Romane von Jyestha Writes

Pagmulat ng aking mga mata, ang unang sumalubong sa akin ay ang bakanteng espasyo sa sahig. Tanging ang maayos na nakatuping jacket ni Easton ang naiwan doon. Mukhang maagang gumising si Easton para tulungan ang kaniyang magulang sa gawain nila.Ramdam ko pa rin ang bahagyang pagod mula sa matinding puyat sa board exam, ngunit ang malamig at preskong simoy ng umaga sa probinsya ay tila nagbigay ng bagong sigla sa aking buong katawan. Kinuha ko ang panali na palagi kong suot sa braso ko at tinalian ang aking buhok pataas bago tahimik na lumabas ng kwarto.Nadatnan ko si Nanay Melie sa maliit nilang kusina sa likod-bahay na yari sa kawayan at pawid at nagsasangag ng kanin. Katabi niya si Easton habang abala sa pagpaypay ng apoy sa ibabaw ng uling habang nagpiprito ng tuyo.“Magandang umaga po, Nay,” nakangiti kong bati habang dahan-dahang lumalapit sa kanila.Mabilis na napalingon si Nanay Melie, at agad na tumigil sa kaniyang ginagawa habang bakas ang gulat at pag-aalala sa kaniyang ma

Pagkatapos ng hapunan at nang mailigpit ang mga pinagkainan, iginaya kami ni Nanay Melie patungo sa nag-iisang maliit na silid sa dulo ng bahay. Ang kwarto ay may dingding na luma ngunit matibay na kahoy, isang maliit na bintanang nakabukas para pumasok ang simoy ng hangin sa probinsya, at isang solong papag na may nakalatag na malinis na banig at dalawang kupasing unan.“Pasensya na kayo, ha? Ito lang talaga ang kwarto na maayos-ayos dito,” nahihiyang saad ni Nanay Melie habang pinapagpagan pa ang gilid ng banig. Tumingin siya sa amin ni Easton, bakas ang pag-aalangan sa kaniyang mukha. “Pwede pa naman kayo umuwi sa bahay ni Don Concepcion. Maliwanag pa ang daan kaysa naman dito kayo magsisiksikan sa maliit at mainit naming kwarto. Nako! Lalo na ikaw Eloisa, baka hindi ka makatulog nang maayos pagkatapos ng exam mo dahil maingay at walang aircon dito.”Naramdaman ko ang bahagyang pagbaba ng balikat ni Easton sa tabi ko, tila ba nasaktan siya para sa kaniyang ina na kailangan pang ma

Gaya ng pangako ni Easton, hindi ko kailangan kabahan. Pagtapak pa lang namin sa loob ng maliit ngunit napakalinis nilang tahanan, isang mainit na yakap agad ang isinalubong sa amin ng kaniyang ina. Walang sinuman sa kanilang mag asawa ang nanghusga sa aking itsura ngayon. Kitang-kita sa mga mata ng kaniyang pamilya ang purong pasasalamat dahil sa wakas ay kasama na nila ang anak na matagal na nawalay sa kanila.Sobrang gaan lang ng aming pag uusap na para bang matagal na namin sila nakakasama. Napagkaalaman ko na ang pangalan ng kaniyang tunay na magulang ay sila Tatay Eduardo at Nanay Melie, hindi na sila nag anak pa ulit dala ng kahirapan sa buhay. Namumuhay sila sa paglilinis ng mga bote na ginagawang lalagyanan ng suka. Sa kabila ng mabigat na trabahong ito na bakas sa magagaspang at may mga hiwa nilang palad, walang bakas ng pait sa kanilang mga mukha.“Ang sabi ko nga dito sa asawa ko ay lalaking g’wapo at matalino itong anak namin na mana sa ‘kin!” Turan ni Nanay Melie, sabay

