THE FORBIDDEN LIST (UNIPHANT)

Chapter 19

Ella's POV

Sunday. Nasa church kami. I'm sitting beside mom here in the front row.

"Benjamin Franklin once said, 'sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is hurtful. Nor a duty beneficial because it is commanded, but it is commanded because it is beneficial.." Sabi ni Daddy. I saw Gabb in my peripheral vision. She's at the left side of the room. I can feel that she's just looking at me.

"..Adam and Eve could not walk away from the seductive serpent that enticed them to eat the forbidden fruit, and they lost Eden. Samson could not walk away from Delilah who seductively lured him into revealing the secret to the anointing God had given him, and he lost his life. Judas could not walk away from thirty pieces of silver, and he lost his soul. Is the Prince of Darkness tempting you with forbidden fruit to lure you away from your blessing? Hmm here's a tip. Be like Abram. Walk away today. End of quote.."

"..Brethren, here's a thing that you should all keep in mind, something like a forbidden fruit is sweet, but its aftertaste is bitter.."

7pm. Dinner. Kumakain na kami ni Ate Abby nang biglang,

"Ella please, lumabas ka dyan. Kausapin mo naman ako oh!. Ella!. Please--" sht. What on earth is she doing here?.

"Hmm forbidden fruit for dessert." Sabi ni Ate Abby. Tumayo ako at lumabas. 

"Gabb, ano ba? Why are you doing this to me?. Itigil mo na to."

"But I still love you. Ella, hindi ko kaya. Ella, kailangan kitaaa.." Iyak nya. Ella, wag kang magpapadala sa kanya. Tumingin ako sa paligid, baka may makakita samin. Tsk.

"Gabb, di mo ba naintindihan yung sinabi ko?. Ayoko na."

"And you expect me to believe the reason is because God forbids it?! For goodness sake Ella, why can't you just think for yourself for once?!."

"Bakit di mo nalang intindihin yung situation?. Hindi na sana natin dapat to pinagtatalunan."

"Intindihin ang ano?! Ella listen, wala akong paki sa kung anong sasabihin ng ibang tao. Hayaan mo sila. Kung di nila tayo kayang tanggapin, who cares?!."

"It's not them who couldn't accept us. It's you who couldn't accept yourself. Di mo parin ba maintindihan ha Gabb?. Babae ka. Babae tayong dalawa. Physically, sexually hindi tayo compatible because obviously we're not created for that. If you're in the right mind, you wouldn't be convinced that a triangle is the same shape as a circle. Nobody is forbidding you to love me, we're forbidden to have sex!. So if you think that you can't love me without that then you're just mistaking love with lust. If you really love me you would understand. Pero hindi mo maintindihan yun kasi iniisip mo na kalaban mo silang lahat!. That they're judging you. You know what sex is for? Procreation. That's the purpose of it. Not personal satisfaction. So why would you want to do something that's not actually necessary for you as a woman?. It's forbidden because it would only gonna hurt and it doesn't benefit any of us."

May sasakyang biglang huminto sa harapan namin. It's Dad. Bumaba ito. He looks worried.

"Are you two fighting?." Dad asked a little confused.

"N-nagpapaliwanagan lang po Dad." sabi ko lang.  

"Hmm. Uhm Gabb, tara na. Your mom's worried about you. I guess I was right that I'll find you here. You two girls must've miss each other."

"We certainly do." Sabi ko. Nakayuko lang si Gabb. Ayaw nya nakong tingnan. Wala din syang balak magsalita.

"Anyway, nak we really have to go."

"Pahug nalang po ako kay Mommy." 

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye. Ingat po kayo Dad, ah--Gabb."

Pinanood ko lang sila habang papalayo sakin. That was the last time I saw Gabb. 

1 week later, nadestino na si Daddy sa ibang lugar. Pumasok narin ako sa school. 

..

Gia's POV

PRESENT

20 years later. 

Ella got married to a pastor just two years later after they left that town. Her daughter Frances now is 18. Ella died 2 years ago because of coronary artery disease. Since her Dad Kuya Franco is a pastor at lagi syang busy iniiwan nya sakin si Frances. Parang anak ko narin ang batang yun.

I work in a bank at umuuwi ako every 5pm para sunduin si Frances. 

..

Frances' POV

Recess.

Kasama ko ngayon ang bestfriend kong si Jaydee at boyfriend kong si Ezekiel or Kiel for short. 

"Ano yan?." Tanong ni Jaydee.  It's a briefcase na may nakasulat sa harap na Forbidden.

"Hindi ko nga alam eh. But it says forbidden so naisip ko what if buksan natin?."

"Forbidden nga diba? Ba't mo bubuksan?." Sabi ni Jaydee. 

"Ang KJ mo talaga kahit kailan Jaydee, malay natin baka treasure yan." Sabi ni Kiel.

"San mo ba kasi yan nakuha Frances?." Tanong ni Jaydee.

"I saw this 2 years ago. Kasama sana to dun sa ililibing with Mommy."

"Wait what?. You stole that from a dead person?." Sabi ni Kiel.

"Kiel, show some respect. She's my mom."

"Yeah sorry. Pero that's insane babe. Why would you do that?."

"Well curiosity is a deadly thing. Kaya guys please--help me open this. Jaydee, you're good at cracking codes right?. Try mo baka pala--"

"But that's invasion of privacy. Gusto mo bang multuhin tayo ng mommy mo dahil pinakialaman natin yung gamit nya?." Sabi ni Jaydee. 

"Sus, okay lang yan. I'm sure your mom would understand.." Sabi ni Kiel nang biglang kumidlat.

"..or not." Bawi nya.

Napayakap nalang ako kay Jaydee sa sobrang takot. Hmm awkward. Anyways,

"Sige na Jaydee. Tulungan mo nakong buksan to. 6 digits. I know you'd figure that out. Please--"

"Oo na oo na, I'll try."

"Thank you." Yakap sa kanya. 

Sobrang excited ko na talagang malaman kung anong laman nun. 2 years akong naghintay, Jaydee is the key lang pala. Dati pinagtatawanan ko lang yung pagiging nerd niya at pagkahilig sa pag decipher ng kung ano anong secret codes. Pero turns out that it's handy after all.