Chapter 2

Lilly’s POV

Did I just turn into a dog? No way! That’s impossible! “Tatlo anak ni Apple Ma oh ang cute nila.” 

“Oo nga ang cu-cute naman kaso magagalit na naman ang Papa mo. Sigurado ipapamigay niya ‘yan.”

“Ayoko po kawawa naman sila, mahihiwalay sila sa nanay nila.”

“Ganun talaga anak sa hirap ng buhay, nakakadagdag kasi sa gastusin ang mga aso, pasensya kana anak.”

Can’t they see me? Kanina pa ako tawag ng tawag sa kanila pero parang hindi nila ako nakikita.

Why do I feel so small? May bumuhat ba sa akin? I felt something brush my face and grabbed my body as if I’m so small.

“Hayaan mo habang nandito pa kayo  aalagaan ko muna kayong mabuti.” Is she talking to me? 

 “Bitawan mo na ‘yang tuta nang maka-dede siya kay Apple mukhang gutom na iyak na ng iyak oh!” So the girl was holding me? How can she do that? A kid lifts me up? Is she a giant? 

I cannot see, I cannot stand up, nor walk properly. I feel so small and why am I sucking something and I can taste milk coming out from it?

Oh my God! Did I just really became a dog? 

I suck until I fall sleep. I know it’s gross, but I just can’t control my body. Nagising lang ako nang maramdaman ko na gumalaw si Apple, yung dog na nanay ng mga tuta dito. Wait a minute! It means nanay ko din siya? 

“Heto na ang pagkain mo Mommy Apple,” the girl is here again. What happened to me? Bakit nasa katawan ako ng isang tuta? Inisip ko ng mabuti kung anong nangyare saakin bago ako maging tuta. Bumalik yung takot na naramdaman ko the moment I remembered that I was murdered.

First week of being a dog, it was so exhausting. I can’t even see a thing. I just overheard Nina asking her mom kung kailan daw ba mumulat yung mga mata naming tuta and her mom answered, “Pag dalawang linggo na sila.” Wala na akong ibang ginawa araw-araw kundi ang gumising, matulog at dumede sa nanay ko. Who would have thought that Lilliana Marquez will be reborn as dog? Ang sticky sticky pa ng pakiramdam ko dahil nahihigaan ko pa yung mga poops naming. Paano ko naman yun iiwasan eh ni wala ako maaninag.

Second week of being a dog, I’m getting the hang of it. My teeny-tiny legs starts to walk. Nakaka-aninag na ‘din ako ng liwanag, but my visions were still blurred though. 

Third week of being a puppy, my visions are getting clearer day by day, and I thinkI’m getting bigger. Tapos itong dalawang tuta na kasama ko which is my siblings starts to be maharot and playful na. Katulad ngayon the one was biting my neck and the other one was sleeping on top of  my stomach. I got curious about the thought that maybe na-reborn din sila as a dog so I asked them but they said, “ No!” and they seemed to be so clueless. 

Finally 1 month na kami, malinaw na ang mga mata ko and nakakalakad na ako ng tuwid.Curious na curious na ako sa kung ano na ang balita sa outside world. Pero ma’s curious ako kung kailan ba kami makaka-dede sa nanay namin. My gosh,hapon na at wala pa kaming breakfast and lunch. Our mother is so grumpy and  she won’t even come near us. 

She said, “GRRRRRRR GRRRRRR GRRRRRR” I bet you didn’t understand that, it means “Stay away from me, nasasaktan ako sa mga ngipin niyo.”  Of course, I understand dog language.

We stopped calling for our mother when Nina,the girl who’s taking a good care of us, came holding a bottle filled with milk. My tail automatically wage on its own accord. “Finally a milk!” 

The baby bottle was more convenient to use. Ma’s maraming milk na lumalabas, but ma’s masarap parin yung milk na galing kay mother dog and I guess ma’s masustansya ‘yun. I give our mom a death glare saying “ Why would you even get yourself pregnant if you’re gonna give up your responsibility on us?”. Call me malditang puppy but I was so mad at her. A mother shouldn’t do that to her child.

Nakatulog ako while drinking milk. Nagising lang ako nang madinig ko ang iyak ng mga kapatid ko.

Nina’s mom lift my two siblings leaving me behind. Nilagay niya yung dalawa sa isang eco-bag bago niya ini-abot sa asawa niya. Saan nila dadalhin yung mga kapatid ko?

I let out 3 barks, matiniis ang lumabas na tahol mula saakin kaya naagaw ko ang atensyon nila. Nina’s mom said something then after that Nina came to me, binuhat niya ako at pinasilip sa mga kapatid ko na nasa eco-bag. I can see their teary eyes. What’s happening ba kasi? Bakit parang naiiyak din ako?

