Chapter 2 ( CONFUSION )

"Hoy weirdo, tumabi-tabi ka nga lang sa dadaanan ko."

"I am not a weirdo."

"W-What? So you learn how to talk back now huh-"

"I don't have time for someone like you, would you mind if I ask you to leave?" I arched my brows at her. Nanlaki ang mga mata nito at akmang hihilahin ang buhok ngunit agad kong nahablot iyon at inginudngod sya sa lamesa.

"Hey! Release me now! How dare you bitch, kapag ako nakawala humanda ka sakin-"

"I asked you to leave but you didn't hear me out. Bingi ka ba o bobo lang?"

"Rohesia! bitiwan mo si Lexis!" ngumisi ako at patulak na pinakawalan si Lexis. Her face was surrounded by the sauce of the food I ordered. Doon ko talaga sya sinadyang isubsob. That's what she deserves!

"Oops! You have something on your face-"

"HOW DARE YOU ROHESIA!" agad akong umiwas at patalikod na hiniklat ang buhok nya upang hindi sya makaharap sa akin. I started pulling her hair while her hands are trying to make a move. On the other hand, Lexis friend, Dionne are trying to scratch my arms but I quickly kicked her thigh that made her bump on the corner of the wall. 

"Evil deserves excruciating pain."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW MS. BEISCHEL?!" agad akong napabalik sa ulirat at pupungas-pungas na pinunasan ang mata ko. Nakatulog pala ako, pero my dream is so satisfying!

I fought Lexis and Dionne, iyon ang unang pagkakataon na naipagtanggol ko ang sarili ko pero, sa panaginip nga lang. 

"GET OUT OF MY CLASS, NOW!"

"I'm sorry Miss." I left the room quietly, avoiding the gaze of my other classmates. It was the fifth time I dreamed something so clear. Nitong nakaraang araw ay napapansin kong lahat ng napapaginipan ko ay akala mo totoo. Animo'y nandoon talaga ako sa panaginip na iyon. It looks like my reality, pero ang ugaling ipinapakita ko doon ay ibang-iba sa kung sino talaga ako.

I am weak, I can't even defend myself nor even stand up for my rights. I don't know how to badmouth others and especially, I don't know how to socialize. In my dream, only a few people hated me. Only a few people abused and mistreated me. All of them were nice and easy to talk to. And in my dreams, mom loves me so much.

I sighed and took a deep breath.

How I wish my dream comes into reality. Kung pwede lang mamuhay sa panaginip ginawa ko na. 

"That weirdo ruined our class again."

"Yeah, she muttered something while she was sleeping. "

"Evil deserves excruciating pain. As if, akala mo kung sinong villain sa isang palabas. Mukha namang sinto-sintong may sayad."

Hindi ko na lamang pinansin pa ang mga bulungan at mangilan-ngilang tawanan nila patungkol pa sa akin. Sinusubukan ko ding layuan na lang sila para hindi na ako masangkot pa sa kahit anong gulo at away. Mapapagod din sila balang araw sa pagpansin at pagpuna sa akin.

Three more years Rohesia, three more years and you will be able to get out of this hell. Three more years and you will be able to escape this misery.

"Isang order po nito." turo ko sa cake na nakita ko. I am craving for something sweet that's why I ended up in a sweet corner. This is where I always spend my days whenever my professor kicked me out of the class or when my other schoolmates tried to bully me. Sweets became my comfort food at sa tuwing hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko ay dito ako tumatambay at nagpapalipas ng oras.

Dad used to treat me sweets back then too. Sa kanya ko nga din namana ang pagkahilig ko sa mga matatamis eh.

"Hi."

"H-Hello…" alanganing bati ko sa dalawang babaeng tumabi sa akin. "Hi, I'm Yaela."

"Ako naman si Yuna." they extend their arm in front of me. Ilang segundo ko iyon tinitigan bago nakipagkamay sa kanilang dalawa.

"I'm Rohesia."

"Sa kalapit na University lang kami nag-aaral and we saw you… and your uniform. You're from PVU right?"

"Uhh, yes I'm studying business and arts there." alanganing sagot ko.

"Kami naman, we're both Law student in the same University. We saw you eating alone kaya kami lumapit. Maybe we can join you."

"S-Sure, uhmm hindi ba kayo naiilang?"

"Saan?"

"Sa akin, I mean you don't find me odd or weird?" tanong ko sa mga ito. The Yaela girl looked at Yuna and shook her head.

"No, actually nagandahan kami sa iyo. You look so unreal, honestly speaking."

