POSSESSIVE 24: Ream Oliveros

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

NATIGILAN SI Syl sa pagpasok sa kabahayan nang makita ang asawa na si Izaak sa labas ng pintuan na parang may hinihintay. Halata kaagad ni Syl na hindi maganda ang mood nito dahil sa magkasalubong nitong kilay at madilim na mukha. Knowing what was coming, Syl braced herself and stopped in front of Izaak. Alam niyang siya ang hinihintay nito.

"Buti naman nandito ka na." Matalim ang boses ni Izaak na nakasanayan na ni Syl. "I know you did it, but I'm still going to ask. Did you or did you not steal the large vase I bought in an auction?"

"What steal?" Syl was not in a good mood as well. She just pushed away the man she wanted. "Ang sa 'yo ay sa 'kin, 'di ba?"

Izaak clenched his fist while gritting his teeth. He was so close to snapping at his wife, he was just controlling himself. "Syl, we were forced to get married! That saying doesn't apply to us! Wala kang pagmamayari sa bahay na 'to."

"Wala akong pera, Izaak." Syl was so tired of crying, but a tear still fell from her eyes. "Anong gusto mong gawin ko?"

"Work, maybe?!"

"Ayokong magtrabaho." Nag-iwas ng tingin si Syl dahil ang mga salita na lumalabas sa bibig niya ay hindi galing sa kaniya kundi sa ina niya na isiniksik nito sa isip niya. "Gusto ko lang ng pera."

Izaak scoffed. "If my parents find out about this, do you think they'll still like you?"

Wala nang iba pang sasabihin si Syl kaya nilampasan niya ang asawa, pero pinigilan siya nito sa braso.

Pigil ni Syl na mapaigik dahil ang mismong nabugbog niyang braso ang nahawakan ni Izaak.

"Kinakausap pa kita, Syl. Huwag mo akong talikuran. Mga gamit ko ang mga binenta mo. Do you have any idea how hard I worked to buy those?!"

"I need money," may diin na sagot ni Syl at rinding-rindi na si Izaak na marinig ang dahilan na 'yon.

Izaak blew out a loud, angry breath. "Hindi pa rin ba sapat ang perang binibigay ko sa 'yo? Goodness, Syl! Gaano ka ba kamukhang pera?!"

It used to affect Syl, those words, but these days, it didn't really matter what Izaak called her. She needed the money, or else, there would be hell to pay. She already experienced that weeks ago and didn't want a repeat.

"You know what, whatever!" Binitiwan ni Izaak ang braso ni Syl. "But the next time you sell something I own, I will not give you money anymore. Mark my words, Syl." Then Izaak left to go to the island where he could forget his frustrations.

Si Syl naman ay tuluyang pumasok sa kabahayan at tiningnan ang mayordoma na nasa gilid ng sala. Alam niyang ito ang nagsumbong kay Izaak, pero ano namang magagawa niya?

"Nay Koring, ipaghanda mo ako ng makakain saka dalhin mo sa kuwarto," utos niya rito saka umakyat sa kuwarto niya.

Her mother told her not to be nice to the maids because she was the queen of the house. And she listened because not listening meant another set of bruises.

Queen, my ass. What I am is a battered daughter—an abused woman. Syl knew all that, she knew she was not in a good place, she knew that Ream was right, she needed to pack up and leave, but if she did...Syl's hand trembled at the memory of her punishment when she tried to run away.

Ever since she and Ria were kids, their parents liked her more than Ria because she was more docile and she always listened, afraid of being hurt. She was not as brave as Ria. She was the favorite, Ria once told her that. Oh, how she wanted not to be the favorite. Ria, on the other hand, was a rebel. A free loving girl who couldn't be controlled. Their parents gave up on Ria when they became teenagers. They couldn't control Ria, after all.