“KUNG ganoon, bakit ka umiinom ngayon?”“Hindi ko rin alam. Naisip ko lang na gusto ko bigla. Pero hindi mo rin naman matatawag na alak itong iniinom ko.” Sinipat ng dalaga ang baso ng pink na inumin saka tumingin kay Lucas. “Hindi naman lasang alak.”“At least that won’t get you drunk, Thea. Uuwi ka pa kay Raisen. You don’t want to go home to him drunk, do you?” “I guess,” she shrugged. Katahimikan ulit. Tumungga si Lucas sa kanyang beer. “So what’s the problem with your friend?”Dorothea stilled a bit on her seat pero inasahan niya naman na ang tanong na iyon. Kahit pa nga sinabi na niyang ayaw niya itong pag-usapan. Bumuga siya ng hangin, buong pag-aalinlangan kung sasagutin ba iyon pero kalaunan ay bumuka rin naman ang kanyang mga labi. “Hindi ko siya kaibigan, Lucas.” Uminom si Dorothea sa inumin. “Hindi ko alam kung anong itatawag ko sa kanya. We’re friends when we were young but things have changed. Ang dami-dami nang nagbago na hindi ko na alam kung ano pang dahilan kung b
IT WAS a complete silence inside Rence's car. Walang nagsasalita pero nararamdaman ni Dorothea ang panaka-nakang sulyap ng lalaki sa kanya even though she's staring out the passenger seat's window. Hindi niya alam kung tumitingin lang ba ito o may gustong sabihin pero nag-aalinlangan. But either way, Dorothea didn't plan to do anything. Masyado na siyang pagod sa araw na ito at gusto na lang niyang makauwi para makapagpahinga. Nga lang, Rence seemed to have a different idea."Iliko mo na lang d'yan sa may crossing," Dorothea told the man when she saw the way papunta sa bahay nila. She was already anticipating for the car to turn sa tinuro niyang papasukan pero naguluhan siya nang hindi ito iniliko ni Rence sa daang sinabi niya. "Bakit hindi ka lumiko? Doon ang papunta sa bahay na tinitirhan ko—""I know," kalmadong sinabi ni Rence, taliwas kay Dorothea na medyo nagpa-panic. "But let me first treat your wounds. I will not let you go home looking like that."Gustong umalma ni Dorothea p
“MASAKIT ba?”Halos hindi na naririnig ni Dorothea ang tanong ni Rence dahil sa lakas ng tibok ng kanyang puso. Kasalukuyan siyang nakaupo sa mahabang gray na couch sa living room nito, nakataas ang magkadikit na mga tuhod habang nasa paanan niya ang lalaki na may hawak na bulak. Rence was gently dabbing the cotton with betadine on her wounded knees and because she was flinching every time the wound would sting, humihinto agad ang binate saka siya tatanungin kung masakit ba—sa pinakamalabot na boses na kaya nito. And guess who’s going feral over that?“H-Hindi naman, okay lang. Tapusin mo na,” Dorothea said after innocently clearing her throat. Rence nodded and continued brushing her wounds gently. Habang siya, nalulunod sa paninitig sa seryosong mukha ng lalaki. Watching the beautiful man in front of her, she felt regretful na palagi siyang kabado sa presensya nito kaya hindi niya gaanong naa-appreciate kung gaano kalaki ang naging pagbabago sa itsura ng lalaki sa nakalipas na apa
KANINA pa pilit iniiwasan ni Dorothea ang nang-iintrigang tingin sa kanya ni Rita habang kumakain sila pero mukhang buong araw yata siya nitong hindi titigilan hangga’t hindi niya sinasabi kung anong nangyari at bakit umaga na siya umuwi. “Aba, aba! At saan ka naman nanggaling, ineng?” ang salubong sa kanya ng kaibigan kanina nang pumasok siya sa bakuran nila at nakasandal ito sa hamba ng pintuan na para bang inaabangan talaga ang pag-uwi niya. “Rita…” she called smiling and shook her head. “Si Raisen?”Nagtaas lamang ng kilay ang kaibigan niya, sinisilip ang likuran niya. Dorothea thought it was a good idea to convince Rence not to take her home. Pumayag naman ito pero halatang napipilitan pero ang mahalaga ay hindi na ito nagpumilit dahil… “Naglakad ka pauwi?” tanong na naman ni Rita nang lumapit na siya rito. Pinasadahan nito ng tingin ang kanyang kabuuan at kahit walang sinasabi, alam niya kung anong iniisip nito. “Tricycle.”“Tricycle?” Parang hindi pa ito kumbinsido. “Nasaa
