Turning Tables

16

Aya

"I knew I should have not stopped them from slitting your throat, you ungrateful sinning whore!" Auntie Berna was about to lunge at me when Papa's katana blocked her, making her kneel once more. Sayang. I think one inch na lang ay madadaplisan na siya.

Bilib rin ako sa lakas ng loob niyang pagsalitaan pa ako ng masama. She and Auntie Ting are kneeling and naked as the day they were born, revealing their full body tattoos infront of us. I was very much against them being stripped but it was Kanji's words that the Kiruza's around us were answering to. Sapilitan silang hinubaran.

"I told you to poison that little bitch." Auntie Ting added.

Hindi na ako nasurpresa sa sinabi niya. And to think that we've been living with them our whole lives. Kaya pala ni minsan ay hindi ko sila nakitang naka tshirt man lang or maiksing pang-ibaba. O napakitaan man lang nila ng pakitang tao.

"Dapat nga po siguro, Auntie." Kalmado kong sagot habang hinihintay si Kanji at Papa sa gagawin sa kanila.

Kanji found the men responsible for mama and I's abduction...and they....'talked' to put it mildly. All roads led to my two evil aunties. I always thought they were just spiteful of me. But I never imagined that they'd be really evil and greedy for power...or that they themselves were mistresses to high ranking members of the Yakuzas and was very much threatened of Papa and Mama's marriage.

I just found out the extent of the Kiruza's when Kanji explained it to me in detail as he peeled the eyelid off the man who taped my eyes and caged me. He caught me offguard bringing me to his bunker, akala ko ay bibisitahin lang namin ang puntod ng iba pa naming relatives. It was excruciating to watch and somehow I felt relieved that I was not happy about the violence. Alam kong hindi ako mapaghiganti, but given the things that happened, I had to see it to believe in myself.

Kanji told me that Mama is the only daughter of the last Kiruza male heir and though Mama denounced her role when he married Papa, who tried his best to erase her connection to the Kiruzas ay nalaman pa rin ito nina Auntie Ting. They were suddenly threatened because it meant more competition over the hold that The Kiruzas have in Japan's underworld.

Mama conceiving another possible heir for the Kiruzas was messing up with their scheme for they know that my grandfather would take me and convince me to be in his wing once I am of age, male or female. So they had mama and I kidnapped and tortured. They thought that Papa would discard mama once she was pregnant and lolo would terminate her pregnancy, having it co parented by a Yakuza. And me? They thought I'd end up crazy and traumatized that I'd be no use to sofu. They thought of it all...but Kanji and I persisted...and my Papa and Lolo stood up for mama.

Masakit sa ulo...sa pag-iisip ang mga ginawa nila. I wanted to make them feel all that they made me feel watching my mama suffer but I chose to just look past it. Not to forgive...but to let it go...those bad things. Vengeance would not change what happened.

Nakita kong umiiling si Papa sa may bandang likuran ko, his face softened, kaya nilingon ko ito at nakita si Mama. I ran towards her and hugged her tight. I was unsure if she knew of things already.

"Ma..." I sobbed, kind of not used to the tears coming out of my eyes. "Si Kanji..." I mumbled kahit alam kong hindi niya ako maririnig.

"Ate." I instantly heard my brother's voice nearing then felt him embraced us.

Naghiwalay kaming tatlo. Mama then hugged Kanji full of longing and I heard him mumble promises and apologies and made sign language to her before letting her go.

"I think I'll take these conniving bitches from here." He motioned for his Kyodais to grab Auntie Ting and Auntie Berna. Umalma si Papa. "Do we have a problem, Papa?" That made me do a double take...clearly I am missing more things.