Prologue

• • • TUTTI • • •

"Manang, magkano po 'yong isang sipi ng saging?"

Noong una ay napansin kong malikot ang mga mata niya. She's scanning her eyes on my entire appearance.

Marahil ay nagtataka siya kung bakit ash blonde ang kulay ng buhok ko gayong singkit ang aking mga mata. I dyed my hair on purpose.

"Singk- fifty pesos, hija," she smilingly retorted.

I bit my tongue to prevent myself from chuckling. Her code switch told me that she's trying her best to impress me. Perhaps, it was because of the hair. She thought I was some sort of foreigner with pockets loaded with money.

"Okay po. Saglit lang."

Kinuha ko ang pitaka ko sa loob ng aking bulsa. Nalugmok ako nang makitang bente pesos lang ang laman no'n.

My life is very poor and sad.

Mabilis kong tinago 'yon.

"Pwede pong tumawad? Kahit bente na lang," I said with a sheepish smile, making an absurd attempt.

Napaawang ang labi niya at sumama ang timpla ng mukha.

"Doon ka na lang sa iba. Hindi cornetto 'to, hija," aniya.

I cringed at her tone and voice. It was full of judgment and sarcasm. Hindi ko naman hinihingi, bibilhin ko lang ng bente pesos!

"Heto po. Gawin niyo na pong dalawang sipi." A man butted in while handing the vendor a crispy five hundred pesos.

Kumunot ang noo ko habang tinititigan ang pamilyar na silver bangle sa kanang palapulsuhan niya.

"Wala ka bang mas maliit dyan, hijo?"

I rolled my eyes when the old vendor's pitch rose. She found the guy attractive.

Nahihiyang napakamot naman ng batok ang lalaki.

"Pasensya na po. Iyan lang po kasi ang dala ko."

"No need," I said and immediately made my way out of that wet market.

"Tutti!" he called and shouted my name again and again but I just sped up my pace until I already found myself sprinting.

"Gotcha!"

Nagulat ako sa malalakas na mga bisig na humarang sa daraanan ko at pumulupot sa mga balikat ko.

"Dean!" I shrieked in annoyance and shock when he swiftly lifted me off the ground.

He threw me on his right shoulder and carried me like a sack of rice, tā mā de!

"Mabuti na lang hindi ka matangkad at malaman," he remarked then chuckled, making me curse him in Chinese repeatedly.

I know I am short and petite but I should not be carried this way! I wiggled my body to give him a hard time carrying me and eventually slipping from his hold but I failed. I failed! Hindi man lang natinag ang buang!

Para akong payatot na biik na kanina pa nagpupumiglas sa gustong kumatay sa akin. Worse, the people around that wet market just stared at me like I am some bloody idiot screaming!

Nang makalabas kami ng wet market ay naaninag ko agad ang blonde na buhok ni Rum. Nakaabang siya sa nakabukas na pintuan ng isang itim na sasakyan.

"Dean, dahan-dahan lang," paalala niya.

"Nand'yan na 'yong saging mo sa loob," dagdag pa niya sabay tingin sa akin.

Damn you, Rum! Damn you!

Ipinasok na nila ako sa backseat and I got no way out. Nasa front seat lang ang pinto! I am obviously trapped!

Naunang pumasok si Rum sa passenger seat. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. Pinag-isipan niyang maigi ang pag-abduct sa akin.

Nang mapansin ang nakamamatay kong titig sa harapang salamin ay napabuntong-hininga na lamang siya sabay lingon sa akin.

"Dad wants you home," he said, speaking with thick British accent.

"Ayaw ko na ngang bumalik doon. Nahihiya ako kay Gov, Rum! Ninakawan at sinubukan siyang patayin ng nanay ko, naiintindhan mo ba 'yon? Do I still have to speak in English with posh British accent for you to get it?"

"You catch the bullet for him," Dean butted in while entering the car.

He set the engine in motion and began maneuvering the steering wheel.

