Beneath the Contract

l kami sa pagtatawan ni Yunnie nang bigla siyang dumating. Masama ang tingi

anay ko, hinawakan ko ang kamay ni

ame in a weaker tone. I tightly held Y

sabihin ko o, kung may dapat pa ba akong ipaliwanag sa k

Sigaw niya sa'kin, napapitlag ako sa lak

sa'kin. I don't know how can I protec

ill hold her hand and she trembles w

arm. I saw tears in her eyes, she's trying to sto

Miranda" my fat

y sister "Michandria, get her ou

na paki-usap ni Yunnie. Parehas kami

shouted at Yunnie. I need to be strong; we need to be strong, Ilalaban ko

me and his voice was full of disgust, he disgusted and ha

h!?" he pushes me. Kitang-kita ko sa

ng sinampal. My Mom gasps at napatulala ako, sumusobra na siya, tatangapin ko pa na sinasaktan niya a

ampi at ayaw sa'kin ng lahat. Gusto kong isigaw at ipa-intindi sa ka

my Mother s

the rights to do that

t na nakayukom "Does your parents know about this, huh?!" he ask

t siya ay kontralado nila, she can't pursue her dream, dahil wala daw siyang m

a rin ako puwedeng mag disisyon para sa sarili ko? We're b

Michandria, tried to

si Yunnie sa lakas ng boses nito, they dragged Yunnie out of this place. Hini

ie, habang tinutulak ito ni ate at mama palabas ng bahay. "And you, my daughter," he faces me and said to the daugh

er like you! You're disgusting to our family!" he slaps me. I can't stop myself from crying. H

. "this is the real m-me" I had been fighting, to be accepted for who I

ano na lang ang sasabihin ng ibang tao sa pamilya natin, huh?! Mga kagaya mo h

sinabi niya, puno ng pagkasuklam ang bawat salitang binibitawan niya. Ang

o at susunod sa'kin hu

sarili ko na tumingin sa mga mata niya at ang

sa buhok ko tila hindi hindi niya nag

a niya akong hinila at

n the dark and dirty stockroom. As s

a buksan pero naka lock talaga. "Ayoko dito!" I

ou're going to marry the youngest son of Mendoza!" matigas

here!" sigaw lang ako ng sigaw pero hindi nila ako pinapansin. "

! PL

ing a nightmare. She's bluffing about somethin

s about to wake her up pero naabutan niya itong umiiyak at nanginginig sa takot hab

ant-t." Hindi niya maintin

e to wake her up and he succe

alm her and his eyes are worried. Mia looke

no one will hurt you" he assured her. She hugs him tighter. His voice is so calm and soft. She like

been soft on her "I'm s-scared" another set of tears rolled dow

our sides no one can

at her right, they even forced her into a marriage betw

ya ng kanyang pamilya, and worst, paano na lang kapag nalaman nito na she's cheating behind his back. May

Ethan packin

kahapon pero wala siyang sinabi kung saan. "aren't you busy? This is unplanned'' I asked again. His friends are too

do believe now that, bi

e zipper of

carried our things. I f

ult he doesn't have patience, he knows how slow I am. I haven't packed my things even though he t

l was too strong. At saka matangos kasi ilong niya at maganda mga mata niya, kapag tinitignan ko mga 'yon parang nag sha-shini

yung nose ko kasi hindi naman matangos. Tinignan ko ulit 'yun

my back at ngumiti ng nakakaloko. He alway

followed him and he op

to the other side "you love surprises, huh" I sa

a vacation. I love all the places he brought me in, and it's my first time to go to those

ull of mixed emotion and I rolled my eyes at him. I crossed m

ear yet to far" he coldly said. N

sked for the ninth time and finally, he answered me "we're

e road. The whole trip, silence

ide smile and her son is besides her. She kissed my cheeks

ng ni ate Ann nang lagpasan lang siya ni

the bed?" Bulong niya sa'kin at may

akit hindi pa ako nasanay sa kapatid ko na din

ng hirap din basahin kung anong iniisip niya. Tulad kanina, nakikip

y fixing our things. I was about to approach him

they're only waiting for us. Umupo na kami sa puwesto na nakalaan para sa'min and we sang

he didn't dare to pay attention and I nudged him but he just g

bang seryoso ang tingin sa lalaking

is brother Ju

"yeah, yeah." he s

ng din ako" U

din"

g sumasagot?" Tanong ni ate, Ann. Nilalagyan niya n

bi ko na maganang kumain

ng, apo" sabi ni Uncle William habang

iya at sinamaan niya ako ng tingin. Nginuso ko ang matanda at tin

s again. Sa

ng surgeon mo, Uncle" bal

tion" baling sa kanya ng matanda. 'yan s

ctor. In Tagalog, Mabuhay sa pamilyang, Doctor lahat ng miyembr

tig ka talaga,

an ako Doctor, isa lang ako

nong ulit ng matanda sa kanya "I told you befor

ako n

care?" aba, ang taray naman. Ang taray

lit siya sa

ahan." nakakahawa naman ang tawa ni kuya Mark, natatawa 'din ako kaso n

lagi kang nakikipag pustahan

bigyan mo ba ako?" p

ay, Ethan. He nod at me, kaya si

a ako sa pustahan natin, mang

lamin sa mata "Specially, Pathologist is the popular specialty and, their knowledg

a all malaman ang brain" ang seryoso kasi nila at, mabuti

at ng sabat." Suway

ken?" Dinig 'kong tanon

try this" binigyan niya ako ng isang putahe sa plato ko. Putahe na may pagkakulay orang

" seryosong tano

siya?" tanong

ko alam kung anong specialty ni, Nathan. Hindi naman niya kasi ginamit kung anong natapos niya. If I'm not mistaken, nasa mund

nung pinatikim niya sa'kIn, masarap, eh. "Ossubuco" seryoson

Ossu-buco" Ah, Ossubuco. "anong spelling nu'n?" bulong ko sa kanya at l

la sa'min "just eat and stop asking" utos niya sa'kin kaya