Our Married Life

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Her Marriage Proposal

I have read a book in which the main protagonist was able to see her future and change it—reason why she was able to live a good life, and the story ended in a happily ever after.

My mother was a fool for getting herself involved with a married man. I have had only a few memories of her because I was very young when she died. Since then, at age six, I lived with my uncaring father and his family—his cruel wife and my half-sister.

I was fifteen when the older brother of my father's wife started visiting the house. He was a disgusting man for wanting a girl as young as me, who had just turned eighteen, while he was already more than twice my age. And because my father was uncaring of me, he just left the decision to his wife.

"You will marry Uncle Martin?" Ella laughed at me.

Hindi ko alam kung saan niya nakuha iyan. I didn't answer and continued doing the house chores. Simula nang mapunta ako rito sa bahay ng mga Chavez nang nawala si Mama, ganito na ang kinalakhan kong gawain. I wasn't treated as anything more than a maid in this house. And I thought there was nothing I could do about it.

There's one person who cared for me in this house. Pero wala na siya dito. Nanay Pilar used to work here as a househelp. She took care of me until I was thirteen, and then she needed to leave by that time dahil kailangan na daw siya ng mga apo niya sa probinsya. She wanted to bring me with her to the province kung pinayagan lang siya ni Papa noon. After that, I was left alone in this hell-like house. Wala man siguro akong alam pa masyado sa mundo dahil natuto lamang akong sumulat at magbasa sa tulong ni Nanay Pilar—because my father never sent me to school. But I knew that life had more to offer, and that I deserved more than this.

Sinipa ni Ella ang balde ng tubig kaya ang maruming tubig ay bumasa muli sa sahig. I sighed, pinatayo na lang muli ang balde, at nagpatuloy sa pagmamap ng tiled floor. Ayaw ko nang patulan pa si Ella. Gano'n na talaga ang ugali niya at pakikitungo sa akin mula bata pa lang kami, at alam kong mali, pero wala rin naman akong magagawa...

Kaya gustong-gusto ko na talagang umalis sa bahay na ito. Nag-iisip at naghahanap lang ako ng paraan.

In my twelve years of living in this house since I was six, ilang beses pa lang akong nakakalabas sa bahay na ito—kapag dinadala lang ako noon ni Nanay Pilar sa grocery kapag inuutusan siya ni Tita Olga, o sa simbahan kapag pinapayagan minsan nina Tita. Alam kong malaki pa ang mundo, base sa ilang librong nabasa ko at mapa na nakita ko sa library.

Kung may isang lugar sa bahay na ito na nagustuhan ko, iyon ang library sa malaking bahay ng mga Chavez. Wala halos gumagamit sa lumang library kundi ako lang, dahil hindi naman mahilig magbasa sina Ella. And I'm thankful for the library. Kahit papaano, I gained knowledge from the books I've read.

Ella stood in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest. "Kawawa ka naman, Lizette. Ipapakasal ka na lang sa matanda nang si Uncle Martin, ew!"

I just remained quiet while she talked. Nagpatuloy lang ako sa paglilinis ng sahig.

"Habang ako"—bakas ang tuwa sa boses niya—"magpapakasal sa guwapo at mayamang businessman na si Hale Salcedo!" she said happily.

Medyo nakuha niyon ang atensiyon ko. Hindi ko kilala kung sino ang sinasabi niya, pero hindi ko rin alam na magpapakasal na pala si Ella. Sa isang guwapo at mayamang lalaki? I thought of the heroes from the novels I've read in the library. Parang isang knight in shining armor siguro...

Tumingin ako kay Ella. Binigyan naman niya ako ng isang mayabang na ngiti. She's three years older than me, so she had just turned twenty-one the same year I turned eighteen. "Medyo malulungkot nga lang si Mommy kasi kailangan kong umalis ng bahay para sumama sa aasawahin kong si Hale sa Vigan, kung nasaan daw ang mga anak niya." Bahagya siyang ngumiwi.