Snow White and The Royal Council

15th Apple: A Fragment of Snow White's Memories (1)

Aria Debatian

Bumabagal ang tibok ng puso ko... Lumalamig ang buong katawan ko... At para akong kakapusin ng hininga dahil sa kaba at takot sa nakita ko.

“J-Jiro...?” tanging lumabas sa aking bibig.

Tatapikin ko sana si Jiro sa kaniyang pisngi nang makaramdam ako ng biglaang pagsakit ng aking ulo. Napasapo ako sa aking ulo gamit ang parehong kamay. Hindi ko napigilan ang aking sarili na indahin ito dahil parang mabibiyak ang ulo ko sa sobrang sakit.

“Argh... a-ang ulo ko...”

“Aria?! Are you alright? Did you hit your head?” tanong sa akin ni Kyle sa nag-aalalang boses at lumapit sa akin.

“K-Kyle...” napakapit ako sa kaniyang braso.

I was about to open my mouth to say something, but I stop. Unknown memories started to flow inside my head like an overflowing river.

I remembered something. From way back when I was still a child. Before I met Nanay Sylvia and Kyle.

I was in third grade and I was often bullied by my classmates—if not them, the kids from the upper grade—because of my unusual hair color.

Noong una, tinatawag lang nila ako na matandang hukluban o mangkukulam. The witch who cursed Sleeping Beauty to sleep. The witch who poisoned Snow White. But the older kids didn’t stop at that. Their bullying escalated.

Sinasabunutan nila ako. Binubuhos nila sa akin ang lunch meals nila dahil hindi nila gusto ang pagkain. Pinupunit nila ang mga libro ko. Minsan, binabato nila sa fish pond ang bag ko.

Araw-araw, tuwing matatapos ang klase namin, tinutulak sa akin ng mga kaklase kong nasa class duty ang mga trabaho nila. I often clean the classroom all alone. If anything, I find peace in that. Nobody’s picking on me because they’re busy playing with their friends. Solo ko ang buong classroom hanggang sunduin ako ni Mama.

Then, on my fourth grade... a boy approached me. The exchange student from another country.

His skin is white. Like a milk. He’s got a large and shiny eyes like glass marbles. His messy hair is dark as the sky at night. He also got a big and bright smile.

He was my seatmate.

He talked to me first. Although I didn’t understand anything because he said it in his mother tongue.

Hindi ko rin nakuha ang kaniyang pangalan dahil hindi ako nakikinig sa Teacher namin nang ipakilala siya.

Kahit hindi kami nagkakaintindihan, naging malapit kami sa isa’t-isa. He will often dragged me somewhere to play. He found an abandoned shed in the school and he brought me there. We made it our secret base. At kapag binubully ako ng mga batang mas matanda sa amin, sinisipa niya sila sa kanilang binti at tatakbo kami.

He’s the first friend I made since starting grade school.

I’m really happy that he became my friend.

...pero pinagsisisihan ko ang bagay na ‘yon.

Nagkataong pinatawag siya ng Teacher namin kaya hinintay ko siya sa hagdan, malapit sa faculty room. Doon ako nilapitan ng ilan sa mga kaklase kong babae. Nagrereklamo sila dahil sinosolo ko ang exchange student dahil gusto rin daw nilang makipag-kaibigan rito.

Hindi ko sila pinansin dahil hindi ko naman kasalanan kung bakit ako palagi ang kasama ng exchange student.

Suddenly, one of the girls pulled me by the hair. The other girl pulled out a scissor from her pocket. She gave it to the girl who is pulling my hair.