Aroused Darkkon (Sartori #4)

Kabanata 31

Kabanata 31

Isang buwan, dalawang linggo, at tatlong araw. I counted the days since that night I was forced to leave Castello de Sartori in Italy, Rome. Kabuwanan ko na.

Gabi-gabi akong umiiyak. Araw-araw naninikip ang dibdib ko. Wala akong ganang kumain pero pinilit ko ang sariling kumain para sa munting buhay sa loob ng aking sinapupunan. Inalagaan ko ang sarili ko rito sa isang mansiyon na pag-aari ng ama ko. Hindi ito ang mansiyon na minsan ko nang tinuluyan kasama ang nakababatang kapatid kong lalaki.

The mansion was constructed in the middle of an abandoned village here in Jerusalem. I heard the village was called Lifta, a Jerusalem village. Lifta was abandoned by the Palestinians during the Israeli War of Independence since 1948, and now it looks like a ghost town on the hillside.

Kahit magsumigaw ako upang humingi ng tulong ay walang makakarinig sa akin. The mansion was surrounded by the remains and ruins of the abandoned village. Kinakain ng ligaw na halaman ang mga sira-sirang istraktura ng mga gusali rito.

The mansion was not part of the remains of the abandoned building. May kuryente at tubig dito. Malinis, at may maintenance pa. Parang ginawa talaga ang lugar na ito para sa mga gustong magbakasyon sa tahimik na lugar.

Wala akong ginawa kung 'di ay magkukulong lang sa kuwarto ko. Lumalabas lang ako kapag tinatawag ako ng ama ko at sa tuwing binibisita n'ya ako.

"I have important appointments to attend, nesicha. I will leave for days, but I'll be back the moment my men and the doctor report to me that you're in labor," paalam ng ama ko.

"You'll leave a doctor? Here?" I scorned seeing a male doctor in his white laboratory coat standing beside my father.

"I assigned the doctor to deliver the infant directly to me."

"D-Dad, you can't do this to me—it's your grandchild!" protesta ko.

He shook his head in disappointment. "That's not my grandchild. That's just a nuisance—"

"Patayin mo na lang din ako! Isama mo ako sa giyera! Hinding-hindi ko bibitiwan ang anak ko!" I protectively covered my baby bump with my arms.

"Watch your tone, nesicha," banta nito at nandilim ang ekspresyon sa mukha.

"I don't give a fuck! Simula ngayon, hindi na kita kikilalanin bilang ama. Wala akong ama na katulad mo—"

He slapped me, and I was too shocked to move.

"Don't give her food for dinner. Let her starve," utos n'ya sa kaniyang dalawang katulong na dinala n'ya rito.

Gusto kong umiyak. Hindi n'ya pa ako napagbuhatan ng kamay noon. It was the first time he did it to me.

This is not my father. He was sweet to me. I know why he became this person. It's because of the political issues, his heavy duties, the greediness to claim other's land for the country's expansion. He was so absorbed with his work that he mistreated me.

"By the way, nesicha. Thank you for telling me the location of the Palestinian community and military hiding within Jerusalem. I got rid of them," he turned to face me after telling instructions to the maids.

My brows furrowed in confusion, but I remembered it anyway. It was the last information I told him before Zixuan found the phone that Milen snuck for me.

"W-What? Military? I told you, there's just a couple of innocent people there and they won't harm the Israeli authorities."

"Actually, it's a Palestinian military camp that lies in that location and they're planning on taking down the nearest Israeli authorities."