ISANG malungkot na ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi ni Sabrina habang pinapanood ang mag-inang magkahawak kamay na papasok sa isang daycare center. Kahit na nakalampas na ang kanilang sinasakyan sa mag-ina ay tinanaw pa rin niya ang mga ito. Nang hindi na maabot ng kanyang paningin ay tahimik siyang napabuntung-hininga.
"Here's your schedule, Sabrina. You are not allowed to go anywhere aside from the school premises. Do you understand?"
Binalingan niya ang kanyang ama na katabi niyang nakaupo sa loob ng kotse. Kinuha niya ang ibinigay nito at tumango. Muli rin niyang ibinalik ang mga mata sa labas ng sasakyan dahil hindi niya matagalan ang presensiya ng lalaking katabi.
Sabrina was angry at him.
She doesn't want to go back to this country but she had no choice. She was living in Alaska with her mother since she was two. But when her mother died two weeks ago, her life changed.
Yelena—her mother—died because of a heart attack. She had no one left in Alaska when her mother passed away. There are some friends, one offered to look after her but she refused. Her mother's friend—the one who offered to look after her—had five children and she doesn't want to add to her responsibilities.
A day after her mom was buried, a man appeared behind their doorstep. He introduced himself as Bernardo Salvador's secretary. He let the man in after confirming his identity. Of course, Sabrina knew Bernardo.
Though her mother divorced her father a long time ago, she did not hide the things about him. Sabrina was about two years old when they left for Alaska and if not's for the photographs and the internet, she won't have an idea how her father looks like.
She agreed to go back to the Philippines for the reason that she wanted to have someone, to have a family. She doesn't want to be alone, she was scared. But her expectations were crumbled when she finally lived with her father.
Bernardo was distant, cold and strict. At least not to his other son, Collin. Collin was her half-brother, her father married another woman after the divorced and they had a child.
Noong una ay nagtaka siya kung bakit wala ang ina ni Collin sa malaking bahay ni Bernardo. Nalaman nalang niya na namayapa na ang pangalawang asawa nito nang marinig niya ang mga katulong na nag-uusap.
Sa isang linggo na niyang paninirahan kasama ang ama at kapatid ay wala siyang naramdamang pagtanggap mula sa mga ito. Si Bernardo ay hindi naman siya pinapansin at pinapaasikaso lang sa mga katulong. Si Collin ay palagi siyang pinaglalaruan, minsan ay sinusubukan siyang itulak sa hagdan, sa pool o 'di kaya'y nilalagyan ang kanyang pagkain ng kung anu-ano.
Ni wala siyang natanggap na simpatya kahit katitig man lang dahil sa pagkamatay ng kanyang ina. She wanted to mourn for Yelena's death but her father doesn't want to hear or see someone crying.
She wasn't allowed to cry, to go out of the house, to complain and to decide for herself. She doesn't like her new school, it was private and she knew that peasants cannot afford to attend there.
When the car stopped outside the school gate, she did not bother to bid her goodbye to her father and went outside immediately. She walked towards the gate and went inside.
Sabrina stopped beside the Narra tree and roamed her eyes around and took a deep sigh at the same time. This was going to be her life now, she should at least learn to accept it. There's no turning back, she can't run away from her father. And she doesn't have a place to go, she cannot go back to Alaska because all the properties that her mother worked hard for for the past years were sold.
Tiningnan niya ang papel na hawak kung saan naroon ang kanyang schedule. Kapagkuwan ay bumuntung-hininga siya ulit at akmang hahakbang upang hanapin kung saan naroon ang kanyang silid aralan nang may biglang bumangga sa kanya. Mabuti nalang at naibalanse niya ang sarili at hindi natumba.
"I'm sorry, nagmamadali kasi ako, I didn't see you."
Nakakunot ang noong napabaling si Sabrina sa taong nakabangga sa kanya. Bubulyawan niya sana ito subalit nakulong ang mga salita sa kanyang bibig nang makita ang mukha ng lalaki.
Nakangiwi ito habang nakatingin sa kanyang jacket na natapunan nang dala nitong caramel macchiato. Sa tingin niya ay kaedad lang niya ito o matanda ng isang taon kaysa sa kanya.
Hindi alam ni Sabrina kung ano ang tumama sa kanya at bigla siyang natigilan habang nakatingin dito. Hindi maipagkakailang gwapo ito. Marami na rin naman siyang nakitang mas gwapo pa rito sa ibang bansa pero wala siyang natatandaang naumid ang kanyang dila habang kaharap ang mga ito.
She blinked enumerable times when he waved his hand in front of her face. His mouth twisted in a smile and his eyes sparkled in amusement.
When Sabrina gathered herself back, she looked at him coldly. "Reckless," she then turned her back at him and walked in long strides.
