Hell, All Over Again

Chapter Two – The Past

            ROSE ANN was in sixth grade when her mother met Don Joaquin. It was like strucking a goldmine because the man was immediately hooked with her mother. Everyone thought they were so lucky to have their life changed for the better. But little did they know, the kind and gentleman Don Joaquin Romero was just a mask, because behind that mask is the devil himself who ascended to earth to give them hell.

            Even after finding that out, her mother didn’t budge and decided to stay with him anyway. Ayaw na raw nitong bumalik pa sa club. Minsan lang daw dumating ang ganitong biyaya, hindi man perperkto, at least kahit paano ay hindi na sila maghihirap. Sa batang edad, ano pa nga ba ang magagawa niya kung hindi ang sumunod?

Rose Ann was in her final year in her high school when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was too late for the treatment; she withstood the pain for so long until it reached the end stage, it was too late to save her.

            But that did not stop her stepfather from maltreating her mother. He continued to hurt her, abused emotionally and physically. Oh, how she hated him! And how she hated her mother for not retaliating. Ayon sa ina, ngayong may sakit ito, mas lalo nilang dapat manatili sa poder ng matanda, mas lalo nila itong kailangan.

            Ilang beses din siyang naglayas pero sa tuwina’y naibabalik siya palagi sa poder ng mga ito. Ayaw niyang makita ang pahihirap ng ina dahil sa sakit nito. Mas lalong ayaw niyang makita ang pang-aabuso ng ama-amahan kahit pa may sakit ang kanyang ina. At hindi lang iyon, nasaksihan din niya kung paanong maging sadista ang matanda sa pakikipagniig sa kanyang ina. Hindi niya sinasadya pero nakita niya iyon minsan. Halos masuka siya sa nasaksihan.

            Kaya naman lalo siyang nagalit sa ina. Bakit? Bakit hinahayaan nito ang lalaking iyon na babuyin ang katauan nito? Bakit?

            Kahit kailan ay hindi niya maiintindihan iyon. Hanggang sa pumanaw ito at sa ama-amahan pa siya inihabilin. Pero naglayas uli siya. Nagpakalayo-layo pero sadyang malakas ang koneksiyon nito at mapera kaya naman naibalik uli siya sa mansiyon na labag sa kanyang kalooban. Simula noon, palagi na siyang ikinukulong sa basement kapag sumusuway siya sa kagustuhan ng Don.

            The only consolation Rose Ann got was when she entered college and realized she was attending the university where Jamin Alejandro was. Rose Ann was aloof. She didn’t want to be close to anyone, nor interested in making friends. She hid herself behind the huge, rounded frame unprescribed glasses. Her hair was naturally curled, and she just let it go like that. She looked tacky, unappealing and unattractive. She really did not want to get any attention to her, so she made herself invisible.

Jamin Alejandro was a star struck. Lapitin ng babae. Lapitin ng barkada. Matalino, mayaman, magaling sa kahit anong activities, academically or sports, lahat ay kaya nitong gampanan. Dahil kilala rin ang ama nito sa pagiging pilantropo, pinanindigan nito ang pagiging isang huwarang estudyante, anak at mamamayan. He smiled his best and he always did a good job in everything.

Jamin Alejandro always maintained a clean-cut look.  He had a Spanish blood in him that he inherited from his father, and the other half of Filipino blood that he got from his mother. He had a semi-curled hair, an oval shape face, as well as his brown eyes, with eyebrows set straight and a straight mid-length nose. His mouth had an average lip, and he was tall at the height of six feet and an inch.

He was always smiling. He always made himself approachable. Kaya naman hindi rin naiwasan ni Rose Ann ang palihim na hangaan ito. Sinusundan niya ang bawat activities nito. Nangalap ng mga pictures sa mga papel at magazines na mapi-feature ito. Like any other girls, she was once a cutesy-tootsie girl fantasizing about him, but all were done in secrets.

And like any other girls who couldn’t realize their dreams, Rose Ann feelings stayed hidden. Nakuntento na lang siyang tingnan ito sa malayuan hanggang sa sabay silang nagtapos ng college-- si Jamin sa business course at siya, kapareho nito pero kahit minsan ay hindi siya nito pinagtuunan ng pansin-except for that one particular event. Nalungkot si Rose Ann pagka-alala sa kaganapang iyon.

