#ChainedtothePastWP

Chapter 35
Senses

Everything was like a déjà vu when I woke up in an abandoned room. My head hurt. I could feel it throbbing as I lifted my head. I tried to move, but my hands were tied behind my back. My feet were also tied together. However, I felt like someone was behind me, leaning on my back.

I tried to turn my head to see the person behind, but I couldn't get a glimpse of her face. I could recognize the smell, though. My eyes went wide open when I realized it was my mother.

Gusto kong magsalita pero may tapal na tape ang aking bibig. I suddenly felt helpless. How did we end up here?

Ilang sandali pa ay naramdaman ko ang paggalaw ni mommy.

"Mom!" I shouted, though it was not clear.

My mom also tried to turn her head to me. Her hands desperately held mine. Nakatali rin sa kanyang likuran ang kanyang mga kamay.

Nagawa kong mahagip ng tingin ang kanyang mga mata. Mukhang gustong-gusto niya akong makausap. My mother was always looking so brave, but this was the first time I saw her scared.

Kahit na ako mismo ay natatakot, gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na wala kaming dapat ikatakot. For sure Kalcifer would search for us. He would certainly find us.

"So you two are finally awake."

Sabay kaming napabaling ni mommy nang bumukas ang pintuan. I wasn't even surprised anymore when I saw Drizelda walked in with a huge smile on her face, like she was walking the runway.

Yes, Drizelda. She doesn't deserve to be respected at all.

I could feel my mother's anger just by seeing Drizelda. Nararamdaman ko ang pagkislot niya. Gustong-gusto niyang sugurin ngayon si Drizelda.

"Look what we have here..." Drizelda said, while playing with a pistol on her hand.

Pagkakita ko pa lang ng hawak niya na baril ay nanlamig na ang aking pakiramdam. Cold sweats trickled down my back from my neck. I could almost hear the sound of the gun ringing inside my head. Pinilit kong magpakatatag. I refused to be taken over by my trauma. I needed to stay sane.

Not today, please. Not today.

"The know-it-all queen and her daughter, who should've died a long time ago."

I could feel my lips trembling as I heard her speak without remorse. It gave me creeps seeing how she still managed to keep that smile on her lips. How come she could feel pleasure while doing something so evil?

Mom screamed in anger, but her voice was completely muffled. She was most probably cursing Drizelda.

She walked closer to my mother. Sinubukan kong gamitin ang katawan ko bilang pangharang kay mommy, upang hindi siya malapitan ni Drizelda, ngunit hindi ko magawa. I couldn't move that it was so frustrating.

Bahagyang yumuko si Drizelda. Iniharap niya ang mukha ni mommy sa kanya at saka inangat ang baba.

"You don't know how much I love seeing you so hopeless," she whispered with so much pleasure on her voice. "I could stare down at you forever. Hinding-hindi ako magsasawa."

Mom moved her face away from Drizelda's hand. She talked back, but it couldn't be understand clearly.

"What did you say? Sorry, but I can't hear you." Drizelda laughed like a crazy woman. "You must be feeling so frustrated that you can't be heard now, huh?"

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata nang biglang itinutok ni Drizelda ang baril sa noo ni mommy. Bumilis ang pagtibok ng aking puso nang dahil sa kaba at takot. Nakadikit ang nguso ng baril sa balat ni mommy.

However, my strong mother just pierced her eyes on Drizelda. Para bang handa niya pa rin itong labanan kahit na sana hindi magandang sitwasyon kaming dalawa.

"Don't be scared," Drizelda teased her. "I won't pull the trigger yet. I'm still waiting for a very important audience who will watch this amazing show tonight," she said. "Do you have any idea who could that be? I'm sure you do. You stole that person away from me."

Napakunot ang aking noo. What did she mean by that?

"And now that I'm taking him back, I'm suddenly named as the bad woman, when it should've been you!" Drizelda was filled with hatred that all of her emotions were exploding. "Now, I'm sure you know who I am talking about. I'm sure you're guilty of it."

Noises came out from my mother's mouth.

"Hmm..." Binawi ni Drizelda ang nakatutok na baril kay mommy. "I feel like I want to hear you crying out. I'll be kind this time, and remove let you speak for a while."

Marahas na tinanggal ni Drizelda ang tape na nakatakip sa bibig ni mommy. The sound echoed in the abandoned and quiet room. That must've hurt so bad, but my mother did not reacted to the pain and only said, "I am not guilty of anything. I didn't steal anyone or anything from you."

