Fidgeting my phone, I'm still wondering about what I saw last night. I'm starting to have a hunch that it is connected to kuya Vince's death. I'm really sure na tao iyon, is he checking us kung may alam na kami? Kung may lead na ulit sa kaso? What is he planning?Muling nagsitayuan ang mga balahibo ko dahil sa naiisip. Should I report this? Is my family still safe? Ngunit isang beses palang iyon. Parang gusto ko tuloy pumunta sa presinto ngayon at humingi ng latest na update tungkol sa kaso ng pagkamatay ni kuya. Nahinto muna kasi iyon, masyadong pulido ang pagkakagawa nung suspect, walang ma-trace na kahit ano.I closed my fist, mahuhuli at mahuhuli ka rin. You will rot in jail but your soul is already burning in hell.I sighed before I shook my head, baka nga namamalikmata lang ako. Masyado na ata akong na p-praning sa paligid ko dahil sa sobrang stress, I need to loosen up. Katatapos ko na naman mag audit ng mga gastos ng kompanya kanina sa panibagong project namin, our family's bu
โDamn it,โ mura ko nang magsimulang mag ingay ang alarm clock ko sa may side table, agad akong humarap doon para patayin, my eyes are still closed. My head feel sore. My brain is still debating if I should sleep more or to finally get up because I need to workout today, ang tagal ko na rin nabakante dahil sa sobrang busy. Tamad kong kinapa ang cellphone ko sa ilalim ng aking unan. Ilang minuto ko iyon hinayaan muna sa aking tiyan bago dahan dahan nagmulat ng aking mga mata. Itโs already 8:11 am, pwede ako hindi pumasok ngayon dahil natapos ko naman na lahat ng gagawin ko kahapon. My eyes automatically widen when I remember what happened last night, Iโm so fucking wasted! And Dame drive me home! โShit! Paano ako nakarating sa kwarto ko? I canโt remember anything!โ I talked to myself, napasabunot ako sa aking buhok, pinukpok ko pa ang ulo koโpinipilit alalahanin yung mga bagay na โdi ko na matandaan kagabi. Ang huli ko lang naalala ay iyong sinabi niyang dalhin ko raw siya tuwing i
โCome on, pick anythingโlibre ko,โ pagpupumilit ko nang makitang hindi pa rin siya gumagalaw sa pwesto niya. Paminsan-minsan ay tumitingin sa akin tapos lilipat doon sa mga paninda sa harap. Nagdadalawang-isip pa ata.Weโre currently buying some street foods para baunin doon sa burol na pupuntahan namin. May nakita kasi akong vendor dito malapit sa site, natakam ako. Tumusok ako nung fishball. Ang tagal ko na hindi nakatikim nito dahil kay mommy, bigla tuloy ako nag crave. Minsan lang kasi ako makakain ng ganito.โI donโt know what to pick,โ he honestly answered, nag iwas pa ng tingin. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Rich kid kasi. Fishball, kikiam, saka barbecue lang ata alam nito na andito sa harap namin, e. โWhat do you want to try?โ I asked, I tilted ny head to see him properly.Kumuha pa ako ng sampung stick ng isaw, ang tagal ng titig nitong kasama ko doon. Heโs probably thinking kung intestine ba talaga โyon. โKuya, pa-compute na lang po ako lahat, ha.โ โSige po, maโam,โ sag
โVaine, I will not let you drive like that,โ he uttered gently. His hand is brushing my arms, inaalo ako upang lumabas na dito sa kotse ko. Habang ako ay nanatiling nakatulala.โBaby, come onโฆ Iโm hereโฆโ Nanginginig pa rin ako nang mas buksan niya ang pinto para i-check kung ayos lang ako. Marahan niya akong inalalayan pababa at nagpatianod lang ako sa kanya dahil sa sobrang panghihina.Tulala ako hanggang sa makasakay na ako sa sasakyan niya, he made sure that my seatbelt is locked before he typed something on his phone, he placed that on his ear before he took a glance at me while he's still on the outside. I can see the concern in his eyes but I canโt fully grasped whatโs happening right now. โNiklausโฆ Youโre not busy, right?... Yeah, I heardโฆ Weโre now goingโฆ Can you pick Vaineโs car here atโฆโ Wala na akong naintindihan doon dahil ang tanging nasa utak ko lang ay naaksidente si Ate Vivian at kailangan ko pumunta agad doon sa hospital na tinext ni mommy kanina. Sunod-sunod na n