Right after college, Don Joaquin forced her to work for him at the lowest level. He wanted to show that nepotism was not allowed in his company. But she knew the truth; it was just to save his face. He didn’t want any tongues wagging against his reputation. He sent her into different positions to spy for him. Yes, to watch out every department and find out what they are plotting against his back.

He made other people do his dirty tricks while he was saving his face. And Rose Ann herself was the perfect bait. Everyone saw her as a beautiful angel, so everyone befriended her. She was getting sick of it, of pretending to be nice and perfect. She hated all of it.

Little did she know, it was all Don Joaquin’s plan to have a daughter such as her to bring more businesess into his company, more money in his pocket. That was how sly he is. He used her beauty, her kindness to attract charities. And the more she appeared in the social world, the more businesses he got involved with. That was why she must maintain that act as solid as she could be.

Rose Ann pulled herself to the present. She closed her eyes to clear her mind from thinking. Pagod siya. Sa totoo lang said na siya sa sakit mapa-pisikal man, isipan at emosyon. Nangisi siya sa isiping mabuti pa ang ina, tahimik nang nakahimlay at hindi nararamdaman ang p*******t ng matanda.

Nagpakawala si Rose Ann nang malalim na hiniga. She forced herself to fall asleep.

DON Joaquin looked at the magazine where Jamin Alejandro and his Empire Company have been featured. Alejandro’s businesses were booming fast and he wanted a part of it. They were opening an auction for the shares they are releasing in next two months so he must prepare everything. It was hard to get in since he was not a family member and only a family could bid for the shares. He had panned for Rose Ann to be part of that family. He slyly smiled about the idea that was playing in his mind.

EMPIRE- the Alejandro Corporation. Pumarada ang silver na Lexus LFA sa harapan ng ng twentieth story building na gawa sa mga tinted na salamin.

JAMIN Alejandro received a call from Don Joaquin Romero, the father of charity, that’s what the media calls him because of the non-stop charities he organizes and helps out. He is also known for being the father of Rose Ann Romero, the lady with a nightingale heart.

            Jamin smiled upon thinking of her. She sure is beautiful, the kind of beauty that is classic. Her wavy long black hair is always in place, not a strand to see and neatly tucks behind her ear while the other side just naturally sways against her cheek. She always has a smile plastered on her face, and not a hint of hypocrisy.  She is quick to approach and easy to talk to.

            Her red pucker lip what’s always pulls him back to look at. They are naturally red even with just a hint of lipstick. She has a set of brown straight misty eyes that look back straight at you, as if looking to your very soul. Her brows are always in perfect round shape, while her medium delicate nose compliments her high cheekbones. Her heart shape face made every feature in her face perfectly just for her.

            Rose Ann is five feet and seven inches tall, and at the age of twenty-three, she is considered the most sought bachelorette in the country. She is a perfect masterpiece that every man would want to have. Her slender body was sculpted carefully, putting every shape in place perfectly. Though her breasts are always covered, Jamin knew that the other men were also thinking how those pair of boobs would size up to their palms. Her ass looks so fine it makes every man want to squeeze them.

            He nodded his head, erasing the unpleasant thoughts he’s having of her. There’s just something about her that he’s piqued on. Good girls like bad stuffs, iyon ang sinabi ng kaibigan niyang si Bret sa tuwing magkaka-upuan silang magbabarkada at pag-uusapan nila ang katatapos na charity ball na kinabilangan nila.

            He’s been in a few charity events with Don Joaquin, but he never once met Rose Ann personally. She was always in the middle of the event, so it was hard to get her attention. At alam niyang kahit pagod ay pinanatili nito ang mga ngiti sa labi at hindi nagreklamo sa matataas na takong ng suot nitong sapatos. Kaya naman hinahangaan niya ang pagkatao nito at naniniwalang tama lang na bansagan itong a beautiful angel dahil bagay nga ito rito.

            At hindi rin niya alam kung bakit hindi niya magawang lumapit dito. Siguro ay dahil hindi pa lang niya mawari kung sino ba talaga si Rose Ann Romero sa likod ng mga party na ito.