ELC22
I balled my fist and hugged my legs tighter when I heard the horse neighed. My tears have dried up and the only thing I can feel is the coldness of the surroundings but I don't have anything to give me warmth but myself.
"Shut up..." I whispered to the horse even if it would never understand me.
Everything flashed before my memory and I cannot help but feel the intense anger and pity for myself.
The Andradas just turned their backs on us. Diana ordered the guards to force Six up into his room even if he's struggling. When they are all out of the receiving area, Felize ordered the remaining guards to take me here in the stable. No one protested.
"Ma..." I cried as I realized what just happened to me and where I am now. "Papa..."
Gusto kong magsumbong. I wanna cry to them. I wanna say sorry. I wanna tell them how scared I am now. I wanna tell them to come and get me out of here.
I feel so disgusted. I feel so ashamed of my name as I remembered the way I pleaded for them to believe me.
Wala naman akong kasalanan... but why am I treated like I'm an animal?
I didn't manage to sleep. I was just hugging myself all the time because it's cold. There were a lot of mosquitoes too and the rice straws are all itchy and sometimes prickly that it hurts. I never even imagined myself sleeping in this place made for animals.
Sobrang sama ng loob ko. I wanna wreck everything that I can see. My hands are restless and I wanna scream loudly and curse everyone. This isn't me. I am not supposed to be here. I should have never done that. I should have never let anyone belittle me.
A thief? Are you fucking kidding me?
I was so immersed by my hatred that I didn't notice how the sun started lighting up the place again. Ang lamig na nararamdaman ko ay napalitan ng init.
"Reese..."
Napalingon ako noong marinig ko ang pangalan kong binigkas ng pamilyar na boses. I immediately stood up when I recognized Dandi's face. Naglakad ako papalapit sa kanya. The stall is locked so I can only talk to her with a gate in the middle of us.
"Sabi ni Nanay baka nagugutom ka na..." she handed me a plastic reusable tupperware that has rice and viand inside.
"Dandi..." I called her after I stared at the food she gave me.
She smiled at me. "Kinuwento sakin ni Nanay. Parehas kaming hindi naniniwala na kaya mo 'yon gawin... medyo mataray ka lang..." she chuckled. "Pero hindi ka naman ganon."
Unshed tears heat up my eyes once again. I remembered how Ate Lucy defended me and how Six tried so much to resist for me. I was hurting for them too...
"Thank you..."
She nodded at me and smiled. "Kumain ka muna... sasamahan kita dito."
"Hindi ko talaga iyong ginawa..." I said to her, ignoring what she told me. Hinawakan ko lang ang binigay niyang pagkain saakin. I really wanna defend my side to someone right now.
"Inutusan lang ako ni Ate Martha na kunin yung kwintas kasi inutos daw kasi ng Senyora sa kanya iyon pero madami siyang ginagawa. Binigay ko din sa kanya 'yon kahapon..."
She gasped while looking at me with wide eyes.
"Edi si Ate Martha..." she muttered.
"Sino ka? Anong ginagawa mo dito?"
Nanlaki ang parehas naming mga mata noong marinig iyon. We all looked at the direction of the voice. We saw one of the Andrada's bodyguards walking towards us.
"Ah... eh... Kuya..." Dandi didn't know what to say.
She automatically stepped back when the guard approached us. She looks scared that she was caught. Agad ko binagsak ang pagkaing hawak ko at sinipa papalayo saakin.
Damn it! What a waste! I'm so hungry now! Tanghali na at huling kain ko ay kagabi pa!
"Napadaan lang siya..." I said.
The guard opened the stall and pulled me out harshly. I gasped because of how tight he held my wrist!
"Kuya! Nasasaktan si Reese!" pigil ni Dandi.
"Saan mo ako dadalahin!" I said while trying my best to put weight in my body so he won't be able to pull me but compared to the massiveness of his body, I am nothing.
"Pinapatawag ka! Nakita na ang kwintas ng Senyora at umamin na rin iyong isang katulong!"
My eyes widen. Nabuhayan ang loob ko. Dandi and I exchange our looks. She gave me a short nod and a small smile, not totally happy with how things are flowing now. Of course... she knows Ate Martha too...
"Sasama ako! Di mo ako kailangang hatakin!" I shouted irritably.
Binawi ko ang kamay ko. The bodyguard glared at me but he didn't hold me again. However, he pushed me in front of him so that I won't be out of his eyes. Do I really look that bad now?
All the mess from yesterday's party is still there to wherever we passed by. It's still not cleaned.
"See, Six? I already warned you, right? Gagatasan ka lang nyan! That gold-digger bitch wants nothing from you but all those things that you can buy for her! Those that you can give! Those that your money can afford!"
