Lead Me To You

Kabanata VIII

Agreement

Monica

Kailangan naming lumipat ng kulungan dahil maraming selda rin ang nasira ng sunog. Wala pa akong maayos na tulog dalawang araw na ang nakakalipas simula ng nangyari iyon.

"It's been two days since the tremendous fire broke down. And here you are, in front of me. My dearest cousin might have told you that I needed to see you." I said.

Narito kami ngayon sa isang probadong kwarto. Kasama ni Mateo ngayon si Francis na parehong nasa harapan ko. Hindi pa rin nababago ang ekspresyon niya kapag nakikita ako.

Plain. Poker faced. Expressionless.

"The police said that the fire was intentional. For you. Do you know anyone who can have motives to do this to you?" Really? He came all the way here just to asked me that?

"Did you came here just to ask me that? And besides, I don't know! I don't even know my family's enemies. Or how many they are." Umirap pa ako.

Why would he asked me that? Hindi ko nga alam kung sino ang mga may galit sa pamilya ko. Hindi ko rin alam kung sino sa mga kasama ko ngayon ang totoo. Kasi hindi na ako sugurado sa buhay ko.

I'm not safe anymore.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked. No, he offered.

"Get me out of here," I said.

His eyebrows raised.

"We have an agreement. If you will now agree to my-"

"I will do whatever you want,"

I cut him off. Alam ko namang isisngit niya iyon kaya pinangunahan ko na. He will not agree unless I gave him his satisfaction.

Napatingin ito ng diretso sa akin. HIndi makapaniwala sa aking biglaang pagsang-ayon sa kagustuhan nito. Ilang linggong pagmamatigas ang aking ginawa na wala namang nangyari. Ako lang ang nahirapan.

It's time to lower my pride. It will not harm me, anyway.

"I just realized that it will do me no good if I keep on hardening and declining your offer. In fact, I am jobless. I can't keep living a luxurious life without money."

I will not to this for myself. I will do it because I want to fulfill that buried dreams of my prison friends.

"I will do it, but on one condition." I said.

He chuckled. "Of course. You will not do it on your own willingness."

Just think of whatever you want to think. I don't care.

"You will fund the newborn baby of my one friend until it turns eighteen and able to live comfortably without your support. You will also fund the college studies of the son of my other friend until he finished and you will hire his father on whatever position that is available in your company."

"That's too much,"

"I am not finished yet,"

"I will go to the christening of Nelly's daughter and be her godmother. I will support her. I will also go to the graduation of Glady's son three months from now to be the substitute of her mother instead."

"That is too much to ask as a condition," Francis said.

"But that's all I wanted. Nothing more. Then, I'm all yours. You can use me. You can have me as much as you want. You can toy me around. You can dispose me when you feel like you didn't need me anymore. And I will not said any single objection. You will not hear me protest."