Becca
“Maligayang pagbabalik sa poblacion Malaya Ma’am.”
“Maraming Salamat po manong..”
kakababa ko lang sa kotse ng binati ako ni manong
“Nasa loob po ba ng Mansion si papa manang Alice?”
“Oho at kanina kapa hinihintay nun..”
I felt so excited it’s been a long years since I last saw him, he never visit us in Singapore since he’s busy taking care of his people..
Manong and Manang took my bag at the backseat
“Bakit parang si Alice lang ang naaalala mo?”
“po?”
“hayss..ano kaba, ako lang naman laging nakakausap nyan dito nung bata pa sya..” palo ni manang sa braso nya
I remembered him but only his face
The strong breeze messing my hair, as I closed my eyes for a moment my mind goes back in the past
‘PAPA Noo.. I wanna stay here hmm..’
Mama was holding me tight trying to put me at the backseat of the car
‘This is for your own safety my princess.’
‘you don’t want me anymore?’ the pain in my voice makes him cry
‘I love you sweety, but this is for your own good.’
‘shh it’s okay baby..’ Mama tried to pulled me again
‘NO I HATE YOU..I WANT PAPA.’
“hey becca iha okay kalang ba? pasok na tayo..”
I open my eyes and look at manang
I still don’t understand why I need to leave this place years ago, I don’t know why I only remembered that moment
I’m still a 5 years old back then, all of that are still blurd in my mind..
Mama let me go back here since I kept asking her why I’m not allowed to go back
we kept fighting
and in my birthday she let me, she said this is her gift for me
I’m going to study here, mag se-senior high nako grade 11, excited nako mag aral dito, I really love this place the nature is like my medicine..
pumasok kami sa loob at sinalubong ako ni papa at richie, my twin brother
“My princess..”
Tinakbo ko na si papa at inakap, I can sense that he’s controlling himself not to cry
“I miss you papa..”
“I miss you too, you’ve grown up so much..” he caress my cheeks wiping my tears
“Hays ano ba yan papa ang drama nyo..”
tumingin ako kay richie at mukhang naiiyak narin
natawa nalang kami dalawa ni papa
I miss them so much
specially my twin
_______
“I already Finalize your enrollment, we are going to school next week dahil mag sa-start na ang klase.”
we’re eating here at the dining table
“Really kuya?”
the excitement I feel makes my heartbeat beating so fast
“Yes..”
“Bantayan mo yang kapatid mo richie.” he looked at richie seriously “no boys allowed.” and he smiled at him
natawa nalang ako
“anong kinain mo sa Singapore at nag mukha kang dalaga? eh nung bata kapa ang taba taba mo at iyakin pa.”
“Papa oh bully.”
“shh isang oras palang na magkasama kayo asaran agad.”
“Eh si kuya nauuna..”
“Becca taba, becca taba..”
“Richie stop, look at your sister mataba ba yan?”
Noon Oo eh sa bata pako nun, I just smiled I missed richie so much
nung bata pa kami panay siguro asar sakin nyan, diko lang maalala
natapos ang kainan ng puno ng pag uusap at tawanan
–
“Manang ang dami po palang kabayo si papa?”
tinanaw ko ang labas at may anim na kabayo dalawang itim at tatlong white then isang brown
“Oo napapakinabangan kasi yan sila lalo nat pag tag ulan at putik ang daan, kabayo lang yung ginagamit nila.”
“Ahh..”
“Pwede kang mangabayo at mamasyal pero dapat kasama mo si richie.”
“ngii ayoko po.. pwede bang gamitin ko yung brown bukas.?”
Marunong rin naman akong mangabayo, nag aral talaga ako kung pano
“Hay nako iha, wag yang brown si boy lang nakakapag paamo dyan, yang white nalang.”
“ahh sige po..”
buong pag huhugas ni manang ay kinakausap ko sya.. sa sobrang excited ko puro nako tanong
“nay nay..”
nagulat ako sa batang tumakbo papasok ng bahay napaka cute na batang babae mahaba ang buhok nito at may bangs, naka dress sya ng white
“Oh natalia bakit..”
“Dipa po umuuwi si boy simula pa kagabi dipa po siguro kumakain yun..”
“hay nako lagi mo talaga binabantayan yun sabi ko naman sayo pag di sya nakakauwi eh nag tatrabaho yun.”
mag dadabog pa sana yung bata ng makita akong nag kakape sa mesa
“Hi… ilang taon kana..?” I ask her
she smiled at me
“nay sino po sya?”
hila nya sa damit ni manang
“sya yung anak ni gov. yung galing Singapore.”
she frowned, she looked at me again and I saw how her smile fade away
“hmmp.” she rolled her eyes and run to go outside
I don’t know why I felt a little bit hurt
“Natalia..” manang yelled “ay pag pasensyahan mo na yung bunso ko hindi naman yun ganun, anim na taon palang sya.”
“okay lang po..” I smiled weakly
I didn’t expect that, friendly naman ang mga bata sakin Singapore, ewan ko sa isang toh
I saw manang became uncomfortable, she dry her hand using the towel and scan her pocket
she took out her phone and called someone
nag lakad sya palayo, palabas ng kusina sa may garden
I don’t know why I felt curious about it, her face is like worried or something
I walk towards her and hide myself at the corner
[Hello boy hinahanap ka ni natalia, ahh pauwi kana? alam ko, naiintindihan ko, oh sige sige, ipapatawag ko nalang yung panganay ko, Oo padadalhan ko rin ng gamot]
Manang turn off her call and called someone again, umalis nako at umakyat na sa taas
“weird.”