"Hey, Miss!" he called her. Sabrina did not bother to look at him and continue walking.
Pumasok siya sa kauna-unahang banyong nakita at hinubad ang kanyang jacket. Napangiwi pa nang makita ang t-shirt na suot niya sa ilalim niyon. Her shirt was color yellow and it had a print of spongebob's smiling face.
It was that boy's fault! She will be bullied because of her shirt. Just like how the students in Alaska bullied her because of her race. She filled her lungs with air and closed her palms into a tight fist. She can do this!
She held her head high as she walked the corridor even though a lot of eyes were fixed in her direction. Some were beaming, some had disgust all over their faces when they saw her cloth.
Lihim siyang nakahinga ng maluwag nang mahanap ang kanyang room. Subalit agad ding nasira ang mood niya nang makita ang lalaking nakaupo malapit sa bintana. He beamed when he saw her, he looked at her shirt and mouthed, "Cute."
"I'm Sabrina Clementine Salvador," she said when the teacher asked her to introduce herself.
The teacher looked at her in a 'that's it?' kind of look. As if she was not satisfied with her introduction. "Oh—kay. Take your seat now, Ms. Salvador."
Walang pagpipilian si Sabrina kung 'di ang umupo sa upuang katabi ng lalaking nakabangga sa kanya dahil iyon nalang ang bakante.
"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier..." rinig niyang sabi ng lalaking katabi. Hindi niya pinansin at pinanatili ang mga mata sa harapan kung saan nagle-lecture ang kanilang guro. "I'm Apollo, nice to meet you, Sab."
Hindi pa rin niya ito pinansin. Narinig na lang niya ang mahina nitong pagbuntung-hininga.
Itinuon ni Sabrina ang buong pansin sa klase hanggang sa dumating ang tanghalian. Lumabas siya ng classroom at naghanap ng puwede niyang pagkainan nang dala niyang baon na lihim pa niyang ipinabalot kay Yaya Melly—ang matandang mayordoma sa bahay ng kanyang ama.
Nakahanap siya ng puwesto sa likod ng isang gusali kung saan walang mga estudyante ang nagagawi. May malaking punong naroon kaya natatakpan siya niyon. Umupo siya sa madamong lupa at inilabas ang baong pagkain.
Pagkatapos kumain ay muli siyang bumalik sa kanyang silid-aralan. Naroon na naman ang lalaking iyon na dumadaldal sa kanya. Kung ang iba ay tila alangang lumapit sa Sabrina, si Apollo ay hindi sumusuko na kausapin siya.
"Where did you eat? Hindi kita nakita sa cafeteria... Snob" pabulong nitong dagdag nang hindi niya pansinin.
Nang matapos ang klase para sa araw na iyon ay mabilis siyang lumabas upang maiwasan si Apollo na mukhang may balak pang kausapin siya.
Mabilis niyang tinunggo ang waiting shed sa labas ng paaralan upang hintayin ang kanyang sundo. Ilang minuto na siyang nakatayo roon nang makatanggap ng text mula sa driver na late siya nitong masusundo dahil nagkaroon ng emergency.
Naisipan niyang maglakad-lakad muna upang makabisado ang lugar. Mangangalay lang din siya kakatayo dahil wala nang mauupuan sa may waiting shed.
Mabagal lang siyang naglalakad habang nakatingin sa paligid nang marinig ang pagkulog ng langit. Tumingala siya at nakita ang makakapal na ulap na nagkulay itim, nagbabanta ng malakas na ulan.
She was walking back to the waiting shed when the rain poured lightly at first, then it became heavy. She was about to run but stopped on her track and looked at the alley in her left. She narrowed her eyes to see what was happening under the heavy pour of rain. She was already wet and there's no point running to find a shade.
Sabrina's hands turned into fists when she saw teenagers who were beating a scraggy dog. They were beating the poor dog with sticks and pipes. What angered her more was the devious smile on their faces.
Instead of going back to the waiting shed, Sabrina walked inside the alley to rescue the dog. "Stop it!" she screamed.
The teenagers glanced in Sabrina's direction when they heard her shouted. "Don't meddle with our business, spongy!" says the taller and lanky boy.
"Stop it! Just stop or I'll call the police!" she threatened when they were about to hit the dog again.
Sabrina did not feel any fear and she did not step back when the girl her age walked towards her. She was pushed on the shoulder using the stick the girl was holding. She did not waver and met the girl's bloodshot eyes.
"That animal bit my friend! It deserves more than a beating! And who are you? Do you want to be beaten like that animal, huh?!"
Sabrina gave the girl a deadpan look and the two boys behind her. They were not from her school, her school doesn't have a uniform and they have. Then her eyes were fixed on the dog. He was limping and crying, he had blood on his head and his left eye was bruised, he can barely open it.
