Rhian's POV:
What would you do if one day you wake up and you realize that you are not safe? I've been hiding out in Batangas for 1 month and two weeks now and I have just found out that Jeremy David Limjoco has found me and has been following my every move. I knew it because my lawyer had been wise enough to hire a private security company to watch over me. They said they have intercepted some private investigators who are stalking me for the last two weeks. I chose to live my life as best as I could, helping out in the landscaping and preparing my sources for coffee and other ingredients that I would need in the cafe. The moment I left my life in the U.S. I was determined not to come back to this situation again, not now or ever.
I was advised by my lawyer to be careful when transacting and dealing with people. I thought I WAS being careful! While I was sure not to spend any of the money David and I had saved in the bank, I never touched it partly because it was mostly his money, I've only been able to put in a couple of hundred dollars in there as I was a stay at home wife, who baked goodies to sell at the local cafes in our community. Mostly baked some brownies, because they were my best selling ones.
It was Sunday when I found out about this, naisip kong bumalik ng Amerika upang kasuhan si David ng Battery and Assault, pero isang buwan na kasi ang lumipas simula nung huli nya akong sinaktan. What was important now is that I am no longer within his reach that was what mattered. I was not in the mood today, I sat at the back patio just watching as Glai and her men decorated the whole place, I was just not in the mood to work with them, the clearing operations was done a week ago pa, so ngayon they can decorate with out having to consult me. I was in my own thoughts and was pulled out of my reverie by Glai when she said.
"Okay ka lang Rhian?" Glai asked me.
"Huh? Y-yeah. I'm fine." I said shakily.
"Parang hindi ka okay eh. May mali ba sa ginagawa namin?" She asked me worriedly.
"No, walang mali. It's just I'm not in the mood today." I said to her sadly.
"Oh, bakit? Anong nangyari?" Glai said as she sat down in front of me.
I debated whether I would tell her or not, for a quick moment I didn't want to share what was happening, but I was at ease with Glaiza. So, I let out a sigh and spoke to her.
"It's David. He found me." I said to her.
"Why not file a Temporary Restraining Order against him?" Glaiza said.
"I could do that, but alam mo naman dito sa Pilipinas, if you're not a celebrity, your case and appeals won't be heard." I said to her.
"Wait, you have written on your diary something that I think would help you." Glaiza said to me.
"Talaga? What is it? I wrote so many things on there, I could hardly remember anymore." I said to her.
"Well, you said that he couldn't beat you in a game of strategy, so all you needed to do is to develop a strategy against him, siguro naman may mga ebidensiya ka laban sa kanya diba?" She asked me.
"Yeah, I mean I documented everything that he did to me." I said to her.
"Pictures?" She asked me.
"Yes and video recordings of him beating me up." I answered her.
I thankfully backed up everything on my Google account, thousands of recordings, photos and other things that will prove I did not make up everything David has done to me. I didn't know that I was building my case against him, I never thought I would leave him ultimately. All those years were captured on cctv we have installed in our house, what David didn't know is that I managed to back up every cctv footage with my google account. I guess I wasn't really thinking during those times he had laid his hand on me, I was in denial that he actually did these things.
"Good. Malalampasan mo rin yan. Nga pala, kailangan namin ng extra shards of glass para isabit sa puno ng Narra. Magpapaalam sana ako na magpunta sa Bayan, para tignan kung meron sa gumagawa ng salamin." She said to me.
"I know where you can find a shop." I said to her.
"Great, sasamahan mo ba ako?" She asked me.
I could only nod at her and rose from my seat.
"Tara." I said to her as I walked to our garage.
She followed suit and got into her car. Although andyan pa ang mga private detectives ni David, nagmamanman sa akin at sa bawat galaw ko, I should never let him win. I have had enough of him, sapat na ang mga ginawa nya noon para iwan ko siya, sapat na din ang takot na meron ako, hindi ko na dapat pang hayaang dagdagan ito.
She drove to the Central Market of Batangas, wala pang 30 minutes andoon na kami. We went to a tiny shop in front of the central market, may glass maker doon. Glai, explained what she needed to the young man, manning the shop. The man smiled at her and waived he to the back of the shop. Sinundan namin si Kuya at doon limpak-limpak na basag na mga salamin ang tumambad sa amin.
"Ilan ho ba ang kailangan ninyo?" The young man asked her.
"Isang tumpok lang." Glai answered him.
"Sige ho." The man said and got a crate of the shards of glasses.
"Saan ko ho isasakay ito?" Sabi ng lalake.
"Sa truck ko sa harap." Glai said as she lead the way out.