"Where are we?” tanong ko nang mapansin ko nasa isang liblib na lugar kami.Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang labas ng bintana. Wala na ang nagtataasang mga gusali ng Maynila at ang trapik na madalas naming nasasalubong tuwing ganitong oras ay napalitan na ng mga naglalakihang puno at madilim at medyo matitirik na daan.Lumingon sa akin si Easton. Seryoso ang kaniyang mukha, ngunit may bakas ng labis na pananabik at malalim na emosyon sa kaniyang mga mata habang dahan-dahang itinigil ang kotse sa tapat ng isang simpleng gate ng isang tahimik na bahay.“Somewhere where you’ll fully get to know me,” makahulugan niyang tugon sabay patay sa makina ng sasakyan.Humarap siya sa akin at hinawakan ang dalawa kong kamay. Nalilito ako sa kaniyang sinabi. Hindi na lang niya kasi sinabi ng direkta para hindi na nag-iisip pa ang pagod kong utak. Itong si Easton, iba rin mag isip ‘e.Doon pa lang dahan-dahang nag-sink in sa akin ang lahat. Ang pagkalito ko ay napalitan ng isang malaking realization. Tum

"Time is up! Pass your papers to the front," deklara ng proctor.Isang sabay-sabay na malalim na buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ng buong silid. Kasabay ng pagtayo ko mula sa upuan ay ang pakiramdam na tila may malaking tinik na nabunot sa dibdib ko. Sa wakas. Tapos na ang board exam. Tapos na ang tatlong buwang paghihirap.Pagkalabas ko pa lang ng testing room, agad kong nakasubong sa hallway sina Trisha, Krisha, at Drake. Halata sa mga mukha namin ang matinding puyat at pagod, pero mabilis iyong napalitan ng malalaking ngiti nang magkaabot-abot ang mga tingin namin."Anak ng tokwa, natapos din natin!" ‘Di mapigilan na ekspresyon ni Trisha habang nag iinat ng katawan. “Mukhang kailangan kong dumaan ng simbahan mamaya at iaalay ko na lang kay Lord ‘yong mga ibang questions na hindi ko na nasagutan.”Sa totoo lang, kahit ako ay hindi sigurado sa mga sagot ko. Natapos ko naman lahat pero parang inihula ko na lang ang natitirang kalahati dahil sa lutang kong utak.“Kaninang Psych Assessm

Dapat ay nagpapahinga na ako. Pero heto ako, nakatitig sa kisame ng kwarto ko at hindi man lang dalawin ng antok. Gustong-gusto kong pukpukin ang ulo ko sa pader para lang tumigil ang utak ko sa pagtakbo, dahil sa bawat segundong lumilipas, pakiramdam ko ay lalo ko lang nakakalimutan ang lahat ng inaral ko.Bukas na bukas ay mag sisimula na ang board exam na tatlong buwan kong pinaghandaan. Tatlong buwan ng puyat, iyak, at halos mabaliw na utak, lahat iyon ay nakasalalay sa kung ano ang isasagot ko bukas.Tatlong buwan na rin nang huli kong makasama si Easton nang personal. Sa mga sandaling gumuho ang sistema ko sa takot, ang yakap at presensya lang niya ang tanging nakakapagpatahimik sa akin. Gustong-gusto ko siyang makasama ngayon. Sana ay katabi ko siya. Sana ay narito siya para hawakan ang kamay ko, dahil alam kong sa isang haplos at bulong lang niya ay biglang mawawala ang lahat ng kabang unti-unting pumapatay sa akin.Kinuha ko ang aking cellphone at sinilip ang oras sa screen.

Isabella didn't hesitate. She didn't look back at the two hitmen she had just dropped, nor did she stop to wipe the crimson droplets from her silver-rose dagger. Her eyes locked onto the dark concrete stairs descending into the belly of the resort, her focus sharpened to a razor-sharp, lethal edge."It was a verbal threat," she said, her tone entirely devoid of emotion, cold and clinical as she slipped past me into the dim stairwell. "They called my burner. Said they had eyes on the house. Said they’d pull the trigger on Daisy if I didn't put a bullet in you during the retreat."Finally, I could finally relax for a little bit. At least they didn't even have her. They just used her name. They used an innocent child as a phantom leverage to break the most dangerous assassin in the city, trying to turn her into a puppet to execute me.I wasn’t worried about Daisy even one bit, knowing that she’s in the hands of the handler. The handler could even guard Daisy from mosquitoes. Daisy was co