"Thank You." tipid akong ngumiti at pinagsiklop ang mga kamay ko. "Bakit mo namang naisip na weird ang tingin namin sa iyo?"

"Ahh, uhmm people always find me weird that's why no one wants to approach me." 

"Hey, don't say that. Hindi ka kaya weird at tsaka para kang prinsesa. Hoy pwera biro, para kang Prinsesa sa kaharian. Galing ka bang UK?" umiling ako dito at napangiti.

"I came from America, my dad is an American."

"HALA SABI NA EH! Kay ganda mo sis, eh mama mo?" ani ni Yuna.

"She's an Italian."

"Oh my God, gagi baka anak ka ng Mafia boss ha! Tapos sa Pilipinas ka nila itinago para hindi mahanap ng kalaban." I chuckled and almost spill my tea.

"Anong Full name mo?"

"Rohesia Berlusconi Beischel."

"BERLUSCONI?!"

"YOU MEAN FROM THE BERLUSCONI CLAN NG ITALY?! YUNG PRESIDENTE NG ITALY KAMAG-ANAK MO?!!"

"How did you know that? And yes, he's my grandfather." 

"WHAT THE HECK?!"

"Talaga ba? Jusko, kaya pala parang may kasama tayong ginto dito eh!"

"Kilala nyo ang pamilya namin?" gulat na tanong ko.

"Hindi pero nabalita yung clan na 'yan sa Philippine television beh. Hindi mo ba alam? Hanggang Pilipinas abot ang chismis tungkol sa marriage rule ng pamilya nyo."

"Ahh, that one." napayuko ako dahil sa narinig ko. That rule that kicked us out from our country. How I wish I'll be able to enter Italy again.

"Hoy pero hindi namin jina-judge clan nyo. May sari-sarili naman kasi tayong views dyan. Pero infairness ang ganda ng lahi. Crush ko nga yung isang Berlusconi na gumaganap sa Holywood at nagmomodel.

Yung Tommasi ba iyon?"

"Yep, Tommasi nga Yuna."

"He's my cousin." pag-amin ko. He's my cousin, he's the one and only son of my zia. My zia Concentinna Berlusconi Bianchi. She's my mom's sister, and the closest one to my mother.

"Bigatin, bakit nandito ka sa Pinas at hindi i-enjoy and buhay apo ng presidente sa Italya?"

"Uhh, ano kasi-"

"Wait, bakit Beischel apelyido mo. Hindi tunog Italian, tsaka ay oonga pala. American daddy mo? Paano iyon? Akala ko ba hindi pupwedeng… uhm I'm sorry ang dami kong tanong

Rohesia hehe."

"Uhh, ayos lang. But I can't tell you the story right now eh."

"Hindi ayos lang, sorry din. Masyado kaming madaldal at pakielamera." ngumiti ang mga ito bago tuluyang nagpaalam na sa akin. I smiled at them before bidding my goodbye.

"Miss Rohesia?" agad akong napabangon sa kinahihigaan ko at pinagbuksan ng pinto si manang.

"Po?"

"Kain na ho ma'am."

"Sige po, bababa na po ako." sagot ko dito. Agad kong tinignan ang orasan at nakitang alas siyete pa lang iyon.

Isa na namang panaginip. Mapakla akong tumawa at pabagsak na inihiga ang katawan sa kama.

Akala ko totoo na. Akala ko may interesado na talagang kilalanin at maging kaibigan ako. I thought Yaela and Yuna really exist, but they only exists in my dream.

Tipid akong ngumiti at tumayo na upang bumaba na. Naabutan ko si mommy na nakaupo nadin doon at kumakain na.

"You were kicked out again by your professor. At nagawa mo pa talagang umuwi at itulog ang limang oras na iyon huh? You didn't know how hard to earn money just to pay your goddamn school fees!"

"Mi, you can use the money on the bank naman po. Dad left us huge amount of-"

"IDIOTA! Sai di cosa stai parlando?! Davvero non userai il tuo cervello Rohesia?! E se qualcuno ci rintracciasse e ci uccidesse, eh? Siamo andati qui nelle Filippine per nasconderci dai nemici di tuo nonno lì in Italia! Pensi davvero che sopravviveremo?" (IDIOTA! Do you know what you're talking about?! Are you really not going to use your brain Rohesia?! What if someone track us and kill us huh? We went here in the Philippines to hide from your grandfather enemies there in Italy! Do you really think we are going to survive?!)

"Perché non lo contatti?"

(Why don't you contact him?)

"Mai! Non osare chiedermelo di nuovo Rohesia!" (Never, Don't you dare ask me that again Rohesia!)

"Mi dispiace mamma. I'm sorry…"