Maya-maya pa, naka-balik na sila sa shop. The man assumed his post at nagkwentahan na sila ni Glaiza. Iniabot ni Glaiza ang bayad sa isang tumpok ng basag na salamin. Inalam rin ni Glai kung gumagawa ba sila ng mga glass ornaments. Umoo naman yung lalake, they made a deal na agad nang babayaran ni Glaiza ang mga orders nya na glass ornaments. Inabot ni Glai ang kabuuang bayad. Humingi din ng papel at ballpen si Glai sa bantay ng shop. I watched as she made a quick sketch of the kind of ornaments she wanted. Bagay na nagpangiti sa akin, dahil sa galing ni Glai magsketch.
Pagkaraan lamang ng ilang saglit, Glai looked back at me and said.
"Ready to go home?" She asked me.
I could only nod at her and smile as we headed back to her truck. Pagsakay namin sa truck hindi ko napigilang usisain siya.
"Saan ka natuto mag-drawing?" I asked her.
"Ah, ayun ba? Natuto ako mag-drawing nung bata pa lang ako, imbes makipagharutan ako noon sa mga kasing edad ko, nagdadrawing lang ako noon." She said smiling.
"Cool. So hindi ka nakapaglaro noon?" I asked her.
"Hindi, busy din kasi yung kababata kong si Batchi mag-basa. Kami lagi ang magkasama ni Batchi, yung isa nagsketch, habang yung isa nag-babasa ng libro sa library." She said chuckling at the memory.
"So, asan na si Batchi?" I asked her.
"Si Batchi ay graduate na ng pag-aabugasya, isa na siyang tanyag na Lead Counsel for Business ni Don Martin Allegre." She said smiling.
"Oh, so both of you were his scholar?" I asked her.
"Yes, both of us were his scholars." She said smiling as she drove us back home.
"Wow! Astig. I also had a scholarship back then, but Mom and Dad didn't want me to undergo so much strain, so nag-opt na lang sila na bayaran ang pagaaral ko sa Boston University." I said smiling at her.
"Hindi mo naman kasi kailangang maging iskolar Rhian, matalino ka. Nakita ko ang mga news article tungkol sayo. You graduated with a perfect GPA score noon. Kauna-unahang grumadweyt ng may ganung GPA." Her voice high pitched and excited of the fact.
"Hahaha! Nakakahiya, nabasa mo pala yun?" I said to her.
"Because I was searching for my friend Rhian Denise Howell, akala ko noon, hindi na kita makikita, naisip ko pa nga siguro isa kang patay na bata, kasi wala kang Social Media noon, pero meron pala, iba lang ang pangalang gamit mo." She said chuckling.
I chuckled back at her thoughts when she was searching for me.
"Grabe ka sa patay na bata." I said to her.
"Sorry, eh kasi naman eh. Rhian ang first name mo pero gamit mo sakin Denise." She complained.
"Sorry na, minsan kasi ang tawag ng mga kaibigan ko sakin Denise, yung iba Rhian. Meron pang Rhi, Rhirhi, Whian, Whiwhi at Den-Den. I don't mind really what they call me. Basta kaibigan ko sila, ok lang yun." I said laughing back at her.
"Whian and Whiwhi? Bakit ganyan ang tawag sayo?" She asked me chuckling.
"Kasi noong mga bata pa kami mga 4 pa lang ako, hindi ko kayang sabihin ang mga letter Rs ko. So pag nagpapakilala ako sa mga bagong friends ko I always say 'Hello, my name is Whian Denise Wamos Howell." I confessed a bit to her.
"Bulol ka pala. How did you unlearn it?" She asked me.
"I read and wrote poetry. Iyon ang nakatulong sa akin para ma-unlearn ko ang pagkabulol ko noon, may grandpa Alfred would give me old editions of poetry books back then." I said fondly of my memories.
"You are close to him ano?" She said.
"Yes, I was their only Grand child eh. So, talagang close ako sa kanila." I said to her.
"Mabuti ka pa, ako hindi ko na nakilala ang lolo at lola ko, both sides kasi deds na nung ipinanganak ako." She said smiling.
"I see." I said to her.
We fell into silence as we drove home, no one has ever spoken between us. Siguro dahil kahit madami pa akong gusto itanong, nahiya na ako sa kanya, dahil sa hirap ng buhay na dinanas nya growing up. It felt like I may hurt her with some of the words and memories I have. So, silence was naturally my response.
A/N:
Hello gaizzz!!! Pasensiya na po at hindi ako nakapag-publish over the weekend, I was resting due to the non-stop updates I have had the past week. So, I needed to pause and unwind. 😊
Ang chapter na ito ay para kay Vi_AndreA, who is now back to school in Venice. Taray mo girllll! 🤣✌️ Magaral kang mabuti at i-message mo ako para sa requests mo. 🤣🤣😂😂😂 Hahahaha! I'll try it out.
Salamat sa pagtangkilik ng mga stories ko dito, sa pagboto at pagbabasa ninyo. 😊
Always spread light and love!
- Sky