"Okay." "Okay," anito saka isinara na rin sa wakas ang pinto ng kwarto niya. Nakahinga siya ng maluwang saka nagmamadaling pumasok sa banyo para maghilamos. Pagkatapos maghilamos sa lababo, hindi niya alam kung ilang minuto siyang nakatitig sa salamin habang tumatakbo sa isip niya ang masamang panaginip bago lumabas ng banyo. Napatigil ang balak niyang pagbalik sa kama nang makita ang meryenda sa paanan ng kama niya. Sino ang nagdala nito? Tanong niya sa sarili saka nilapitan ang tray na may lamang meryenda. A simple snack, but it'll do to fill her hungry stomach. Habang nagmemeryenda siya, napabaling-baling siya nang makarinig ng tunog ng cellphone sa loob ng kwarto niya. First of all, she doesn't need a phone. Second, she doesn't own one. So, why was there cell phone ringing inside her room? Sinuri ng mata niya ang bawat sulok ng kwarto at ginamit ang tainga niya hanggang sa matagpuan niya ang bagay na hinahanap. Ang cellphone na nag-iingay ay nasa gilid ng tray, bahagya
Doubt was in her eyes and he understood her. So, Dane pushed himself away from Chantria to gave a safe distance between them. "Is this distance okay? O gusto mong lumayo pa ako?" Chantria remained silent, but her eyes were trained on him. Dane sighed. "Talk to me." "What for?" mahina at malumanay ang boses nito na para bang pagod na pagod ito. "I'm angry," he said while looking into her eyes. Fear filled her eyes and asked, "A-at me?" Mabilis siyang umiling. "No. No. Not at you." "Then at w-whom?" "To all the people that," hurt you. Hindi niya tinapos ang gustong sabihin, "-you know... just the people in general." Dahan-dahang dumapa si Chantria sa kama saka pinag-krus ang braso sa kama at ipinatong doon ang baba habang nakatingin sa kanya. "I'm furious too," she whispered absentmindedly. "And my anger won't go away that easily." "I can make you smile," he offered. "If you let me." Nakatitig sa kawalan na umiling ito. "Don't
Panibagong araw, ANOTHER pain. Chantria woke up feeling nothing. Wala namang bago do'n. It's not the first time that she wanted to end her existence. This wasn't the first time that she thought of death early in the morning. In two years that she'd been out from that basement, the thought about being dead never left her mind. Hours and days may passed, but the thought of ending her life never changed. It was the only thing that made her sane. That, and pain. Lots and lots of pain to survive a day. Minsan, tinatanong niya ang sarili kung masokista ba siya at tulad ng mga nauna niyang tanong sa sarili, wala iyong naging kasagutan. Sanay siyang nasasaktan. Sanay siyang iyon palagi ang nararamdaman. Pain has always been with her since she was four years old. Pain and tears, her companion in her everyday hellish life. Her void existence always made her question herself again and again. Why am I still alive?As usual. No answer. Just silence. Long and painful silence.
