Trigger Warning: Strong language and abuse.
The silence was deafening. I can't breathe. The man was pointing a gun at my head and I couldn't move.
"Maawa kayo sa bata. We can give what you want. Please, pakawalan niyo ang anak ko." rinig ko ang boses ni Mommy sa teleponong hawak ng lalaking nasa harap ko.
"Let us go!" sigaw ni Ate Milen sa tabi ko at sinubukang magpumiglas sa mga tali.
"Manahimik ka kung ayaw mong pasabugin ko yang maliit mong ulo!" the man shouted at her.
"No! Not Milen, please! Please, I'm begging you. Magkano ba ang gusto mo? Ibibigay namin—jjust fucking tell us kung magkano ang gusto mo!" it was Daddy.
I am so scared. For my life, and my Ate's life. Sino bang mag-aakalang habang tahimik na naglalakad pauwi galing sa school ay bigla na lang kaming hahablutin at isasakay sa van?
"Three hundred million," the man trailed off.
"Okay. Alright. Three hundred million." pakikipag-usap ni Daddy.
"Per head." the man finished his sentence and drew a creepy smile. There was silence from the other line. Saan nga ba kami kukuha ng six hundred million?
"What do you mean per head?! —Ma'am, nawawala rin po si Ilen." rinig ko ang boses ni Manang.
It made us confused. Bakit nga ba siya nagtatanong nang gano'n?
Nagkatinginan kami ni Ate. She's crying. Ako rin, gusto kong umiyak at sumigaw pero hindi ako kasing tapang niya. She's the bravest person I've ever known and seeing her crying breaks my heart.
Napabalik ang tingin ko sa lalaki nang ibaba niya ang tawag at may nakakatakot na ngiting tumitig sa akin.
"Mgakapatid ba talaga kayo?" he chuckled after. "Parang may hindi mahal. Kawawa naman."
My father was a well known Congressman in our hometown. Mlakas at kilalang kilala. Kaya hindi na rin bago ang mga batang nakukuha namin. Ngunit iba 'to. I can't barely imagine myself in my situation right now.
Pinakawalan ko ang nanginginig na hininga nang tuluyan na kaming iwan ng lalaki at dumiretso sa hindi kalayuang lamesa na may mga alak. Ate then run to me. Agad siyang nagsumiksik sa akin.
"I have a plan, Ilen," she whispered under her breath. "Just trust me, okay? You have to trust me."
Hindi ako makatango dahil ang titig ko ay nasa lalaking nakatitig din sa amin habang tinutungga ang bote ng alak.
Iwaited for my Ate's plan. Thirty minutes had passed wen the man started to fall asleep. Doon ko nalamang natanggal na pala ni Ate ang pagkakatalli sa kamay niya. She started untangling mine too. Dahan-dahan lang ang bawat kilos dahil baka magising ang lalaki.
Nang makalas ang tali sa mga kamay ko ay lumingon naman siya paligid. We were inside an abandoned warehouse. Madilim at naka-lock ang mga pinto. Alam ding naming sa likod ng mga malalaking pinto ay ang ilan pang mga lalaking dumakip sa amin. Ang tanging pag-asa na lang namin para makalabas ay ang malaking bintana sa gilid.
We started walking towards the window. Dahan-dahan pa rin. Hinigit ni Ate and kahoy na tuntungan para makatalon kami sa bintana. I helped her to move it but it was heavy and it makes a sound. Bawat higit ay napapapikit kaming dalawa dahil sa tunog na nagagawa ng kahoy.
When we finally got it, nauna si Ate na umakyat at tmuntongsa hamba ng bintana para alalayan naman ako. When we were both on the window, ready to jump, nagising ang lalaki at agad kaming nakita.
"Jump, Ilen!" before the man fired the bullet towards us ay agad na kaming nakatalon ni Ate. I whined from the pain. Parang mababali ang paa ko. Agad naman akong itinayo ni Ate.
"Putanginang mga bata kayo! Mamamatay kayo ngayong gabi!" rinig namin ang sigaw ng lalaki kasabay ang ilang putok ng baril.
Ate started crying again. Masakit at nasisigurado kong marami na kaming sgat dahil sa mga damo. Ilang minuto ang itinagal namin sa pagtakbo habang takip ko ang dalawa kong tainga para mabawasan ang lakas ng putok ng mga baril. Nakakatakot at halos mapaluhod ako sa maputik na damuhan dahil sa panginginig ng nga tuhod ko. DInala kami sa dalampasigan matapos ang mahaban pagtakbo.
We can still hear a gunshot from a far.
"A-Ate," I called her.
"Don't worry. We are going to be okay—"
"Ate!" I screamed when she collapsed. She was shot. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I need to think. I must think. I must fucking think! This is shit! I don't know what to do.
"Ate, anong g-gagawin ko?" I fucking asked her what to do! I am so fucking useless.
She's holding her tummy and it's bleeding. Her yellow dress was covered with her own blood.
"I am fine, Ilen. Don't worry about me. You have to survive survive—"
"We! We will survive! You are not fine!" I screamed on the top of my lungs while crying.
"Ilen, stop crying. We're going to be okay." pilit niyang ibinubulong.
"Nasaan na ba kayong mga bata kayo?!" mas lalo lang bumuhos ang mga luha ko dahil sa papalapit na boses ng lalaki. When I look at where we came from, lumabas din doon ang lalaki. He's running towads us at wala akong ibang magawa kung hindi ang iangat si Ate at puwersahang hinigit para makalayo kami. But the guy was rterally fast at naabutan niya kami.
He grabbed my sister's hair.
"Run, Ilen!" umiling ako sa utos ni Ate at mas lalo pang hinigpitan ang pagkakahawak ko sa kamay niya.
When we both heard the siren from the police. The man got distracted and it was my chance to get the gun from him. Kumuha ako ng buhangin at isinaboy iyon sa kaniyang mukha. I tried to pull the gun from his hands ut he was strong. Si Ate na lang anfg hinigit ko para makatkbo na ulit kami palayo sa lalaking 'yon.
"Makakauwi na tayo, Ilen." Ate said, smiling at me but I can't smile right now knowing that she was shot. Agad kaming tumakbo sa tulay na natanaw namin na nakakabit sa tabing dapat at sa dulo no'n ay isang de-motor na bangka.
"Where are we going?" litong tanong ko dahil narinig ko na ang mga pulis at malapit na 'yong makarating sa amin.
"We were going home."
"Pero, Ate, nand'yan na rin ang mga pulis. Let just wait for them." I beg her and we were just standing on that bridge.
"Trust me, okay?"
It is hard to trust her but when we heard the man's growls ay agad naming hinigit ang tali ng bangka palapit sa amin. But Ate grabbed my hand. She's so pale, she lost too much of her blood. She hold my cheeks, smiling. I am so much frustrated by her smile! I hate it!
"We will survive, Ilen. We will survive." She whispered.
The siren was getting louder and louder not until I heard a gunshot behind her. Ngunit bago ko pa man makita ang lalaki she pushed me on the water. Ilang segundo lang bago ang pagbagsak ko sa tubig ay ang katwa naman niya. Her blood, scattered along the salt water. I tried to swim but I can't. I am slowly drowning. I can't breathe. I hold Ate Milen's hand and I closed my eyes, already accepting my fate.
