#4:

I carefully packed all my belongings into the suitcase, each item a fragment of a life left behind.

  Again, iginala ko ang mga mata mo sa kabuuan ng silid na kahit sa huling sulyap na lang ay maalala ko ang ayos. This room had been my home for the past five years with Kendrick—the backdrop to my first experiences, including sleepless nights and whispered dreams, as I lay next to him.

  A bittersweet smile spread across my lips, a façade that couldn't mask the sadness in my eyes.

Ang lugar kung saan nakasanayan ko na, at mga alaala na tumatak na sa akin isipan na ngayon ay iiwan ko na at kahit na anino ko ay hindi na pwedeng manatili.

  “You brought back so many memories for me,”

  I whispered to the empty space, my voice barely audible as if afraid to disturb the memories that echoed within the walls.

  After a lingering glance around my room, I let out a deep breath, the weight of my decision settling heavily on my chest.

Nabaling ang mga mata ko sa envelope na nasa ibabaw ng kama. Naglalaman iyon ng kontrata namin ni Kendrick na ngayon ay nawakasan na. At kasama din doon ang titulo ng bahay at lupa na ipinangalan na niya sa akin.

  I had no intention of taking it with me when I left. The hundred million he had given me for our separation felt like a lifeline—enough to change my life and distance myself from the familiar shadows of my past.

  “Goodbye. Thank you for the good memories you left me,” I murmured, a quiet farewell to a chapter closed.

  With the last sentence lingering in the air, I turned around, dragging the suitcase out of my room.

Hindi na ako lumingon pa, mabibigat ang bawat hakbang ko palabas ng silid, na sa bawat hakbang mo ay pasikip na pasikip ang aking paghinga, at sa bawat hakbang ko ay nagpapaalala na hindi na niya ako kailangan pa.

  .....

  Life goes on.

Umuwi ako sa aming lugar. Walang kasiguraduhan kung matatanggap pa ba nila ako ng buong puso ngayon babalik ako sa kanila makalipas ang mahabang limang taon na nawala ako sa pangangalaga nila.

Nagulat pa sila ng makita ako na nasa labas ng pinto ng aming munting tahanan, walang pinagbago ang bahay na iniwan ko noon. Hindi nila binago iyon kahit na nagpapadala ako ng malaking halaga at sinabi sa kanila na ipagawa ang bahay.

"Mama." Tanging kataga na lumabas sa bibig ko ng ito ang nagbukas ng pinto.

  I forced a smile, a thin veil to conceal the sadness deep within me. My heart felt heavy, burdened by the end of my contract with Kendrick, yet I was determined not to let my parents and siblings see my pain. Na kahit nakikita ko naman na tila wala silang pakialam ngayong bumalik na ako.

  "Ate Avery!" my younger sibling exclaimed, rushing towards me for a warm embrace. "I miss you," she said eagerly, a sweet innocence in her words. 

Siya lang ang nakitaan ko ng kagalakan nang makita ako.

Muli akong bumaling kay mama, na nasa likuran na nito si papa, nakatayo siang pareho na nakatitig sa akin. Seryoso, at wala akong nakikitang ibang emosyon sa kanilang mga mukha.

"Nakabalik ka na, buti at alam mo pa ang daan pauwi ng bahay." Si mama na hindi itinago ang pagkadiagusto ng makita ako.

Hindi ko sinabi sa kanila kung ano ang naging trabaho ko sa loob ng limang taon na pagkawala ko. Pero nakikita ko na paraan ng tingin nila na alam na nila kung ano ba ang pinasok ko kung bakit ganun na lang kalaking pera ang halagang naipapadala ko sa kanila.

"Avery," ang panganay kong kapatid.

Ito na ang lumapit sa akin, niyakap ako at nakikisimpatya sa akin. Na tila ba naramdaman ang bigat na aking nararamdaman.

Hindi ko man naramdaman ang pangungulila sa aking mga magulang, atleast, naramdaman ko ang kagalakan na dalawa kong kapatid ng makita ako.

Hindi ko na lang pinansin ang kalamigan nina mama at papa sa akin.

At sa pagyakap sa akin ni kuya Jasper, doon na tumulo ang pinipigilan kong luha.

  The moment was soon filled with the warmth of my older brother and our youngest sister, all finding their way to me in a heartfelt group hug.

  As they hugged me, my tears began to flow freely.

  It was difficult to discern whether they were a result of joy from the reunion or the lingering sorrow of my departure from Kendrick’s life.

  In that moment, surrounded by my sibling's love, the emotions struck hard, serving as a reminder of both home and loss.

  .....

  For almost a week, I locked myself in my room, at at halos ayaw kong lumabas ng silid ko sa mga araw na dumadaan.

