DASHER: THE DASHING DEVIL

CHAPTER 17

AWESOME. Donnie Marie gulped as she stared at the huge house in front of her. Her eyes savoured the amazing beauty of the Claus Mansion. Everything her eyes touched made her mouth water. "May ganitong bahay pala sa Pilipinas?" naitanong niya sa sarili.

Or maybe, she was just dreaming. Or a magical book transported her into an English netherland she didn't know existed. Mula sa gate hanggang sa maluwang na berdeng paligid ng mansion ay talaga namang kahanga-hanga. Contrary to the mansion, its gate was small, probably just the size of her. It was made of black stones. Sa likod niyon ay may isang mahaba ngunit makitid na daan paakyat—the mansion was elevated. Parang nasa tuktok ng maliit na burol.

The 30-meter-pathway was the only place that wasn't covered with green grass, but it seemed fitting to the splendor of that magical place. It added simplicity to the mansion but with character—like a cardboard sign that read: Welcome, visitor. Please come in.

A marbled fountain stood right in front of the huge mansion. A beautiful mermaid, holding a huge shell where water flowed, sat at the center of that marbled fountain. Different kinds of flowers were scattered around that fountain, making it look more phenomenal.

And whoa, the mansion was jaw-dropping. Para siyang nasa England. Everything about that mansion bespoke no Filipino-ism. Mula sa malaking pintuan, sa malalaki at maluluwang na glass windows hanggang sa terasa nito sa ikalawang palapag. From the outside, she could see through the windows some large blue curtains that hanged on the on each sides.

The mansion's roof was slanted at some angle, making it look arictocratic. The cream paint shone maginificently through the moonlight. Kung ganoon kaganda sa labas, paano na kaya sa loob? Naku, hihimatayin na yata siya. Would she be able to walk through the stone marbled path when she came in knowing that everything inside that mansion may have costed a million?

She turned to Dasher, who was as silent as she was. Tatanungin niya sana kung magkano ang halaga ng mansion na iyon. Ngunit hindi niya iyon magawa dahil ang lalaking kasama niya ay parang napatitig sa mga ahas ni Medusa sa ulo at biglang naestatwa.

Ni katiting na kasiyahan o paghanga sa lugar ay wala siyang makita sa mga mata ni Dasher habang mataman itong nakatitig sa mansion. His aqua blue eyes turned cold. His hands were balled on both of his sides. His eyes blistered like a raging ball of fire towards the mansion he grew up to. Hatred was written all over his face.

"Are you okay?" she thoughtfully asked.

"This is the place I hate the most," he whispered. "Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang bahay na ito, hindi isang mansion kundi isang impyerno ang nakikita ko. This house reminds me how my life didn't belong to me," he said in disgust.

"Ikinulong niya ako sa bahay na ito at pinuno ng galit ang buong buhay ko. He molded me through his anger towards life. Tinuruan niya akong magkaroon ng matigas at malamig na puso. I became a selfish servant to him. I was never his son. I never felt love in this place."

"I could still remember how the twins and I were punished just because we played water from that fountain. Alam mo ba kung ano ang ginawa ni Sebastian sa'min nang malaman niya iyon? He gave each of us a toothbrush and made us clean that whole damned fountain!"

"Walong oras naming nilinisan iyan. Simula noong araw na iyon ay ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na kapag nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon, gigibain ko ang fountain na iyan at papalitan ng rebulto ng isang middle finger para kay Sebastian," he said through gritted teeth.

"This place is Sebastian's territory. Lahat ng sabihin niya ay batas, walang pwedeng bumali. Whenever I am inside that place, I feel so insecure of myself, so inferior, so angry."

And so afraid, her mind silently added. Dasher didn't only hate his father, he was also afraid of him. And he hated himself because he was afraid of the man he'd always hated. He hated Sebastian because he couldn't give the love Dasher wanted to have from his own father. Love, when not receive, is often sugarcoated with hatred.