CHAPTER 1

I saw a ghost of smile in his lips when I told him that I want to join.

"Well then, be my guest." ani ng Kapitan sa akin.

Naghalad siya ng kamay para tulungan akong tumayo. Agad ko iyong tinanggap dahil natatakot ako na baka magalit siya at ipapatay ako.

I looked down for me to see my leg. Dumudugo iyon dahil malaki ang sugat ko. Noong nandiri ako sa paa ko, ibinalik ko ang tingin ko sa kanya at tinignan niya lang ako gamit ang blanko niyang mukha saka inikot ang kanyang mga mata sa paligid. Sinundan ko ito.

Shit! Nasa gitna kami ng karagatan! What the hell!

Nang sumilip ako sa ilalim, I saw some parts of our ship, 'yung sinasakyan namin kanina. Other than that, mga bangkay nalang na lumulutang at wala na.

There's no island nearby. No sight of survival.

Agad na napatulo ang luha ko, kung buhay pa si kuya, at sabay kaming nakaahon, hindi din naman kami mabubuhay.

"Rae, kindly clean and dress her wound." sabi ni Kapitan.

Agad na may lumapit na lalaki sa akin. Parang Spaniard ito pero hindi ko na pinansin at sumunod nalang sa kanya.

Hindi ako makalakad ng maayos kaya naman inilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin at ginabayan ako papasok sa isang kuwarto.

Lumingon ako ulit sa Kapitan nila na nakatingin lang sa akin. Sobrang familiar niya pero nakalimutan ko na kung saan ko nga ba talaga siya nakita.

I've been to a lot of places before, and met a lot of people. Probably that's the reason why he's familiar. But paano naman ako makakameet ng isang pirata?

Until now, I'm still shocked and in doubt. I don't know if my decision was right. I'm joining, because I have nowhere to go. No one to be with. It's like, I'm just nothing.

Maybe being a part of this crew could change a bit of myself. I want to get even. I got nothing, I got no one but myself.

Is there someone to blame? No one. But I want to get even.

"Welcome aboard." the Captain mouthed before Rae closed the clinic's door.

Maybe this is really it. Maybe this will be the perfect life for me because I never had one.

"Masakit ba siya?" Rae asked me.

Umiling ako. Wala akong naramdaman. I feel empty. Parang wala nalang.

His brows ceased when he got my answer. Siguro hindi makapaniwala na hindi ako nasasaktan.

He cleaned my wound. Malaki nga iyon at medyo malamim. Magkakapeklat pa ata kapag magaling na.

"Expect that it will get swollen sooner or later. I will check on it from time to time, kapag may naramdaman kang sakit, tell me." sabi niya.

He helped me to stand up and when I was about to get down the bed, someone entered to the room. Nagulat ako kaya hindi ko na balanse ang pagtayo ko at tumama ang katawan ko sa katawan ni Rae.

"Nandito kalang pala kuya! Kanina pa kita hinahanap!" yumakap ang lalaki kay Rae at dahil nga malapit ako kay Rae, nasama na din ako.

Nabigla ata siya kaya biglang lumayo sa aming dalawa ni Rae.

"You're the girl they're talking about! Charot, practice lang po, Binibini." he exclaimed.

"Oo siya nga, pero bakit mo ako hinahanap?" tanong ni Rae sa kanya.

"Nothing, gusto ko lang makipagchikahan sa'yo." sagot niya.

"Oh! By the way, my name is Junger, Rae's best friend, I'm the cabin boy. " nilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin.

Parang weird siya na ewan, but other than that, he's good naman kaya tinanggap ko ang kamay niya.

"Arwaa," pagpapakilala ko din sa kanya.

"Actually the reason why I'm here is because I'll lead you to your cabin. Utos sa akin ni Kapitan. " sabi niya sa akin.

Pinasalamatan ko si Rae saka sumunod kay Junger. We stopped in front of a door. It looked aesthetically vintage. It's made from wood but the design makes me feel like I'm back to the Renaissance period.