“Ba-bye kana sa mga kapatid mo may mag-aampon na sakanila.” Nagulat ako sa mga sinabi ni Nina, and what about me? Sinilip ko ulit yung dalawa at tumahol ng isa pa saying, “Don’t leave me.” But then one of them said, “Arf” which means, “Goodbye”. Alam ko naguguluhan din silang dalawa kung bakit sila ipapamigay. I looked at our mother and she’s busy watching TV. She doesn’t even care!

Ngumawa ako nang umalis na ang tatay ni Nina kasama yung dalawa kong kapatid. I’m gonna miss them kahit na wala naman kami masyadong pinagsamahan , dahil hindi naman ako nakikipaglaro sa kanila. Remember, I’m not a socialite person. I don’t even have friends nung tao pa ako. Why? Because I decided not to trust anyone.  Ayokong magkaroon ng malalim na samahan sa iba. Kahit sa mga relatives ko, I don’t wan’t to waste my time dealing with them, dahil alam kong they don’t really care about me, it’s all about the material things that I have.

 Nung time na kailangan ko ng makakapitan dahil sa nangyari sa parents ko, no one stood by my side. They all left when they got what they want. I’m too young to understand back then, they made me sign some papers. I’m at fault too for not reading the context of those. Ang natira lang saakin noon ay ang secret savings account ng mga magulang ko and I used that para marating ko kung nasaan ako before ako maging aso. I really did work hard to build my empire which is ‘The Marquez” and now hindi kona alam kung ano na ba ang nangyari sa mga pinaghirapan ko.

 I tried opening my heart for some people, but It just don’t really work. They said they loved me that I’m too important for them, but that was all a lie. Hindi ako tanga para hindi ma-realize na ginagawa na nila akong human ATM machine. Nandiyan sila pag may kailangan o gusto sila pero wala sila during my hardest time. It made me think and question him, Would there be anyone who’ll love me unconditionally? Yung walang hinihiling kapalit, yung hindi ka mamahalin dahil lang sa mga material na bagay na meron ka.  Just like how I love my parents and how they loved me. But then, namatay nalang si Lilliana Marquez  nang hindi na naramdaman pa na magmahal muli.

“Shhhhh, huwag ka nang umiyak,” I heard Nina’s whisper habang hele-hele niya ako sa braso niya. 

“Nalungkot talaga yan oh wala na siyang kalaro.” Sabi ng mama ni Nina at hinaplos ang ulo ko. “Kailan daw ba kukunin ni Tisoy ito?”

“Bukas daw po Ma,” So ipapamigay din ako? Bakit ‘di nalang ako sinama dun sa dalawa? “Ma pwede bang huwag na natin siya ipamigay? Tingnan mo si Apple parang nalulungkot wala na matitira sa kanya na anak.” Hello Nina as if she cares! 

“Eh ang Papa mo kasi anak eh, ayaw niya na magdagdag ng aso okay na daw ang isa.”

Kinabukasan nga ay dumating na si Tisoy, the g. I think nasa mid 20’s y who’ll adopt me. Maskulado ang katawan niya, and I don’t know why Tisoy ang name niya, dahil Moreno siya. Hanggang balikat niya ang buhok niya. Judging from his OOTD he’s a cyclist, tulo-tulo pa ang pawis sa gilid ng mukha niya at suot pa niya yung helmet niya. 

Malungkot akong binuhat ni Nina at iniabot duon kay Tisoy. Maliit na nga ako lalo pa ako nanliit nang mahawakan ako ni Tisoy.

“Ayan nalang natira, babae nalang.” Nina’s Mom said.

Tisoy answered, “Ayos lang po, panreregalo ko lang kay Sasha.” .

“Kuya nag-gagatas palang yan ha one month palang eh. Paki-alagaan po ng maayos.”

“Oo naman,”he said and pat Nina’s head. “Sige na po alis na ako, salamat.”  I glanced at Nina for the last time. She looks………….sad. 

Lumabas na kami ng bahay nina Nina, ibinaba ako ni Tisoy sa semento dahil inayos niya saglit yung bag na dala dala niya duon niya ata ako ilalagay. Umupo lang ako sa mainit na semento at pinagmasdan ang paligid ko. Medyo mabaho dito sa labas dahil umaalingasaw yung amoy galing sa kanal sa tabi ko. Karamihan din sa mga bahay dito ay pinagtagpi-tagping yero at plywoods. I think nasa squatters area kami. 

Napatigil ako sa pag-view ko dito sa labas when I saw Nina running towards us. My ears automatically went up as I was waging my tail. I don’t know but I was so happy to see her and then I just found myself running towards her.

I jumped at her feet excitedly, she lifts me up and made me face her. She was smiling but her eyes looks so sad. Hinabol ako ni Nina is that means na hindi na niya ako ipamimigay? Oh my God! 

I licked her face over and over again at hindi ko mapigilan ‘yun. My heart was just so happy.  I think I found someone who truly loves me.