The Strongest Castle
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The word happiness itself is an understatement. For me, happiness comes in different categories. One cannot only classify it as glory as it also arises out of anguish, fear, and wrath and from different doors one goes through. And mine is somewhere before my eyes.

The sun above was scorching, underneath were the birds flying high freely. The heat was intense and it stung my skin. I tampered with my sun hat to avoid being seized by the strong gusts. Napapikit ako nang maramdaman ang isang mahigpit na yakap.

"Hindi na ba makati ang lalamunan mo?" a mellow voice from my back asked.

Marahan akong umiling at sinuyod ang mga daliri papunta sa mga kamay nitong nakapatong sa aking tiyan. "Really, I'm used to having it when I was a child. It was not hurt that bad, plus I already took my medicine." I turned to face him. He remained in his grave look and I can only chuckle. I love it each time he scolds me.

"Come on, cucumber can't kill."

Week has gone by when that morning happened. I did not know that Beviene included pickles in the burgers. I am allergic to cucumbers. It makes my throat uncomfortable that I have to suffer from coughs and carefully choose the foods I consume. However, it does not do too much damage to me. It just so happened that Ysmael is a cat on hot bricks when it comes to me.

Narinig ko ang malalim na pagbuntonghininga niya. "Ang dami ko pang hindi alam tungkol sa'yo."

My cheeks flushed. My heart fluttered despite the fact that it was simply a single sentence. Ysmael showed no emotion, yet his voice made it obvious. Natawa ako ng mahina. "I have a birthmark on my sole. I'm a huge fan of fashion hats. I can consume a lot of foods without gaining weight. Aside from cucumbers, I also can't eat peanuts but it doesn't matter as long as I'm not allergic to seafood. I have a poodle dog that's currently in Kuya Thadius's care. I easily get sick under the rain and...ahm what else...ah! It's apparent but I'm actually in love with vintage fashion."

Nang matingnan ko ulit siya ay nakangiti na ito. His dimple was showing and I wasn't able to control myself in poking the hole. He got startled and later on grabbed my hand to kiss it. "Ako...I'm in love with you."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko hindi dahil sa sinabi nito pero dahil sa nakangiseng mukha ng aking pinsan na si Pacholo.

"Ang landi niyo, no?" pinagpag niya ang nakalatag na kumot sa likod ni Ysmael at humiga habang ang mga tingin ay nasa dagat kung saan naliligo ang iba.

Both Ysmael and I surveyed the entire area. We decided to take a vacation at Silver Resort on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Kasama sina daddy at Bettina pati na rin si William na nakaupo lang sa wheelchair nito.

Everyone was enjoying the water under the sun. I could clearly hear Beviene and Leonora's laugh from afar. Sumali rin si Anna sa kanila nang matapos nitong maihanda ang bihisan ni Beviene. She became Beviene's personal nurse after the incident. No one objected since she had piqued Beviene's attention from the first meeting.

Mapayapa ang galaw ng mga alon sa dagat. Kumikislap ito dahil sa sinag ng araw mula sa itaas. Ilang oras na ang nakalipas nang dumating kami. At katumbas sa mga oras na ang pagkababad nila Beviene sa tubig.

I cocked my head and lengthened my neck to checked on my sister. I recently learned that she had never visited the ocean before. I honestly have no idea what cave they lived in before but I somehow find that information ridiculous. She appeared to be cut off from the rest of the world, with no freedom or options.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang masilayan kung gaano na ito kapula. The sun had almost completely consumed her skin. Dali-dali akong napatayo at nakalimutan si Ysmael. I have to keep her from swimming before she'll get cooked.

"Beviene!"

I immediately caught her attention. "Ate?" she asked innocently.

"You need to give your skin a rest. You're almost burning." sigaw ko. Agad namang nagtinginan ang mga kasama namin sa kaniya at nagtawanan.

"But I'm not yet tired, Ate." unaffected by the humiliation she received from her surroundings.

"You'll suffer from sunburn if you won't, Beviene." I attempted to persuade her by lowering my voice and sounding solemn. She simply looks at me, her eyes pleading. She wasn't spoiled in the least, but she had a knack for swaying me.

Handa na sana akong isumbong siya sa nanay niya kung hindi lang umipal ang mapang-asar kong pinsan. "Kung hindi ka aahon lulunurin ka ng mga shokoy. Bahala ka." pananakot ni Pacholo kaya biglang nataranta si Beviene.

"Cholo!" sabay-sabay kaming lahat na sinamaan ng tingin ito pero tinawanan niya lang kami. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Napairap nalang ako sa pinagsasabi nito at nakita nalang si Beviene na nakabalot ng tuwalya sa tabi ko. "Don't believe in him, Beviene. He's stupid."