Her heart contracted in pain at the sight of him. She loved dogs, she had a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd back in Alaska. Her father did not agree to the idea of bringing her dogs with her. Before they left for the Philippines with Bernardo's secretary she found foster parents for Shaggy and Sassy. It was a hard decision for her, she loves them very much. She considered the dogs her best friends, siblings and babies.
"You're far worse than the dog. How could you beat that poor animal? Don't you have conscience?!" she cried in anger. She felt like beating them with a pipe too for what they've done.
"Shut up!" the lanky boy shouted and walked towards her. "You ask for this!" he then swung the pipe, the intention was to hurt her. But the pipe was left hanging in the air when a loud voice echoed in that alley despite the loud thudding of rain.
"Don't even try it!"
Napatingin si Sabrina sa may-ari ng pamilyar na boses at napataas ang isang kilay nang makita si Apollo. Hindi ito nag-iisa, sa tabi nito ay dalawa pang matataas na lalaki, ang isa ay medyo malaki ang katawan, maskulado kung maituturing at halatang mas matanda sa kanila ng ilang taon.
Mahahalatang nagulat ang tatlong nanakit sa aso sa mga bagong dating.
Lumapit ang malaking lalaki na kasama ni Apollo sa binatilyong akmang hahampasin ng tubo si Sabrina at walang kahirap-hirap na nakuha nito ang tubo. He was towering the lanky boy.
"P-Pakialamero!" the boy spat and ran together with the other two teenagers.
Nilapitan ni Sabrina ang kawawang aso, the dog snarled at her but she kept on talking to him in a gentle voice. Dogs had a soft spot for gentleness. Nang sa tingin ni Sabrina ay nakuha na niya ang tiwala nito ay sinipat niya ang mga natamo nitong sugat. Hinayaan niyang tumulo ang luha mula sa kanyang mga mata na humalo sa mga patak ng ulan nang makita ang pinsala sa katawan ng kawawang hayop.
The scraggy dog was whimpering and shivering in coldness. She opened her bag, didn't even bother to care if her things were soaked in the rain. She used her jacket to cover the poor dog from the heavy pour of rain. She was about to lift him up when Apollo interjected.
"Let me." Kinarga nito ang aso habang hinihimas-himas ni Sabrina ang ulo niyon upang makalma.
Sa pagkabigla ni Sabrina ay hinawakan ni Apollo ang kanyang braso at hinila pasunod sa mga kasamahan nito. Sumilong sila sa tapat ng isang saradong pharmacy.
"Are you okay?"
"H-ha?" gulat na napatingin si Sabrina kay Apollo. Nakatingin ito sa kanyang mukha kaya nagkasalubong ang kanilang mga mata. Nag-iwas siya ng tingin at itinuon sa aso na mahina nalang na umiiyak. "I'm good... Thank you," she whispered the last words and glanced at the two men beside Apollo.
"This is my brother, Achilles, and my cousin, Lucas."
Tinanguan lang ni Sabrina ang dalawa na parehong nakataas ang sulok ng mga labi habang nakatingin sa kanya. Hindi niya malaman kung ano ang sasabihin sa tatlong lalaking kasama. Nakatuon na muli ang kanyang atensiyon sa aso ngunit nararamdaman pa rin niya ang tingin ng kaklase sa kanya.
"Ma'am Sabrina?" Agad siyang nag-angat ng tingin nang marinig ang pagtawag sa kanya ng kung sino. "Kayo nga! Anong nangyari? Bakit basa ka? Naku, papagalitan tayo ni sir niyan!" bulalas ng driver nang makita ang dalagita.
Napabuntung-hininga si Sabrina at sinalubong ang tingin ng katabi. "P-pwede bang pakidala siya sa vet o sa animal shelter?" aniya kay Apollo na nakangiti na sa kanya.
"Sure! I'll take care of him," he answered vigorously with a boyish grin on his face.
Nakagat ni Sabrina ang pang-ibabang labi habang nakatingin sa mukha nitong nakangiti kasabay nang pagtango ng kanya ulo sa tatlong lalaki. Kapagkuwan ay mabilis siyang tumalikod at sumukob sa payong na dala ng driver.
She was still biting her lips to stop herself from smiling because she can't get rid of Apollo's picture inside her mind. He was smiling boyishly and she was foolish enough to like his smile.
Ngunit ang kasiyahang naramdaman ni Sabrina kanina ay biglang naputol pagkadating nila sa bahay. Naroon na ang kanyang ama at nakita ang kanyang kalagayan. She was wet and messy.
That night, she was beaten by her father using his belt for the first time. She did not cry nor complain because Bernado doesn't like that.
She took every whip and lash.