Villareal
"Let's talk."- iyon ang bungad ko ng maabutan ko sya sa sala.
Prente itong naka upo sa couch at nakasandal habang naka cross arms and legs. Nang marinig ang boses ko ay nagmulat sya ng mga mata at tinignan ako.
"Ayaw mo akong pauwiin pero ilang araw mo naman na akong hindi pinapansin. So ano pang sense at nandito ako?"
Naglalabas lang ako ng sama ng loob. Kasi nung huling beses na nasigawan ko sya ay hindi na talaga nya ako pinansin. Ni hindi nga nya tinanong kung kamusta ako, o kung masakit pa ba ang katawan ko.
Basta lagi lang syang nakakulong sa kwarto. Bababa lang sya kapag alam nyang hindi nya ako makikita.
Akala siguro nya hindi ko napapansin iyon pero kakutsaba ko na ang ibang maids at sinasabi nila sa akin na ganuon nga daw ang ginagawa ng boss nila. Ang iwasan ako.
"If you're bored, you can go and play outside."- she coldly replied and stood up.
"I'm not a kid that you can order around.You told me that I'm here because you want me to know you, but why are you keeping your distance from me?"
"I am not. You must've hit your head in the wrong way."
She walked past me, but I was quick enough to catch her arm.
"Ano bang problema mo? Sabi ko mag usap tayo."- may bahid ng inis sa tono ng pananalita ko.
Pero katulad nuong umpisa, hindi manlang sya nasindak sa akin. Mukhang ako pa yata ang matatakot dahil sa biglang pag dilim ng itsura nya.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Tell me about your family."
She scoffed and pulled her arm away from my hold.
"I don't have one."
Tumalikod na ulit sya pero muli ko syang pinigilan. Nagpunta na pati ako sa harapan nya para harangan ang lalakaran nya kaya sinamaan nya ako ng tingin.
"What happened to your parents? They're the reason why I fell on the stairs."
"So you also believe that their ghost is still in this mansion?" - she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I saw them. So tell me about them."
Napalunok ako at napaatras ng ngumisi sya at humakbang palapit sa akin.
Akala ko kung ano ng gagawin nya sakin pero hihilahin lang pala nya ako pabalik sa couch.
"Don't even think about running once I finish narrating my not-so-beautiful story. I can shoot you if you try to run away from me so that no one else can have you."
"O-Oo na. Dami mong sinasabi."- alanganin sagot ko at medyo lumayo sa kanya.
Napansin naman niya iyon kaya naman bigla syang humiga at umunan sa hita ko habang nakangiti ng pang asar.
Tsk. Bipolar ba sya? Kanina galit tapos ngayon pangit ngiti.
Hindi pa sya nakuntento at kinuha pa ang isa kong kamay at pinagsiklop sa kanya saka pinatong sa ibabaw ng dibdib nya.
Here goes my wildly beating heart. Damn it!
"Okay, so my mother is a woman, and my father is a man.."
Nagsalubong ang kilay ko. "Nang iinis ka po?"
She giggled, which earned a groan from me. She's really weird; is her brain still functioning properly?
"So here goes my not so innocent childhood days. First of all, my mother was a teacher, and my father was a well-known businessman. Mommy told me that Mr. Villareal went to their university as a guest, and that's where they met and became attracted to each other. They started dating and married each other eventually, and after a few months, they had me. Later on they decided to live here, away from the city, because mommy didn't want to be always the center of attention for marrying my father."
Nanatili akong tahimik at nakinig sa kwento nya. Sobrang neutral lang nga ng boses nya e kaya hindi ko alam kung ma e-excite ako o hindi.
"She thought her married life would be like those in fairy tales, but it has become her nightmare. She found out that Mr. Villareal has an IED. He became toxic as the days passed, to the point that he forced my mom to resign and just stay at home to take care of me. As I'm slowly growing up and understanding things around me, I've noticed how my mother has protected me ever since I was born. Sometimes I hear them fighting in their room or even downstairs, and the next day I would just see my mom having bruises, but she's always telling me that she's okay and that Mr. Villareal didn't mean to hurt her."
She shifted on my lap and tightened her hold on my hand. I started to feel agitated as well.
"I'm not close to him. In fact, I'm a mama's girl. One time, I was playing outside, and it rained. As a child, of course I would play and enjoy it, but to my horror, Mr. Villareal saw me. He dragged me back inside, slapped my mom for not looking after me, and then he hit me. He told me that he hates dirt and that I should grow up neat, prim, and proper. I was crying, but he just looked at me with his emotionless eyes. My mom is the only comfort I had back then."
I heaved a deep sigh and felt bad for the both of them.
"Can you sit?"- I asked.
She cutely looked at me and mouthed, why?
"Just sit. I want to h-hug you."
Nag iwas ako ng tingin dahil ramdam ko ang pagpula ng mukha ko. Gusto ko lang sya i comfort. Kayo naman masyadong issue.
Napabuntong hininga nalang ako nang maupo nga sya at sumiksik sa akin. Niyakap nya ang bewang ko habang nakasandal sya sa katawan ko.
Naiilang man sa pwesto namin ay hindi nalang ako umimik. Baka kasi hindi pa nya maituloy ang kwento nya kapag na badtrip sya sakin.
"It was hard at first to be neat when all I wanted back then was to play and enjoy. But then I chose to just listen to him because that's what my mother told me so that I wouldn't get a hit from him. I was homeschooled, and my mom became my own teacher. No one is allowed to go here in the mansion. Whenever he was leaving, he was always telling the guards to keep an eye on us. We're not like his family. We're more like his prisoner, and it's suffocating."