We were all gathering for dinner after another couple of hours had gone. Our meal was gonna be barbecued, as Grandpa had intended. Mayroong seafood at pork sa makapal na gawang kahoy na mesa. Soups and fresh vegetables were provided in addition to the grilled meals.

Pumwesto na ako sa upuan na malapit sa puno. Kung sakali man na uulan ay hindi ko na kailangan pang kumuha ng payong.

While listening to their conversation, I ate silently. I observed Jarvis strumming and starting singing from my peripheral viewpoint. Hindi pa ito kumain dahil gusto niya raw kantahan kami.

We applauded him. He began singing while Pacholo danced in front of him, holding his plate. Papansin na kung tawagin pero tinawanan pa rin ito. Hindi nalang ako nakialam at binaling si Ysmael na nakaupo sa gilid ko.

"Are you enjoying?"

He was quite concerned when he initially learned about our brief vacation because it will be his first time joining us as my boyfriend. Hindi ko siya masisisi dahil alam ko ang pakiramdam na makaharap ang pamilya ng kasintahan mo.

I'll never forget how nervous I was when I first met his family that day. We weren't in a relationship at the time, and we hadn't even admitted our love for one another. Every time I recall it, it reminds me of how flawed I am. How many defects do I have, and how much negativity do I project upon myself? I thought it was natural to feel nervous before meeting someone's family. But I couldn't help but be skeptical of myself.

My mind was overwhelmed with questions: Do I look decent? Is my odor pleasant? What if I irritate them? Are they interested in meeting me?—Questions that I seldom ask myself. I didn't know how much confidence I have until that time. Tila ba ay bumaba ang tingin ko sa sarili ko. Apparently, I became uneasy, and the only thought that came to me was to flee.

But upon shaking his family's hands, I felt warm and welcomed. Unti-unting nawala ang kaba ko at napalitan ito ng pagkagalak. Galak sa kadahilanang tanggap ako ng pamilya nito.

Hindi ko alam noon na bukod sa sarili kong pamilya ay nanaisin ko rin pa lang maging parte ng pamilya niya. That's when I understood how much I wanted Ysmael Jaime to be my husband.

Nasilayan ko ang matingkad nitong ngiti. "Oo naman." tipid lang ito pero ramdam ko kung gaano ito kasaya na makasama kami.

"Malamig ba?" he noticed my body shivered a little when the strong winds suddenly blew. Marahan lang akong tumango bago niya ipinatong sa mga balikat ko ang maliit na kumot na inupuan niya.

Natawa nalang ako dito atsaka umiling. "I actually remembered that I used someone's hoodie when we were at the beach with the bandila." his brows furrowed as he laughed.

"Yung itim ba na hoodie ang ibig mong sabihin?" I immediately nodded. Nakita niya siguro ito na nakaimbak lang sa likod ng kotse na lagi naming ginagamit.

"Ah, akin 'yon."

Hindi ako nakapaniwala nang sabihin niya 'yon. Anna had given it to me the last time I remembered so that I wouldn't shiver in the breeze. Hindi ko naman tinanong kung kanino 'yon at basta nalang sinuot na walang pag-aalinlangan. And now that I know it was his all along, I'm humiliated beyond belief. Narinig ko na naman ang tawa nito bago ako niyakap. "Gusto mong kunin ko 'yon? Nasa sasakyan lang naman iyon."

I stopped him before he could rise up. "Ako na. I want to personally give it back to you, kaya ako na." his face started to become worried.

"Gabi na. Ako nalang." he declined, but I did all I could to prevent him from doing so. Sa huli ay masaya akong pumaroon sa parking lot kung saan nakapirada ang mga sasakyang ginamit namin.

Mabuti nalang at ang sasakyan na iyon ang gamit nila Leonora nang bumyahe sila. It was like officially Leonora and Francisco's automobile because they were the ones that drove it most of the time. Mabuti nalang at hindi nila binigyan pansin ang harang nito sa gitna.

When I arrived, I immediately held out the keys and unlocked the door. Mula sa pintuan ay inabot ko ito. To put it on, I had to lift myself up. And just as I was ready to turn around, a familiar voice stopped me.

Tila ba ay bumalik lahat ang ng takot ko at kinakabahan na humarap dito. I'd always heard it said that you should confront your fears, but now that I'm doing so, I think it's the worst idea ever.

The exotic face of Rustom surfaced. Napaangat ako ng kilay sa nasilayan. The sculpted face had vanished, leaving behind unruly blonde facial hairs. I haven't seen him in two years.Those years were filled with struggle and misery, and just looking at him brought back all of those dreadful memories. Gusto kong umiyak at saktan siya. But I don't want to get my hands filthy more importantly, I don't want to expose my vulnerability to him. I reached for his eyes to ask him. "What are you doing here?"

