Stolen Chances

Chapter 1

Love is something that people couldn't live without but right now, I don't think I need that. What I need is freedom. Freedom to do what I want without being scared of what might be. Growing up, I always feel like I am caged. Iyong tipong hindi ako makahinga dahil bawat galaw ko ay kalkulado. I can't do things on my own because my family kept on refraining me.

Kanina pa ako pabalik-balik sa loob ng silid ko at iniisip ang mga bagay na kulang sa dadalhin ko kapag umalis na ako dito sa bahay namin. Yes, you read it right. I am leaving. No, scratch that! I am planning to runaway from home. Anywhere far away from home.

I looked at my suitcase and I couldn't think of anything to bring with me. Masisiraan na ako ng bait kakaisip kung ano ang dadalhin, kung ano ang kulang. I was paranoid.

Damn! Now, what Ariella? Diba dapat hindi mo na inaalala pa iyan?

Kailangan ko ng maka-alis dito! I thought to myself.

I then looked at my watch to check the time.

It's 5:30 am in the morning and I needed to go already dahil baka magising pa sina Papa at Mama. I'm sure they'll be very mad once they see me sneaking out of our house. Iyon pang mga iyon? They'll probably chained me on my bed once they found our that I planned my way out.

I put all the other things that I'll be needing to survive in my suitcase. I took my wallet with me. I withdrawn cash kahapon and I'm lucky that Papa didn't find it out. Hindi naman kasi siya nagtanong. So I guess, hindi pa niya nakikita.

Kinuha ko na ang maleta ko at dahan-dahang lumabas ng kwarto ko. Nang makarating ako sa tapat ng gate namin, nakita ko kaagad si Kuya Rob. He was waiting for me. I'm thankful that Kuya Rob was there to help me. Although, napilitan lang siyang gawin tong plano ko, I am still thankful.

"Goddamn this, Ariella! Kapag nalaman ni Uncle tong kabaliwan mo, mapapatay niya ako!" Reklamo kaagad niya pagkakita palang niya sa akin. I pouted my lips to gain his sympathy but he just glared at me.

"Oh siya, siya! Basta, mag-iingat ka doon ha? Wala kang kasama doon. Tawagan mo ako kapag may nangyari."

Nailagay na lahat ni Kuya ang maleta at iba pang gamit ko sa taxi na inarkila niya.

"Don't worry, Kuya. I can handle myself. Salamat sa tulong."

I kissed him goodbye before saying farewell. Nang maka-alis na kami ng taxi, doon lang ako nakahinga nang mabuti.

Now I know I'm free.

I'll be heading to Delphi. Doon ako magtatago. I'm sure Papa will do everything to find me. He can find me in just a snap kung sa ibang lugar ako magtatago. Delphi is way too different from any other place here in Eudaimonia. Press can't go there. Informations were limited there. Kaya I'm sure, hindi ako mahahanap nina Papa dito.

Napapikit ako nang maalala ko na naman ang puno't dulo ng gulong ito. Hindi ko naman talaga balak na tumakas. In fact, hindi nga ako mabubuhay na walang kasama. I am the type of person who can not live without my parents. I am daddy's girl, ika nga. But there are things that need to stop. And one of those are this caging thing. I admit, I grew up being a spoiled brat that I am. Binebaby nila ako sa bahay na pati mga pinsan ko ay itinuturing akong bata. I couldn't play the sports that I like because I have to play the one that my family wanted me to play.

I want to join the basketball team or the volleyball team in our university but I couldn't since my mom wanted me or should I say had already enrolled me in a ballet dancing team. Hirap na hirap akong magsayaw and so I did what I had to do. I was enrolled but I was not attending in any of the ballet class. When my mom found out about me dropping out from the ballet class, she was so mad. She confiscated all my gadgets.