"Isa pa, patay na si Dr. Mal. She asked for our presence on her wake," he added.

Dr. Mal. The owner of the University of Portofino. Mabait siya. I gave her that but we're not close!

"Anong kinalaman ko sa kanya?" I chided.

"Gusto niyang makita ang Charmings," sagot niya.

Gusto kong matawa sa pangalan na iyon ng grupo namin. Lima kaming magkakaibigan at ang girlfr– ex-girlfriend ni Dean na si Snow ang nagbigay no'n.

Wala kaming nagawa nang pangalanan niya kami. Takot lang namin sa laki ng katawan ni Dean 'pag nagagalit.

But that was before when he was helplessly in love with Snow and before the scandal involving her and a professor surfaced and spread.

Si Rum na rin nagsabi na huwag na naming baguhin dahil kahit ganoon man ang nangyari ay magkakaibigan pa rin kami.

Our group's composed of three girls and two boys. All of us are aware that we are not normal. We are gifted. Pero siyempre kaming lima lang din ang nakakaalam.

I remembered Snow explaining to us why she named our group as Charmings. She said we are charming physically, the word also sounded magical and that we are each other's lucky charms. She said we have magic but we aren't. We are just simply talented.

Apparently, Snowbelle Wade is the idealist in our group. Always believing in unicorns and happy endings. Cutie. She has extra sharp eyes.

Quinnellssey Marquesa is the Italian queen bee and the insensitive. Oh! Did I mention that she has hyperthymesia? She never forget a face, a moment, and just anything in her life.

Alladean Raj, half-Filipino and half-Indian. He's the rebel in our group. Takot ang lahat ng tao sa UP sa kanya. He has beyond human strength and powerful limbs. You should have seen how easy it is for him to drag a pickup with just one hand.

Rumplestle Sandros, my stepbrother and the son of the governor is of British descent. He has blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He is a super genius and serves as the mother of the group. Mother not because he is gay because I tell you he is a straight man with a 'busilak na puso'– I love this Filipino idiom, by the way. He is so kind, so soft, humble, caring, understanding, and all the qualities that the three of us girls in the group are lacking.

And I am Tuttieana Darcy Vega, pronounced as 'Tu-shana' and I will bet most people will read my nickname as 'Tu-ti' instead of 'Tu-shay'. Remember this one important rule: 'You get to choose how to properly pronounce your name'. Ah, the beauty of language. I am Tutti 'Tu-shay' the Great, why? I just want to label my myself that way.

"Naiihi ako," I said, breaking the silence while we're still on the road.

"Magpapa-gas na rin ako," Dean agreed and nodded.

We stopped at the gasoline station nearby. Naunang bumaba si Dean para magpa-gas.

Lumabas na rin si Rum at binaba ang headboard at cushion ng front seat para makadaan ako.

Bumaba ako at ramdam kong pasimpleng nakasunod si Rum sa akin papasok ng convenience store.

I turned to look at him para sana sabihan siyang hindi siya pwedeng sumama sa akin sa comfort room ng mga babae. But he seemed to know where to draw the line. Huminto siya sa tapat ng rack ng mga comic books at nagbasa roon. Napabuntong-hininga ako at nagpatuloy na sa paglalakad.

"Sorry po," sabi ko sa lalaking nagmamadali na nakabangga ko.

Tumango lang siya at dire-diretsong naglakad palabas ng store. Dali-dali akong pumasok sa banyo at sinigurong naka-lock ang pinto.

Nasilip ko pang may grills sa labas ang bintana ng banyong iyon. Damn it! Rum planned this carefully. Pumayag siyang huminto kami kasi wala rin naman akong takas dito.

Ibinaba ko ang lid ng toilet bowl at naupo roon saka kinuha sa loob na bulsa ng suot kong jacket ang cellphone no'ng lalaking nakabangga ko kanina. He seemed preoccupied, a good target.

I switched it on and I hissed when I found out that it was secured with a pattern as a password.

