“I’VE GIVEN THEM SO MUCH MONEY and yet they don’t stop harassing me. Sabi nila bayad ko raw ‘yon sa mga kinain ko at perang ginasto nila sa akin. But God knows, they never given me money, not even a single cent.” Sabi ni Haze saka napatungo. “They never treated me as family. Tinuring lang nila akong katulong sa bahay nila.”
“Did they abuse you?” tanong ni Nicolo.
Haze nodded. “But mostly, it was a verbal abuse. They often told me how useless I am. But then one time, my aunt’s husband, tried to rape me. Mabuti na lamang at mayroon noon si Tiya Lucia. Hindi natuloy ang masamang balak niya sa akin. Since then, I was very careful at hindi ako uuwi ng bahay nila kung wala si Tiya Lucia.”
Kumuyom ang kamay ni Nicolo pagkatapos niyang marinig ang kwento ni Haze.
“I wanted to get away from th