Nababaliw na natawa si Drizelda. "Ang kapal din naman ng mukha mo, no?" gigil niyang sabi. "Napoleon should've been my husband, if you didn't come into the scene! Pero masyado kang pabida at papansin sa kanya!"

My mother smirked. "Are you sure that you're talking about me?" she asked savagely. "Hindi ba't ikaw ang habol nang habol sa kanya noon pa kahit na ayaw niya naman sa'yo? And you even dared to use desperate and illegal measures to take him to your bed because he's not willing to."

"I only did that because I have no choice!" she defended herself. "You stole him away from me! Kung hindi mo ginawa 'yon ay masaya na kami ngayon."

"He is free now, Drizelda," my mother told her, as a matter of fact. "It's been years since we separated. You have all those years to make him turn to you. But did he even consider the idea of marrying you? No, because up until now, Napoleon still loves me, and you'll forever be the mistress, bitch, and homewrecker in the eyes of other people."

"Shut up!" Gigil na gigil niyang sigaw at lumagapak ang kanyang palad sa pisngi ni mommy. "Kung hindi bumalik ang anak mo, magiging isang buong pamilya na sana kami kasama si Arlene! Dapat ay talagang namatay na lang siya!"

"Huwag na huwag mong isasali rito ang anak ko!"

The only time my mother lost her cool was when Drizelda directed her anger on me.

"And who are you to order me?" tanong ni Drizelda kay mommy. "You should be begging me by now. Hawak ko ang buhay ninyong dalawa."

My mother bit her tongue. She was stopping herself from talking back because of my safety.

"Good girl..." Drizelda smiled and put a new tape over my mother's lips. "Peace and quiet..."

Ngayon ay sa akin naman lumapit si Drizelda. Ngumisi siya at bahagyang yumuko.

"Do you that I hate you so much? I hate how you look a lot like your mother," mariin niyang sabi sa akin at marahang lumapat sa aking pisngi ang kanyang kamay. "Your father is all over you."

Iniwas ko ang aking mukha sa kanyang pagkakahawak at saka matalim siyang tiningnan.

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit bumalik ka pa. If I only knew, I wouldn't let you leave that place alive,"she said with regret. "You shouldn't have came back. Dapat ay hindi ka na bumalik."

Bahagyang nanlaki ang aking mga mata nang mapansing kaparehas ng sinabi ni Arlene ang mga huling salitang binitiwan ni Drizelda.

Now, I understood what Arlene was trying to tell me that time. She didn't want me back, not because she wasn't happy to see me, but because she knew that her mother would do something. It was a warning! She was concerned of me!

"At akala mo ba hindi ko malalaman na pinuntahan mo ang anak ko kanina?" Ngumisi siya. "I got her followed. I know so well that you would approach her eventually."

Sumulyap ako kay mommy. Mukhang hindi niya inaasahan 'yon. I wanted to apologize to her for lying, but my mouth was still sealed by the tape.

"To be honest, I was only planning to kidnap your mother, but there was an opportunity to get you as well, so I grabbed it," she told me. "Now, I have two valuable pawns. Sino kaya sa inyong dalawa ang pipiliin ni Napoleon na manatiling buhay? Is it his beloved ex-wife or his precious daughter?"

Muli siyang lumayo at wala sariling tumawa. Pinaglalaruan niya ang baril sa kanyang kamay habang pinapanood kaming dalawa ni mommy.

"Kung hindi ka bumalik, eh 'di sana ay hindi kayo mapapahamak ng mommy mo," mapang-inis na sabi sa akin ni Drizelda. "But you came back and took everything from my daughter. You're just like your mother. Ang hilig mang-agaw at magnakaw―"

"Drizelda!"

My father's baritone voice resonated.

Mas lumaki ang ngiti ni Drizelda. "Our special guest has finally arrived, ladies," sabi niya bago naglakad papunta sa aming likuran ni mommy.

I saw my father being dragged inside the room by men wearing black clothes. Pagkatapos siyang maipasok sa loob ng kuwarto ay agad ding lumabas ang mga lalaki.

"Napoleon, welcome to the party!"

