The Wicked Cinderella

Wicked Chapter Twelve

Cindy was seated at one of the stools in the kitchen counter, looking as inferior as she felt she was after her encounter with Prince hours ago. Aya, who just stepped inside the kitchen after answering a call that came from her dad, noticed how Cindy stared at the empty screen of her smart phone.

Just to bring Cindy back from her abstraction, Aya started, "You're waiting for his call, aren't you?"

Cindy seated erect and retorted, "Of course not! Ano bang pake ko sa palakang 'yon?"

Aya breathed out a smirk, "Wala naman akong sinabing pangalan ah? I was talking about Zach!"

Now Cindy could only squeeze her eyes shut. She can't believe she assumed Aya was talking about Prince.

Umupo si Aya sa tabi ni Cindy sabay kwestyon dito, "Tell me, really, may feelings ka ba para kay Prince?"

"Shaniah?!" was the quick response she knew she'd receive. "Alam mong wala akong ibang nararamdaman para kay Prince kundi galit. Galit, yun lang."

Tumango si Aya bilang pagsang-ayon ngunit iba ang lumabas sa bibig niya. "But why is it you're acting like that? It puzzles me, my dear."

Yumuko si Cindy, animo'y hiyang-hiya sa mga salitang hindi niya nais bitawan. "Hindi ko rin alam ang nararamdaman ko, Ay. Nalilito na rin ako. Ayokong makaramdam ng ganito but to tell you the truth I hate it when Prince is with someone else. I hate it when he's not with me."

She turned her head to face Aya. She continued:

"Ay, what's wrong with me?"

Aya stroked her best friend's hair eventually resting her palm over her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm happy you're being honest to me. Don't worry dear. I understand you."

"No," Cindy answered. "How would you be able to understand me when I don't even understand myself?"

Aya held both her shoulders, shaking her once just to calm her down. "Shin, you listen to me. I said I understand. And now that you don't, let me explain it to you."

"Aya, inuunahan na kita, hindi ko siya mahal."

Natawa lang ulit si Aya. "Wala namang akong sinabing ganon eh."

"Alam ko," nodded Cindy. "Sinisigurado ko lang na hindi 'yon ang sasabihin mo."

"Shin, ako pa ba? Kilala kita! What I was trying to tell you is that what you are feeling is normal!"

"Normal?"

"Okay, picture this. You have this really old doll that you just want to dispose but before you can even put it to the nearest trash bin, someone grabbed it from your hands and owned it like it was never yours in the first place. But you wouldn't want to be in such picture, do you?"

Tumango lang ulit si Cindy bilang sagot. "Such picture is meant to be burned."

"I know, right! So in your case, don't misunderstand your very feelings. You don't love Prince. You're feeling that way because someone's taking him away from you regardless of the fact you own him! I mean everyone knows he's your pet but-"

"He's not a pet," Cindy interrupted her in a low voice. "He's my slave."

Aya rolled her eyes. "Fine. Anyways, the bottom line here is he's yours. And now that someone is taking him away from you, you feel bad. Just like how anyone would feel when some bitches try to steal their man, or whatever. Do you get me?"

Cindy shut her eyes another time, bowed her head and buried her face in the palm of her hands.

"Hey, are you okay? Shin?"

Nasa ganoon pa ring posisyon, tumango lang si Cindy. Nang nagkaroon na siya ng lakas para muling harapin ang kaibigan, umiling naman siya't bahagyang tumawa, animo'y nais niyang tawanan ang sarili. "How can I be so dense not to think of that stupid logic earlier? That frog! He should be punished for making me think of shits!"

Aya grinned. "Like what?"

"Like something so stupid and gross, you wouldn't wanna hear it."

"I see. So anong balak mo ngayon?"

"Ano pa ba, edi ang hatakin ang palakang 'yon palayo sa girlfriend niyang aso at pabalik sa tabi ko. Kahit nakakadiri siya, alipin ko pa rin siya. At ang isang alipin, dapat na nasa tabi lang ng amo niya."

