2: Hans Family

Emerald Hans. 

That was the name of the owner of the body that she woke into.

They said she got into accident habang naglalakad lakad sila ng mga step-siblings niya na sila Lory at Daniel sa may riverside. She fell into the water and unfortunately, didn't know how to swim. Bukod pa doon, the stream of water in the river at that time was very torrential.

Nagtamo siya ng maraming sugat sa katawan at dalawang buwan din siyang nasa comatose state bago nagising.

Samantha calculated that this Emy got into accident the same day as she died in the explosion.

It must really be fate's work then when she woke up in this body.

Hindi siya relihiyosong tao but this event of her life was totally mysterious.

Anyway, habang nasa ospital siya ay inalam niya mula sa mga taong kasama niya kung anong klaseng tao si Emy.

Turned out na isang buwan bago ang aksidente niya ay namatay ang kanyang Papa due to car accident naman.

Emy was left with her step-family then. Ella, Lory and Daniel.

And when her uncle heard about her accident, agad na pinuntahan siya nito kasama ang buo nitong pamilya. They were Uncle Shin, Auntie Shelly, Shantal, Sabrina and Samuel.

Samantha remembered all of them at once.

She also concluded from these people's story that Emy was a kind person. If her thought was right, this Emy was too kind for her own good.

In her old life, she regarded people who were too kind for their own good as foolish. They didn't know how to judge people properly and trust whole-heartedly only to get betrayed in the end.

Her lips hooked up with sarcasm.

Wasn't she foolish too?

Her description just suited herself too much.

What Samantha didn't know, these people in Emy's life were observing her too. And when they saw her bitter smile, a sudden cold crept up in their hearts. Especially the two step-siblings of Emy. They had no idea why but they suddenly felt anxious.

***

On the next day, inuwi na siya sa bahay nila Emy. It was a huge manor.

She could tell that the manor was probably a sight when it was still newly built. But now, it felt as if one could barely keep the huge manor clean so it had a gloomy aura around it.

"Home sweet home, Emy," said Shantal.

She just gave her a small smile before following them inside.

"You must be tired, Emy. Go upstairs and rest for a while. Tatawagin ka na lang namin kapag kakain na," sabi sa kanya ni Aunty Shelly.

Shantal rolled her eyes at her mother. "Ma, as if she can remember which her room upstairs. I'll go with her."

Napailing na lang yung tatlong matatanda bago ngumiti sa kanya.

She took it as encouragement at nagpahigit na kay Shantal.

But it wasn't just her who came. Sabrina and Samuel followed them too. They even brought her things on her behalf.

Kukuhanin na nga sana niya yung isang bag kay Samuel because it was obviously too big for a kid like him but he just shook his head.

"No. Let Sammy help you, Ate Emy," inosenteng sabi ni Samuel sa kanya.

Agad namang kumirot ang puso niya dahil sa sinabi ng bata. Sammy... That's her childhood name too. Her family called her with that name for her entire childhood and when she grew up, they used it whenever she was intentionally being mischievious.

"Are you okay, Ate Emy?" Tanong ni Sabrina sa kanya. She immediately nodded at her at nagpatuloy na sa paglalakad.

Sakto namang nadaanan nila ang step-siblings ni Emy sa may hagdanan. 

When Samantha met their eyes, they immediately lowered their heads.

"Those two are suspicious," sabi ni Shantal once they were out of earshot.

Agad na napatingin si Samantha sa kanya.

Shantal was ahead of her in terms of age. Samantha's first impression towards her was an easy go lucky teenager. Obviously, her parents doted on the three of them so much that they had no hesitancy in doing and saying things they liked. But Shantal's face was too serious now.

"I thought so to." Sabrina said. Pero kumpara kay Shantal, her voice was low.

"What are you talking about, ate?" Samuel asked innocently. Dahil doon ay nagkatinginan silang tatlong dalaga. 

Then Shantal and Sabrina smiled apologetically at her as if saying that they would explain it to her once Samuel wasn't around.

***

Samantha found Emy's diary. She didn't go out nang pababain siya nila Ella para maghapunan. Instead, she spent the night para matapos ang mga diary ni Emy na halos nasa sampu din.

After a while...

Manghang naibaba ni Samantha ang huling diary notebook ni Emy.

"This is what I am supposed to live up?" She couldn't help muttering.

Her life as Samantha was not easy. Kahit pa nasa mataas na antas ng pamumuhay siya at masasabing angat sa iba, she still had her fair share of struggles. But she was fighting them. All those who tried to suppress her especially those people she loved, she fought them squarely. Kahit pa nga sabihin na sa huli ay nabigo siya at namatay sa kamay ng kaibigan.

But she couldn't imagine living as Emy.

The girl was not naive. She knew what made her life hard. Alam niya kung sino yung mga taong nagbibigay ng problema sa kanya. But she just let them trample her life.

Samantha didn't know if she could consider that girl as saint or an idiot.

She got up from the bed and walked towards the full-length mirror.

This body and face were indeed not hers. But her will to live must be stronger than this Emy for her soul to interchange with the latter.

"If that's the case, I won't be shy to you anymore. I'll use this body very well for the benefit of the two of us." Samantha said to Emy's reflection.

***

The next morning...

"Oh. my. goodness!" Shantal was so shocked ng magkasalubong niya si Emy paglabas niya ng kwarto.

"Good morning." Bati lang ni Emy sa kanya. Hindi rin niya alam kung bakit ganun yung reaction ni Shantal pagkakita sa kanya.

"Good morning!" Masiglang bati naman ni Sabrina. Magkakalapit lang sila ng mga kwarto kaya naman nagkasalubong nila ang isa't isa.

Binati din naman ng dalawa ang dalaga. But when Sabrina saw Emy, she seemed surprise too.

"Wow, Ate Emy. Your dress..."

Nahiya namang bigla si Emy. Then a thought occured to her. "B-bakit? Is this not mine?"

Shantal chuckled then she walked beside her. "We are just surprised that you are wearing real clothes now."

Emy was stunned for a moment. What did she mean by that?

"Nakita mo naman siguro kung gaano kadami ang damit mo sa closet..."

Tinanguan lang siya ni Emy.

"You only wear those kapag may espesyal kang lakad. What you usually wear inside and outside the house is always white dress."

Again, Emy was dumbfounded.

"Was I planning to be a nun back then?" She asked after a moment.

Tumawa ng malakas yung dalawa.

"Ask your old self."

Nagbiruan pa silang tatlo hanggang sa makababa na sila papunta sa kusina. Andoon na din yung iba.

"Oh, may lakad ka, Emy?" Tanong sa kanya ni Ella.

"Pfft..." Pigil tawa nila Shantal at Sabrina.

Emy, on the other hand, just shooked her head.

"I-i just thought this dress is pretty so I wear it."

"O-of course..." Ella said awkwardly. Obviously, she was unused na nagsusuot ng mga ganitong damit ang dalaga gaya nila Shantal at Sabrina.

***