Novels by ninashupi

OKAY, BESTIE. ARE YOU READY?"I am seated on a big, throne-like chair, and in front of me is a long white table. Kakapasok lang ni Eliza sa opisina habang ako, napapagod sa kakahintay sa mga lalaking hinanap niya sa loob ng isang linggo."Oh, come on. Let the first guy in…" I said boredly with my chin on my palm. Narinig kong tumawa si Eliza."What's with the face, Ana? Confidence, gurl. Your problem's gonna end now.""Oh, I want this to end immediately. Papasukin mo na sila."Huminga ako nang malalim at umupo nang tuwid, ang likod nasa back rest, while Eliza went out to fetch them.Surprisingly, a lot of men signed up for this crazy thing. And what I mean by 'a lot' is literally. Marami talagang nagtatangkang maging boyfriend ko.Well, alam kong maganda ako. Guys, even the richest and hottest bachelors in town, line up to get me. But I never really thought they would set

OH, MY GOD! Napaaga ka!"I bolted inside the condo and threw my bag away, disarranging the glass souvenirs. Hindi ako makapag-isip nang tama sanhi para magpapadyak-padyak ako sa inis at galit."I hate them!" hiyaw ko. "I hate them! I hate them! How can they make me suffer more!?""Ana, wait! What is going on?!"Naglakad sa harap ko si Eliza at hinawakan ang magkabilang balikat ko. Her eyes look so confused and worried, and I even promised to behave in front of her. Pero hindi ko kaya sa oras na ito. Parang nabasag lahat ng plinano ko sa buhay. I can't contain my anger knowing that any time soon, my parents would push through it and I would be locked up in a boring, lifeless, lonely marriage! Forever!"Tell me what the hell is going on, Ana!" Mas tinaasan ako ng boses ni Eliza. "Sabihin mo sa akin, Anastasia! May nangyari ba? May humahabol ba sa'yo? And the dinner, how was it? Did something come up again?"I frowned, then shook my head slowly and repeatedly like a child. Eliza tucked

"ARE YOU sure ayaw mo ng kasama? I can wait in the living area while you talk to your father," alok ni Eliza, ang mga mata'y tanaw ko mula sa rearview mirror.She's in the driver's seat while I sat at the back of the car. Bakas sa bagong kulay ng buhok niya ang naganap na pagbabago. "No need," ani ko saka bumaling sa labas ng bintana. "I can handle my parents if anything happens. But I hope we don't end up arguing."I don't know what's with my airy aura today, but I think my new looks are responsible for it. Sinigurado ko talagang magiging isang bagong tao ako paglabas ko ng salon."Why would they need you there anyway? Ako ang kinakabahan para sa 'yo, 'te.""Yeah, right…" I looked boredly at my newly painted red nails. "I even cancelled all my appointments today. Kung kinakabahan ka, lalo naman ako. Dad sounded so serious.""Alright, we're here," is not something I want to hear after a long trip from the road. Huminga ako nang malalim.I looked outside at the white classic mansion

MABUTI NAMAN at gising ka na. Halika na rito at kumain nang may sama ng loob."That was Eliza standing behind the dining table. Nagsasalin siya ng iced tea para sa dalawang baso habang nagpupunas naman ako ng aking buhok. "Wala kang work today?" tanong ko. "I thought you were going on a business trip.""Duh… It was cancelled.""Really?" I pulled a chair and sat on it. "Did something happen? Baka makatulong ako.""Oh, no. You don't. Wala namang emergency.""Wala?"Who would cancel a meeting without a reason? That's messed up.I saw Eliza sigh and walked towards the kitchen counter. Bumalik siya nang may dalang isang malaking bowl of rice."I cancelled it," bigla ay niya."My God, Eli… Why?""Because I'm worried about you." Dali-dali siyang umupo sa tabi ko pagkatapos ilapag ang kanin. "I lost sight of you last night. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Hindi naman pwedeng hindi kita hanapin." "Umuwi naman ako. You should've gone for the trip. Tell them you're not cancelling it.""Ana…" Hin

"JUST SHOW me where you live and I'll take you there.""Huh?""Hindi ako akyat-bahay.""I'm not saying that," agad na korekta ko."I know... I'm just reassuring you." He smiled childishly, then pulled the door wide open. "Alright, Miss Red Dress… Please hop in now."Hindi ako gumalaw. What he called me caught my attention and I stared at his peaceful face. Miss Red Dress… What a beautiful, lovely name."May muta ba ako?""Huh?"He chuckled."What did you say?" gulat na tanong ko."Nothing." He pinched my cheek. "Let's get in, Miss Red Dress."My back flattened when he did that. Did he… Did he just caress my cheek? Ano bang nasa utak ng lalaking ito?"Miss-""Oh, yeah, yeah…"Binilisan ko ang paglakad ngunit nakaharang ang nakabukas na pinto, kaya lumiko ako sa kaliwa. But suddenly, the man's hard chest blocked my sight. My heart raced.Lumiko ulit ako para umiwas, pero lumiko rin siya. What the hell is he doing? Kumanan ako, at kumanan din siya. Kumaliwa naman ako, kumaliwa naman din

