Real World: Underground Society

Kidnapped

"Miss Rika"

What's new?

I will wake up at exactly six in the morning, soothe myself into the warm cherry blossom bubble bath in my bath tub, fix myself, brush my hair, put on some fancy make-up and accessories, and stare at the girl in my mirror who perfectly looks so beautiful in her fashionable clothes exported from Paris.

And that girl is me.

This is just like some sort of a typical first episode of a cliché teledrama on TV or an appealing prologue in every novel wrote. And yes, that is how my life goes, repetitive, a cycle, a nonstop cliché Princess-like story.

You may think that I am a princess, but no, there's no royal blood streaming down into my veins. But believe me, I really am dad's princess. He surely had given me everything - the wealth, the status, the prestige and the comfort that a real princess enjoys.

"Miss Rika, our Master says...said that you...had..have..has...ahhh...go" 

"Ano ka ba Ren, it's okay, just speak in tagalog, kung hirap ka"

"Ay, sorry po Miss Rika, nauutal ako eh, di ko alam ang tamang grammar" she honestly spoke.

Ren is my personal maid just two weeks ago and she looks so ashamed on herself right now. As far as I know, she haven't finished gradeschool and she was just forced to work as a maid in different houses since she was 10 years old for money's sake until she was selected as my personal maid in our mansion. And that's the reason why she's having a hard time speaking in English. She was only ten back then, so she's supposed to be just a 4th grader or 5th grader at that time, right? Poor Ren.

"I understand. This place is weird, actually. Gusto nila na english-speaking ang mga maid" I said. "Dahil ba galing ako ng States? I can speak and understand Tagalog naman" I added.

"Eh, ma'am sa sobrang gara at sosyal naman kasi ng mansyon ninyo, malamang dapat spokening dollar ang mga maid niyo. Naswertehan ko lang talaga na makapasok dito para magtrabaho, medyo nagmemorize kasi ako ng sasabihin in English, grabe talaga ma'am bumaluktot dila ko nun!" dere-deretcho niyang sabi.

I was kind of amused on how bubbly her personality is. When she saw me smiling, she scratched her head and said "Ay sorry, Miss Rika, nakakahiya"

"No, no, it's okay, you're interesting actually" I laughed at her reaction. "How old are you, then?"

"Nineteen po"

Good. I'm just eighteen.

"You're my Ate, then" I said.

Her lips formed a big "O" and I bet she's shocked by my statement.

"What? Are you okay?"

"Ma'am anong Ate?"

"Ate, big sister! I like you, so Ate na kita" I said.

"Ang bait mo naman, Miss Rika" she smiled.

"No, Rika na lang"

"Nako nakakahiya naman!" she said shyly.

"No, it's okay. Kaya pag tayong dalawa lang, Ate tawag ko sayo, then Rika na lang itawag mo sa'kin" I insisted. "And I expect you to be a good bestfriend okay? I trust you" I added.

"Bestfriend?" namangha nanaman niyang sinabi.

"Oh c'mmon. Please? Lahat ng naging maid ko, puro matatanda and it was like..." I paused "It is not that I hate it kapag matatanda ang maid ko, but they are so strict kasi and I can't be myself kapag sila nagbabantay sa akin. Kaya nga I really insisted on my dad na bata ang maging maid ko, same as my age at least, or a year older, or Ate type, para naman may ka-bonding ako" I explained.