Chapter 2 AT THE STREET

Sixteen years later…

Because of Naneth’s beauty, many men admire to her even at school, next month she will graduate. While Lira, her cousin studying in Manila.

“Auntie, I’m already here. I have a lot of sales now,” Naneth said happily.

“Oh! Is that so? That’s good. Let’s eat. ”

“All right, where is uncle?”

“Maybe he’s going home, let’s eat first.” Her Aunt Lora answered.

While they were eating, Lora’s husband arrived. He was very drunk, screaming that their neighbors were upset.

“Oh! You are already eating. Why didn’t you wait for me!” Deme’s voice rose.

“It’s not like that. We thought you weren’t home yet, so we ate first.” Lora replied to her husband.

His hand hit the table so that another dish of theirs spilled. Lora and Naneth were surprised.

“You should have waited for me. You can’t eat without me. You Naneth, get the dishes for me. ”

“Yes, uncle!” Naneth trembled with fear.

“Don’t yell at the child,”

“I’ll do what I want if I do, so shut up there,” Deme said angrily.

“This is plate uncle.” when Naneth handed over the plate, her uncle deliberately didn’t handle the plate properly so it fell and broke.

“Shit, oh! You look as you hand over the plate.” His uncle stood up and slapped her.

“Deme, that’s enough don’t hurt the child. She didn’t mean it, because you didn’t hold it well, so it fell.” Lora’s defense of her niece.

“Are you telling me what to do?” Deme slapped Lora.

“Uncle, that’s enough.”

“Don’t interfere with this. I’ll come back to you,” Deme brought his wife into the room to hurt her. Naneth just cried in the corner until her uncle came out.

He looks sharp on her. He approached her and took her to her room. Deme removed the shirt he was wearing and his pants.

“Uncle, what are you going to do to me? Don’t come any closer.” Naneth grinned in fear, thinking that her uncle would do something bad for her.

“Shhh.. shut up so your aunt won’t hear you. As long as you follow my wishes, we won’t have any problems. ”

“But uncle, don’t! You are just drunk. It looks like you, uncle, don’t… ”

When his uncle punched her in the stomach so she felt weak, she just cried and she could not move because his uncle held her two hands.

“That’s enough, uncle, don’t…” was the last word that came out of Naneth’s mouth. She lost consciousness. And that’s where his uncle’s insolence continued.

~~~

“Hello dad, good morning! How are you in the province, when will you return here to Manila, because our graduation is next month? Won’t you come? ”

“Hello son, I’m fine. I’m just taking care of something here for a while, but I’ll be back there as well. Of course, I will not miss your graduation. I am proud of you, son. Ah! By the way, I plan to send you to America to study college there.” Said his father.

“Ahm! Anyway, I can only continue my college here in the Philippines.” The man answered.

“No, son, you know I want your future to improve. So just for my request, you agreed to please son.” Her father begs.

“Okay dad, you are strong for me! So I can’t help but be with you.” son. See Her son on the other line spoke with a smile.

“Excuse me, sir Roel. Your meeting with the clients will begin.” His staff said.

“Okay, I’m on my way,” Roel said goodbye to his son. “All right, son, just call me again. Be careful there, son. See you soon. Bye! ”

“Okay dad, be careful too.” Her son answered.

Roel used to be poor, but with his hard work he became successful and he had his own company. He becomes an inspiration to his only child.

~~~

Naneth sobbed. She didn’t think her uncle could do that to take advantage of her. She was traumatized, so her aunt noticed that.

“Naneth, I notice how many days you’ve been silent. Do you have a problem? You can tell me.” Remembering, her aunt said.

“Ah! I’m fine auntie, I’m leaving for school,” Naneth replied.

“Okay, be careful. Don’t sell wrapped later because it will be noticed if you are not on your own. ”

“It’s okay auntie, so I have money for my graduation next month.”

“It’s up to you, as long as you’re careful when you sell. There are still many fools in the past.” Lora reminds her niece.

~~~

That night, while Naneth was selling wrapped, a car stopped in front of her.

“Dear! Buy the goods you pack. How many pieces is that?” asked an aged man.

“There are only ten left. Why do you buy everything? ” Naneth replied.

“If I could, how much would it be?”

“It’s only one hundred and sixty pesos. Thank you brother, so that I can come home to early.” Naneth said, smiling.

“All right, I’ll buy everything. By the way, what’s your name? You look like a child! You are already selling here on the street. Where are your parents?” the man asked.

“Ah! It’s okay. I’ve only been used to selling hard-boiled egg chicken here on the street for ten years. I’ve been doing it for over six years. I am Naneth, sixteen years old.” She told a cheerful story to the man.

“Oh! Nice name. Let me introduce myself to you as well. I’m Roel. Let me always buy you a wrap so you don’t get too late on the road. Are you the only one going home? ”

“Yes, I am the only one. Thank you so much for buying my packages because I can go home early.” Said Naneth.

“I’ll take you, maybe something bad will happen to you on the way.”

“Is it okay? But just around the corner from me, stop me from entering the courtyard.” Naneth replied.

“Okay! If that’s what you want. Let’s go!”

~~~

The next month...

Naneth’s graduation came. Her aunt was happy because her niece had graduated even though she was having a hard time with their daily routine. Lora is proud of her niece. She remembers her son graduated from high school like Lira.

“I’m happy you have finished school, Naneth. But I can’t promise that I will send you to college because it will be difficult for me because Lira is still studying.” Lora said sadly.

“That’s okay aunt, I understand your situation,”

“Thank you, Naneth, knowing that the day will come when you will be successful. Just keep your humility and work hard to reach your dream.” Said Lora.

“Yes aunt, I won’t forget you because if you didn’t take good care of me, I might be gone now. Where are my parents now? Sometimes I remember them. I miss them too. I hope the day will come when I will also see my parents so I can ask them, why did they leave me!” Naneth says sadly with red eyes, but she just holds back her tears because she doesn’t want her aunt to be sad too.

~~~

The days passed…

Because of Deme’s addiction to bad habits, especially drugs, he became desperate. He told his partner that if he could, he would sell a child to work as a maid for money so that he could buy drugs.

“Bro, have you contacted a buyer for my niece?” said Deme.

“Bro, are you sure what you are going to do. We may be imprisoned if the police catches us.” asked his friend who also uses like him.

“Yes, I will take care of it. Just find me. I will wait for your call until tomorrow. ”

“Okay bro, we’ll update tomorrow.”

Naneth was unconscious, as she was on her way home from selling wrappers. Someone abducted her riding in a black car. She inhaled, of unconsciousness. She only woke up when she was in the big house.

What will Naneth do when she sees she is in another house?