DISPOSSESSION

Chapter Four

AVA MET with Brenda once again, to talk to her about her situation. At first, Brenda was kind of hesitant, thinking that Ava's dilemmas can be explained by science. Brenda even said that maybe Ava's just having a mental condition.

I have a mental condition, alright. 

"Look, I am most certain that this is something beyond natural." Pamimilit pa ni Ava.

Well, sigurado naman kasi talaga sya. Kung may kinalaman nga ang lahat ng ito, ang memory lapses nya and all, sa kanyang mental state ay malamang na malalaman nya 'yon. Or at least, mapapansin iyon ng kanyang therapist at sasabihin sa kanya.

"Bakit hindi mo na lang kaya muna puntahan ang pinsan mo?" Brenda suggested. "Yung Lucian, o yung Claude."

"At ano naman ang sasabihin ko sa kanila?"

Tinaasan nya ito ng kilay. "Or...?"

"May malalang nangyayari sa inyo." Sagot nito bago inilahad ang isang kamay sa mesa. "Akin na nga'ng kamay mo."

Ava didn't hesitate to show her palm to Brenda. Hinawakan nito ang kamay nya at sinipat, naguguluhan man ay patuloy na tumitig lang sya kay Brenda. Though the latter looked quite confused. Totoo kayang palm reader ito?

Feeling impatient, Ava asked; "So, ano nang nakikita mo?" Err... should I have asked if ano'ng nababasa nya or what?

Brenda tilted her head to the side and squinted her eyes, before she let go of Ava's hand as she sighed. "Wala."

"Wala?" Naguguluhang tanong nya. "Paanong wala?"

"Wala akong mabasa. Your palm is like an endless pit of darkness. I can't read you."

"But that's impossible, every palm can be read. If there are instances that a palm reader cannot read another person's palm then it's either she's cloaked or this palm reader is not destined to read her palm."

"Where the hell did you get that?" Nakakunot ang noong tanong ni Brenda sa kanya.

Naikurap-kurap naman ni Ava ang mga mata nang mapagtanto ang mga nasabi nya. What in Hell... how did she know that?! Ang weird lang nung sinabi nya!

"Tell me," Brenda commanded. "How did you know that?"

"I have no idea,"

LATER THAT afternoon, Ava just found herself sitting across Brenda's grandmother. Dinala sya ni Brenda sa bahay ng Lola nito, the witch one. Sikat na manghuhula ang Lola ni Brenda kaya hindi na nagtaka pa si Ava nang pagpasok nya sa bahay ng matanda ay marami syang nadatnan na sari-saring mga anik anik sa paligid.