روايات وقصص ضمن No Choices

Pagkatapos, naramdaman kong lumingon siya sa akin. Hindi ko siya tiningnan pabalik. Hindi ko kaya. “You always had a choice,” sabi niya, kalmado pa rin. Napailing ako. “Choice?” ulit ko, mas mahina ngayon. “Anong klaseng choice?” “Running,” sagot niya agad. “Or listening.” Napapikit ako nang mariin. “Hindi ‘yon choice,” bulong ko. “Is it not?” tanong niya.

Alam niyang ito ang tanging lugar kung saan wala si Nirvana, walang ibang estudyante, at walang kawalan ng pader na magliligtas kay Anne mula sa kaniya. Madilim at malamig sa parking lot, filled only by the low hum of the exhaust fans. Lauren leaned against the concrete pillar directly adjacent to Anne’s sleek, gray sedan. Tightening her grip on the straps of her backpack, she waited. Pagkalipas ng sampung minuto, narinig niya ang tunog ng mga takong.

huminto ito sa paglalaro ng upuan, "take a chance to your new EA, where you have feelings but don't know yet if she's capable." Parang horror background music pa noong sinabi niya ang huling kataga. "Great! This is denying of my rights to choose." Pigil-tawa pa rin si Menard. Nagbigay kasi siya ng pagpipilian, wala naman pipiliin si Gideon alin man dito. "Choose Apple Pie. Make a performance score for a month, after that, you decide. Pero dapat kayanin mo na huwag mag attention yan huh." Tumingin ito sa kanya ng nakaloloko nanaman.

"Ano sa salitang 'hindi ako pipirma' ang hindi mo maintindihan, Primo?! Hingin mo na ang lahat sa akin 'wag lang 'yon." He looks so done with me. "Hindi kailanman magbabago pa ang desisyon ko, Claret. Dalawa lang ang choice mo, pirmahan mo na ngayong maaga pa o pahihirapan mo pa muna ang sarili mo bago ka pumirma." Umiling-iling ako. Paano ako pipili sa choices kung pareho lang naman iyon? "I am giving you enough choices. Hindi ko kasalanan na hindi ka pa pumipirma. Kung magmamatigas ka, mas lalo akong mawawalan ng pasensiya, Claret." Ramdam ko ang body heat nito.

“Sickness is not and will never be a valid excuse to commit any type of crime.” “Kapag naging mahirap po kayo patron, mauunawaan niyo po kung bakit niya nagawa ang bagay na tulad nito. Life sometimes leave us with no choice,” sambit ni Uno. Tumaas ang kilay ni Don Fridman. “No, Uno. Palagi tayong may pagpipilian. Iniisip lang nating wala pero mayroon. Unlike chances, choices always exists. Mas pinipili lang talaga ng ilan kung saan sila mas madadalian without thinking about the consequences of their actions.”

Mahinang tanong ko. Napigil niya ang pag nguya at tumingin sakin, bahagya pa itong ngumiwi. "I don't know? It's your condo and it's your choice anyway." Walang emosyon niyang Sabi at nagpatuloy sa pagkain. "Are you mad?" She sighed. "No, I'm not mad at you sis. It's just that I can't do anything anymore since you love him," Tila napa isip pa siya. "I mean he loves you and you love him. As long as he already change I accept him."

tanong ko, halos pabulong. Humakbang siya palapit. Isa. Dalawa. Hanggang sa sobrang lapit na niya— na halos maramdaman ko na ang hininga niya sa labi ko. “You chose,” sabi niya, mababa ang boses. “Hindi ako pumili,” agad kong sagot. “Wala akong choice.” Ngumiti siya. Pero hindi masaya. Delikado. “There’s always a choice, Freya.”

This is just nothing. …

Inabot ko ang pisngi niya para sana punasan ang kanyang luha ngunit umiwas lang siya. Siya mismo ang nagpunas ng sariling luha at malungkot akong tinignan. "Even the cigarette can't stop me to vomited all their nasty tastes." Her breath shook as she exhaled, "Sabi nila, lahat tayo may choice na pwedeng pagpilian. Pero bakit sakin wala? Bakit ang unfair naman yata? Hindi ko ginusto ang buhay na 'to. Kung may paraan para kumawala at maglaho ay matagal ko ng ginawa, pero... w-wala." Nanginginig na boses niya sabay hikbi.

As Zeke stood there, facing Nicole's barrage of questions and emotions, his expression remained stoic, almost unreadable. The air around them felt heavy with tension, each word hanging in the air waiting for a response.Zeke took a moment, his gaze shifting between Nicole and Asteria, as if weighing his words carefully. Finally, he let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "I... I have made my choice Nicole," he started, his voice soft but firm. "And I asure you that I am not being forced like what you think."