The 18th Month Letter

Chapter 1

Several Years Later...

I'm on my way to the university when I got a call from one of my friends, Andrea. My driver whose name's Ben, is taking me there. He's been our driver for two decades and I'm kinda quite close to him since he's been like a father figure to me.

(What's taking you so long?) Andrea asked as I answered the call.

It's been thirty minutes since I got a call from her and she called again because she's quite impatient. They've been waiting for me at the university for like an hour.

I rolled my eyes. "Be patient or I'll make your life miserable?" Then ended the call.

I grunted as I put my phone down and turned to the window.

Nakikita ko ang mga tao na nakatayo sa gilid ng daan habang naghihintay ng kanilang masasakyan. Yung iba naman ay pumapara ng jeep. Yung iba pumupunta sa waiting shed para magpasilong dahil sa init ng araw. May iba na namamalimos para may makain. Sometimes, I ask myself... Why do people have to live like this every day? Hindi ba sila nagsasawa sa buhay na mayroon sila kaya hindi sila umaalis?

I couldn't help but feel sick for the reason that they were too poor to climb up. Hindi nila maaabot ang gusto nila dahil mahirap sila. Hindi sila makakaalis dyan dahil yun ang nararapat sa kanila. Tama nga sila Dad, needy people will remain impoverished... Kahit kailan ay hindi sila magiging ka-level namin. Hindi nila kami maaabot o maaangat dahil malayong-malayo sila sa amin.

Why should we sympathize with them when they're at mistake for dwelling like that? Yan ang palaging sinasabi nila Dad sa'kin mula pa noon. Tama nga sila... Bakit ko naman inaalala ang kalagayan nila kung in the first place, sila naman talaga ang may kasalanan kung bakit sila namumuhay ng ganyan?

My concern now should be being the heiress of this family and preparing myself to deal with the company and our other industries abroad ... And even my impending marriage to Nix ... Yes, I will marry the son and only heir of our family's business partner. Abe and Kenth have been business partners for a long time. Every time naaalala ko ito ay natatawa na lang ako dahil umiiral pa pala ang arrange marriage sa 21st Century.

Nixon's been my childhood friend and we are very close. We grew up together and look for each other. However, learning that I will be marrying him when we turn twenty makes me want to cry. Ang bata pa namin at marami pa kami gustong gawin. Isa pa, hindi naman namin gusto ang isa't isa kaya bakit kami magpapakasal? Malamang dahil sa business.

They want to accumulate even more of the industries they have, by way of marrying their children. They want us to be united because when that happens our families will be recognized by people who are hard to reach and withstand.

Our family is well-known and so is Nix's. We have always been in the media and everyone has long expected our families to be united. So Nix and I both grew up to never make mistakes because our family had high expectations of us. So many are already hoping that Nix and I will be together.

As if namang makakapag-back out pa ako? Sila naman ang may hawak ng buhay ko. They've been perpetrating my life for twelve years and I've been engaged with Nix for eleven years. Therefore, there's no longer a reason for me to back out. A year after that incident, binago nila ang takbo ng buhay ko. Binago nila ako. They turned me into one of them.

Huminga ako ng malalim at tumingin kay Ben. "Huwag mo na akong sunduin after class dahil may pupuntahan kami ng mga kaibigan ko. Magpapahatid nalang ako kay Nix."

"Sige po, Miss Farrah."

***

Nang maihatid na ako sa loob ng university ay dumiretso ako ng school rest house na exclusive lang sa'min ng mga kaibigan ko. Our parents somehow have a major share in this university. Sobrang yaman namin, what do you expect? So para na rin kaming may-ari ng university. Kinatatakutan kami ng mga estudyante dito. None of them tries to mess with us dahil alam nilang magiging miserable ang buhay nila.