Chapter 7

Kaylee worked up feeling the headache and sore down there. Napahawak siya sa ulo n'ya ay napa-araw sa sakit na nadarama ng katawan n'ya.

"What happened last night?" half asleep and while holding still her head, she quietly asked to herself nang biglang may nahawakan ang isang kamay n'ya sa gilid n'ya. Kaagad siyang napalingon doon at nanlaki ang mga mata ng may makitang lalaking nakatalikod sakanya at hubad iyon.

Kaagad na tiningnan ni Kaylee ang sarili at hubad din siya. Kaagad siyang tumayo pero hindi paman siya tuluyang nakatayo ay napaigik siya sa sakit na nadarama n'ya sa gitnang hita n'ya.

"Fuck! that hurts so much." she said in quiet voice para hindi magising ang lalaki sa tabi n'ya. She calmed down and slowly get off the bed and wore her dress. Paika-ika din siyang lumabas ng hotel room na iyon hanggang sa makalabas siya sa hotel building at sumakay sa taxi.

Nakahinga ng maluwag si Kaylee, at pilit inaalala ang mga nangyari at ginawa n'ya kagabi. She remembers dancing, she remembers the man who touched her, she remembers a man protecting her and how she forced him to drink and dance with her. It was all blurry and she doesn't remember the face of that man from last night who she had sex with. But she can still smell his perfume, how good he smells like and how baritonely sexy his voice are. Kahit anong pilit ni Kaylee na alalahanin ang mukha nito, hindi n'ya parin maalala at mas lalong sumasakit lang ang ulo n'ya kaya pumikit na lamang siya. Pero nang pumikit siya ay naalala naman n'ya kung paano siya nito pinaligaya nang gabing iyon, hindi mapigilang mag-init ng pakiramdam ni Kaylee kaya napamulat siya ng mata.

"Shit! that was a hot night indeed." she whispers to herself. Going back to that, even though the face of the man she had sex with is blurry, she didn't regret anything. She's glad that she got to do that before being tied up to a man that she doesn't know.

Ramdam parin ni Kaylee ang sakit ng ulo at sa gitna ng dalawang hita n'ya kahit pa nga nakaupo lang siya sa taxi papauwi. Nang makarating na siya sa bahay nila ay nakita n'ya ang kasambahay nila na para bang may hinihintay sa labas ng gate.

nakakunot ang noo ni Kaylee dito. "Yaya, what are you doing here?" tanong n'ya pa dito at inayos ang lakad n'ya para hindi siya mahalata nito kahit pa nga masakit parin ang nararamdaman n'ya.

"Kanina ka pa hinahanap ng mommy mo. Nasaan ka daw at bakit hindi namin siya sinabihan na umalis ka. Wala naman kaming masagot kasi hindi rin namin alam na tumakas ka pala kagabi." puno ng pag-aalala ang boses nito.

"Wow, it's a miracle na hindi sila maagang umalis at hinanap pa ako." at that point, Kaylee doesn't care if her mom will be mad at her for sneaking out. She just want to do anything before they could ruin it again.

Pumasok na sila sa bahay at pagbukas n'ya palang ng pinto ay narinig na n'ya ang malakas na boses ng mommy n'ya.

"Where have you been? Gawain ba ng isang babae ang tumakas at umuwi ng maaga?" tanong nito sakanya habang papalapit. "And you smell alcohol, we didn't raise you this way, Kaylee."

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Kaylee dito. "Well, you never raise me as well. You gave money to the experts to raise and train me well. And nanibago ako dahil hindi kayo umalis ng maaga? wala kayong maagang schedule? that's new for the past 26 years of my life. And one more thing, it's a miracle as well na naalala n'yo ako, iba na talaga kapag pang bayad sa utang, palagi ng naaalala, ganon ba iyon, mom?" aniya pa sa mommy n'ya. She doesn't care nor respect her anymore, including her dad. It might be heartless and ruthless for her to do that but what they've done to her is far more ruthless than losing respect to them.

"I'm still your mother—"

"And I'm your daughter, don't you think it's unfair to use that when you're facing your daughter who you never respected and even didn't consider me as one all my life but rather a payment to your debts?" Kaylee's whole body is in pain pero iba parin ang sakit na meron sa puso n'ya.

"Your friends must have been the reason why you turn this way. They must be the reason why you became rebel—"

"Huwag na huwag mong idamay ang mga kaibigan ko dito. Dahil kung may influence man silang ginawa sa buhay ko yun ay ang suportahan at mahalin ako na hindi mo naibigay. My friends didn't do anything wrong, you have to accept na ikaw ang mali." she said na ikinatahimik ng mommy n'ya.

Tinalikuran n'ya ito at naglakad papuntang hagdan pero tumigil din siya at hinarap ulit ang mommy n'ya.

"Don't worry, I will do as what you want me to do. You want me to pay your debt, right? that's my purpose why I was made and born, so I'm gonna fulfill that duty. I'm going to get married to the man you choose me to get married. After all, I don't have a choice, hawak n'yo buhay ko eh. And yet you still question why I am being a rebel and disrespectful." she said at naglakad na ulit. Nakasalubong n'ya ang daddy n'ya na nasa may hagdan at nakikinig sakanila ng mommy n'ya, lalampasan n'ya lang dapat ito pero pinigilan siya nito sa braso n'ya.

"Kaylee you have to understand that we have to do this." anito pa na para bang nagpakita din ito ng malasakit sakanya sa loob ng 26 years na nabuhay siya sa mundo.

"Yeah, dad. As if I told you to gamble all the money and use me as a payment to your debts. It's unfair to be in this position but I have no choice kasi pinanganak n'yo ako eh na sana dapat hindi nalang. If you really don't want to do this, you should have stopped your addiction long time ago." alam ni Kaylee na lahat ng Pera ng mga ito at utang ay dahil sa pagsusugal ng mga ito kaya alam n'yang wala ng pag-asa pa ang buhay n'ya lalo na't bago palang siya pinanganak ay nakasangla na ang katawan n'ya.

Naglakad na si Kaylee at pumasok sa kwarto at nahiga sa kama. Hindi n'ya mapigilang maiyak na naman dahil sa sagutan nila ng mga magulang n'ya. Minutes later hindi na namalayan ni Kaylee na nakatulog na pala siya dahil sa pagod niya.