Nag-angat ng tingin sa amin si daddy. Ang takot na nakita ko sa mga mata niya nang makita kami ni mommy ay walang katumbas. Hindi nakatali ang kanyang mga paa at kamay kaya sumubok siyang lalapit sa amin.

"Huwag kang lalapit dito! Hanggang diyan ka lang!"

Naramdaman kong lumapat sa akin ang nguso ng baril. Nakatutok ito sa aking leeg.

"Papatayin ko ang pinakamamahal mong anak kapag nakita kong humakbang ka pa palapit," banta ni Drizelda.

My father stopped immediately. Nanatali sa akin ang kanyang mga mata ng iilang segundo bago nag-angat ng tingin kay Drizelda.

"Drizelda―"

"Oh, stop talking, Napoleon! What I want you to do right now is to choose between these two ladies that you love so much," she told him. "Sino sa tingin mo sa kanilang dalawa ang dapat panatilihing buhay? Your ex-wife, your daughter, or... none?"

Umiling-iling si daddy. "Just take me, please..." sabi ni daddy. "Don't hurt them. Take my life, instead. Please, Drizelda, please..."

"Did you hear me at all, Napoleon?" she asked. "Ang sabi ko, mamili ka lang sa kanilang dalawa. Gaano ba kahirap 'yon?"

I literally got chills, hearing how much she talked about killing someone so easily.

"Drizelda, please let go of them," pakiusap ni daddy sa isang mahinahon na boses, ngunit dinig na dinig pa rin ang prustrasyon at matinding takot. "Pakawalan mo ang mag-ina ko. Ako naman ang gusto mo, 'di ba? I will do anything you want. Just please, please let go of them."

Ilang sandaling natahimik si Drizelda. Makalipas ang ilang sandali ay muli siyang tumawa.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I never thought that a time will come that the great Napoleon Guillermo will beg me. Am I dreaming?"

Hindi nagsalita si daddy. Nanatili siyang nakatingin kay Drizelda nang diretso.

"But don't you realize it's too late now?" Drizelda suddenly asked. "When I was the one asking you to be fair to our daughter, did you listen to me? No! You favored Clementine and gave scraps to Arlene! So, what makes you think that I'm going to listen to your request, huh?!"

"Drizelda, please―"

"I did everything to make you look at me! To make you love me!" Punong-puno ng hinanakit ang boses ni Drizelda. "I-I even sold myself to hell for you! For our family!" She was breathing so heavily, struggling to catch her breath and losing her control. "The only man who made me feel that I'm worth it even died in my own hands... for you... for us..."

My eyes widened.

I was right! She was really the one who killed Tito Enrico!

"Y-you killed Enrico?" Daddy stuttered in disbelief.

Nakita ko ang galit sa mga mata ni daddy. Tito Enrico was one of his most trusted friends. Naging malapit din siyang kaibigan ni mommy. Sigurado akong hindi rin naging madali para sa kanila ang pagkamatay nito, lalo na't kasabay pa nito ng aking pagkawala.

"You killed daddy?"

Nagulat ako nang madinig ang boses na hindi ko inaasahan ngayon. Sumilip ako sa likuran ni daddy at nakitang nakatayo si Arlene malapit sa pintuan.

"Arlene!" Drizelda was so flustered seeing her daughter. Naglakad siya papalapit kay Arlene. She held Arlene's arm. "What are you doing here?! Paano ka nakapasok dito?"

Habang abala si Drizelda ay maingat at tahimik na naglakad papalapit si daddy sa amin ni mommy. Nang makalapit ay agad niyang tinanggal ang nakatakip na tape sa aming bibig.

"D-daddy..." I whispered so quietly with a trembling lips.

He shook his head, hugged me quickly, and then turned to my mother. He couldn't keep his emotions, so he kissed my mother's head so dearly. My mother closed her eyes because of the kiss.

"Answer me first!" Dinig kong sigaw ni Arlene kaya napabalik ang tingin ko sa kanila ng kanyang ina. "Did you really kill my father?!"

"Arlene, I told you that he's not your father. Napoleon is your real father! Don't worry about him anymore!"

Si daddy ay nagmamadali na sa pagtatanggal ng tali sa aming mga kamay at paa habang ang buong atensyon ni Drizelda ay nasa kanyang anak.

"How can you say that, mom? He is still m-my father..." Her voice broke at the same time with the trust she had for her mother. "I trusted you! I helped you keep your secrets because I don't want you to get jailed, even though my conscience has been haunting me every single night!"