He opened the door for me. A clean bedroom welcomed me. The room is full of silver, gold and dark brown shinny wood that make you feel like you're living in a castle.

"Is this a normal room?" I asked the boy.

"No miss, this room is beside the Captain's cabin that makes it the room for the Captain's wife. But since Captain Mave don't have a wife, he said you'll stay here instead of staying with us at the public cabin and sleeping together with all the man inside this ship." mahabang ekslenasyon ang ibinigay niya sa akin.

"Oh, okay." tanging sagot ko sa mahabang pahayag niya.

"I'll tour you around po if you want, just call me. I'll be around the deck." he told me.

Tumango lang ako saka umalis na siya. Pumasok ako sa cabin na parang hindi cabin. It actually looked like a princess' room.

Pagkapasok ko, may vanity table na brown and gold saka meron itong maraming alahas na kumikinang katulad ng mga alahas ko sa bahay pero naiiba ito dahil parang mas marangya ito tignan.

There's a bed. The foam is so soft and it also looked comfortable to sleep in. There's a bathroom, then there's a window near the bed where I can see the sea outside.

And oh! I almost forgot about the chandelier sa itaas.

Pumasok ako sa bathroom at nakita kong may dalawang seksyon iyon. Isang cr talaga at isang walk in closet.

I locked the door and took a bath. After that, I walked into the walk in closet at binuksan iyon. I already expected seeing clothes for a lady pirate like black outfits and all but, I gasp for air when I saw that there's nothing but long dresses.

Damn! Am I supposed to wear clothes like this?

I got no choice but to wear a white dress na abot hanggang sa talampakan ko. Mabuti nalang at hindi kita ang sugat ko. I wore a sandals and turned around letting my hair and dress flow with me. I feel like I'm a living aesthetic girl. Kulang nalang music ni Beethoven. Damn! This is my dream.

Noong nakalabas ako mula sa bathroom, bumungad ulit sa akin ang bed kaya lumapit ako doon saka umupo. Agad akong inantok kaya naman humiga ako, and I drifted to sleep.

I woke up when I feel like someone is touching my feet. Agad akong napabangon dahil sa gulat.

"Sorry Binibini, ginagamot ko lang naman ulit ang sugat sa iyong paa." ani ng lalaki sa harapan ko. Guwapo ito at halos ka edad ko lang. Matangos ang ilong at makikita mo sa kanyang mukha na he looked like a Spaniard. Oh wait, he also looked like Rae!

"I'm sorry. I'm Reiki, the doctor." kinuha niya ang gloves niya saka inilahad niya ang kanyang kamay sa akin at tinanggap ko naman iyon.

"Arwaa," I told him my first name while shaking his hand.

"Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka binibining Arwaa." sabi niya sa akin habang ginagamot ang paa ko.

I hissed when I feel the pain when he got something out from my wound.

"Hindi pa po ba tapos Kuya Rei?" tanong ng bagong dating na bata. Siya parin 'yung bata kanina. I heard his name kanina noong nagpakilala siya but I'm not sure if it's really Jungle.

"Hindi pa, matatagalan pa ito dahil maraming salubsob sa kanyang sugat. Hindi ata kinuha agad ni Rae kanina o hindi niya nakita. Tsk tsk." ani ni Doc. Rei.

"Ah, ganun po ba. Ano ba ang nangyari sa paa mo Miss?" tanong sa akin ni Jungle.

"I got stuck when the ship sunk tapos sa sobrang pilit kong kunin iyon, naging ganyan." I explained trying my best not to remember everything.

"Bakit po ba lumubog ang barko?" tanong ulit ni Jungle sa akin.

"I don't know." I whispered.

Kuya and I were both laughing while we're playing uno cards.

"Woah, woah." Kuya said when we feel the ship move harshly, but we let that pass because we thought it was normal.

