Silencing Voices Novels & Stories

“Tama na, Agnes. Please, tumigil ka na. Masakit na, e.” I was doing my damnest best to drown her voice down but I can’t seem to do so because I could still hear her. Rinig na rinig ko pa rin ang nakakasuklam niyang boses sa tainga ko at ang mga salita niyang nagpapabigat sa loob ko at nagpapasakit sa d****b ko. Iyong nakakabwisit na sinabi niya ay patuloy ko pa ring naririnig at patuloy na nag-e-echo sa utak ko na animo’y sirang plakang ayaw tumigil. Patuloy na um-e-echo sa tainga ko ang nakakasura niyang boses. Ayaw tumigil ng boses niya. Naririnig ko pa rin ito kahit na ano’ng kagustuhan kong huwag itong pakinggan.

But for the first time tonight, hindi na siya nanahimik. I slowly stood up, my heels slightly unsteady. “Okay,” I said softly, halos pabulong. As we moved away from the table, the music drowned the room, the lights blinding and loud—pero sa loob ko, biglang tumahimik ang lahat. Some people stay silent not because they don’t care, but because once they speak, wala nang atrasan. Tonight, Damien broke his silence. And tonight, I stepped into whatever came next.

It's either, e-voice out ko na naiintindihan ko pero he will get the wrong idea naman. Kasi di'ba, karamihan sa lahat ng tao pati na rin siguro ako ay madalas na sinasabing 'Ayos lang', 'Okay lang', 'Naiintindihan ko' kahit kabaliktaran naman talaga ang meaning no'n. People always tell those words in order to pretend and to not worry others, lalo na't sa pamilya at importanteng tao sa kanila. More or less, silence means 'No', or 'Yes' it's unpredictable. Maybe, 'I don't want', or 'I don't want to', marami ring meaning so all that we could do is understand even if it's against our will.

Silence, then, becomes not peace but oppression. Ironically, silence also holds power. In moments where words fail, the absence of speech can communicate truths that no language can capture. The challenge lies in discerning when silence empowers and when it diminishes. Throughout these reflections, one cannot ignore the undercurrent of conflict. Every attempt at harmony is shadowed by the presence of divergence, a reminder that unity is not the absence of difference but the celebration of it within a structured framework of quondral respect. If unity were simply the alignment of identical thoughts, it would not endure the test of time. True unity thrives in the intermingling of diverse voice

Ngunit kahit na nag-iisa na lamang ako, kailangan ko pa rin na mabawi ang korporasyon at maibigay ito sa kamay ng nararapat na tao. The room was supposed to be silent, but because I turned off the soundproof mode of the modernized and floor-to-ceiling glass window, I could still hear the bustling sounds of vehicles running down the streets. My eyes fell down the floor before I face the owner of the footsteps nearing behind me.

Matagal kaming tahimik. Ang tanging maririnig lang, ‘yung mahinang tunog ng aircon at tiktak ng orasan. I watched her struggle. The flicker of hesitation, the collapse of pride, the way her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. That’s the thing about power, it isn’t about who speaks louder. It’s about who stays silent longer. Finally, she exhaled, shoulders dropping slightly. “If I agree… you’ll help us?” “Yes.”

Pailing-iling na kumuha ng isang wet tissue upang ipahid sa kamay at ginawa rin ang hand sanitizing. Ipinagpatuloy nito ang pagmamaneho nang walang kibo. Ako man ay nakukunsensya ngunit hindi ko na babawiin pa ang isang bagay na nagawa ko na. He's been silent and that made me paranoid. Kung susubukan lang nitong magsalita, sasabihin sa'kin kung ano ang gagawin ay hindi ko marahil ito napagbubuhatan ng kamay.

I feel tired, and seeing the endless white makes me feel sucked to somewhere deep. Humakbang ako at pilit kong magsalita at tumawag ng kahit na sino para sakaling marinig ako ngunit walang lumalabas na boses sa aking bibig. Sinubukan kong pwersahin ang sarili ko na magsalita ngunit sumakit lang ang lalamunan ko dahil doon. It feels like something is stopping me to make any noise.

Hindi ko hahayaang isipin ng kahit sino na kayang-kaya nila akong saktan. Bawat ngiting ninakaw nila sa akin, bawat luha na pinilit nilang pumatak mula sa mga mata ko, iyon ang magiging apoy na magpapatigas sa akin, at maghuhubog sa akin para maging mas matalim. They will learn to fear the silence in me more than the words I speak. From this moment on, I am no longer the person they thought they could control. I will never let anyone hurt me again.

maawtoridad at seryoso namang sagot ng kanilang Leader. Napapikit ako at pinakiramdaman ang buong paligid. Screams, loud noises, murmurms, and cries, I heard those voices. Those voices who was seeking for help, justice, and lightness. This is not I want to witness with. Iminulat ko ang mga mata ko at kitang-kita ko kung paano magkagulo, at magsitakbuhan ang mga awtoridad para bantayan ang mga pwedeng pasukan ng mga hindi matukoy na nilalang.