Napaawang ang aking bibig. May alam si Arlene?

"Ang sabi mo sa akin, wala kang kinalaman sa pagkamatay ni daddy... You swore to me, mom..." Bumuhos ang luha ni Arlene. "At ngayon, kahit nangako ka sa aking hindi mo sasaktan si Clementine kapag nanahimik ako ay hindi ka pa rin tumupad. You still broke your promise! You're a liar! I trusted you! I can't believe I trusted you!"

Arlene made a promise to keep her silence for my own sake. She did that for me. All this time, I wasn't the only mentally and emotionally suffering. She was suffering, too!

"Clem, stand up..." mahinang sabi ni daddy sa akin.

Inalalayan ako ni daddy patayo at ganoon din ang ginawa niya kay mommy.

"Arlene, everything that I do is for us!" Drizelda tried to reach Arlene.

"No!" She stepped back, her eyes screaming anger and betrayal. "You're only doing this for yourself! You don't care about me at all! If you really care about me, you wouldn't kill my father! You wouldn't put Clementine in danger! You wouldn't break your promise to me! You wouldn't lie!"

Dahil sa pagsagot ng anak ay hindi napigilan ni Drizelda na mapagbuhatan ng kamay si Arlene. Ang tunog ng kanyang pagsampal ay umalingawngaw sa loob ng silid.

"You have no respect to your mother!" Drizelda shouted.

With her head turned away from her mother, Arlene smirked. "Don't worry..." she said, then looked at Drizelda straight into her eyes. "From now on, I disown you as my mother. I don't have a mother who's a killer."

"You ungrateful―"

"Tumigil ka na, Drizelda!"

Akmang sasampalin muli ni Drizelda si Arlene nang hindi ko na mapigilan ang sariling magsalita. Agad naman siyang napabaling sa akin. Hindi ko na hahayaang wala akong gawin.

"Clementine!" sabay na sigaw ng aking mga magulang.

I knew they were scared for me, but I wanted to be brave this time. I wouldn't let fear eat me up again and act like a helpless coward. Rather I would face this fear and turn it into courage.

"I don't want to see you lay a hand on my sister ever again!" I stated, overflowing with courage.

I had to buy time.

"C-Clem..." I heard Arlene uttered my name.

"And who do you think you are?!" Drizelda shifted her anger at me. "I can kill you right here, right now."

"Then shoot me," I said, without batting an eye, ready to face everything―even my death.

"Clem!"

"No!"

"Oh, look!" Drizelda laughed in a very evil way. "Sobrang takot na takot ang mga magulang mo na mawala ka. Well, since I lost my daughter now because of you all, looks like I just have to kill you, too."

Without second thought, driven by her intense rage and irrational thinking, Drizelda aimed the gun at me.

At that moment, I was so ready to die. I was willing to exchange my life, if that would end the madness and bring peace to the people I love.

However, just as Drizelda pulled the trigger, Arlene tried to steal the gun away from her mother last minute, while my father tried to throw himself in front of me and used his body as a shield. And then, I heard a single gunshot, followed by another one.

My senses were completely blocked out, except for my sight, when I heard the gunshots. I wanted to stay conscious, but my head was throbbing so bad, that it felt like my head was about to cut in half.

Blood came out of Drizelda's shoulder, as she stared at her daughter in shock. Kita ko rin ang unti-unting pagkahulog ni Arlene sa lapag at agad sumunod sa kanya ang kanyang ina. Madami ring dugo ang lumalabas sa gilid ng tiyan ni Arlene. I was so terrified to see the blood.

Then, I saw my father dashing out to Arlene. I also took a step forward to take a look at my wounded sister, but I got so dizzy with only that one step. Still, I tried my best to walk closer, but a warm embrace enveloped me safely in his arms, stopping me from pushing myself too much.

The familiar warmth unblocked my senses. I heard my father telling Arlene to hold on, my mother was calling the emergency hotline, and then there was the man who brought me a sense of security.

"You are safe now..." he whispered, giving me assurance. "I'm sorry if I'm late..."

Slowly, I turned my head to face him.

"Kalcifer..." I softly said, smiling a bit.

I knew he would come... I knew he would never fail me.

I stared at his eyes, and it was filled with comfort and relief. "Thank you..." I told him before I finally closed my eyes and lost consciousness.