"Ahah! Plus 4 ka!" I laughed at him when he make a defeated face. Uno na kasi siya pero plus 4, oh well.

"Daya talaga. Hmp." sabi niya and I just laughed louder.

"Wag kanang magtampo, kaya ka ginagawang trial card eh." asar ko pa sa kanya.

"Oh shut up Alon!" bato niya din sa akin.

Akala niya maiinis ako, sus, mas kinilig lang ako kamo.

"What?" I asked him when I saw him looking at me.

"Malala kana." he whispered and shaking his head.

"I know right?" I just laughed at him.

He's right. Malala na talaga ako. How can you continuously fall for someone who you just met once?

Nakalimutan ko na nga kung anong itsura niya at kahit ang boses niya.

I looked at kuya, still wearing his nagtatampo face.

Never did I know that it was the last tine I'll saw my Kuya's nagtatampo na face.

"Miss?" iwinagayway ni Jungle ang kanyang kamay sa harap ko na nagpabalik sa akin sa tamang huwisyo.

"Tapos na binibini, huwag mo mung papagurin ng husto ang iyong mga paa. Para hindi sumakit ang mga muscles mo." ani ni Doc Rei.

"Thank you." I told him.

"Walang anuman, Binibini." He smiled at me.

"Baba na po tayo, nakahanda na po ang pagkain." ani ni Jungle na kakatingin lang sa kanyang relo.

I looked at the clock in my bedroom. It's already 7:30. Hmmm... Maybe it's their time schedule to eat huh?

Magkasama kaming tatlo na lumabas sa aking silid. Bumaba kami sa isang engrandeng hagdan. Is this a ship or a castle floating in the sea?

Damn! If my room looked like a princess' room, inside this ship, looked like a castle!

There are hanging lamps that gives us  enough light. Hindi masyadong maliwanag, hindi din masyadong madilim.  The light enlightens the details of what's inside this ship.

"Woah." sambit ko noong nakita ko ang kabuuan nito.

This is not just a ship. It's a ship with a mini library, mini living room, there's a lot of doors that I don't know what what is for or what's inside that and I am the middle, there's a big table that could accommodate everyone inside.

"1st batch po tayo sa kakain Miss." bulong sa akin ni Jungle habang naglalakad kami papunta sa dining table kung saan may mga tao na naka upo doon mukhang nag uusap.

"You mean there's a lot of batch when we eat?" I asked him.

He chuckled and shoocked his head. Agad na kumunot ang noo ko.

"Hanggang dalawang batch lang po Miss. Pag natapos ang unang batch, mag susub po sila sa 2nd batch para makakain na rin po sila. Salitan po ang mga tao dito pagdating sa mga gawain." he explained.

Oh okay. So they have to switch places para kahit na kumakain ang mga tao, may nagbabantay parin at nag nanavigate para ligtas ang paglalakbay.

Doctor Rei gave me a seat beside the Captain na nagbabasa ng libro which made me shiver kasi I feel like I should fear him above all of the mens in here.

"Nandito na ba lahat?" He asked when he feel na umupo kaming tatlo.

"Opo Kapitan," ani Jungle.

Binaba muna ng Kapitan ang kanyang binabasa tapos yumuko silang lahat, and the Captain keeps on murmuring something. I got furious so I bowed my head saka ginaya ang ginagawa nila.

"Amen," I heared him whisper before siya kumuha ng kanin niya.

Ahh... So he prayed.

Wait what? A pirate prayed?

Upang hindi na out of place, kahit na I was still shocked sa ginawa ng Kapitan, I got my own food and started eating.

"Since we have a new recruit, please introduce yourself."

I almost choked on my food when he said that. I drank in my wine glass first before speaking.

"I'm Arwaa Dwyn." ani ko. I don't know what to say next.

"Welcome aboard, Arwaa Dwyn." bati nilang lahat sa akin. Itinaas nila ang kanilang mga baso saka ininuman ito.

I smiled because I feel comfortable around them now. I feel like I belong here with them.