"MY GOSH, SIR! Is that how you flirt with girls?!" Tumayo ako, takip-takip pa rin ang malambot at masarap na labi ko. Undeniably, this man looks so angelic, parang mapapadasal ako. But his build, his moves… are aggressive. He's giving me the soft yet wild boy type. At naniniwala ako na ang mga taong ganoon, they are the dangerous ones."Oh, you don't have to smooch my lips to prove all of it!""Jesus, Miss. I shouldn't have told you that-""No!" I shook my head. "I think I should have been more open-minded!""It came out the bad way. I'm sorry-""No, Sir! Ako dapat ang humihingi ng tawad…" With that, I touched my chest. Tinitigan ko siya nang nagbabaga para madama niyang nagsisisi ako. That a softy beast like him should spare me."I'm sorry I made quite a lot of wrong accusations against you. Akala ko kidnapper ka because I awoke in a different unit. Akala ko rin isa kang sexual predator kasi iba na ang damit ko pag gising ko! Mas lumala pa nung lumabas kang topless sa bathroom! An

YOU are such... a cat." I grinned as my eyes lowered to her chest. However, I gulped down my thirst. The woman's damp clothes sculpted two spears inside. As I focused on it, the size was almost depressing. It almost awakened my sleeping soul. But I went back on admiring her exquisiteness. Her eyes were a master while I was a mere piece moved by it. I smiled and whispered, "You are as pale as the moon's surface but as bright as it is at night. You deserve to be called my light." Her palm was as warm as the fireplace. The sea breeze was classic music orchestrated by our gentle breath. The pine trees danced to its melody as the moon glistened on the water's surface. The burn in my heart partially chilled. The burden turned more ethereal, for Neko was with me. Then, I pulled her smooth arm and laid her on the white sand. As I crawled on

"K-KACHINA?" My eyes narrowed down as we settled offshore. Deciphering the facial features of the stranger, I wanted to make sure it was Kachina who rescued me. For if it indeed was her, she had come to not disappoint me. Perhaps, lying to me that she could not make it was all along part of plans. What she really meant was to surprise me, and she did. The moonlight glowed overhead while I collapsed on the sand, catching my breath. I smiled despite the attempt of wanting to become a shipwreck myself. I oathed to ridicule the stars, laugh at them till I shed no tears because they were wrong to have made fun of my misery. Right in the middle of the ocean, a good soul redeemed me. Someone lifted me up from my burdens. Someone still wanted me to live. The woman also sunk beside me. I stared at her while she gasped for air. Water dripped

KACHINA ... Kachina left me.I submerged myself in so much foolishness. I wanted to dig my dying self in this copper-colored sand. I ached to be swept away by the crashing waves so that I could permanently sink under the vast ocean of bottomless gloom and suffocate myself.I desired to destroy myself because I deserved it. I was not worthy of Kachina. Though profoundly fetched by her, she despicably loathed my whole existence.She never came. She abandoned me in this dreamy place and told me right on the phone that she preferred a future without me.

A DIFFERENT WOMAN opens the steel door.She has been banging it for minutes like a captive being chased by her perpetrator. The unresponsiveness of the person inside extremely upsets her. Every solid blow of her fist against the silver metal trumps on the wild cries and shrill screams of the deranged patients cared for by the hospital.Although it irks to think that Kagan wouldn’t even let her in, she puts the crazy thought aside. Even if she knocks down this steel barrier, he wouldn’t care about it, rather he'd only curl up in fright.When she sets foot into the office, his broad back welcomes her as she finds Kagan standing before the window. The wrinkles in his asylum gown are visible as if he had been pressed.

IF DEATH were the subject, then she’d be very much alive.Moving stealthily, leaning against a dirty white wall, a woman whose identity is unknown crouches just below a dusty window. As someone who is unwilling to accept her fate and tragedy that she faced three years ago, she moves behind shadows to search for proof to incarcerate and penalize the real culprit.Her heartbeat escalating, she takes a glimpse of what is behind the walls. Inside, a frantic man garbed in a blue asylum gown crawls over a scruffy bed. Like a drained human being, he stares into space with thoughts that can’t be penetrated.The woman holds tight to

BADTRIP. Nababadtrip ako kay Avancea. Bakit hindi na lang siya lumayas sa mamanahin kong mansyon? Bakit kailangan pa niyang makipag siksikan sa pamilya namin? Bakit napaka s****p niya simula bata pa kami? Our family would have been better, stronger, if she and her leech mother Amadena hadn’t appeared in our life. Pero may magagawa ba ako sa desisyon ng Papa ko? Meron. But, bullshit, not on this matter. He won’t let me, her genius daughter, dictate his heart. Not even Kuya Dallas who’s vocally against it but is silent when the two leeches are present. Wala rin naman kaming maaasahan kay Mama kasi iniwan niya kami kay Papa at sumama sa lalaki niya. To make matters worse, nagkaroon pa sila ng anak. But all of my mother’s desires faded when she lost everything she fought for. One, her partner who I never met. Second, her son, my step brother. And third, kami ng orihinal na pamilya niya. But serious matters aside, bwisit na bwisit na ako kay Avancea. Sinumbong niya ako tungkol sa pambubu

