BABE, ARE YOU READY?”I was putting around my necktie when Kachina appeared behind me in the mirror. She was leaning on the door with her elegant gold gown. Nagkatagpo ang mga titig namin. Itanggi ko man ay magsisisi ako kung hindi ko sasabihing maganda siya. Her make up was too much, but it blended well, so it looked quite majestic. Nginitian ko siya.Simula noong naipatayo ang bahay ko, dito na tumitira si Kachina. It’s a huge house with a rooftop. It’s not sensible to live in this wide space without a company. And so I decided to offer a house for her. Noong una ay tumanggi siya. Ngunit hindi naglaon ay pumayag at tumira kasama ko. She didn’t even have a choice because their mansion was a collateral for all their debts. Two years ago, their company was declared bankrupt by the government.Although I was mad at her for playing a huge role in my past relationship’s separation, I saw how she regretted it. Linggo-linggo, nakikita ko siya sa isla kung saan hinagis ang abo ng pinsan niya

AS I STARED AT the woman figure near the bonfire, everything seemed to mute. Hindi ko marinig ang pagtama ng alon sa malalaking bato, pero gumagalaw ang mga ito sa kanyang likod. Hindi ko rin marinig ang simoy ng hangin, pero nakikita ako ang epekto nito sa mga punong sumasayaw. Ramdam ko ang panginginig ng katawan ko habang pinagmamasdan ang babae. It was dark. But the fire was enough to light her beautiful face, painting her skin golden brown like her exotic eyes. Parang ibinalik ako sa mga panahong natutula ako sa kanya. The woman was wearing a white dress that’s flying in the air, together with her long, straight hair with streaks of blonde. My jaw slowly dropped and I was almost teary-eyed. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa hindi ako makapaniwala o dahil ang ganda niya. Para siyang diwata ng tubig, na umahon sa lupa para hanapin ang kanyang prinsipe. And that was me. I am her prince. Was this a fucking amazing dream? Tulog pa ba ako? Napakurap-kurap ako bahagya dahil hindi ko ala

NAKATINGALA PA RIN AKO sa kisame habang inaalala lahat ng kalapastanganan at pagtatryador na ginawa sa akin ni Dalmi. I clenched my fist and pounded the armrest in gritted teeth. Hindi lang niya inagaw ang atensyon na nararapat para sa akin, inagaw niya rin si Kagan, ang tanging taong umintindi at namahanga sa lahat ng ginagawa ko. Kaya sobra na lang ang galit ko nang mas pinili niyang yakapin si Dalmi kaysa sa akin. As I watched her and Kagan from afar, hindi ko mapigilang maiyak. Ngunit hindi iyon hagulgol. It was the kind of cry that’s only flowing once when extremely mad. Tig-isang patak dala ang matinding bigat ng loob. Sa sobrang galit at sakit na nararamdaman ko, I walked out of the shore and headed to Kagan’s room. My mind was clouded and the moment I entered, I hysterically wailed and pulled the bed covers and threw the vases. “Ahhh!” I screamed, stomping my feet against the hard tiles. “Mga walang hiya kayo! Mga wala kayong kwenta! Ahhhh!” Luminga ako sa paligid matapos ko

KAGE, DELIKADO ‘yang plano mo…” pagtutol ni Shanta. Nakaupo siya sa kabisera ng lamesa ng kanyang opisina sa mansion. “I’m not liking it. Masyadong mapanganib at… nagmumukha tayong mas masama kaysa sa kanila. Ayaw ko ng ganoon. We’re stooping down to their level… and as you said, violence should never be a choice. So, this one… It’s a no for me.” I bit my lower lip because she has a point. Well, it’s obvious that my ultimate plan is too risky… and brutal. Katabi ni Shanta si Benida, na nakaupo sa kanyang kanan. They were both looking at me with a hint of hesitation in their faces. Bahagya akong nakaramdam ng pagkapahiya. Shanta is right. We’re no different from the people who attempted to kill us. Tulad ni Tito Kadam, I am resorting to violence to get what I want. But this is the only way we could penetrate the Coolidge Mental Care. Kung totoo man, naroon ang mga karagdagang ebidensya para magiit ang tatay ni Kachina. Dahil hindi lang niya kami tinangkang patayin, he was even the ma

THE NEXT DAY, Shanta and I traveled back to Panglao Island, Bohol to stay in her mansion for the meantime while things subside. Hindi sana doon. It could have been my house, but almost everyone knows about it, so definitely, the place is not safe for us. We decided to take a break after the national newscast reported across the country. It was stressful and… chaotic. Ilang media na rin ang sumubok na kuhanan kami ng panayam, but Shanta, although ready to speak up, is not allowed to give herself another stress. I didn’t permit it because she needed rest after trespassing in Kachina's house. Makita-kita ko pang may benda siya sa noo kaya mas lalong hindi ako pumayag. She got it from her cousin who broke a vase on her head. And even though I wanted to make that woman pay, I didn’t want reporters to exploit my Baby’s condition and people to make a feast out of it. Kahit na kami ang nasa tama at ang biktima, hindi ko ginawa. The right people would see it, especially the court. And I wou