Ngumiti lang ulit si Aya. Doon na natapos ang pag-uusap nila patungkol kay Prince. Pinagpatuloy ni Cindy ang pagtambay sa bahay ni Aya hanggang sa maisipan na niyang umuwi. Marami pa siyang gagawin, tulad na lang ng pagdidisiplina sa alipin niya. Tama. Kailangan pa niyang parusahan ang binata. Iyon ang gusto niyang gawin pagdating na pagdating niya sa bahay.

Ni hindi niya manlang naisip na baka wala pa rin si Prince doon.

***

It was past seven in the evening and Stephanie had just woke up on her hospital bed feeling a little pain from the cut she inflicted to herself. Pamilyar na si Stephanie sa hitsura ng kwarto sa ospital kaya alam na agad niya kung nasaan siya. Nang maalala niya kung anong ginawa niya sa sarili, itinaas niya ang kaliwa niyang kamay upang pagmasdan ang sinugatan niyang pulso. Ngunit may kamay na pumigil sa kanya.

Tumingin siya sa kaliwa niya at nakita si Prince. Nakayuko ito at mukhang nakatulog na sa paghihintay sa kanyang paggising. Gayunman, ni hindi manlang lumuwag ang pagkakahawak ni Prince sa kanyang kamay.

"My Prince," bulong ni Stephanie. She knew her dry throat wouldn't do much in helping her call his name yet she was successful in waking him up.

As soon as his eyes met with hers, he managed to smile. "Sorry. Nakatulog na pala 'ko. Ikaw, kanina ka pa ba gising?"

Stephanie didn't let out a word. She just lied there, staring almost blankly at the eyes that showed so much concern for her.

Hinigpitan ni Prince ang hawak sa kamay ni Stephanie. Pinalakad niya ang isa pang kamay para haplusin ang pisngi nito. "I'm sorry."

Agad na umakyat ang luha ni Stephanie sa narinig. Naalala niya ang nasaksihan niya nitong umaga lang. Mabilis namang kumilos ang kamay ni Prince para punasan ang nagbabadyang luha bago pa man magawa ng mga ito na dungisan ang pisngi ng nanghihina pa ring dalaga.

"Stephanie, please let me explain," he started.

"Prince," she cut him off. Maputla ang mukha niya. Pati ang labi niya'y halos walang kulay.

Hindi na ulit nagsalita si Prince. Hinaplos lang ulit niya ang pisngi ng kasintahan.

"Prince... mahal mo ba 'ko?"

"Mahal kita," ang mabilis na tugon ng binata.

"At si Cindy? Mahal mo ba siya?"

"Si... Cindy?" Hindi sigurado si Prince sa dahilan kung bakit biglang nagtanong ng ganoon si Stephanie. Sa pagkakaalam niya kasi, pinagtangkaan ni Stephanie ang sariling buhay dahil sa nahuli siya nitong kahalikan si Aya.

"Sagutin mo na lang ako, please. Mahal mo ba si Cindy?"

Ilang saglit din ang lumipas bago nagawang umiling ni Prince. Para bang pinag-iisipan pa niya ang isasagot sa dalaga. Siyempre mahal...aga sa kanya si Cindy. But he needed to deny her now. Hindi pwedeng masaktan na naman si Stephanie.

"Ikaw lang ang mahal ko, Stephanie."

Halata sa maliit na ngiting iginanti ni Stephanie ang kasiyahan sa tugon ni Prince. Naroon pa rin ang pagdududa niya sa damdamin ng kasintahan para sa kinamumuhian niyang dalaga ngunit sa ngayon, ang sagot nito ang tangi niyang pinanghahawakan.

Hindi mahal ni Prince si Cindy. Hindi man niya iyon magawang paniwalaan, kailangan niyang gawin.

Nanghihina ma't nasasaktan pa rin sa sugat na dinulot niya sa sarili, sinubukan ni Stephanie na gantihan ang mahigpit na hawak ni Prince sa kanyang kamay. "I love you."

Hinaplos ni Prince ang pisngi ni Stephanie. "I love you, too."

Ngumiti na lamang si Stephanie sa narinig. Noong mga oras na iyon, isa lang ang nasa isip niya-kanya lang si Prince. Kaya hinding-hindi niya hahayaan ang sinuman na paghiwalayin sila.