Mahigpit ang hawak niya sa kumot. "Ask for help? P-para ano? P-para pagpasa-pasahan n-nila ako hanggang sa ma-mental ako?" Umiling siya. "I-I already know what they're going to say. That I have a major depression and I should take some m-medication to make my life better. As if a piece of medicine can make me forget everything. Hindi ako baliw, hindi, at wala na akong balak bumalik don. Alam mo kung anong meron ako? I’m in pain from the past.” Matiim siyang tinitigan ni Dane bago nagsalita. "I'm no doctor, but I disagree with them." That's a first. "B-bakit naman?" Dane took a deep breath. "You're not really depressed, well not at first. You were first... broken. I think. Broken from the inside and out and being broken comes depression and suicidal thoughts." "It's depression. That's what the doctor said," aniya saka humugot ng malalim na hininga. She was starting to calm down. The pain in her arm was doing its work of calming her. "But yeah, I'm
"Nasa presinto siya para kunin ang testimonya niya sa kasong Sexual Harassment." Umawang ang labi niya. "Give me the address." Sexual harassment? Kaagad na sinabi sa kanya ng private investigator niya ang address at kaagad naman niyang pinaharurot ang sasakyan niya patungo sa presinto. Halos lumipad ang sasakyan niya sa bilis ng pagpapatakbo niya. Wala siyang pakialam kung madisgrasya siya, ang nasa isip lang niya ay si Chantria at ang nangyari dito. Dane car tires screech when he hurriedly parked his car in front of the Police Station. Nagmamadali siyang lumabas ng sasakyan at halos tumakbo siya papasok sa presinto. His eyes instantly fell on Chantria. She's wrapped in a thick blanket, she's pale, she looks scared and she's trembling. Oh God... Kapagkuwan ay tumuon ang mga mata niya sa dalawang lalaking kaharap ni Chantria. Halata ang pagnanasa sa mga mata ng mga 'to. And Chantria...she looks so scared. She was looking down, tears in her eyes. She's f
Nagmamadaling umalis si Dane ng bahay para pumunta sa office niya. He already cancel the appointment pero gusto niyang ayusin ang bago niyang schedule sa susunod na lunes. When he arrive at his office bumungad agad sa kaniya si Berry na nakupo na sa mesa niya. “Hey, baby.” Matamis niya itong nginitian. Suot-suot ang maikling fitted leather skirt at polo na light brown. Hindi rin nito nakalimutang magsuot ng heels. “What are you doing here Berry?” “Hindi ko ba ako na-miss?” Tumayo ito sa pagkakaupo at tila na wala ang ngiti sa labi niya. “Why would I? Diretsahin mo nga ako. What are you doing here? Ano bang gusto mo?” Seryosong tanong nito. “Am I not welcome here? Remember we are partners in business Dane.” “Mr. and Mrs. Del Fierro is my only partner in business, Berry. Marami pa akong dapat gawin. You can leave now.” Tumalim ang tingin ng dalaga sa kaniya. “Is that how you treat your guess huh?” “You don’t have a business here.” Lumakad papalapit
Would look for me and when he finds me, well, another bruises well replaced the healing ones. But I survived all that. I get through that hellish part of my life because I fought to live. "Nangako ako sa sarili ko na hindi ko gagayahin si Mommy. Nangako ako sa sarili ko na magiging malakas ako, na hindi ko takbuhan ang problema ko, na haharapin ko ang hirap ng buhay, na kahit gaano pa kalakas ang tukso na tapusin ko na lang ang buhay ko para matapos na ang paghihirap ko, hindi ko gagawin. That's why I'm worried about you, Chantria." He looked at her deeply. "We may not have the same experience, but I can feel your pain, your hopelessness and the feeling of being worthless because I'd been there and I saw it in my mother's eyes before she took her own life. And I don't want you to end up like my mother, Chantria. Killing yourself is never an option." She looked down. "Unlike your m-mother, no one will c-care if I die." "Ano naman ang tingin mo s
Kinabukasan maagang nagising si Chantria sa gising sa kaniya ni Snow. Tila excited itong tinatawag siya. "Mommy, malapit napo ang family day namin." Masayang kwento ni Snow habang nag-aagahan sila. “Di ba po sasama ka? Para one big happy family tayo kasama si Daddy? 'Di ba mommy? 'Di ba? Madalas po kasi kayong hindi sumasama sa akin no’n eh.” Napatingin si Chantria kay Dane, humihingi siya ng saklolo kasi hindi niya alam ang isasagot kay Snow. "Mommy, you're coming right?" Snow's voice was saddened.One of her dream is to make her family complete "Last year, hindi ka rin pumunta kasi sabi mo mas may importante ka pang gagawin. H-hindi ko alam mommy pero naabutan kita non na may dalang shopping bag at amoy kang alcohol.” D-did I drink? Wait. H-hindi nga pala ako ang tunay niyang mommy. Nakaramdam siya ng awa kay Snow. "Ahm," she kept glancing at Dane, but he just shrugged and smiled at her. "Ahm, baby, kasi, ahm, ano eh..." Nagbaba ng tingin si S