The Silken Crown

CHAPTER 5

Ligaya was afraid of the possible reaction from her mother. Yes, she made the decision for her, but she couldn't face the humiliation once people recognized her. She then attempted to stage her death. A nearby railway station was destroyed, killing hundreds. She, too, was a passenger, and thankfully, she lived. She took advantage of this opportunity to finally break free from her previous life.

She quickly flew from the scene and was listed as one of the missing. She crept into their garden at midnight once the news was out. She noticed Alejandro seated in one of their favorite places in the garden.

She approached him and covered his mouth. And slowly revealed herself.

"Who are you?" Alejandro asked right away.

"I am Ligaya."

"What are you thinking, she's dead; don't you dare-"

"I underwent plastic surgery."

The silence was making their flesh crawl. At the same time, Alejandro felt deceived and perplexed. He was at a loss for words as to what had just occurred.

"I know, I know., I just can't be ugly fore-"

"You are not ugly. I never thought you were. Dolores was right after all; how could you do this to me-"

"What Alejandro? I just want to-"

Alejandro immediately pushed her away. "I don't know you" he glared at Ligaya and went inside.

When Ligaya saw her mother, she burst into tears. Her mother was speechless, but she hugged Ligaya nevertheless. She didn't look like Ligaya, but she knew in her heart that it was her. "I'm so glad you are alive; I've always hoped you'd survive, and you did; please don't leave us again, dear," her mother begged.

"What should I do, mother? Everyone despises me."

"We'll leave at dawn in another village where I used to live."

"Mother, please"

"It's the only way, Ligaya. Don't worry about the shop, your mother just won 450 Piloncitos in a lottery yesterday; it's small money, but we can sell fish like I used to."

Her mother reassured her.

They proceeded to board the train by Dawn, just as planned. A note came off while Ligaya was looking for the bread she had hidden by her coat. "Please see me at the plaza tomorrow morning," Alejandro said in his note.

"Mother, I'll see Alejandro in the Agora," she says.

"You can't go to Agora, the town square is too dangerous for you, Ligaya"

"But mama-please" Ligaya pleaded.

"Okay fine, I'll go to the village first and prepare the things that my mother left for me before she passed. You must be there by afternoon, is that clear?"

"Mother you are truly the best" Ligaya said to her mother as she gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Ligaya ran out of the train and hurried to the town square but when she arrived there. All she saw was Dolores in the Middle of the crowd.

"Oh look, she's here. Your Ligaya a.k.a the girl with a pretty hair but a disgusting face. Hey look she traded her hair for a plastic surgery." Dolores said this while pulling out Ligaya's hair.

Ligaya couldn't help but feel tears in her eyes as one of the people threw an overripe tomato at her. The other people immediately joined and threw anything they could grab at Ligaya. Alejandro's apathy made her heart shiver in disbelief. She ran far away from the crowd. She fled into the wilderness until she lost all the people chasing after her. The night fell, and she was still lost in the forest. She ran and ran until she could no longer feel the people following her. She stumbled upon the unfamiliar town and the small bahay-kubo she stayed in. This time, she went inside and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she cried herself to sleep. She is unwilling to move or even simply wake up. All she wanted to do was vanish.