Under the Red-Light District

Chapter 19

Warning: Readers' discretion is advice.

"Is it really okay for us to leave?"

Humawak ako sa kamay niya at bahagyang pinisil ito. We were running away from our abusive parents. Huminto kami sa sakayan ng bus. Napalingon-lingon siya sa paligid niya as if she was wary of something.

Hinawakan niya ang mukha ko at hinaplos ito. "Tingnan mo ang ginawa nya sa mukha mo..." sambit niya sa nababasag na boses.

"Hayup sya! Hayup talaga sya! Wala syang puso! Kahit bata!" she gritted her teeth.

Yumuko siya upang magpantay kami. She scrubbed my cheeks with her thumbs-up finger to remove the trace of dirt from my face. I flinched nang mahawakan niya ang pasa ko. Bahagya akong napapapikit sa ginagawa niya.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. I am here."

"B-but what if he find us? I-I don't want to go to the basement..." I said timidly while tightening the grip on my bunny plush.

"Nesrin, listen carefully, hindi nya na tayo mahahanap. Hinding hindi mo na muling mararanasan ang lahat ng iyon. Malaya ka na. Malaya na tayong dalawa."

Malumanay siyang ngumiti at marahan na hinalikan ang aking noo. "Hinding hindi na."

Lumuwas kami ng Capital at napadpad sa Royal City. Marami rin kaming pinagdaanan para lang makarating kami rito. Akala namin ay madali lang ito ngunit hindi. Kailangan pa naming magbanat ng buto para mabuhay.

We were sheltered and imprisoned in that house for a long period of time na hindi na namin alam kung paano tumayo sa sarili naming mga paa.

Due to my frail body, I had fallen sick. Dahil sa gamot, madaling naubos ang pera namin. To avoid starving to death, my sister decided to sell her body in the red-light district.

"Sino sya?" the man spoke up, ngumisi siya sa akin. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"S-she's my little sister..." nakita ko ang takot sa mukha ng kapatid ko. "Please, bata lang sya!"

Humagikhik siya. "Ilang taon ka na hija?"

Hindi ko agad naintindihan dahil musmos pa lamang ako. Ang tanging nasa isipan ko lang ay kung bakit umiiyak ang kapatid ko. At sino ang lalaking nakahubad na nasa harapan ko.

"S-she can sing! Maganda ang boses nya!" mabilis na sagot ng kapatid ko at mahigpit na hinawakan ang braso ko.

"Kumanta ka," mariing bigkas niya. "You need to sing, Nesrin!"

"Y-you need to entertain the customer."

We escaped hell only to find ourselves in another layer of hell. It was as if I was in a never-ending cycle. For an eight-year-old such as me, to witness this atrocity was traumatic.

"Do what I told you to do, or you will get punished." He threatened.

And like an obedient doll, sinunod ko ang lahat ng mga sinabi nila. When they pull the string, gagalaw ako. That's when I realized that it was no different from before. It was still the same. Men are the real monsters.