Never Be Tamed

Chapter 57: Good Girl

Warning: this chapter may contain explicit scenes.

Chapter 57: Good Girl

Madaling araw na nang makabalik ako sa apothecary. Matapos ang mahabang byahe, dumeretso agad ako sa aking kwarto. Yet I remained awake.

There's a tingly feeling inside of me now that I knew all the truth about who I am. Like someone had been locked up inside of me for years, a crying child, a version of me from the past. And I finally found the keys to set her free.

Eleanor Eldridge.

The name rolled inside my head many times as I lay on the bed. I came from a loving family from Grassco and now I'm a staff working in a apothecary in Van Zanth.

I smiled at the thought and closed my eyes.

But in the middle of the pleasant feeling, like a sunlight caressing my cheeks, a nagging image slowly materialized in the corner of my head. The familiar figure I've seen walking in the street of Grassco. Sigurado akong siya 'yon.

Shaking my head, I tried to erase the thought from my reverie. I didn't want to ruin the pleasant feeling with my irrational worry. That person was in jail. She could no longer touch or hurt me.

--

Days later, I visited the administrative office to update my files in the registry of employees in the apothecary. I attached the file containing  my birth origin that we got from Grassco. As I stared at my name, I couldn't help but smile.

I went back to the tower feeling light and giddy. Nadatnan ko si Anabeth na naghihintay sa kanyang work station. Lumapad ang kanyang ngiti nang tuluyan akong makaupo sa silya. Hinila niya ang kanyang upuan para humarap sa'kin.

"So you've updated your files?" tanong niya.

Mula noong dumating ako mula sa Grassco, tila mas excited pa siya sa'kin matapos marinig ang mga kwento tungkol sa bayan at mga lugar na binisita namin.

Tumango ako bilang sagot.

"I remember when you were filling up the form in your first day here," she told me. "You said it was no use since you have nothing to write anyway. Now you have an entire file stating your origin. I couldn't help but be proud."

Nakangiti ako, but the corner of my eyes stung and an overwhelming emotion erupted from my chest. I never thought having a name would  be this symbolic. I used to think I have no control over my own life because even my name was given by my owners. But I was wrong because who I am was always with me.

Napansin ni Anabeth ang pangingilid ng aking luha. She stood up and clasped her waist. "Nope, no crying today," she reminded me. "We're gonna visit Zanra, remember?"

Napangiti ako sa kanyang sinabi. Dumako ang tingin ko sa maliit na kalendaryo sa aking work station. We were scheduled to visit Zanra to check on her health today.

Matapos ang tanghalian ay nakahanda na ang mga dadalhin namin sa mansiyon. Habang nasa byahe, muling pumasok sa isip ko ang kagustuhan ni Zanra na umalis sa Van Zanth.

Naghihintay si Zanra sa front door noong dumating kami. Agad niya kaming sinalubong ng yakap at inanyaya kami sa loob ng mansiyon. Binati kami ng ilang taga-silbi while we marched to Zanra's room upstairs. Napansin ko na wala ang mga magulang niya sa mansiyon ngayong araw.

Nang makapasok sa kanyang kwarto, Zanra immediately sat on her bed.

"What's with the excitement?" mapanudyong tanong ni Anabeth habang nakataas ang kilay.

"Well," Zanra started with a smile. "I finally got accepted in the school of my dreams!"

The sudden announcement caused a gasp to escape from our lips.