Bend your chest open so I can read your heartI need to get inside, or I'll start a warWanna look at the pieces that make you who you areI wanna build you up and pick you up...I woke up that Wednesday morning with this irritating feeling again. Hindi pa rin ako sanay na hanggang ngayon ay nagigising at natutulog ako sa isang sala na wala man lang aircon o kahit isang electricfan. Nagtitiis akong matulog nang nakahubad at nakakulambo. Minsan ay sinubukan kong gumamit ng katol pero hinika naman ako, so I just settled in this fucking mosquito net. I shook my head.I checked the wall clock. Five forty-five nang umaga at kailangan kong pumasok sa trabaho ko sa hotel bago man lang sana mag-seven am. Wala akong kotse. Magco-commute lang ako at dahil uso ang traffic sa Pilipinas at hindi ako pwedeng ma-late ay binilisan ko ang kilos ko.Tulog pa ang mga tao sa kabahayan. I went straight to the bathroom to take a bath and get ready. Fifteen minutes na ligo lang ang ginawa ko. Matapos iyon a
Halos panawan ako nang ulirat nang marinig ako ang dalawang salitang isinisigaw ng dalawang lalaki sa aking harapan. Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang beses na akong napalunok dahil sa ingay na ginagawa ila. Sa loob ng mahabang panahon ng buhay ko, hindi ko kahit kailan naisip na matatakot ako sa dalawang salitang iyon...Hirap o Sarap!Karamihan sa mga kasamahan kong neophytes ay pinipili ang sarap habang ako, kinukundisyon ko pa ang sarili ko kung iyon nga din ba ang pipiliin ko o magpapakahirap na lang ako at tatanggapin ang galit ng Nanay ko sa oras na makita niya ang mga pasa sa binti ko. Mangiyak-ngiyak na ako.Huminto ang isa sa mga elders sa tabi ko. Hinarap niya ang kasama ko, ang pagkakatanda ko ay Chelsea ang pangalan niya. Tinanong siya kung hirap o sarap ang sinabi niyang sagot ay hirap. Napasinghap ako nang hatawin siya ng dos por dos sa binti tapos ay hinatak paalis sa kinatatayuan niya.And then, it was my turn. The elder looked at me from head to toe. I was still wearin
Fairy tales are shit crap.I couldn't even think of a good word to describe a fairytale dahil para sa akin ang mga iyon ay pawing kasinungalingan lamang. Sino ba namang matinong tao ang mag-iisip na ang mga kwentong sagana sa happily ever after ay may sense ng reyalidad?Wala. Wala dahil kung totoo iyon; wala ako sa entabladong ito at ibinebenta ang katawan ko kapalit ng perang hindi kahit kailan magiging sapat para sa pamilya ko.We used to be rich. My father owned a textile company. Ang Mama ko ay isang socialite at ako ay nag-aaral sa isang exclusive school. I was surrounded by rich friends and I was the school's Queen B. But everything changed nang manlalaki ang Mama ko at ibinigay niya sa taong iyon ang lahat ng aming yaman. It was unfair. Ang akala ko iyon lang ang magbabago sa buhay ko but when our money faded, my so called friends faded too.Wala nang natira sa aking kahit na ano – lahat ay nawala na parang bula. I guess it was true that money makes the world go round – hindi
I was seventeen and at this age, I am already on top of everything. I can have everything that I want. Gasgas na yata iyong linya but it's one of the perks of having rich parents. I can have everything as I please. While growing up, my father told me that if I want the moon I just have to say it and it will be mine. So, I did. I told him that I wanted the moon, he just smiled and the next Saturday, we flew to Washington DC – sa NASA para lang magkaroon ako ng personal field trip sa mismong facilities nila.It was a blast for the eight year old girl inside of me. That day was the day that I realized that I really can have everything.Yes, I am spoiled. If I don't get what I want, I will throw a tantrum na umuubra naman sa Mama at Papa ko. Kapag nakita na ni Papa na malungkot ako, he will do everything for me to have what I want.It got stuck on me. Hanggang sa lumaki ako ay nakukuha ko ang gusto ko. Sa school – ako ang Queen Bee. Ako ang trend setter. The girls would kill just to be my
