Havard Series | Knot with the Maid

Chapter 15

PRUDENCE, FIVE YEARS OLD

FLASHBACK CONTINUATION |

"FIVE HUNDRED MILLION TONIGHT?! Rom, kahit bukas ay wala kaming mailalabas na ganyang halaga. Nasa investment ang —" nagpaliwanag si Dad pero nakita ko nang ikumpas ng lalake ang kamay para tumigil ito.

"I don't care how you do it. Between the two of you, you should come up with the amount I need. Barya nga lang ito kung tutuusin. Kung bakit naman kasi, pwede namang si Uncle Danny ang maging ama ko, bakit ikaw pa ang naging anak niya?" sabi ng lalake kay Dad. Danny is my Lolo who passed away last year. I don't understand what he was saying.

"Dad gave you more than you deserve, Rom. What did you do with your money? Our business is doing well and —"

"Shut up! Shut up! Palagi mo na lang inaagaw ang lahat sa akin. Una, ang atensyon ng sarili kong ama. Palagi na lang ikaw ang magaling. Alam mo ba ang naririnig ko araw-araw kay Papa? Bakit hindi mo gayahin si David? Hindi nagbubulakbol sa eskwela. Sinusunod ang mga magulang niya ng walang tanong tanong. Mataas ang grado. Masipag. Mabait. Palagi na lang ikaw! And then Pam came — I met her first, pero inagaw mo rin siya sa akin! Kung hindi ka dumating, ako ang asawa niya! Kung alam lang ni Pam na may kinalantari kang babae sa Pilipinas bago kayo ikasal noon."

The man was shouting at doon nagising ang mga kapatid ko. I don't even know what kinalantari means. I wanted to ask Yaya but she told me not to speak.

"Mommy?” It was Yllah who called for Mom, kasunod niya si Ysha at ilang segundo lang ay katabi na nito ang mga yaya nila. I stayed where I was, away from everyone's eyes.

Yumuko si Mom at niyakap ang dalawa saka hinalikan sa noo. "Go back to bed and don't come out until I call for you." Binalingan niya si Ate Daniella, get the kids please." They all went back to the bedroom.

"Rom, pati ba naman 'yan ay uungkatin mo pa? It happened before he married me. I don't care about that. There's no point. Masaya kami at tatlo na ang anak namin — mga pamangkin mo sila. Why would you even bring it up? Hindi naman naging tayo at —"

"Isa ka pa! Kung ako ang pinili mo, masayang-masaya sana ako ngayon. Dapat hindi ako nalulong sa sugal. Dapat walang naniningil sa akin ng malaking halaga. Dapat ako ang ama ng mga anak mo at hindi 'yang lalakeng 'yan!"

"I don't think you're well enough to talk to us. Umuwi ka na at bukas tayo mag-usap," sabi ni Dad sa kanya.

"Do you really think I would come unprepared for this meeting? I'm not as dumb as you think. Mas matalino naman talaga ako sa 'yo, wala lang akong tiyaga sa mga pamamaraan mo." Inihagis niya kay Dad ang isang sobre. "Open it and sign it."

"Ano ito?"

"Basahin mo." His smile looks scary.

Binuksan ni Dad ang sobre at kumunot ang kanyang noo. "I can't sign this. What were you thinking? Lahat ng mayroon kaming mag-asawa ay para sa mga anak namin."

"If you don't sign it, someone will die tonight."

"Don't do this, Rom. Pamilya mo ako."

"Ikaw, pamilya ko. Pero si Pam — hindi. Hindi niya ako pinili kaya wala na siyang halaga sa akin. And I am not going to take her kahit ibigay mo siya sa akin. Hindi ako tanga para sumalo ng nalawayan mo na. Sayang ka, Pam. Ang ganda mo pa naman, tanga ka lang. Pwede namang ako ang piliin mo ay ito pang gago na ito. On the other hand, why don't I kill your oldest daughter first? What's her name again? It start with P. Ah, Prudence."

"Don't you dare touch my children!" sigaw ni Mom sa kanya at akmang susugurin ang lalake.

Iniharang ni Dad ang kanyang braso at pinigilan ang aking ina sa gagawing pagsugod nito. "I will sign this only because I don't want you to hurt my family. Walang presyo ang pagmamahal ko sa kanila. You can have all these wealth if you want."

Nakita ko ng pirmahan ni Dad ang papel na dala ng lalake. But as soon as my father handed it to him, the man motioned one of the hitmen to shoot Mom. There was blood — a lot of blood. I was about to scream when Yaya covered my mouth.

"Pam!" hiyaw ni Dad at sinalo ang aking ina.

"Para 'yan sa hindi mo pagpili sa akin," sabi ng lalake kay Mom, then he aimed the gun to my father and shot him too. I don't know where but I know it's somewhere in the chest. Dahan-dahan akong hinila ako ni Yaya palabas ng backdoor at dahil ang karamihan ng mga kasama niya ay nasa loob, dalawa lang ang natira rito sa driveway.

Yaya and I managed to get out pero bago kami nakarating sa kalsada ay nakita ko ang dalawang gward'ya namin na nakahandusay. I don't know if they are still alive but there's so much blood and their eyes appeared lifeless.

"Run, Prue! Don't wait for me. Just keep running and don't look back. Run as fast as you can. And if you hear anything, don't turn around. Ask for help when you find a police sign or even their car. You know how to spell police, right? Just keep running. Don't stop running," naiiyak na sabi ni Yaya sa akin. Hawak niya ako sa kamay pero dahil may katandaan na siya ay mabagal na at madali ng mapagod. Binitawan niya ako at sinabing mauna na at susunod daw siya.

I did what she asked and just kept running. Maaabutan niya rin ako mamaya. Yaya won't leave me. Then I heard a gunshot. And I knew, she's gone. I am out here alone. But I followed what she said, I have to keep running until I find someone who can help me. Who can help us.

I ended up in an alley and even though I felt like crying, my tears won't come out. I was very tired from running and so I stopped for a bit. However one of the man was about to catch up so I started to run again. Then there was that banana peel and I slipped. I hit my head on the pavement and my ears rang. My vision went blurry and the man came into full view. He has a gun with him.

"I'm supposed to kill you tonight, but I guess heaven has other plans. You are going to die in this alley, and no one is going to come and save you," he said. A few seconds later, he turned around and left me there . . to die.

END OF FLASHBACK