___________
“Hayyyahh..”
hampas ko sa kabayo
the horse scream loudly and start to ride faster
I’m just wearing a loose white shirt with may yellow hat, with brown maong short with black boots
ang bilis ng takbo ng kabayo at nasa malayo nako agad, nakalabas ako sa main gate ng hacienda at tumawid sa kalsada
kitang kita ko pa na hahabulin sana ako ng tauhan ni papa at may isinigaw pa sya.. pero wala na akong narinig
“yuhooo..this is freedom..” I yelled.
bumagal na ang takbo ng kabayo ng nasa woods nako
“I forgot to ask what’s your name on manang..”
the horse groan like his responsing on me
I roam my eyes everywhere and it feels familiar, lumalakas ang hangin tuwing palayo ako ng palayo
the dried leaves fell in my nose and I heard a raging water falls somewhere
the horse kept moving forward like he knows where to go
the strong breeze hitting my face
as I closed my eyes a picture of the place flustered in my mind
I frowned
palakas ng palakas ang tunog ng umaagos na tubig tuwing palayo ng palayo ang kabayo
In the back of my mind, I believe that I’ve been here before
I closed my eyes tightly
and some childhood memories hit my head
I was crying too loud while hugging my teddy bear
‘Mamaaa, Paapa..’ I’m screaming while calling them
*bushh
“Aww.. “
nauntog ako sa sanga na puro dahon, napahawa ako sa ulo ko
*bush
“Aw what the–ahhh.”
*boogsh
tumakbo yung kabayo kaya paulit ulit akong nababanga ng sanga kaya nahulog ako sa kabayo
ugh my back hurts
the crisp of the cracking dried leaves is all over my face and arms
shit dumikit ito sa balat ko dahil sa sobrang pawis
I tried to get up, buti nalang puro dahon ang nasa lupa kundi pilay ang labas ko
natanaw ko yung kabayo na kumakain ng damo sa…
Whoahh
Tanaw na tanaw ko ang napaka laking falls yung simoy ng tubig ay amoy kalikasan
my eyes sparkles because of the clear water, kitang kita yung maliliit na isda at mga bato bato
kulay blue ang tubig malapit sakin then sa dulo is color green
yeah I remembered this place, I saw this before
is it a secret place?
I looked around and there’s no house here
tumayo ako at pinagpag ang damit ko, ang dumi dumi ko na
Naexcite ako bigla sa naisip ko
nilapitan ko yung kabayo at hinimas ang ulo nya
“Sorry kung hindi muna kita pinakain bago tayo umalis..”
he groan again and I chuckled
“just eat here okay? wag mo kong sisilipan bad yun..”
he continues eating
“hey response..”
but he stay silent
hays..
pumunta ako sa malaking bato at nag umpisang hinubad and sapatos ko
isinunod ko yung short at t-shirt ko, tumingin ako sa paligid at pinakiramdaman ang paligid, mukhang wala talagang taong nalalagi dito
I only leave my black underwear, dahil yung bra ko napasukan rin ng mga balas, ipinagpag ko ito at ipinatong sa short ko
I used my arms to cover my chest and slowly walk towards the water
my fur rose because of the coldness of the water
when the water is already in my waist I heard the bush far away at the corner’s moving
I was rattled and hide my body in the water
“who’s in there?” I yelled
I felt nervous
I swim to go to the middle near the falls to hide myself and I saw a rabbit came out to the bush
“Oh Jesus..” I exclaimed
I chuckled
I thought there’s someone watching me, I spend hours swimming, mahilig talaga ako sa tubig
tinanaw ko yung kabayo ko at kumakain parin ito, hindi ba sya nabubusog?
gutom nako
next time I should bring food with me, habang umaahon ako sa tubig ramdam ko yung bigat ng katawan ko, napagod ata ako mukhang masarap matulog pagkatapos
isinuot ko na yung short at damit ko dahil sa sobrang lamig
*aaachu..
*sniff
“beh busog kana ba? tara na..”
Tapik ko sa kabayo
he groaned
______________
Tanghali na ng makauwi ako sa mansion, ang daming tauhan ni papa na nakahilera sa harapanan ng bahay namin
what is happening?
Papa’s eyes met mind and he looks mad
everyone was looking at me.. they’re looked relief or something
Papa sign them to leave and apologize to them
“Papa..”
“Get inside.” he said coldly and turn his back to go inside
_
“SAAN KA NANGGALING?”
papa’s voice thundered, I look at richie and his shooking his head telling me that I messed up
“Papa namasyal lang po a-
“Bakit kailangan pa sa malayo kung saan walang bantay?-
I frowned
“Bantay? papa I’m not a kid anymore-“
hindi ako makapaniwala sa inaasal nya
“Ito na nga ba sinasabi ko..umuwi kaba dito para bigyan ako ng sakit ng ulo?” he yelled
That was caught me off guard
there’s something stab my heart too hard.. I looked at him with disbelief
I know that he’s mad
but to say those words hurts me
sakit ng ulo?
I turned my back on him and run to go upstairs while crying
“Ohh becca I didn’t mean to-
“Dad that’s enough.” I heard richie like trying to stop him
____
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