No One Else

Kabanata 7

TW: Abuse

Kabanata 7

Marriage

She was still scared as she made her grand entrance inside the beautifully decorated church. It was her own wedding day...

Belle can still remember how she begged her Papa to not let her marry the man who's still a stranger to her. She had met Captain Sam Lazaro years ago when he stayed in their home in Tarlac for a while before he entered the Philippine Military Academy. But they never really talked to each other before. They didn't talk for long to say that they're really familiar to each other. She just knew him as the son of her deceased mother's best friend in the province, her grandmother's favorite boy servant, and her Papa's sponsored student whom the military General had sent to Baguio to enter military. Other than that Sam was still a stranger to Belle...

At matagal na panahon na rin silang hindi nagkita... They were still teenagers the last time they saw each other...

"I-I'm sorry, P-Papa... I'm sorry, po... I p-promise I will be a better d-daughter to y-you... I will work harder so that I can make you p-proud... Forgive me, b-but please don't make me marry that man—" Despite being frightened of her own father Belle still tried to speak up for herself, for the first time in her life as she never really talked back to her Papa before.

Halos mabingi naman siya sa isang malakas na sampal na ginawad sa kaniya ng sariling ama. Belle's tears automatically fell down her already wet cheeks from crying. Alam niya naman na wala siyang karapatang magsalita nang ganito sa kaniyang Papa. Bata pa lang siya ay alam niya nang dapat ay sumunod lang siya na walang sinasabi sa kahit na ano. Hindi pa ba talaga siya nadadala sa mga pagdidisiplina sa kaniya noon pa man ng kaniyang Papa? At na kailangan pa niyang gawin ito ngayon na sumagot siya. But she had to do it!

Because she have dreams for herself, too...

At hindi pa kasali sa mga pangarap niya ngayon ang pagpapakasal at pag-aasawa.

Gusto pa niyang maging kagaya ng kaniyang Tita Margaret na ngayon ay isa nang doctor sa ibang bansa...

"Estupida!" dumagundong naman ang boses ng kaniyang Papa sa apat na sulok ng kaniyang kinalakhang kuwarto sa malaking bahay din nila rito sa Tarlac. "You will never be a better daughter and you will never, ever make me proud with your worthless self!" Her father heartlessly said this to her.

Nakahawak pa siya sa kaniyang pisngi na nasampal, when her Papa painfully pressed his fingers against her small and fragile chin. Umaray siya sa sakit na nadama sa marahas nitong hawak sa kaniya. "Magpapakasal ka kay Captain Lazaro." pinal na anang kaniyang Papa bago siya nito marahas na pinakawalan. Mariin pa siyang napapikit nang makitang muntikan nang lumapag muli ang mabigat nitong kamay sa kaniyang pisngi.

She's actually used to it... She's used to her father hurting her physically sometimes and emotionally, too...

Pero kahit ilang sakit pa ang maibigay sa kaniya ng ama ay parang hindi pa rin talaga siya tuluyang nasasanay... Dahil sa bawat pananakit nito sa kaniya ay parang lalo lang din humahapdi at lumalala pa sa bawat beses na napagbubuhatan siya nito ng kamay...

But Belle never really told anyone about the abuse...

Hindi na rin siya nagsalita pa pagkatapos noon dahil sa takot na baka mahampas pa uli siya at mas lalong lumala pa ang magawa sa kaniya ng ama.

Galit na umalis ang Papa niya at lumabas na rin ng kwarto niya pagkatapos. Nanghihina naman siyang napaupo sa kama niya, at may masakit pa na pisngi dahilan ng pagkakasampal sa kaniya kanina ng kaniyang Papa... In the end she just cried helplessly inside her quiet bedroom...

Kung nandito lang sana ang kaniyang Tita Margaret... Dahil nagsimulang tuluyang naging malupit kay Belle ang ama simula nang sila na lang ang naiwan sa bahay nang umalis ang kaniyang tiyahin para mag-aral ng medisina sa ibang bansa...

At bago ang kanilang kasal ay isang beses lang din nagkita sila ni Belle at Sam sa kanilang bahay sa Tarlac. Pinakilala lang muli sila ng kaniyang ama sa isa't isa at kitang proud si Douglas sa batang kapitan ng army. Because Sam already made a name for himself because of his own contributions to the army and did well in their missions. And achieved the rank of the army Captain earlier than what's usual. And even when he was still a cadet ay pinatunayan na rin ni Sam ang kaniyang sarili sa military academy pa lang. That he also graduated at the top of his class as a top cadet. And for that he brought honor not only to himself but also to the Major General Douglas De Leon who was his sponsor. Kaya naman tuwangtuwa rin si Douglas at talagang pinagmamalaki niya rin sa kaniyang mga nakakasama sa serbisyo sa militar si Sam na para na rin niyang anak-anakan.

So a marriage between the Captain Sam Lazaro, his most priced soldier, and Isabelle De Leon who also carries the General's surname, can make an even greater connection between the Major General and the young Captain—na alam din ng heneral na malayo pa ang mararating nito sa serbisyo.

The Priest started greeting the guests, until he proceeded to start with the wedding ceremony. Nandoon na nakatayo pareho sina Belle at Sam kaharap ang Pari na magkakasal sa kanila ngayong araw. At sa huli ay wala na rin nagawa pa si Belle sa kagustuhan ng kaniyang Papa kundi ang magpakasal na lang din sa taong estranghero pa rin para sa kaniya.

"I do..." Belle answered to the Priest.

Then the Priest turned to Captain Sam Lazaro. "Repeat after me."

"I, Samuel Lazaro, take you Isabelle de Leon, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part..."

And then they were asked to place the ring—Belle felt anxious as his hands touched her habang sinusuot nito ang singsing sa daliri niya. Mabilis lang din naman iyon na tinapos ni Sam at agad na binitiwan din ang kamay niya.

Then the Priest smiled at the two of them. "You may now kiss the bride."

Belle felt more nervous. And Sam just left a gentle and simple peck on her lips na mabilis lang din muli nito na tinapos. After that they faced everyone who's now clapping their hands of congratulations after witnessing their wedding and vows...

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