My heart stopped a beat. All the hope that I felt when I heard that someone already admitted the truth came back at me as a backslash. That is when I realized... what kind of truth did she tell?
And... what are these things that I am hearing now?
"Reese..." Dandi called me.
The bodyguard pushed my back, making me step forward. All of their attention immediately flew at me. My eyes went on Six who's looking at me blankly... different... very different from the way he used to look at me.
Kakatapak ko pa lang ay gusto ko na agad umalis. The kind of stare he was giving me was so painful. Did he believe whatever he was told? Does he see me the way almost everyone in this room does, too?
My eyes shifted on the woman who was silently crying in the corner. Behind her are the rest of the house helps. Dandi was already beside Ate Lucy. I look at Ate Lucy and she looked away.
I felt like a bomb just exploded inside me.
I'm holding on... I'm trying to prove them wrong for them who believed in me... but why... why does it seems like I have already lost?
"Ulitin mo lahat ng sinabi mo."
Doon ako napatingin noong marinig ko ang boses ni Diana Andrada. She was glaring at me and what really stole my attention is the necklace that was hanging in her neck. It was indeed found...
"N-akausap ko po si Reese kahapon dito habang nag-aayos ako ng kurtina. Tinanong ko kung may ginagawa ba sya at sabi nya, wala daw po pero may titignan siya sa taas..."
I eyed her coldly. The moment I entered this place, I already expected that the truth that I will hear is already perfectly made-up. But I can't still accept that I was hearing it now.
Ate Martha is a good person, at least that was what I thought. I rarely talk to her but she always helps me out on those that I don't know. I'm not close to her but this is so much to take.
"Tapos nung pagkababa nya po, pinuntahan niya ako para ipakita iyong nakuha niya daw ng kwintas. Sabi nya itago ko daw at hati kami pagsinanla namin... pero hindi po ako pumayag."
I wanna laugh at that statement. If I would steal it, why the hell would I show it to her? And if I would show it, why her? I'm not even talking to her unless it's necessary!
Liar!
"Nagalit po siya saakin at pinagbantaan niya po akong wag sabihin pero hindi po kaya ng konsensya ko... Pasensya na Senyora... Senyor..."
"Sinungaling..." I said to her while glaring. No matter how old she is compared to me, I didn't stop myself from losing my respect for her.
Her tear-soaked face turned to me. I stepped closer.
"Sinabi mong kunin ko 'yon dahil utos sayo pero madami kang ginagawa kaya di mo kaya!"
Now I realized how she made everything against me so she could safely look innocent. She lured me so that I could be the one caught in the CCTV recordings! And she was purposely in the backyard when I gave the necklace to her because there where a lot of blindspot areas there that cannot be seen in the CCTV!
Pero bakit? Kung ibabalik din naman niya ang kwintas, bakit kailangan niya pang kunin?
"Wag kang maggawa ng kwento!" she fought back.
Ako?
"Ikaw ang naggagawa ng kwento!"
She shifted her eyes to the Andrada's that are watching us.
"Ma'am, Sir, matagal na po ako dito... ni minsan wala po akong ginawang ganon. Kung ako po talaga iyon, dapat matagal ko na iyong ginawa at wala na ako dito." she cried.
"T-totoo yon, Senyora... limang taon na dito si Martha..." my eyes shifted to Ate Glen. She met my eyes but she looked away from me, just the same.
Does the year justify a crime, then?
"Purkit ba matagal ka na dito ay hindi mo iyon magagawa? Bakit mo ako dinadawit sa mga kasalanan mo?" I asked Ate Martha.
She looked at me, scared.
"If it's not you, why is the necklace found below your pillow?"
I froze from Diana's question. I turned to her and I didn't look away no matter how cold her eyes are to me.
"Anong..."
"Stop denying it, bitch! All the evidence point at you! May CCTV, may witness, at nasa gamit mo nakita ang neck－"
"Shut up." I cannot help but blurt out to her ugly face. This annoying leech is making so mad! Sawsaw ng sawsaw! Akala mo ay may papel!
"What did you just said to me?"
"Alam mo konti nalang iisipin ko na ikaw ang may gawa ng lahat ng 'to." I said to her while gritting my teeth. Her eyes widen and an emotion crossed on her eyes. Walang nagsalita kaya humakbang ako papalapit sa kanya.
"Galit na galit ka saakin diba? Kasi hindi ka mapansin ni Six? Gusto mo akong mawala dito! At kagabi mo po ako dinidiin! Humahanap ka lang ng kasabw－"
"Did you steal it?"
Natigil ako sa mahaba kong sinasabi noong marinig ko ang pagputol saakin ng boses na yon. I was stoned in my feet. I saw a smirk formed on Felize's lips before my eyes slowly found the person to whom the cold voice belongs.
