Chapter Nine

La Spieza

I'm in La Spieza. A world where justice and duty was very alive.

Everything was new to me, but I get a hold of myself. Simula nang mapunta ako sa lugar na ito ay wala akong ginawa kung hindi ang hayaang gumalaw ang buhay kong hindi ko na kailanman magiging kontrolado. Kahit na wala akong idea sa mga haharapin ko ay hindi ako nagtangkang tumakas. Bukod sa wala akong mapupuntahan ay alam kong dito sa mundong ito ako nabibilang.

I lived in a place called the mansion. It was huge, but I could only roam where I was stationed. In my case, hangga't hindi nagsisimula ang tinatawag nilang zapošljavanje o ang recruitment or employment ay mananatili ako sa aking silid. There were servants in every part of the mansion. Kahit ako ay mayroong dalawang lady's maid or personal maid.

"They were called servantes and nothing else." Milev said one night after visiting me.

"Are they all deaf and mute?"

Milev chuckled and shook her head. "They are not, Dominika. The servantes are not allowed to talk to anyone except the people who have ranks. Even so, they were not allowed to talk unless it was required."

"What is this place, Milev? Alam kong malalaman ko rin pagdating ng sinasabi mong panahon pero hindi ko na kaya pang maghintay. Give me something or else I'll go crazy."

Nanatili ang paninigarilyo niya't pag-inom sa hawak na whiskey. She stared at me. Umayos ako ng upo sa aking kama. Mas maayos man at magaan ang buhay ko rito at hindi na dapat ako magreklamo pero gusto ko pa ring malaman kahit na ang pinakamaliit na detalye. If this is going to be my world now then I need to know all the details about it.

"You're impatient, Dominika."

"Anything, Milev. Just give me something, please?"

She heave a sigh. Tinungga niya ang laman ng hawak na baso at pagkatapos ay muling nagsalin pero imbes na inumin ay ibinigay niya iyon sa akin.

"S-sabi mo bawal akong uminom ng alak?"

"Trust me, you need it."

Walang pag-aalinlangan ko na iyong tinungga. Napangiwi ako sa lasa at init na dumaloy sa aking katawan dahil sa alak. I waited for her to talk.

"Mr. VA was the one who's behind everything here, Dominika. He has eyes everywhere even outside this please and it was too impossible for you to meet him in person. Hindi lang ang lugar na ito ang nasa La Spieza. Just like the world we were born in, ang mundong ito ay mayroon ring normal na mga tao. Kung ano ang mayroon sa labas ng La Spieza ay narito rin at marami pang iba. The only difference is that this place was built to give fairness to the people. There were no violence here. Everyone was treated equal and taken care of. This place was the real heaven on earth or whatever those authors write in their fictional books."

Humigpit ang kapit ko sa baso sa kanyang pagbaling sa akin matapos idiin ang yosi sa nasa lamesang ashtray. She then sat on a chair few steps away from me. She crosses her feet and continued speaking.

"I know you still have a lot of questions squirming your head non-stop, but trust me with this one, Dominika. You've already come this far and trust me when I tell you that you're going further than this. Make me proud, will you?"

Kahit na hindi ko alam kung paano ay tumango na lang ako. Sa mga sumunod na araw ay wala akong ginawa kung hindi ang ihanda ang puso ko sa mga bagyong parating. Good thing the my room have lots of entertainments so I didn't get bored. Bukod sa mga iyon ay mayroon ring napakagandang view ang aking veranda. As if like I was in a whole new world with all the perfect landscapes and sceneries around me. It was actually better than the movies. Hindi ko akalaing isang araw ay magbabagong muli ang buhay ko. I felt like finally stepping into a ladder of success and because I trust Milev with all my heart, alam kong makakamit ko ang lahat ng mga pangarap ko sa tamang panahon.

Walang araw na hindi ko hinanda ang sarili ko sa lahat ng mga panibagong hamon, but my faith was tested when it was finally time to meet the other people who was part of the zapošljavanje.

Milev told me to keep my mouth shut about the preparations that I went through so others may not see me as a competition and that is what I did.

I wasn't into making friends, but when Milev said that I don't have to fear these girls because we were all the same and now part of a family, hindi ako nahirapan nang sa ball pa lang ay maging malapit na ako sa tatlong babae.

"I'm Zoara. Ikaw? Anong pangalan mo?"

"Dominika."

"It's nice to meet you."