Pinakalma ko ang sarili ko. I turned the phone off again. Inanggulo ko iyon sa tapat ng liwanag. Just enough so that I can spot the pattern of his fingerprints.

"Eureka!" I exclaimed.

In-on ko ulit ang phone and traced the pattern of his prints and viola, it opened!

Kaagad kong tinipa ang numero ni Aunt Jody. She has to save me!

"Sorry, you do not-"

"Bwisit!" Walang load!

Ang yaman-yaman ng Cartier watch ni manong na may-ari ng cellphone pero walang load! Tā mā de! Sana pala 'yong relo na lang niya ang kinuha ko!

Napatigil ako sa pagmumura ng Chinese nang may kumatok sa pinto ng banyo.

"Miss, nand'yan po ba kayo?" said the man from the other side.

Bata 'yong boses. Malamang ito 'yong lalaking cashier kanina. His voice was calm pero halata ko ang mumunti niyang pagpiyok sa dulo. Kinakabahan 'to. He's trying not to break his calm facade so that he would not alert me that they already found out what I did.

Hinila ko ang flush ng toilet para marinig nila ang tunog na may ginagawa ako kunwari. Tinago kong muli ang cellphone.

Binuksan ko ang pinto at agad na bumungad sa akin ang cashier at 'yong lalaking ninakawan ko.

"Asan na 'yong cellphone ko?" galit na bungad ng lalaki sa akin.

"What are you talking about?" kaila ko.

I am silently crossing my fingers it will be effective.

"Ang sabi ng kasama mo nakita ka raw niyang kinuha iyon sa bulsa ko nang magkabangga tayo!"

Tinuro niya ang direksyon ni Rum na nagbabasa pa rin kunwari ng comics. Argh! Itinutok ko ang atensyon kay Rum and just what I expected, the man and the cashier mirrored my reaction.

Nang nakatingin sila roon ay mabilis at maingat kong isinilid sa bulsa ng coat niya ang cellphone na ninakaw ko. I have light hands that work unnoticed.

Rum looked at our direction. Alam niya ang ginawa kong pagsasauli. Nang magkatinginan kaming tatlo ay ako na ang unang nagsalita.

"Double check it." I squinted my eyes to show my dismay at their accusation.

I need to pull an act.

Kinapkap ulit ng lalaki ang coat niya at natigilan nang makuha mula sa bulsa niya ang hinahanap na cellphone.

"Paan-"

"Kayo kasi, e. Nagbibintang agad," I teased.

"Sorry po, ma'am," paumanhin ng cashier.

Nang matapos ay iginiya na ako palabas ni Rum ng store kung saan nag-aantay sa amin si Dean.

Kahit naman na tumakbo ako mahahabol at mahahabol pa rin ako ni Dean.

Pumasok na lang ako sa loob at sinulyapan sa tabi ko ang dalawang sipi ng saging na binili ni Rum para sa akin.

Naantig ang puso ko. Sinulyapan ko ang harapan and I observed. Dean was driving. He's vulnerable of the attack from the back.

Suminghap ako at pinulupot ang isang braso ko sa leeg niya. I love my friends pero kailangan ako ni Aunt Jody.

Nagkasundo na kami sa magiging buhay naming magkasama. We will rob and rob and rob until we are happy.

Nagpageywang-geywang ang sasakyan at mura nang mura naman si Dean.

"Fuck, Rum! Do something! She's going to kill us all!"

Tinanggal ni Rum ang seatbelt upang maabot ako. He pressed the pressure point on my neck.

"Sorry," Rum apologized and my consciousness began slipping away.

Nabitawan ko si Dean na hinahabol ang hininga niya.

"You don't belong with your Aunt Jody, Tutti. You are not a thief. I'll make sure of that," said Rum who seemed to read the thoughts that bothered me.

And before I am totally knocked out, I realized that I could not stand picturing myself as a notorious thief. I do not want to live the kind of life my mother and her sister had lived. That is not my happy ending.

•|• Illinoisdewriter •|•

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