi na din nila malaman kung sino talaga ako. Dahil hindi naman si Saskia ito. Sa loob ng club na iyon binigyan buhay ko ang bagong katauhan. Si Moira.
"Moira, beautiful name. It suits you well. I'm Richard. Pleased to meet you." Magalang na sabi niya.
"Richard, what you do here on Philippines?" Sinubukan kong magsimula ng usapan.
"I am travelling to different countries. I've always been interested in meeting different people from different cultures. It has always been my dream to travel around the world but I've never gone around to doing when I was younger. I'm pretty old. I guess I just want to see the beauty of the world before I die. After years of serving my country, I think I deserve this break. What about you? If you were given a chance to travel? Where would you want to go?"
"Someday, I climb the ifold tower."
"The what, darling?" Marahan na tanong niya.
"Ifold tower. The triangle, you know? To Paris..."
"Oh, right... The Eiffel Tower in Paris." Ngumiti siya sa akin. "I have been there too. Lovely country and people. But the kindness of the Filipinos are exceptional. I'm actually contemplating living here in the Philippines."
Kahit hindi ko masyadong naiintindihan ang mga sinasabi niya ay nagkunwari akong interesado ako. Mabait naman siya. Hindi naman manyakis. Siguro gusto niya lang ng may makausap. Karamihan sa mga nag table sa akin ay ganon. Ang kailangan ko lang gawin ay tumango at ngumiti sa kanila. Gabi-gabi akong sumasayaw sa club at nagpapatable.
MIGS
"What the hell are we doing here, Nicholas?" I asked as we entered a strip club. We were immediately greeted by a lady who wore a maroon tight hugging strapless dress that revealed a generous amount of her thighs and cleavage. We asked for a table and she guided us to a spot on the corner of the room.
The lights began to dim and on the stage a deep red hue in the lightning slowly began to emerge. A woman slowly walked to the center of the stage. It was her. The stripper I slept with. She was wearing a see through laced bra and micro g string panties that left almost nothing to the imagination.
"Damn! She's one fine piece of ass." Coco commented.
I shook my head at my brother and tried not to look at the woman. I couldn't look at her without being reminded of the night we spent together. It was a blur but I remember. I remember her moans in my ear, I remember how she clung on to me, how her womanly scent.
My fists clenched in anger at myself. It was bad enough that I cheated on my finacee. I didn't have to relive that moment in my mind. I had my moment of weakness and I regretted it. I regretted every moment of it. Hazel was the only woman I love besides my mother and my sisters. She was the one who I wanted to marry and the woman I wanted to bear my child and spend the rest of my life with.
All I could think about right now was my Hazel. How lovely she'd look in her wedding dress as she walks down the aisle. Ayaw kong masira ang mga plano namin ng dahil sa isang malaking pagkakamaling nagawa ko.
The music ended and so did the dance. She went back in and a few minutes later, I saw her walking out of the backstage wearing a little black dress that covered most part of what she showed earlier but it didn't cover her assets.
She walked up to a table and sat with a middle-aged man of what looks to be a European descent. He was balding on the head but was hairy on parts where it shouldn't be. Their table was just right across from ours and I could hear him talk. I had been to different countries, mostly for business trips, and had a chance to meet different kinds of people. The man had a thick German accent.
"What the hell are we doing here anyway?" I asked, lifting a glass of wine and taking a sip.
"Hindi sabi mo gusto mo siyang puntahan? There she is..." He held his arm out.
"Do you think she remembers?"
Kibit-balikat lang ang isinagot sa akin ni Coco.
"Well, what am I going to do? Should I talk to her? Pakikiusapan ko ba siyang huwag magsalita?"
"I don't know." Coco shrugged. "You did the deed, I'm not going to be the one to deal with the deed's consequence."
"Damn it! I don't know what I should do." I inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled. "You know, maybe I'm just being paranoid. Maybe we should just leave her alone."
He wrapped his arms around her and she scooted away from him a little, wearing an uncomfortable smile on her face.
"Oh come on, I will pay..." The man said, his hand caressed her thigh.
"No touch touch." Her sweet smile disappeared and she tried to push the man's hand off her. "Not there! Off limit!"
"Hey look at what that guy's doing to her." Coco frowned.
"Don't you there!" The guy tried to put his hand up her dress but she slapped him across the face. "Punyeta ka, sabing huwag d'yan!"
"You whore!" There was an initial shock on his face and then it turned into anger. He raised his hair hand up and he was ready to slap her.
Coco and I instinctively got up from our seats. It made my blood boil seeing a woman being mistreated like that. We were raised by a beautiful, loving mother, we had two sisters who we love with all our hearts, and a father who showed us how to treat women. Kung makita kong may mambastos o may magtangkang manakit kay Mama o sa kahit sino sa kapatid ko, I would raise hell.
I didn't care about her profession or who she was as a person. You don't treat women like that. We were taught by our father that we should not, under any circumstances, lay a finger on a woman. Dad stressed that any man who physically hurts a woman is not a real man.
"You son of a bitch!" Dinampot ko sa kwelyo ang lalaki at umigkis naman ang kamao ni Coco. His fist landed on the man's face. The man tried to release himself from my hold, angrily throwing punches everywhere. I gave him one good punch and that seemed to have calm him down.
"Hayop kang pangit ka! Bastos!" Galit na sinampal ng babae ang lalaki sa magkabilang pisngi. "Makahipo ka sa akin! Ulol! Maligo ka muna, ang baho mo!"
"Inaanak! Ano'ng nangyari?" Another guy showed up. Nag-aalalang lumapit siya sa babae. He held her face in his hand and asked her if she was alright.
"Paano kasi, itong hayop na 'to! Gusto akong hawakan sa ano ko." Dinuro niya ang lalaki.
Two well-built men also came up to us and took the man. The guy who she was with told them to send the man away.
"Sandali lang! Sandali lang!" Humarang ang babae sa harap nila. "May nakakalimutan yang gagong yan. You give me my money!"
"I will not give you any money, you good for nothing whore." He angrily said through gritted teeth.
The woman slapped him on the head. "Pagkatapos kong magtiis sa amoy mo! Bayaran mo kong gago ka!" Kinapa ng babae ang pantalon ng lalaki hanggang sa makuha niya ang wallet nito. She opened the wallet and got some few paper bills then she slapped the wallet on the man's face. "O yan, letse ka! Sige na, itapon niyo na yan sa labas. Huwag niyo na papapasukin ulit yan dito."
"Hey, you alright?" I asked the woman.
"Bro, yung lalaki nga dapat tinatanong natin kung okay pa ba siya." Coco whispered. "This girl is savage."
The woman lifted her eyes up to me and they widened when she saw me.
"Hey..." I quietly said.
She blinked. "Ikaw?!"
"Magkakilala kayo?" The man she was with asked.