Alinteina's POV
I looked around before leaving my room, I don't want to see or encounter Papa again. He'll beat me again, like he did earlier.
I immediately went to my sisters' room. I want to see kung anong ginagawa nila. Earlier, after lunch, Bia whispered to me that they want to play with me, I want to play with them too.
When I knocked at their door, Bia immediately opened it and grabbed my wrist.
"Ate! Ate! You're here!" she happily said, while jumping up and down. Even though my wrist was in pain because of the way she grabbed it, I still smiled at her and looked at Chichi who's jumping up and down too, on her bed.
"You took so long, Ate." She complained before she ran to me.
"Slow down, Chichi. You might get hurt." I said, at sinalubong siya with a big hug.
"I missed you, Ate." she said. Kaya napangiti nalang ako.
I actually love them. Even though half sisters ko lang sila.
Mama actually left me, when I was five. And after that, Papa introduced a four years old Bia and two years old Chichi. I hated Papa for cheating, maybe that's why Mama left and not because she doesn't love me anymore.
But she could have brought me with her.
"Nagkita naman tayo kanina sa lunch ah." I giggled and pinched Chichi's cheeks. Bia hugged me too at gusto din ata magpalambing.
"Ate, I noticed you always wear jacket. Sobrang init kaya." natigilan ako sa sinabi ni Bia at pilit akong ngumiti sa kanya.
"I'm actually comfortable kapag nagjajacket or hoodie ako. Even though, mainit minsan." I answered, tumango-tango lang sila bago nila ako hinila sa maliit nilang playground. Malaki kasi ang kwarto nila and there's alot of toys din.
I'm actually happy that they got everything they wanted. Atleast they have a childhood memories na babalikan when they got older.
"Ate what's your wish pala yesterday?" Bia asked, "Sorry we forgot your birthday, since we don't know ang date yesterday. I just remembered it when Papa asked Mama earlier kung anong date ngayon." nakanguso niyang dahilan and I couldn't stop myself from smiling and I almost teared up.
"Yeah, did Papa forget too? We should tell him to celebrate your birthday even it's already late." dagdag ni Chichi, I just shook my head. Papa wouldn't like that, ayaw niyang sinasabihan siya.
"I'm actually okay, Papa remembered. And I told him that wag na magparty, I don't have friends naman." I lied, it's bad to lie to them pero they'll insist na magparty if I tell them the truth.
"What about Kuya Angelo?" Bia asked, "He's your friend, right?" tumango-tango ako.
"Since we don't have cake, we can have this." Chichi crawled towards a small cabinet at hinala yung isang container na may lamang legos, "We can make cake with this!"
"Yeah!!!" masayang sambit ni Bia at tumakbo papalapit kay Chichi, "We should make it big kasi 10 na si Ate, she's a big girl now!"
"I want to be a big girl like Ate too!" I just smiled at them at sumunod.
"I want a mango cake." I said and picked yellow legos to help them.
"It exist?!" gulat na tanong ni Bia. Kaya tumawa ako, I didn't know either pero I love mangoes.
"Everything exist, Ate Bia! I saw a girl with one eye!" bigla kaming kinilabutan ni Bia sa sinabi ni Chichi. I hate ghosts pa naman and scary things.
"You're weird." ngumuso lang si Chichi sa sinabi ni Bia.
"I'm not. I'm telling the truth."
"Wag na kayo mag-alitan. Let's make my cake nalang, okay?" I said, tumango lang sila and we played for hours until sunset.
Time actually flies fast when you're having fun, tas ang tagal matapus when I'm being sad.
Sometimes, I just want to stop time when I'm having fun with my sister—when I'm this happy.
"Ate, tell us your wish earlier! I want to know!" sambit ni Chichi.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Hindi na yun magkakatotoo." I pouted and fake my sad tone, but I immediately burst out laughing when they pouted.
"Ate naman."
"Okay, okay, okay." I wiped my tears and hugged them. "I'll whisper."
Yumakap din sila pabalik sakin at hinihintay na ibulong ko sa kanila.
"I wish hindi tayo magkakahiwalay and we'll live happily ever after—"
"Bianca, Chiara!" We looked at the door and saw Auntie na masamang nakatingin sakin, "I thought both of you were sleeping." napalunok ako at umalis sa pagkakayakap sa kanila. "Ikaw, bakit ka nandito?" iritado niyang tanong sakin at nilapitan sila Bia at Chichi, and wiped their sweats.
I zoned out while watching Auntie wiping their sweats and taking care of them.
I missed Mama so much.
"Hoy, sagot!" natauhan ako sa sigaw ni Tita, now Bia and Chichi were clinging on her legs.
"Uhm, I promised to them that I'll play with them today." mahina kong sagot sa kanya habang nakatingin lang din sa floor.
I'm afraid of Auntie too, since she also hit me like Papa did. I don't want it.
"You know pinapatulog ko sila sa hapon diba? Ang kulit-kulit mo talaga eh noh?" sermon niya sakin, she's about to hit me when Bia interrupted.
"Mama, we insisted! Ate didn't do anything bad. If you're mad, please just be mad at us, not Ate." She said while holding Auntie's hand that was about to hit me.
I heard Auntie sighed, "Fine, umalis ka na dito." She said and harshly pulled me by my wrist.
Napadaing ako sa sakit and saw my sisters' worried faces.
"Sorry, Ate." Chichi said when Auntie pushed me outside of their room and closed the door.
"Bakit kayo nagsosorry don? Anak yun sa labas, jusko." I overheard Auntie said. Tumalikod na ako sa pinto, I rolled my eyes at napakuyom ang kamao ko sa inis.
Fucking bitch, makasabi ng anak sa labas, parang hindi naging kabit ni Papa.
The fact that they're not yet married. Kasal pa ang Papa ko sa Mama ko. She's just panakip butas.
I just shrugged my shoulders and saw my Yaya, she actually heard everything, I guess.
"Alinteina, ayos ka lang?" She asked and lend her hand, I accept it and nodded at her question. "Halika na, almost dinner na." dagdag niya pa before she gently dragged me to my room at pinalitan ang damit ko.
She genuinely cares for me, she often defended me from my step mom but I told her na wag niya na patulan. Since she might get fired.
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact na palagi nalang ako ang nakikita ni Papa and ako lang ang sinasaktan niya since Mama left, matagal na siguro akong pinalayas ni Auntie.
She doesn't like me a bit.
But she's a coward anyway, kasi baka siya ang saktan ng Papa ko if pati ako mawala. She wouldn't let her children get hurt too.
"Baby." malungkot na sabi ng Yaya ko while looking at my bruises sa arms before hugging me gently. "Kung pwede lang kitang itakas dito, gagawin ko. Hindi mo deserve 'to, you're such an angel, Alinteina." tumawa lang ako sa sinabi ni Yaya.
I don't think I'm an angel kasi kung anghel ako, wala sana ako sa impyernong 'to.
"Yaya, that would be a kidnapping." I laughed and faced her with a sweetest smile. "Besides, I'm a big girl now. I can handle myself."
"Tignan mo oh. Ang ganda-ganda mong anghel. Ano ba kasing iniisip ng Tatay mo at sinasaktan ka niya." I maintained to show my smile to her.
Syempre, Papa wants a son for his company. For him women can't lead. They are just tools for him, pambahay lang daw.
Well, too bad for him at binigyan siya ng tatlong babaeng anak.