AshLea Playlist

Chapter 2 of "For Good"

The next day, Ashiana came back to Madam Alexa's house. The kids ages ten to fifteen wears old clothes which are torn and with foul smell, the rest wears a much decent clothes. Out of curiosity, Ashiana asked the man beside her. "Kuya, bakit ganyan suot nila?" The man replied without looking at her. "Hintayin mo na lang si Madam ang magpaliwanag sa'yo." Ashiana frowns. "Sungit naman. Akala mo gwapo."

Minutes later, Madam Alexa came in. "Handa na ba ang lahat?" The man beside Ashiana nodded. "Sige na, umalis na kayo, iwan niyo na lang ang grupo ni Janna." She was referring to the group of teenagers behind the kids. Janna is the only girl in the group. "Ashiana, alam ko nagtataka ka, yung mga batang nauna kong pinaalis, sila yung mga batang namamalimos sa simbahan, sa plaza, o kahit saan sila mapunta. Mas madungis, mas nakakaawa." Ashiana nodded. "At itong mga naiwan, sila yung mga nagnanakaw, shoplifters, at snatcher. Sa grupo ni Janna ka sasama. Tandaan mo na ayokong kinukupit ang mga bagay o perang mananakaw niyo. At lalong walang magsusumbong sa pulis, bawat kilos niyo, nalalaman ko. Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo?" Ashiana replied. "Yun lang ba? Game!"

Inside the van, Ashiana asked Janna. "Matagal mo na tong ginagawa?" Janna faced her "Isang taon na din, ikaw, bakit mo naisipang pasukin to?" Janna asked back. "Kailangan ko ng mabilis na pera, eh. Ang hirap naman maghanap ng trabaho 'pag hindi nakatapos sa pag-aaral. Masasanay din naman ako siguro dito."

After one hour of travel, they arrived at a well-known mall in Manila. Many people are going in and out of the place. "Daming tao, tiba-tiba tayo nito." Janna said as she turn around to look for a potential victim. "Ready ka na? O gusto mo panoorin mo muna ako?" Janna asked. "Panoorin muna kita, parang kinakabahan ako." Janna nodded. "Kita mo yung babaeng yun?" Janna pointed her finger towards the lady beside the bank. "Nasa bulsa ng jeans niya yung wallet niya. Dito kasi kanya kanyang diskarte, ang akin, kakausapin ko lang siya at boom! Nasa akin na ang wallet niya. Pero siyempre ingat din kasi may mga tao sa paligid." Ashiana heavily sighed. "Panoorin mo ako, ha?" Janna started walking towards the lady. Ashiana carefully watched as Janna carefully fished out the wallet behind the lady's jeans. Ashiana gasped when Janna's plan was a success. "Ano, ikaw naman?" Janna asked her. "Dito sa labas ng mall? What if pasok tayo sa loob? Baka mas marami dun? G ka ba?" Janna smiled. "Wow, tapang mo, girl! Tara--o kayo, alam niyo na gagawin niyo, ha?" Janna said to the remaining teenagers.

As they reached inside the mall, Ashiana looks for a possible victim. She smiled when she found one. "Go girl, kaya mo yan." Janna cheerfully cheered for her.

"Hello, Miss, tanong lang." Nervously, she was able to position her hand behind the lady's jeans. In just on snap, she successfully fished out the wallet. "Saan yung banyo dito?" She added. The lady replied. "Dun lang, Miss." Ashiana thanked her and went away.

Meanwhile, Leila and her handler was with the same mall at the same time. Camille, her handler, was waiting for Leila for they have a meeting over lunch this afternoon. "Finally, nandito ka na din!" Leila chuckled. "I'm sorry. You know--traffic. Let's go." They went to an Italian restaurant where they had a reservation few days ago. The meeting is all about Leila's upcoming projects and endorsements. As the food arrives at their table, they immediately finished the meeting and started eating.

Camille insisted to pay their bill which later on, Leila agreed. Camille starts to panic when she couldn't found her wallet. "Hey, what's wrong?" Leila asked her. "Yung wallet ko, Leila. Nawawala." Leila frowns. "What the---I think you were a victim of a thief. Gosh! Do you still have a money good for the next days?" Leila asked her again. "Yeah, I still have. Buti na lang wala dun ang atm ko. Pero kahit, na ten thousand din laman nun, eh." Camille replied, almost crying. "I'll let you borrow mine na lang, and I'll pay for this na din." Camille thanked her.

At six in the evening, the van arrived. As long as they are complete inside, the
driver starts the engine and go.

"Magaling ka para sa una mong sabak, ha?" Madam Alexa complimented Ashiana for she gathered twenty thousand pesos and three branded cellphones. "Ito para sa una mong sweldo." Madam Alexa gave her a brown envelope. Ashiana widen her eyes as she found out what's inside. "Madam? Thirteen thousand pesos? Sigurado ka?" Ashiana couldn't believe that she's holding this amount of money. "Oo ayaw mo ba?" Ashiana pulled her in an embrace. "Gusto! Gustong gusto!" Madam Alexa removes herself and said. "Tama na yan, di tayo close --- Siya nga pala, pwedeng dito ka na kang mag-stay, para di ka na magbayad sa renta ng bahay mo." Ashiana smiled. "Pag-iisipan ko---sige una na ako ha, salamat ulit." She bids her good bye to everyone. Before she left, Madam Alexa reminds her "Ang usapan natin, ha? Walang magsusumbong, alam mo na ang mangyayari sa'yo 'pag nagkataon."

The next day, Ashiana was about to go to Ate Suzette's house to pay for the rent but she went to Ate Pat's store instead because the other one was there also. "Mga Ate, buti na lang nandito kayo pareho." Ashiana fished out her wallet. "Magbabayad na ako." Suzette and Pat smiled. "Mabuti naman." They said in unison. "Four thousand five hundred, Ate Suzette noh?" Ashiana counts her money and gave it to Suzette. "Ate Pat, isang kilong bigas nga at isang sardinas, paki-total na din kasama ng utang ko." Pat gave her the rice and sardines. She waited patiently. "One thousand two hundred twenty lahat, Ashiana." She nods as she count the money. "Wala na akong atraso sa inyo, ha? Salamat mga Ate!"

Ashiana was computing on her mind on how much money she still have while walking to her house. "Thirteen thousand minus four thousand five hundred is equals to eight thousand five hundred. Eight thousand five hundred minus one thousand two hundred twenty is equals to seven thousand two hundred eighty." She smiled. "Ayos madami pa." She sighed, somehow, she knew that this money came from her wrong doings.

If she could have a better option, she wouldn't do this, but then, she would get use to it eventually.