Content Warning:Mention of rape, violence and sexual harassment. DOROTHEA tried not to dwell on things too much dahil alam naman niyang wala ring pupuntahan ang masyadong pag-iisip sa mga bagay-bagay na wala naman siyang maisasagot. She focused on fixing Raisen’s files instead and occupied herself with work the next days. From: RenceHave you gone home?The man didn’t visit Kampo even after he brought her to his penthouse. Mukhang busy talaga ito sa inaasikasong trabaho sa biniling lupain at ayos lang naman iyon kay Dorothea. It’s not like she had a particular right to demand for his presence. Hindi nga lang niya alam kung bakit panay ang pagte-text sa kanya ni Rence sa nakalipas na mga araw na hindi ito nagpapakita. She worried that the man maybe took her too seriously when she lashed out about his absence in Kampo kahit sinabi na niyang dahil lang naman iyon sa nainom. Kaya naman kinuha nito ang numero niya at heto ngayon ang sitwasyon nila. To: Rence Nakauwi na. From: Rence
“IS THIS okay with you?”Dorothea was pulled back to reality when she heard Rence asked. She straightened on her seat kahit alam niyang alam naman na ni Rence na hindi siya naka-focus sa pinag-uusapan nila. “Ako dapat ang nagtatanong n’yan.” She cleared her throat and tried to focus under the man’s gaze. “Busy ka sa inaasikaso mo kaya… baka nakakaabala sa ‘yo ang ganito.”“I won’t be here if it is, Thea. At hindi ba sinabi ko na? Hindi ka kailanman naging abala.”She nodded, wala nang maisip na sasabihin pero hindi gustong matahimik sila kaya nagbukas ng pag-uusapan. “Kumusta nga pala ‘yung inaasikaso mo? Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yon. Narinig ko lang na may binili kang lupa? ‘Yung plantation?”“It’s okay. We’re just trying out ano pa ang itatanim doon. You remember our products back in La Union, right? Sinusubukan naming ibahin sa mga nandoon na ang itatanim dito. We’re trying sugarcanes if possible. I heard that’s profitable too.”“Oo. Marami ang tubuhan dito sa Visayas lalo na sa N
“HA!”Dorothea immediately erased her smile and straightened on the hard sofa when she heard her stepmother’s scoff. Napatay niya ang tinitingnang cellphone at ibinaba ito sa kanyang kandungan. The woman was already in front of her, scanning her with the its eyes full of judgement and disdain. “Tuwang-tuwa ka na naman sa pambobola niyang mayaman mong boyfriend? Hindi ka talaga naniniwala, ano? Kung sabagay, matagal ka na nga palang uto-uto.”Napaglapat ni Dorothea ang kanyang mga labi. She didn’t why her stepmom always had something to say to her kahit na hindi naman niya nakikita ang kahalagahan ng mga gusto nitong sabihin. She’s always so scornful and mean. So full of anger and judgement towards Dorothea anuman ang gawin niya rito. She had long accepted that her stepmom would never truly accept her as if she’s her own but she didn’t understand why the woman couldn’t even keep their relationship at least civil. Lagi itong iritado. Laging nagagalit—may gawin man siya o wala. It’s li
DOROTHEA woke up with a light heart. Despite all the bad things happening around her, she could still somehow feel at peace. Siguro dahil sa kabila ng lahat, those people who are judging her are still nothing but just mere coworkers to her. They are just those people who she met along with her job and the things that are convenient as long as her job persists. Kung aalis siya sa Kampo, she figured that she’ll maybe long for the feeling of working there but never for them. She’ll long for the homeliness Kampo made her feel, but definitely not for the people who went along with the establishment. Never for them, except for Lucas and the very few people who made her life a bit more lively working there. Matapos maghilamos at magsipilyo, she decided to cook first before taking a bath. Tulog pa si Raisen nang silipin niya ito sa kwarto nito. Her son’s sleeping face made her smile, making her remember the things she values more than any rumor some coworkers are talking about behind her.