WHAT’S THAT?” I asked Shanta the moment she entered our bedroom with a book in her hand. Nilapitan ko siya at hinawakan ang bewang niya saka hinalikan siya sa balikat. “Saan pumunta ang Baby Love ko? Hmm?” “Hulaan mo…” biro niya saka kumapit sa bewang ko bago nangunang naglakad. I grinned, then walked with her with my right arm clinging onto her shoulder. Sinilip ko ang librong hinahawakan niya at naintriga ako. “You don’t recognize this, do you?” tanong niya. “Where did you find that?” Shanta looked up at me. “It doesn’t matter. I found it and I fixed everything back.” Binalik niya ang tingin sa libro… o ang manuskritong sinulat ko… at naupo sa dulo ng kama. I also sat beside her with my eyes pinned on her glowing face. “I have been curious about this lately, alam mo ba ‘yon…” kwento niya at sinimulang buklatin ang libro. “Punit-punit ‘to noong nahanap ko kaya nagpabili ako kay Benida ng scotch tape. She helped me put back every page.” Then, she looked at me teasingly. “Ako p

I SMILED at the guests who greeted me and Shanta as we walked on the red carpeted aisle. Hindi ganoon karami ang mga bisita. Nabibilang lang sa mga daliri ang mga tao sa mesa. I recognized almost all of them. Masaya ako at dinaluhan nila kami para sa gabing ito.Shanta and the Six Packs, which included me, sat down at a very special seat near the mini stage. Pabilog ang mesa at pitong upuan ang naroon para sa isa sa amin. Naunang umupo ang mga kaibigan ko. Lachlan and Katlego sat beside each other. Ganoon din si Euart at Jirario. Clavis, however, chose to sit next to her cousin. Samantala ako, pinagitnaan nina Shanta at Jirario. I pulled my Baby’s golden chair before she took her seat. “Musta ka na?” tanong ko kay Jira nang hayaan ko si Shanta na kausapin ang pinsan niya. I smiled at my cousin when I looked at him. It’s been a long time and we have been very busy with our own lives, so it’s nice if we catch up. “Kumusta ka naman at ng inaanak ko? Damn… I can’t believe you’re a family

ISANG BUWAN na ang nakalipas at unti-unti nang humuhupa ang kaguluhan sa Manila. Tito Kadam is already jailed in the New Bilibid Prison while his case is set for an appeal by his lawyers. While Coolidge Mental Care remained a crime scene, the patients were transferred to a safer and better facility. They will be sent back once the investigation is done and once the mental care has found its new owner. Sa ngayon, we’re trying to fix all the casualties, lalo na sa pagpapagamot ng mga pasyente. After all, Shanta and I both experienced a life inside the mental hospital. Nais naming tumulong. “Sir, Ma’am, nandyan na po ang mga bisita,” pagpapaalam ng kasambahay noong pumasok ito sa kwarto ko. “Susunod na kami. Thank you,” I said. And after telling me some more notice, the househelp left the room. Naiwan kami ni Shanta sa harap ng salamin habang inaayos niya ang necktie ko. Two days ago, we left Bohol for our business here in the Metro. Naisip naming ligtas nang tumira sa bahay ko… na

I DON’T KNOW when was the last time that I was energized to wake up. I remembered waking up with a huge weight in my head and I felt so exhausted at the start of the day, that ending it would mean fatigue for a week. But while my eyes remain closed, my mind is already awake. And I could feel Shanta’s small body still embracing me. Napangiti ako. Dahil diyan, bahagyang isinubsob ko ang aking ilong sa buhok niya. Walang pagbabago. Her hair’s scent is still the same lavender with fresh milk. I sniffed like drugs and kissed her forehead and tightened my embrace because I am never gonna lose her again. This moment could’ve happened two years ago if the incident didn’t happen. We could’ve been living on one roof with our two kids that are one-year-old apart, and we’re still making the third one. But even though we’re two years late, this… the night that I woke up beside her is what matters most. This will keep me from waking up and start my day blissfully. Aaraw-arawin ko ito, and the d

THE NEXT DAY, Shanta and I traveled back to Panglao Island, Bohol to stay in her mansion for the meantime while things subside. Hindi sana doon. It could have been my house, but almost everyone knows about it, so definitely, the place is not safe for us. We decided to take a break after the national newscast reported across the country. It was stressful and… chaotic. Ilang media na rin ang sumubok na kuhanan kami ng panayam, but Shanta, although ready to speak up, is not allowed to give herself another stress. I didn’t permit it because she needed rest after trespassing in Kachina's house. Makita-kita ko pang may benda siya sa noo kaya mas lalong hindi ako pumayag. She got it from her cousin who broke a vase on her head. And even though I wanted to make that woman pay, I didn’t want reporters to exploit my Baby’s condition and people to make a feast out of it. Kahit na kami ang nasa tama at ang biktima, hindi ko ginawa. The right people would see it, especially the court. And I wou