"There is nothing to fix, Keigh," she breathed, her voice a ghostly tremor. "There is only survival."Before her words could even fully register in my brain, Isabella utilized my grip on her wrist as leverage. She threw her weight backward, planting her foot squarely against my chest and launching herself into a brutal backflip. The sheer force of the kick broke my hold, sending me stumbling back against the corridor wall while she landed gracefully on her feet, the dagger flipping in her palm with terrifying familiarity."Isabella, wait!" I growled, pressing a hand against my bruising ribs. My mind was racing, trying to stitch the pieces together. I rolled to the side, coming up on one knee just as her heel came crashing down where my head had been a millisecond ago, shattering the decorative ornament."Damn it, Isabella, I'm trying to help you!" I hissed, sweeping my leg to knock her off balance.She anticipated the move, leaping lightly over my sweeping shin, her heels clearing my

I turned to the voice of a middle-aged man. True enough, a man with visible minimal white hairs stood there, holding a clipboard in a perfectly stilled angle. Seminar staff. His smile widened when I looked at him.“Yeah,” I answered smoothly. If he’s a staff from this place, then he’s innocent. Since we heard the threat on the bus, that clears him from suspicion. “Red hair. About this tall.” I gestured vaguely. When I glanced at the staff, he wasn’t meeting my eyes. Instead, his gaze was fixed just behind me. Curious, I turned to look.“I think that’s who you’re looking for,” he said softly, pointing out Isabella.We both saw her walking towards our direction. One hand was tucked casually into her pocket, her posture relaxed enough to fool anyone who didn’t know her. To everyone else, she probably looked like a participant who’d stepped away for air.“Yeah,” I muttered, more to myself than the staff. “That’s her.”The man nodded, satisfied, then excused himself with a polite smile, a

Everything about this seminar felt oddly harmless. If it wasn’t for the voice we heard at the bus, I wouldn’t guess that we’d still need to work as mafia and assassins.I stood near the refreshment table with a glass of fresh fruit juice in my hand. Everyone was busy mingling and exchanging business cards like some kind of adult collection. “Hey,” a man in a neat and ironed suit approached me. “Not much of a party talker?” he continued, glancing at the glass on my hand that remained untouched. I took a slow sip of the juice. “I talk when there’s something worth saying. Wouldn’t want to waste energy for the long week.”He laughed a little louder than necessary. “Fair enough. These things can get exhausting. It’s a clever choice to save it when needed.”I learned that his name was June Watson. A fresh graduate who’s still oblivious to the fact that him boosting his overtime and piles of work isn’t exactly something I aspire to have. It was obvious that whoever his superiors were, the

The week ended but it still feels like chaos was still present. Isabella stood beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her even through my coat. We were waiting in line at the bus terminal where our shuttle will fetch us to go to the venue of the seminar. Everyone around us looked painfully normal, and we tried to look the same.“This would have taken me ten minutes if I used my private jet…” Isabella murmured under her breath, seemingly making sure that I was the only one who heard her.“And the chance to cover up your humble and responsible manager image?” I shot back. She grimaced and turned her back against me, making me chuckle for a little bit. I let my gaze drift across the busy terminal. We know no one here. Two representatives from each company in town had been invited to a private resort near the seaside for this so-called seminar. For most employees, this would be a coveted opportunity and a one-week paid break they would dream of. It was a perfect escape

By the time she got back, she was already holding a medical kit in her arms. She saw me in the same position as she left a while ago. The pain on my back is starting to take a toll on me. Her eyes narrowed and made me straighten my back. “Sit.”I blinked, looking at her with full disbelief. How dare she command me with just a word?“I’m not a dog.”“I know, dogs are a lot more charming and cooperative.” She rebutted. She knelt behind me and the next thing I knew, my shirt was torn by her dagger.“What the—” I groaned as she pressed an alcohol pad to the raw skin along my lower back. The cold sting made every muscle tighten. She noticed that. She worked quietly yet, annoyingly gentle whenever the pain made me flinch.“You know how to treat wounds?” I asked out of curiosity. “Adam.” She straightforwardly answered. “I learned because I had to patch him up all the time.”Before I could respond, the handler approached with Daisy still in his arms. “Done quarreling, love birds?”“We are no