Belonged to the Mafia 18+

017: Emmanuel

017: Emmanuel

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"Wuah! Ang sama mo Valence Ferrari! Ano ba'ng ginawa ko sa'yo para bigyan mo ako ng ganitong kahihiyan?!" sigaw ko nang sapat na makalayo na ako sa locker room. Humugot ako ng malalim na hinga para ikalma ang sarili ko. Dahan-dahan kong ibinuga ang hangin. Makailang ulit kong inulit iyon hanggang sa tiyak ko nang okay na ako. Hindi ako makapaniwala, nakakahiya ang nangyari! Nahuli kami ng ibang tao sa ganoong klase ng sitwasyon!

*remembering what happened earlier*

Wuuuah! Ano pa'ng mukhang maihaharap ko sa taong iyon? At isa pa, paano na lang kung kumalat ang balitang m-may nangyari sa amin ng hinayupak na iyon? Hindi lang ako ang masisira, kungdi pati si Uncle Nich. Ang pangalan niya, masisira ko!

"Excuse me."

Napatalon ako sa gulat sa biglang pagsasalita ng kung sinumang nasa likuran ko. Paglingon ko, isang asian na babae ang nag-aalalang nakangiti sa akin.

"Hi," anito. "Do you have a problem? Can I be of help?"

"Ah, no, thank you!" sabi ko. Iwinagayway ko pa ang mga kamay sa ere bilang pagtanggi.

"Sorry, was I bothering you?" lumungkot ang hitsura nito.

"A-ah..." Hmm, mukha naman siyang mabait. I don't sense any danger from her either. "No. You were not bothering me at all."

She sigh in relief. "I'm glad. You seem to be huffing hard I thought there was something bad happening with you."

Sana lahat ng tao sa islang ito ganito kabait sa kaniya. Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang ma-touch. I gave her a sincere smile. "Thank you for worrying about me. You're the first student to approach me with kindness."

"Really? Kung sabagay, mahirap din pakisamahan ang karamihan sa kanila."

Nabigla ako sa biglang pagta-Tagalog niya. Yeah, I said she was Asian like me. But I didn't expect her to be in the same nationality as me!

She perceive my sudden feedback. "Ako si Rizza. Clarizza Emmanuel." She extended her hand for a handshake.

I gladly accepted it, extending mine hand. "Judy. Judea Roberts."

"Ikaw iyong inaanak ng Presidente ng VU?"

"Ah, yes. Pero hindi ko iyon sinasamantala! Maniwala ka! Hindi ako mahilig sa atensyon ng mga tao. Hiling ko nga sana hindi na lang ako pormal na ipinakilala ni Uncle -- I mean, ng Presidente -- bilang inaanak niya since hindi maiiwasan ang usap-usapan."

"Naniniwala ako." Sinsero naman siya sa sinabi.

"Talaga?"

"Oo naman. I got this feeling you're in some kind of trouble, though? Pawis na pawis ka."

"Hay, may mga tao lang na gusto ako pag-trip-an."

"Hinahabol ka ba nila?"

Lumingon ako sa pinanggalingang direksyon. "Mukhang hindi naman."

"Mabuti naman. By the way, alam mo ba ang daan papunta sa dorm?"

Ibinalik ko sa kaniya ang tingin. "Oo. Bakit?"

Medyo nagdalawang-isip siya. Pero nagsalita pa din naman. "Nawawala kasi ako."

"Ganoon ba. Sige sasamahan na kita."

That's the start of a blossoming friendship. Hindi natapos sa simpleng paghahatid ko sa kaniya ang komunikasyon namin. After that day we started to hang-out with each other. Although we don't have the same year of class and schedule, we will often meet everyday to have a chat. It was awkward at first dahil hindi pa din ako sigurado kung puwede ko siyang pagkatiwalaan. But a few weeks pass by and I gotten to know her better. She's absolutely kind and hindi niya enjoy ang luxury ng VU. Just like I don't.

A month passed and it's Friday night. Bigla na lang siyang sumulpot sa pintuan ng kwarto ko saying she can't sleep. Bawal pumasok sa hindi mo kwarto kaya nag-aalala ako na baka mapagalitan siya. But the desperate look on her eyes made me not think twice anymore. I let her in.

"Can I sleep beside you?" She was fidgeting.

"Why?" I kindly asked. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko. Gusto ko lang malaman kung bakit.

"I... I..." I saw how she pinch her fingers in a tensed manner.

"Okay ka lang ba?" pag-aalala ko.

Huminga muna siya ng malalim para kalmahin ang sarili. Bahagya siyang nakayuko, pero nakikita ko na seryoso ang gusto niyang iparating. "I don't actually want to talk about it but... I think it's okay if it's with you."

"Wanna lay down for a bit?"

Tumango siya.

Niyakag ko siyang maupo muna sa gilid ng kama. May dumaang nakakabinging katahimikan sandali bago siya magsimulang magkwento. Nakayuko pa din siya pero ramdam kong sinusubukan niya ang makakaya niya para mailabas ang saloobin. "Tauhan sa isang Pamilya ang tatay ko sa Pilipinas. Naging kababata ko ang anak ng boss dahil paminsan-minsan nagbabakasyon siya sa amin one month a year. Then four years ago nadamay ako sa pagkaka-kidnap sa kaniya..." Huminto siya sa pagsasalita.

"Hey, hindi mo kailangan pilitin ang sarili mo," pakiramdam ko ang sama ko sa pagiging matanong ko. Halatang nahihirapan si Rizza sa bawat salitang binibitiwan niya. Pinipilit ang sarili na huwag masyadong isipin ang nakaraan.

"No. It's fine," her voice cracked.

"Rizza, hayaan mo na."

"It is uncomfortable whenever this topic is on. But..." She looked up to me and smiled. "...I feel like I can truly rely this one on you."

I smiled back. "Alright, keep going." I will support her bravery. And I wouldn't waste her efforts.

"During the kidnapping... an opposing young Family heir was there. That person... he... he only plan to teach my childhood friend a lesson. But then he saw me. I... I was taken to another location, a house, and sexually assaulted me."

Napatakip ako ng bibig. Wala akong masabi. Masasabi kong napakabigat ng dinadala niyang masamang alaala dahil nararamdaman ko na hindi naging madali sa kaniya ang lumaban. Parang may kumurot sa puso ko. Gusto kong maiyak. But I have to be brave too. Rizza is doing her best to open up. I have to do my best too.

"The truth is..." Her expression changed. To something I couldn't put a name on it. "That person did rape me. But I swear he wasn't all violent. I mean, I'm not treated like an animal while I was being abducted. I was actually treated with kindness in his house. It's not like I'm defending him or anything. I'm just saying he was weird. Everything that happened was weird. Hindi niya ako sinamantala ng may kasamang pambubugbog. He would be gentle even when he was forcing himself to me."

Is it me just me or Rizza sounds like her heart got taken away by that person?

"I'm still scared. I'm scared that if I see him he'd take me again and never let me go for good. I'm scared that he's so mysterious, I don't know what runs into his head. And I'm scared that... that... I wouldn't want to be released."

I was surprised with the change of events. "Rizza, is it possible that you developed a Stockholm Syndrome?"

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VasiliasVampirMou