I was too stunned to speak when I saw Tita Danica in front of me, sheโs alone. I tried to utter some words as fast as I can but I failed. My brain is still occupied by Dameโs words earlier. My hands started to feel clammy and Iโm already sweating bullets. I feel like there's a hurricane inside me, my stomach is turning upside down. I feel nauseated because of nervousness. โDo you want to talk, hija?โ she asked as she gave me a small smile. Her eyes are encouraging me to say 'yes'.My lips parted, trying to speak again. Hindi pa rin ako nakaka-move on sa pag-uusap namin ni Dame kanina but I canโt turn Tita Danica down even though I think I already have an idea about what weโre going to talk about, lalo naโt mukhang pinuntahan niya pa ako dito. I think this is the right time for us to talk, ang tagal na rin noong huli, pare-parehas silang hindi ko na nakausap pagkatapos nung gabing sinabing isa si Dame sa suspect sa pagkamatay ni kuya. How did she know that Iโm here by the way? โS-
โYouโre late,โ I hissed when I saw him rushing inside. He cracked a smile and ignored what I've said. Heโs wearing a denim jacket with a white shirt inside of it, and his necklace. Heโs literally twenty minutes late and I donโt know what his reason is. Vince Hermano is always earlier than any scheduled time of meeting or what. We decided to have an โoh-so-called-bondingโ tonight since heโs leaving. We'll see each other after so many years again, we donโt know exactly whenโheโs a very busy person now, ever since he graduated. He went straight to one of the lanes, heโs already assembling a gun when I stepped in. โI had a talk with my sister,โ now heโs explaining. Wait. Sister? Which one? Vaine or Vivian? My jaw ticked when I remembered the last time I talked with Vaine, I could say that weโre currently not okay, we need to talk. I want to settle with her and Iโm really planning to talk about it, Iโm just giving her time. I donโt want to exhaust her. Weโve been through a lot of thi
Warning: Mature content. Read at your own risk."Tell me more about him, Ate. You're so unfair! Akala ko ba hindi tayo magtatago ng kahit ano mula sa isa't isa?" sumimangot ako habang naka-krus pa ang braso sa dibdib.Narinig ko lang ang halakhak niya maski wala naman nakakatawa sa sinabi ko. She's busy putting her bags inside the car trunk while patiently hearing my rants about her unrevealed past with that hot doctor! Don't judge me, I'm just saying the truth. I'm describing him the way I see him.Medyo nakaka-recover na si Ate sa nangyaring aksidente. Nagiging maingat pa rin kami, ang binubuhat niya lang ngayon ay yung maliit niyang bag na naglalaman ng toiletries niya. Sila Dame ang nagsasakay at nag-aasikaso nung ibang mga bagahe.We're preparing to go to the airport para sa flight namin papunta sa Siargao, private plane nila Dame ang gagamitin. Kasabay na namin si Tita Danica, Tito Ramon, Dame, and Niklaus sa pagbyahe papunta roon. Just like the old times, wala nga lang si Zadki
Morning after that, I just felt him hugging meโshirtless, with his boxers only. Ang kanyang mukha ay nakabaon sa aking leeg, nakayakap ang kamay niya sa aking bewang habang ang kanyang kanang paa ay medyo naka dagan sa akin. Akala mo tatakasan, e. Heโs like a koala. I spent the night inside his room. Whenever I shift away to check my phone if thereโs any message from mom and Ate Vivianโhe will roll over too while still asleep, just to follow me. He nested his face on my neck while his hand sprawled across my stomach, under my shirtโuh, his shirt. I immediately get back to my room without waking him up because he looks so peaceful while sleeping, heโs also snoring but not that loudโitโs sounds so soft. I smiled because he looked like a baby even when he's grumpy when he's awake.Nag iwan na lang ako ng note sa headboard ng kama niya. I put my dress again, with still his boxers on. My body felt so sore even we just did a damn dry-hump. I felt so tired and sleepy but I still managed to
