La Guardiana

CHAPTER 7

ARZANA

"Ano kaya hintay sa atin sa Philippines?"

I sighed. When Katana learned how to speak in Tagalog, she kept on talking and talking. Sometimes, I wanted to throw my laptop straight on her face for she's so annoying. Well, annoying and funny. She knew how to speak the language well but damn her accent. It was epic.

"Bakit di mo ako sinasabi ha? Arzana?" I laughed more when she mentioned 'sinasabi'. For her.. sinasabi, tumatawa, kinakausap and sinasagot are all sinasabi. Oh my God, what happened to my friend? Dios mío!

I noticed Mayaka looked at her. "Hey, Katana. Your sentence is wrong again. It's supposed to be like this... Bakit di mo ako sinasagot ha? That's the right term, sinasagot," she explained as she quoted the word. Katana just kept on nodding. I just laughed again.

I diverted my gaze outside the window of the plane and seems everything was fine. The serene skies were clear and free of storms. I just smiled. So, what about the things waiting for us there?

"Arzana, bakit ka tahimik? Ano isip mo?" Katana said while looking at me and kept on tapping my arm.

"Can you please be quiet and just sleep, Katana? Ang daldal mo. Hindi ka ba napapagod?" I asked her.

She just smiled widely. "You sounded so natural speaking the language, Arzana. I hope me too," she pouted. I just laughed at her. Well, Katana was doing great. The only problem was just her accent but she can speak straight.

"Commander Lavi," Mayaka mentioned. Commander Lavi looked at her. Yes, they're with us and even my Mamá.

Mayaka cleared her throat. "Have you been in Philippines?"

Commander Lavi smiled and nodded. "Si."

Mayaka eyes widened. "Really? What it looks like? I mean, how about the people there? How do they welcome foreigners?"

Commander Lavi laughed. "Masaya silang makitungo. Hindi ka nila ituturing na parang turista, ituturing ka nila bilang kaibigan. Bakit mo ba natanong?" She said.

Katana looked sternly at Commander. "Ano raw? Naligaw ako po," she said while her eyes narrowed. I just laughed on her side. Oh my God, Katana. What should I do?

"Katana, it's nalito. Nalito po ako," Mayaka rectified. Katana grimaced and later on nodded.

Katana crossed her arms. "Commander and yeah, Captain.. You know what? I really hate this mission. I love discovering new things about different countries but this is not what I meant of. Nagulo ako sa utak," she said. It's already okay, Katana. Why you kept on speaking the language? Dios mío!

Commander Lavi and Mamá laughed while shaking their heads. "More practice, agent. You will learn many things there, don't worry," Commander Lavi uttered.

Zodiac spoke. "I just wanna ask something.. Why Athena and her team didn't accept the mission? Uhm, Ma- Commander.. Captain?"

My Mama answered her. "They abhor the setup. The day we told them about it, they all gasped in horror. We explained everything to them, fed them informations and all but they just kept on shaking their heads, looking away and even exasperated sighs veiled the whole room," My mom laughed. "Well, Arjuna are only just concern about Athena. Well, we're aware about what happened to her but we're just trying our luck if she will accept the mission," she continued.

Katana chuckled. "Oh my poor, stepsister. Is she still afraid to fly and go to Philippines, huh? Hindi na siya nakapagmove-on."

Mayaka looked at Katana. "Hey, we can't blame your sister. If that happened to you, I know that you will feel the same way. Try to understand her, Aexana. It's not easy for Athena," she said but Katana just rolled her eyes. She really loathes her stepsister that bad.

"Well, Athena's reason why she became part of this agency is that because of her past experience in the Philippines. I remember the time when she was crying in front of me, begging me if she can be one of us. I told her the trainings that it will be hard, needs patience and all," Katana laughed a bit and continued. "She was my childhood bestfriend. My dad kept on pushing me to her, for me and Athena to become closer to each other. I even told her that I was an only child and I want her to be my sister. Well, she's quite older than me," she smiled sadly and sighed. "I became curious why daddy wanted me to become close to Athena. And one day happened, I saw my father in an event with Athena and her mom in school. We're attending the same school that's why," and she laughed again but it was obvious that her voice was already shaking. I just smiled sadly.

Katana sighed and continued what she's saying. "My dad was there with Athena and her mom in the event while me... I don't have someone. I don't have an attendee. What I felt that day was that.. Nobody loves me. My mom was busy doing business and what broke my heart most was when Daddy told me that he's going to New York for a trip that's why he can't make it as my attendee," she smiled as her tears keeps on gushing out. "Since that day, I became distant to everyone. My mom found out about my dad's affair. Well, I'm really sure that Mommy was having a hard time digesting everything the day she discovered it 'cause like me and Athena... my mom and her mom were also bestfriends," and that makes all of us gasped.

What the fuck? This is our first time hearing all of these to Katana. She's the only one in the group who didn't share about her family matters when we had an open session. Well, we respect that and we waited for the time she will open up willingly. And I think, this is it.

Mayaka caressed Katana's back. She continued talking. "I don't know what to do anymore that time 'cause my Mommy and Daddy decided to live separately. It's my family that's at stake. My mom took me with her and we left Russia. We started a new life here in España but yeah, it was really a start," she laughed and took a deep breath. "My mom started to practice vices.. like drinking hard alcoholic drinks, smoking and yeah.. drugs was included," she bit her lip and continued. "My mom became addicted to it. And I will never forget the time when she wanted me to try and take it, too. The time when she sold and disposed me to a Russian businessman.. Trading me, selling me just for her to buy the drugs she was addicted for," she smiled bitterly and looked outside the window.

She sighed and smiled again. "And then one night, the Russian businessman planned to sell me to a drug syndicate.. again, like what my mom did to me," her lips formed in a thin line. "That day happened, he successfully sold me. The drug lord was gaping at me, head to toe with lust and evilness. He wanted me to strip and give him a head. I was crying hard that time 'cause I don't know what to do. And to tell you, I am just 16 years old that time. And I can't even imagine myself surrendering to a person that was twice older to my father," she cried hard. What the fuck happened? Oh my God, don't tell me..

Mayaka handed her a glass of water but she still continued what she's saying. "The drug lord was about to touch me when the whole place suddenly lit up. And there, I saw Captain Xena, together with Commander Lavi, doing an anti-illegal drugs operation. I was crying hard that time and I am really grateful to both of them that they saved me and the other victims. Actually, they wanted to send me back home but I kept on shaking my head," she laughed.

"I can't bear repeating the history.. 'Cause I know, that nightmare might happen again. The possibility which caused me trauma," she ended it as she drank the water offered by Mayaka.

Silence filled the whole plane. I can't censure Katana for her animosity towards Athena. I just didn't expect that behind the happy and joyful visage of her is a Katana that full of bad and injured past.

Well, we all have these masks.

A mask of valor, a mask of elude and most of the time...

A mask of pre​tense.