For a week, Rustom has been hunted. The THAD already knew where he was, but they were halted by the city's head police when they found his whereabouts in Everett Valley. They questioned THAD in order to gain time and allow Rustom to flee. When that happened, nagkaroon na naman ng problema.

The Mayor of Everett Valley was drawn into the quagmire, and a lot of things transpired since everyone knew THAD wouldn't allow anything slip through their fingers. Sa lahat ng haharang sa kanila ay sisiguraduhin nilang magsisisi ito.

"Wala bang kamusta diyan, Crisceana?" I felt goosebumps run down my spine when he called my name.

Napakuyom ako ng kamao at sinamaan ito ng tingin. "What does your well-being have to do with me?" sinuri ko lahat ng poste sa parking lot.

I need to make sure that all of the cameras inside are recording us. There's no way I could remain complacent in front of him after what he's done, especially because he's capable of doing awful things.

Mapakla itong tumawa at maya-maya bigla akong hinila sa braso. I let out an awful scream; it was to ask for help.

"Akala mo ba natutuwa ako sa ginawa mo, ha?!"He gripped my hair firmly and drew it closer to his face. Napadaing ako sa sakit.

"Why not? Did I even ask you the same thing when you raped me?" By the manner he's gripping my hair, I'm afraid it'll fall out.

"Siniraan mo ako! Nasira ang reputasyon ng pamilya ko dahil sa iyo! Dahil sa inyo ng ptangina mong kapatid! Ginulo mo ulit ang buhay ko, pta ka!"

Nanaig pa rin ang takot ko pero kahit ganoon ay nagawa ko pa ring padiyakin siya sa gitna at itulak siya upang matumba. Rustom, on the other hand, was far too powerful for the force I used. Agad rin itong nakabangon pero huli na nang makapasok ako sa loob ng kotse at sinara ito.

When I played him dirty, he became enraged, while I struggled to breathe in the suffocating space.

Rustom began to act erratically and pushed his way in. He was unsuccessful since the doors were locked, so he attempted another method, such as beating on the glass. The vehicle, like Pacholo's Jeep, was meant to be indestructible. Thicker and more difficult to break. Mas lalo akong natakot nang makita ang linya ng pagkakasira nito.

I began wailing for help. My breathing became heavier as the volume of my voice grew louder. Narinig kong mabilis itong umalis at sa pag-aakalang umalis na uto pero hindi pa pala. I noticed him carrying a large rock, and as he broke the window with it, I screamed in terror as the fracture became larger.

I began to experience agony as my pulse increased. I had no choice but to wail and shout in quiet. Hindi ko na kaya pang sumigaw ng malakas dahil nawalan na ako ng lakas.

I knew it was done and that everything would be well. But why is this occurring again and again? Why does it seem as if fate is against my happiness?

I'd already gotten my fill. I was heartbroken after losing my mother. I was in excruciating agony and terror. But, going back to the beginning, I realized that my family had never abandoned me. I've had them since I was a child, and the number of individuals who have safeguarded and suffered with me has increased as I've grown older.

Despite everything, I've been really fortunate. I knew God would never abandon me. He was always at my side, lending me folks. He is well aware of my strength and bravery in the face of the most difficult scenario I have ever encountered. And I have a feeling He's looking forward to this moment.

When I finally get the opportunity to confront it on my own.

Pero bakit? Bakit ganito ang nangyayare? Bakit tila hindi ko magawang protektahan ang sarili ko? Why don't I have the strength to fight him?

The predator remained on the loose, ravenous and uncontrollable. His capillaries were about to burst inside his eyes, which were red-rimmed. I couldn't do anything but watch him. Humihina na ang paghinga ko at alam kong ilang segundo nalang ay mawawalan na ako ng ulirat.

Sweat was pouring down my brow. My eyelids were heavy, and I felt as if I were about to pass out. Sa huling pagkakataon ay nagmulat ako para masilayan ang pag-asang hininhintay ko.

When I noticed a familiar figure, my breath came to an abrupt halt. I couldn't see them anymore, but I kept my ears open. All of the noises were deafening. Those obscenities and cries. Regardless, my heart felt it was safe, that everything was finally over.

I heard the shattering sound of tiny shards of glass in the final seconds before I ran out of air, followed by the warm hug of someone I'd die for.

"Shh, okay na. Nandito na ako..."

I've now figured out why I couldn't fight for myself. It was because I was supposed to be protected by someone else. He gave him to me because He knew I wouldn't be able to function on my own. And Ysmael Jaime, the man whom I used to know was cocky that is now protecting me, was His perfect candidate.

Ysmael is my powerful castle, teemed with ravenous creatures.

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nyariina
7/16/'21
9/27/'21