  My parents still cold at hindi man lang ako kinakausap, and my siblings were surprisingly respectful of my space, likely believing that I simply needed a break to recharge from the exhaustion that had been weighing me down.

  Their unspoken support provided the comfort I didn’t realize I needed at that time.

Sa isang linggo ng lumipas na iyon, nakapagpasya na akong lumabas at simulan ang bagong buhay malayo sa nakasanayan ko na sa loob ng limang taon.

Nagdesisyon ako na mag aral ulit at mag eenrol na sa pasukan sa college.

  Kendrick, with whom I had entered an agreement, had previously curtailed my educational journey, leaving five precious years of my schooling unfulfilled. He jsut locked me in his house.

  But now, with a newfound resolve, I was ready to reclaim my future. I took my younger sibling under my wing, enrolling us both together.

  We stepped into our first year of college side by side, ready to embark on this new chapter of our lives.

  And so, my fresh start began.

  ....

  "Hi!"

  My eyes lifted from the page I had been engrossed in, drawn by the familiar greeting.

Kunot ang noo ko napatingin dito at kinikilala dahil parang pamilyar ito sa akin.

  It was recognizable, yet his name eluded me.

  "Ery," he said with a warm smile, invoking a nickname I hadn’t heard in years.

  Suddenly, realization sparked in my mind, and my eyes widened in recognition.

  "Dandan?" The name escaped my lips like a gasp of disbelief.

  He nodded, and in a rush of surprise and joy, I sprang to my feet and rushed towards him.

Para akong bata na nagtatalon pa sa kagalakan ng hawakan ko siya sa braso.

  "Is that really you?" I asked breathlessly, needing to confirm that this joyful reunion wasn't a figment of my imagination.

  It felt like a lifetime since I had last seen him—seven years, perhaps?

  During that time, his family had moved around frequently, and though they had only stayed briefly in our neighborhood, we had forged a close friendship because our families were intertwined.

Labing dalawang taon lamang ako noon nang una ko itong makilala.

  "What are you doing here? Why did you come back? Don’t tell me you’re still studying?"

Magkakasunod ang naging tanong ko, my voice bubbling with excitement.

Simula nang umuwi ako, ito ang pagkakataong nakipag usap ako sa ibang tao 

  "I should be the one to ask you that? What happened, why are you still studying until now?"

  I was stunned, caught off guard by his unexpected question.

Natahimik ako habang napatitig dito, lumuwang ang pagkakahawak ko sa braso niya hanggang sa tuluyan ko iyong binitawan.

Nagdadalawang isip akong sumagot, at lalong hindi ko masabi dito ang katotohanan kung bakit pa ba ako nag aaral sa ngayon.

  "You know how hard our lives are, right?" Those words escaped my lips, rooted in the harsh truth I had lived.

  The struggle had been real—while pursuing my studies, I juggled multiple part-time jobs to support my family.

  It was during one of those shifts at a bar that I first crossed paths with Kendrick, an encounter that would forever change my life.

  One night, after finishing my evening classes, I made my way to the bar where I worked part-time, a place bustling with life and laughter.

  My role involved selling alcohol to customers, and my earnings depended on the volume of sales I could achieve within a set timeframe.

  As I stepped into the bar's private box, nakaramdam ako ng matinding kaba dahil iyon ang unang beses kong umapak sa lugar na ganito. This place was where the wealthy businessmen gathered, seeking both luxury and exclusivity.

  I approached their table, ready to serve them their drinks, but then, to my dismay, I was met with rude and aggressive behavior from some of the customers.

Kaya mas naging doble ang kaba ko ng mapansin ang kakaibang tingin ng mga lalaking nakapalibot sa halos buong silid.

Sa gulat ko pa, isang matandang lalaki ang bigla na lang pumalo sa pwetan ko, catching me completely off guard.

  The unexpected jolt made me spill the wine I was holding, prompting laughter to erupt around me.

  "Cutie Pie, don’t worry. We’ll cover the cost of the wine you spilled—on one condition," a man said, " hinawakan ang pulso ko ng mahigpit.

  As I instinctively struggled against him, the wine splattered even more, further fueling their amusement. 

  Their laughter quickly turned to aggression, compelling me to press my hands together in submission.

  One of the men poured more wine into a glass and, without hesitation, grabbed my face, forcing me to drink.

 Napaubo ako, halos masunod ang lalamunan ko sa tapang ng alak na ipinainum nila sa akin.

Ito ang unang beses kong makatikim ng alak, kaya agad akong nakaramdam ng pagkahilo ilang minuto lang ang lumipas and I quickly became more dizzy, my surroundings blurring.

Hindi na halos malinaw sa akin ang mga sumunod na nangyari, narinig ko na lang ang paulit ulit nilang pagmamakaawa sa nagngangalang Kendrick Hidalgo.