Disgrace

Chapter 1: Homeboy in Hawaii

Katrina

"Katrina, control yourself." Ate Di told me like I was a child as we both stopped in front of our childhood home. Hindi ako agad nakasagot dahil napatitig lamang ako sandali sa malaking bahay. The copper-like painted concrete two storey mansion stared back at me mockingly.

It was a gorgeous home with a flat styled roof with many windows and yet I feel nothing but dread as I look at the house which is now surrounded by our relatives' parked cars.

"Are you already drunk or are you not listening at all?" She snapped. My nephews, Theo and Gabby were already out of the car mingling with their other cousins.

"I fúcking hate that house." Was all I could say and took another mini bottle from my bag. We were only in the premises and I have never been inside and yet I feel like I already couldn't breath. Bahagya akong napaigik nang tuluyan kong mainom ang alak na nasa maliit na bote.

I could feel my sister's glare on the side of my face but I was frozen in the passenger seat, just looking straight.

"He likes to get drunk on that balcony right there," I pointed at the second floor of the home. I never thought that it is possible to grieve for someone who made your life a living hell. "He would put the alcohol in a huge cup so it wouldn't be obvious to the neighbors—"

"Katrina, stop."

"---H-He would be up there drinking and when he finally see me going home from school, if I was atleast a minute late, once I step inside that goddåmn house, I could already hear the bottles breaking because he would be so fúcking drunk, he would yell my name and then next thing I know, I would be crying, pleading him that I won't ever be late again, but no, he wouldn't stop hitting me. So yes, Ate Di," I sniffled and wiped the stupid tears I shouldn't be shedding for that monster. " He is fúcking dead to me way, way before you buried him six feet under."

Her eyes were bloodshot like she was holding back her own tears.

"Stop."

"Does that make you uncomfortable, Ate Di?"

Her jaw tightened, her naturally red lips pursed.

"Go put on a face just for this once." Was all she said before she stepped out of the car.

"Hi, Tita. Thank you for coming." I heard my sister say to my fake aunt as I hopped off her Tahoe.

Diana was the perfect daughter. She's really good at hosting. She's a mirrorball, she will reflect your personality and you will love every second of it.

She was the sweet, pretty and nice sister while I was the polar opposite. Hot and mean. My boobs grew early, the boys loved my shape. I was their wet dream meanwhile Diana was the wifey type. The one you would like parents to meet.

Me? I was the one you deny because who would wanna date the flirty and hoé Isobel girl?

Most of my relatives, especially my Aunties, were mostly religious. Attends Sunday church, prays every night, and has multiple miniature statues of Saints in their house. Ironically enough, those aunties were the first one to gossip and make a bet among themselves that I'll get pregnant by sixteen since sobra raw akong malandi at marami raw akong nakakahalubilong mga lalaki.

What can I say? The girls at school hated me because their boyfriends wanted me. And so, I ended up having guy friends but that doesn't mean that I was sleeping with them. At some point, there had been this huge rumor going around that I slept with the whole basketball crew at the same time. My father slapped me and gave me a busted lip when he heard about that, I was seventeen.