"You still haven't met my sister. Uuwi ka na agad ulit?" Vince asked the same question he'd ask me everytime we're stopping by here in their house.I'm already at their veranda when he stalked me, I was about to go home. Galing kami sa shooting range ng pamilya ko. This is our routine whenever we have free timeโusually after exams but these past few weeks mas nagiging madalas na at mas nagiging close na rin ako sa kanya.He's my senior from the school that I'm going, we have the same course, and we became close because of some duties and responsibilities. It's like a student council, but not really much.He's smart, and he's looking forward for me to take his position to lead when he graduated. He's kind too, that's why I offer him to go to our shooting range and have a session there, for freeโbut noโI really pay for it without him knowing. I know he can pay, but it's just my way of giving back for his affability. I can say that he treats me like his younger brother as months and year
Warning: Violence, self-harm, drowning, vomit.My head is throbbing so bad, the pulse from the side of my head gone wild, that's what I felt first when I regained my consciousness. My arms, hands, and legs feel so numb and paralyzed. I think my bones aren't broken but it's aching, it felt sore and weak. Blood and sweat is all I can smell. My knees are steady and even I still can't fully grasp what's happening, it's wobbling from fear and nervousness. I tried to move my body but I teetered, that's when I realized I've been tied up to a chair. I hissed when I felt that I've been tied up for so long that it scratched my skin and there's already a blood on it.I slowly opened my eyes and it's still blurry and I'm still dazed. It feels like I'm in a glass and it's cold outside that's why it's moistening, that's how my vision looks like."Gising na ang pinakamamahal na bunso," isang mapanuyang boses and agad kong narinig.May narinig akong halakhak sa isang gilid. Tila kalabit, pinilit kon
My hands are still shaking when I grabbed a mop from our storage room. My tears kept on falling down my cheeks like a stream. Ang ilang segundo lang na pagkuha non ay tumagal ng ilang minuto dahil tila hindi kumokonekta ang kilos ko sa utak ko. Kasabay ng pagtulo ng aking luha ay siya ring pakirot ng aking puso habang nililinis ang inilabas kong kinain kani-kanina lang. I like to run away after this. I like to run away from all of my problems. But how? Is it worth it? It's not the time to run away, I can feel that we're near the truth, we're near to claim the justice for Kuya. Should I keep this on myself first? Kaya ko ba? Hindi...I got too tired and exhausted from where we've been. I drained my energy from the informations that we've learned-tapos ganito pa ang madadatnan ko dito. Sana ay binaril na lang din ako para minsanang hirap at sakit lang. "Vaine, anak? Andito ka na pala... Kamusta ang pagpunta ninyo ni Dame? Anong balita, anak?" Now all I can see is red. When I heard h
WARNING: mature content, mention of violence, vomiting."Did you just tell me that an unknown person submitted a new lead to open your brother's case again?" Gianna asked, like she's confirming it and she needed to hear it twice.I nodded. I grabbed the cup of my coffee, I enveloped it with my both hands just to feel its warm. Until now I can feel the shivering of my soul since our last day in Siargao. I can still remember how my heart beated abnormally, and until nowโI still can feel the same. Hindi ako mapakali.Andito kami ngayon sa cafรฉ ni Niklaus, kasama si Kael. Halos tatlong araw na ang nakalilipas mula nang makauwi kami, kinabukasan no'n ay dumiretso agad kami sa presinto. The presecutor are also there, ilang araw din ang nagdaan upang siguraduhing tunay ang nakuha nilang bagong imposrmasyon.Bukas ay pupunta kami doon, baka si Dame na lang ang kasama ko dahil si mommy ay binabantayan si Ate Vivian, medyo lumalala kasi ang pagsakit ng kanyang ulo nitong mga nakaraang araw. Aya
Morning after that, I just felt him hugging meโshirtless, with his boxers only. Ang kanyang mukha ay nakabaon sa aking leeg, nakayakap ang kamay niya sa aking bewang habang ang kanyang kanang paa ay medyo naka dagan sa akin. Akala mo tatakasan, e. Heโs like a koala. I spent the night inside his room. Whenever I shift away to check my phone if thereโs any message from mom and Ate Vivianโhe will roll over too while still asleep, just to follow me. He nested his face on my neck while his hand sprawled across my stomach, under my shirtโuh, his shirt. I immediately get back to my room without waking him up because he looks so peaceful while sleeping, heโs also snoring but not that loudโitโs sounds so soft. I smiled because he looked like a baby even when he's grumpy when he's awake.Nag iwan na lang ako ng note sa headboard ng kama niya. I put my dress again, with still his boxers on. My body felt so sore even we just did a damn dry-hump. I felt so tired and sleepy but I still managed to