I can feel the bitterness in her tone, and all I can do is caress her back.
"When I turned ten, my whole life turned upside down. It's a rainy night, and I heard them arguing about me. My mother wants to bring me to the city, but he doesn't want to. I heard smashing, yelling, and sobbing along with the rain and thunder. Then, before I went to bed, my mom went into my room wearing a black veil so that I wouldn't notice her bruises. She sang me to sleep and told me that she loves me very much and that I am the best thing that ever happened to her. She also told me to always do good and not anger my father."
Her hug on me tightens as she nuzzles her face in the crook of my neck.
"The next morning, Manang Rozalia told me that my mom is gone; she said my mom hung herself near the restricted room in the kitchen. I was so devastated to the point that I loathed Mr. Villareal. When I asked him why he let my mom die, I only received a slap from him. He told me that I should be independent from now on because one day I would inherit everything he had worked so hard for. He also told me that I should not be fragile and softhearted like my mom."
"I hated him more after that. He was never a good father or husband. He was cruel. All he always thought about was his image and his wealth. Because of anger, I killed the dog he gave me on my birthday, and when he found out, he ended up beating me to death. He told me that I was becoming like my grandpa, that I am crazy and a devil incarnate, and I don't deserve to be known as his heiress. I was locked up in the mansion, and Manang Rozalia took care of me."
"I continued my studies at home with my tutors. I tried to become an obedient child, but it's still not enough for him. He's blaming me for my mother's death. He doesn't want to look at me because I look like my mom. He always felt haunted, and when he tried to beat me up again, Manang Rozalia shielded me. When I saw the old woman in pain, that is when I lost my sanity. I can't afford to lose someone again because of him. That's why I committed a crime that put everyone of us into silence."
"I killed him. I hit his head and pushed him down the stairs. I remember him reaching out to me. He was pleading with me to save him, but I didn't move. I just stared at him with a smile on my face until he lost his breath. The police came and had me testify, and I told them it was an accident."
She chuckled and moved away.
"They were a bunch of losers. They didn't even realize that I was just making up stories. So in the end, the case was closed, and we held a proper burial for him, but I didn't go there, which is why until now nobody knows that I am his heiress. Manang Rozalia is the one I left in charge of everything because I can't force myself to care for that old man."
She paused for a moment and pointed at her head.
"I did therapy, but I can still clearly remember everything that happened. It becomes my worst nightmare. I did my best to live normally, but no matter how many times I washed my hands, they always felt heavy."
That's deep..
"I didn't regret killing him. What I'm regretting is letting my mom leave my room. If I had known that she would kill herself that night, then maybe I didn't sleep to keep her company; maybe she's still here until now."
Her voice sounded very disappointed in herself.
Wala akong masabi. Hindi ko mahanap ang boses ko matapos marinig ang kwento nya.
"Now that you've heard my side, are you still willing to know me more?"
We locked gazes, and she has this mischievous grin on her pretty face, which contradicts what I'm feeling inside.
I was in turmoil.
"I guess we'll end here."
I don't know why, but her voice kind of sounds sad. I just stare at her back until she disappears from my sight.
Napabuntong hininga ako at napahilamos sa mukha.
Ano na, Bella? Speechless ka no?
Ugh! Ano bang dapat i react sa mga sinabi nya? Alam ko naman na nagawa lang nya iyon dahil sa galit pero may parte sa akin na natatakot din sa kanya.
Kung nakaya nya pumatay nuon, what if ngayon na malaki na sya?
Pero mabait naman sya sakin e.
Syempre, baby ka nya.
"Hay, bwiset!"
Tumayo ako at umakyat sa taas. Patakbo na nga ang ginawa ko dahil naalala ko na naman yung multo.
Kinatok ko ang pinto ng kwarto nya at nang bumukas ang pinto ay nakasimangot na Adrianna ang bumungad sa akin may hawak pa nga itong sanitizer.
"Stay away from——"
Hindi na nya natuloy ang sasabihin nya nang hilahin ko sya palabas. Hindi ko din binitawan ang kamay nya hanggang sa makalabas kami ng mansion.
Nasilayan namin ang papalubog na araw pero mas gumanda lang sya sa paningin ko dahil hinangin din ng bahagya ang buhok nya habang confused ang itsura na nakatingin sya sa akin.
"Makinig ka.. Isang beses ko lang to sasabihin at saksi ang araw sa atin dalawa."
"What is it?"
Ngumiti lang ako at inayos ang ilang hibla ng buhok nya. Sa bawat segundong lumilipas ay ramdam ko ang pag bilis ng tibok ng puso ko habang nakatitig sa magaganda nyang mga mata.
Hindi ko alam ang dahilan kung bakit nararamdaman ko ito sa taong dahilan kung bakit nakakulong ako dito pero isa lang ang malinaw sa akin..
Gusto ko syang intindihin.
"I'm afraid, but I'm willing to do my best to understand you, Adrianna. You may be different and scary, but that's what makes you beautiful."
She was just a victim. She was left with no choice.
She lost herself the moment she lost her mom.
Kapalit ng paglaya nila sa kalupitan ng tatay nya ay ang sarili nyang katinuan.
I wasn't born in a loveless home, but I experienced what it was like to be reprimanded and obligated to follow rules to please the elderly members of the household. It's indeed true that no family is perfect, no matter how hard they try, because everyone has their own flaws and sides that are not visible to the naked eye.
Her past may have influenced herself right now and shaped her into something she thought she was, but I want her to know that she's not a bad person like what she pictures herself to be because of her traumatic experience.
She's a Villareal, and I know that she's more than just her powerful surname. There's more to her than I want her to realize.