I don't know what happened to me that night Eos Demitri kissed me but something inside of me changed and I know that. I know that, deep inside my skin, things have changed. And I don't know if I like the change or not.I feel like I like him, but he's half my age! What will mom say if she finds out?That Saturday morning, wala akong ganang lumabas ng bahay. I stayed home, watching movies, annoying Percy – well I can't possibly annoy Kuya Apollo kasi pinapatulan niya talaga ako. Kaya mas gusto ko talagang kapatid si Kuya Achill because he pampers me just like Papa and my favorite Uncle Zeus.I remember one time, I pranked him. Nilagyan ko ng sili iyong iniinom niyang shake at hindi basta sili, maraming sili, kaya noong ininom niya iyon, namula ang buong mukha niya. He caught me laughing hard kaya ang ginawa niya, halos kaladkarin niya ako papunta sa may pool at doon pinakain niya sa akin ang siling natira. I cried so hard. Wala si Papa at Mama, wala akong kakampi. Although naroon si Pe
"Where have you been, Eleithiya?! I was worried sick!"I came home at exactly four am. I was trying to sneak in. Nagkanda-hilo – hilo pa ako kakahanap ng spare key ng main door sa ilalim ng paso sa may entrance ng mansion. I thought that by now, Mom would be asleep because she knows that I was at my prom and maybe she was thinking that I was having the time of my life – but I was wrong.I found Mama in the living room. She was pacing back and forth. Her face was full of confusion, amazement and worry. Hindi naman ako makapagsalita."At prom, Mama." I answered her. Natigilan siya tapos ay muling nagsalita."I called Haley and she told me she saw you leaving early! Where the hell have you been?!" She growled. I must've awaken the dragon inside her."I was re-really at prom, Mama! Maaga lang akong umalis because my other classmates and I went to a private party. That's why she said she saw me leaving early. I'm sorry for making you worry, Mama. I'm sorry."I bit my lower lip. I am such a
"Where have you been, Eleithiya?! I was worried sick!"I came home at exactly four am. I was trying to sneak in. Nagkanda-hilo – hilo pa ako kakahanap ng spare key ng main door sa ilalim ng paso sa may entrance ng mansion. I thought that by now, Mom would be asleep because she knows that I was at my prom and maybe she was thinking that I was having the time of my life – but I was wrong.I found Mama in the living room. She was pacing back and forth. Her face was full of confusion, amazement and worry. Hindi naman ako makapagsalita."At prom, Mama." I answered her. Natigilan siya tapos ay muling nagsalita."I called Haley and she told me she saw you leaving early! Where the hell have you been?!" She growled. I must've awaken the dragon inside her."I was re-really at prom, Mama! Maaga lang akong umalis because my other classmates and I went to a private party. That's why she said she saw me leaving early. I'm sorry for making you worry, Mama. I'm sorry."I bit my lower lip. I am such a
"Can I go alone in that trip?"It was a day after my graduation. I asked my parents if I can go alone on that after graduation trip alone. That was their gift to me – a weeklong trip to Paris. Matagal ko na kasing inuungot iyon kay Papa at ngayon na graduate na ako ng K-12, ibinigay ni Papa iyon sa akin kasabay na rin sa aking debut ang regalo na iyon.Papa put down his utensils. Kumakain kasi kami noon ng dinner. Ako lang at si Mama pati si Percy ang nasa bahay. Si Kuya Achill ay nasa hotel tapos si Kuya Apollo ay bumalik na sa ilalim ng lupa – where he really belongs."Why, Eleithiya?" Bahagya akong nagulat nang si Mama ang magsalita. She was seated beside my father. Even my father looked at her with a surprised looked. Si Percy naman ay napapito. May kakaiba na kasi sa tono ni Mama."I just want to experience travelling alone, I guess." Nagkibit-balikat ako."You wanna be independent?" Si Percy naman ang humirit sa akin. "So, hindi ka na rin hihingi ng pera kay Pa at Ma?""Percy! H