Six eyed me with the same coldness he gave me when we first met. It was a stranger look to me. Like he never knew me... like I was just a plain human who committed a crime and nothing more.
"Six..." I turned to him.
My heart felt breaking thousands of times. My boldness collapsed in the sight of his accusing eyes.
Do I serve this? Six... do I?
"That was the question," he said to me.
At this point, defending myself felt hopeless. But seeing his face, I just wanna cry so loud, say hundreds of no, and beg him to believe me. I don't care if everyone in this place won't believe me... as long as he will...
I shook my head. "H-hindi, Six... hindi ako..." I sobbed to him.
I can't believe everything! I can't believe I was crying for all this nonsense!
Aquilah Therese Legrand? Magnanakaw? Oh, fuck that! I have my own necklaces with bigger stones and greater worth! Why would I steal someone else's? Gustong-gusto ko nalang iyong isigaw. Kung pwede lang...
"Do you still believe her, Six? Ano, hindi ka lang ba bulag, bingi ka na din?" Felize sarcastically asked. "Magnanakaw iyan! Mukhang pera! Gold-digger!"
I ignored her.
"Hindi ko 'yon gagawin... maniwala ka naman, Six..." my tears streamed continuously. All of their eyes are watching me beg. I don't care if I look desperate in their eyes. Six, please... baby...
"Do you... do you have the necklace when I saw you walk out of their room?"
Natigil ako sa paglapit sa kanya. I don't know if my feelings can be heavier... I guess, yes. Because it's too much now.
"Hindi yon, Six... makinig ka muna, please."
"Do you have it?"
I balled my fist tightly.
"Y-yes..."
Everyone gasped. Maingay ang paligid. I can hear a lot of whispers and big noises from Felize's mouth but my eyes remained to the only person important in my eyes right now.
He looked at me with disappointment. That was the first thing I saw in his eyes after all the blankness he gave me. Then, he glared at me.
I think I just lost my heart.
"Six... makinig ka muna, please..."
I stepped towards him. His jaw clenched before he turned his back and started walking away.
"Six! Six!" I called him while crying. I almost run to reach him but I was stopped by the Andrada's bodyguards. I tried to resist but they are too big for me, completely blocking my way to cross my distance from Six. I watch him walked up on the stairs.
"Thief!" sigaw ni Felize.
"Call the police."
"Six, no... please... hindi yon totoo!" I shouted, pleaded.
But he didn't turn on my direction.
How can you be so heartless, Six?
"Diana, are you really going to that extent for a necklace?"
"It's not about my necklace, Samuel! It's about how a snake entered my house and covet my things! It's a robbery committed under my roof!"
Don't do this to me, baby... turn your head to me. Come back to me... no, you won't do this. I tried to reach Six like I can grasp him impossibly using my hand even if he's already so far from me.
"But she's young! And jail! Maraming mapagsamantala doon! Kung may mangyaring masama sa batang 'yan doon, makakayanan ba ng konsensya mo? For a necklace?!"
"Tito, she still committed a crime."
I sobbed harder when Six reach the last step of the grand staircase. He started vanishing from what my eyes can reach.
No... why?
I didn't do it. Why didn't you believe me? Why didn't you let me explain?
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"Fire her if you want! Sigurado namang magtatanda na iyan! Give the kid a chance, Diana..."
"Isn't that what I always give, Samuel?"
I put my hand down on my side and I wipe my tears. I'm so done... I'm so fucking done...
But it also hurts so much, watching the one you love turned his back away from you, believing others than you. I can shoulder betrayals. I can accept every blames they wanna throw to me as long as I have him on my side, still believing in me.
Bakit ang bilis mo naman akong tinalikuran?
"I'm giving you a choice..."
I turned my back and face everyone again. My eyes roamed around. I saw disappointment from the house helps' eyes. Dandi looked at me with pure confusion. Felize displayed a winning smile. Six's parents remained serious.
"We'll call the police and report you or you'll voluntarily move out of the house now," she said.
I look at her without emotion. I don't really care about anything now. If they would take me to the police, I won't back down. I may look pitiful in their eyes now but I know how to fight.
"Tita, firing her isn't enough..."
"Ma'am... wala pong kilala si Reese dito... baka wala po siyang mapuntahan." Ate Lucy said.
"Ma... saatin... diba saatin naman talaga si Reese?" medyo malakas na sabi ni Dandi kaya napatingin sa kanya si Diana Andrada.
"Do you wanna lose your scholarship?"
I witness how Ate Lucy and Dandi stepped back with fear. Ate Lucy pulled Dandi towards her side and she looked away from me again.
"Take her away from here."
With that order, I found myself being harshly dragged away from the place I treated as my second home with broken trusts, a broken stance, and a broken heart.