I greeted her back. Sa lahat ng mga babaeng narito, siya lang yata ang tingin ko'y sanay na sa pagsusuot ng mga magagarang damit at make-up. It was all natural to her. Bukod doon, she was surprisingly nice. Madaldal pero may sense at malalim kausap. Hindi ako na-bored hanggang sa daluhan pa kami ni Anastasia at Elorae. Everyone were equally beautiful. I don't want to brag but I've really come a long way. Totoo ang sinabing walang pangit kapag mayaman na dahil nagiging maganda talaga sa paningin kapag alaga.

Everything amazes me from the ball until the day we all passed the initial test and finally became a Purva.

"Anong tinitignan mo, Dom?" si Zoara isang araw nang maabutan akong hawak ang aking kinjia.

It was the bible of every students from the first year until we graduated as Zavŭrshil.

Naupo siya sa aking tabi nang bumalik ang aking mga mata sa itim na librong iyon. Wala sa sariling nilapat ko ang isang daliri sa mapa ng La Spieza.

"This place is bigger than I thought. It was as if bigger than the city where I grew up."

Zoara smiled and nodded. "Ang sabi ni Maestre Barcihs ay hindi lang tatlo ang mansion sa lugar na ito kundi marami pang iba."

Sumunod ang mga mata ko sa hintuturo niyang lumapat na rin sa libro. I swallowed hard when she pointed the other side of the forest.

"Behind this forest is another world connected to La Spieza. Ang sabi ni Maestre ay iilan lamang ang nakakaalam kung ano ang mayroon sa lugar na 'yon." aniya sabay layo sa akin at balik sa kama.

Sabi ni Mr. Facou kagabi, ang tawag sa lugar na ito ay the mansion at ang mga nakatira lamang dito ay ang mga babaeng training at mga servantes.

Sa kabilang banda ng La Spieza ay mayroon pang lugar na tinatawag namang Herzegovinia kung saan naroon naman ang mga lalaking gaya namin. Then there's Pardiño Perdim. The home of Valados leaders, Maestre's, and Mr. VA himself. Bukod doon ay mayroon pang mga komunidad sa paligid. Ibig sabihin, malaking populasyon rin ang mayroon ang La Spieza at marami pang misteryo sa lugar.

"This place is like North Korea. Ruled by one powerful leader to maintain peace, order and justice."

Nilingon ko si Zoara. She remained looking at the ceiling. The other girls were still sleeping.

"North Korea?"

She smiled and nodded without looking at me. "Hmm, yeah. Iyon lang ang tanging bansa na akala mo'y nasa lumang panahon pa rin dahil hindi basta-basta nakakapasok ang mga nasa labas nito. They have their own way of living as per instructed by their leader. Malayo sa gulo ng totoong mundo. Some people may not like how North Koreans lived their life but I actually envy some parts of it. Hindi ko man alam kung ano ang totoong nararanasan ng mga namumuhay doon, but I think the way they live their life was ideal. Their government is firm with their rules and the citizens were great at following and respecting the people who runs their country. I understand that some of the rules were too much for other people, but I think that's what we need in a world like this. Order and justice."

Nanatili lang akong nakatitig sa kanya. Kahit nang lingunin niya ako ay wala akong nasabi.

"We already have so much law and I think it's time to have a strong leader who will make our country's citizen abide it. Hindi sandamakmak na batas ang kailangan natin kung hindi bakal na kamay na magpapatupad nito sa Pilipinas,"

"But I doubt that it will happen here. Our county has already divided by greed and hatred for decades. And it's sad because sometimes the people who wants to run the country was only willing to serve so they could avenge their opposition. Leading them to forget about humanity and their sworn duty," a smile crept on her lips after gazing back at the ceiling.

"Politics, revenge, and pride was the main reason behind these unlawful killings, Dom. These people only thinks about themselves and not the betterment of their countrymen. Everyone was so obsessed with revenge and most people in politics were hypocrites. Ang nakakalungkot, kapag nalugmok ang mga pobre, walang makapagtatanggol sa kanila dahil ang mga taong gusto nilang ihalal ay mga makasarili. It was all false promise. Walang ibang patutunguhan ang mga mahihirap kung hindi ang malugmok pa dahil hawak na tayo sa leeg ng mga makapangyarihang tao sa bansang ito. That's what I love about our organization. It was too early to tell, but I couldn't wait to be part of the justice that these victims deserved... Our countrymen needs us, Dom,"

Napalunok ako nang muli niya akong balingan. She smiled once again and said, "We'll be part of it, right?"

I nodded. "Yes we will."

"Part of what?" nalilitong tanong ni Anastasia na pupungas-pungas pa habang kinukusot ang mga mata't umaahon sa kanyang kama.

Zoara and I chuckled. Imbes na sabihin ay kinulit na lang namin si Elorae hanggang sa magising ito.