Rogue Wars Online

Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Girl Whose Sin Is Greed

-chapter ninety-seven-

MARCELLA

Falling.

I was falling.

Out of every fear in the world, it's the only thing that eats me alive. The fear of falling drives my obsession for winning.

Falling means going back to the ground. And it's not as beautiful as anyone would imagine.

I was born with nothing.

No name. No parents. No roof over my head.

A beggar couple fed and took care of me when I was a baby. Pero hindi nila ako binigyan ng pangalan sa rason na hindi ako ang totoo nilang magulang. They saw me abandoned in a garbage bin. They were looking for spare food that day but met me instead. Then, for the first three years of my life, they nurtured me.

I was four when they left. Hindi ko alam kung saan sila nagpunta pero hindi na sila bumalik sa garbage dump na tinutuluyan namin. All I can remember is how I waited for them, wishing that the warmth of an embrace would return. Pero wala rin naman akong nagawa nang wala na talaga ito. This is a dog-eat-dog world, so I have to survive for myself.

Dalawang taon pa lang ako nang tinuruan nila akong maghanap ng pera. Musmos at walang masyadong alam, pero marunong mamulot ng basura. Noong tatlong taon, either nangangalimos ako o naghahanap ng basurang mapagkikitaan. I only had one set of clothes - a ripped white shirt na nakuha ko sa basurahan at pants na bigay ng matandang naawa sa'kin. There was no need to wear shoes. We were too dirty for those fancy materials.

"Mai! Halika dito, tingnan mo, may tinapon silang laruan. Mukhang bago pa!"

Mai... It was a name that the street gave me. May nadaanan kaming pamilya noon na naglalaro. The girl who excelled at the playground was called Mai-Mai. For some reason, the other children called me that too. Sabi nila dahil ako rin daw ang mas magaling sa'min na maghanap ng pera.

Sinundan ko ang bata na lagi kong kasama sa pamamalimos. May isang sasakyang laruan sa basurahan. The box was ripped open but the toy looks new. Mukhang tinapon lang ito ng isang bata dahil ayaw niya sa disenyo. Nang hanapin ko kung may paalis na pamilya ay may nakita akong bata na naggagalit dahil hindi niya gusto ang biniling laruan. Hindi ko mapagaling patagalin ang pag-obserba.

Back then, I couldn't believe how they were so quick to throw away such expensive things. Hindi ba nila nakikita kung gaano sila kaswerte?

"Akin na lang 'to..." nasisiyahang sabi ng kasama kong bata. "Gusto mo ba, Mai?"

Umiling ako. I am fascinated with toys, but not those kind.

There was that time na may nadaanan kaming fast-food restaurant. Patok iyon sa mga bata at marami kaming nakukuhang burger minsan. It was the children's hobby to plant themselves on the glass window and watch how the family eat in fascination... and a chunk of envy. Minsan ay sinasaway kami, at kung minsan rin ay ang pamilya na ang lalabas para pagalitan kami. Sometimes, they would be kind enough to buy us a meal.

I don't enjoy watching other eat. Iniisip ko na lang na parte ako ng pamilyang kinakain at iniimagine kung gaano kasarap 'yong pagkain. And that one time I watched through the glass wasn't because of some food, but because of the kid's toy. It was a device that I would later known to be a phone. Naglalaro siya. Until now, hindi ko alam kung anong game iyon but it made me stop and look.