Warning: Mature content. Read at your own risk."Tell me more about him, Ate. You're so unfair! Akala ko ba hindi tayo magtatago ng kahit ano mula sa isa't isa?" sumimangot ako habang naka-krus pa ang braso sa dibdib.Narinig ko lang ang halakhak niya maski wala naman nakakatawa sa sinabi ko. She's busy putting her bags inside the car trunk while patiently hearing my rants about her unrevealed past with that hot doctor! Don't judge me, I'm just saying the truth. I'm describing him the way I see him.Medyo nakaka-recover na si Ate sa nangyaring aksidente. Nagiging maingat pa rin kami, ang binubuhat niya lang ngayon ay yung maliit niyang bag na naglalaman ng toiletries niya. Sila Dame ang nagsasakay at nag-aasikaso nung ibang mga bagahe.We're preparing to go to the airport para sa flight namin papunta sa Siargao, private plane nila Dame ang gagamitin. Kasabay na namin si Tita Danica, Tito Ramon, Dame, and Niklaus sa pagbyahe papunta roon. Just like the old times, wala nga lang si Zadki
โYouโre late,โ I hissed when I saw him rushing inside. He cracked a smile and ignored what I've said. Heโs wearing a denim jacket with a white shirt inside of it, and his necklace. Heโs literally twenty minutes late and I donโt know what his reason is. Vince Hermano is always earlier than any scheduled time of meeting or what. We decided to have an โoh-so-called-bondingโ tonight since heโs leaving. We'll see each other after so many years again, we donโt know exactly whenโheโs a very busy person now, ever since he graduated. He went straight to one of the lanes, heโs already assembling a gun when I stepped in. โI had a talk with my sister,โ now heโs explaining. Wait. Sister? Which one? Vaine or Vivian? My jaw ticked when I remembered the last time I talked with Vaine, I could say that weโre currently not okay, we need to talk. I want to settle with her and Iโm really planning to talk about it, Iโm just giving her time. I donโt want to exhaust her. Weโve been through a lot of thi
I was too stunned to speak when I saw Tita Danica in front of me, sheโs alone. I tried to utter some words as fast as I can but I failed. My brain is still occupied by Dameโs words earlier. My hands started to feel clammy and Iโm already sweating bullets. I feel like there's a hurricane inside me, my stomach is turning upside down. I feel nauseated because of nervousness. โDo you want to talk, hija?โ she asked as she gave me a small smile. Her eyes are encouraging me to say 'yes'.My lips parted, trying to speak again. Hindi pa rin ako nakaka-move on sa pag-uusap namin ni Dame kanina but I canโt turn Tita Danica down even though I think I already have an idea about what weโre going to talk about, lalo naโt mukhang pinuntahan niya pa ako dito. I think this is the right time for us to talk, ang tagal na rin noong huli, pare-parehas silang hindi ko na nakausap pagkatapos nung gabing sinabing isa si Dame sa suspect sa pagkamatay ni kuya. How did she know that Iโm here by the way? โS-
โVaine, I will not let you drive like that,โ he uttered gently. His hand is brushing my arms, inaalo ako upang lumabas na dito sa kotse ko. Habang ako ay nanatiling nakatulala.โBaby, come onโฆ Iโm hereโฆโ Nanginginig pa rin ako nang mas buksan niya ang pinto para i-check kung ayos lang ako. Marahan niya akong inalalayan pababa at nagpatianod lang ako sa kanya dahil sa sobrang panghihina.Tulala ako hanggang sa makasakay na ako sa sasakyan niya, he made sure that my seatbelt is locked before he typed something on his phone, he placed that on his ear before he took a glance at me while he's still on the outside. I can see the concern in his eyes but I canโt fully grasped whatโs happening right now. โNiklausโฆ Youโre not busy, right?... Yeah, I heardโฆ Weโre now goingโฆ Can you pick Vaineโs car here atโฆโ Wala na akong naintindihan doon dahil ang tanging nasa utak ko lang ay naaksidente si Ate Vivian at kailangan ko pumunta agad doon sa hospital na tinext ni mommy kanina. Sunod-sunod na n