“Chto my budem delat' s etoy tvoyey zhenshchinoy?” tanong ni Aiden habang nakatingin sa kanilang mga bihag na nakayuko. [translation: What are we going to do with your that woman?]“Oni nikomu ne govoryat. Chort voz'mi!” Sinipa niya ang railing dala ng galit na nararamdaman. [translation: They are not telling a soul. Damn it!]Mahinang natawa si Aiden sa kanya. “Vot ya i dumayu, chto ty prosto spokoynyy paren', kotoromu plevat', chto proiskhodit vokrug nego.” [translation: Here I am, thinking you're just a chill guy who doesn't give a fuck of what's happening around him.]“Oni vtyagivayut moikh detey v etu istoriyu, Eyden. Chto by ty pochuvstvoval, yesli by kto-to chut' ne zastrelil tvoyego rebonka? A tvoya zhena beremenna?” Mapakla siyang natawa. “I will never let this slide. Kung hahalungkatin ko ang buong Pinas para malaman kung sino ang may gawa nito, then I’m going to do it.” [translation: They are dragging my children into this mess, Aiden. How would you feel if someone almost s
“ANO BA kasi talaga ang nangyayari?” tanong niya kay Cydine. “Bakit pinaulanan tayo ng bala? Sino ba ang target? N-nahuli na ba?”Hindi mapigilan ni Delancy ang sunod-sunod na pagtatanong dito tungkol sa nangyari. She wanted answers. She wanted to clear up her mind. Natatakot siya na baka dumating sa punto na matulad siya sa ina ni Cydine na panay ang paglipat-lipat para lang mailayo sa delubyo ang kanyang mga anak.“We’re still investigating the ones we caught,” sagot nito. “Sinusubukan pa naming silang pigain para magsalita. Mukhang matigasin pa naman ang mga ‘yon. They refuse to say a thing so we decided to use the method we always used to do.”Kumunot ang kanyang noo. “Method? W-what method? Anong method ang sinasabi mo, Cydine? Is it dangerous? Are you going to get hurt?”Humugot muna ito ng malalim na hininga bago sumagot. “We used their family as hostage.”Her lips parted. “Cydine, you’re really gonna do that?”“This is the world I am living in, Delancy.” Humugot ito ng malalim
HER WHOLE BODY is still trembling as her mind recalled what happened a while ago. Kung paano tumama ang mga basiyo ng bala sa kanilang mga gamit sa sala. Kung paano’y tila ba ay pinapaulanan ng bala ang kanilang bahay.Binaling niya ang kanyang paningin sa kanyang mga anak na ngayon ay tulog na tulog na sa kanyang tabi. Napahugot siya ng malalim na hininga at mariing kinagat ang ibabang labi. Mabuti na lang at wala ni isa sa kanila ang nasugatan o nagasgasan ang katawan.“Water?” offer ni Miss Irina sa kanya. “Stai ancora tremando.” [translation: You're still trembling.]Inabot nito ang kanyang kamay mahinang pinisil. Bakas ang awa sa mga mata nito habang nakatingin sa kanya. Pinilit niya ang sariling ngumiti ngunit pati labi niya ay nanginginig.“That was the first time I encountered it,” mahinang wika niya. “I was scared. I thought I was going to die. I’m torn between covering for myself and my baby or running to the playroom to make sure my kids are fine. I was… I was all over the
Hindi niya alam kung paano niya nagawang pakalmahin ang kanyang buong pamilya. But one thing is for sure: what happened caused his babies a trauma. Lalo na sa kanyang mga anak.“Are you sure we’d be fine here?” tanongn ito.Pati rin pala ni Delancy.Hinawakan niya ang kamay nito at tipid na ngumiti. “You’re fine here. Don’t worry. This is a highly secured place. Intruders cannot bypass each security system they set up so you don’t have to worry now.”Kita niyang tumango ito at humugot ng malalim na hininga. Hinalikan niya ang noo nito at pinikit naman ni Delancy ang mga mata nito.This has been his habit ever since he was trying to court her. At first naninibago silang dalawa. Ngunit kalaunan ay naging normal na lamang ito at parang kulang na ang kanyang pag-alis kung hindi niya ito nagagawa sa dalaga.“Rest here, okay? I’ll be outside and talk to them,” he said, referring to his friends outside.Napatango naman ito sa kanya.Malapad ang kama at kasya ang halos pintong tao. Wala rito
PAREHO SILANG TAHIMIK habang nakaupo sa swing dito sa park. Cydine is busy roaming her eyes all over the place while Delancy is still thinking what the hell went wrong and why they decided to stab her behind her back.“What are you going to do now?” malumanay na tanong ni Cydine para basagin ang katahimikan. “Ellie Magamayo is not innocent, but she’s not the one who took the money.”She licked her ice cream and hugged the chain of the swing. Nakatitig siya sa kawalan habang kain-kain ang kanyang ice cream.“Let them pay for the damages they cost,” aniya. “Hinayaan nila akong mapahiya. Nagkaroon kami ng malaking away ni daddy dahil doon. I don’t think apology can mend the things that they broke. May ilang buwan sila bago sabihin ang totoo pero pinili nilang itikom ang bibig. So I guess they all decided to betray me.”“And then?”“Then fire them,” she said. “Including Mr. Chua. Lahat sila tatanggalin ko. Possible ba ‘yon?” Nilingon niya ang binata. “I mean, I hate the way those board me
“HINDI KA NA ba kakain?” tanong niya rito.“I’m full,” sagot nito at tuluyan nang umakyat.Wala siyang ibang nagawa kundi ang panoorin ang binata habang paakyat ito. He feels bad for her. Ngunit ano rin ba ang magagawa niya? It was he friends who betrayed her, not him. At kung bibigyan man niya ng pagkakataong maulit ang lahat, he will convince her not to be friends with them.“Chto s ney sluchilos'? Pochemu u neyo opushcheny plechi?” tanong ng kanyang ina na si Irina. [translation: What happened to her? Why is her shoulders down?]Hindi pa kasi ito umuuwi at hindi ito uuwi hangga’t sa hindi raw sila ni Delancy magpakasal. But well, alam naman niyang excute na lang ito ng ina. Masyado itong naaaliw sa mga bata at nawiwili na itong umalis.“Yeye predali druz'ya,” he replied. [translation: Got betrayed by her friends.]“Chto eto za predatel'stvo?” muling tanong nito. [translation: What kind of betrayal is that?]Humugot siya ng malalim na hininga at hinilot ang kanyang sintido. “Yeye dr