The Cursed One

4 | Flowers and Deceit

The buttery sunshine poured down on her face that made her open her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the blue sky peering from the narrow frame of the two adjacent buildings. The second thing she noticed is the awful smell seeping through her nose. And the third is the place where she was sleeping.

Hindi niya maalala kung kailan siya nakatulog sa basurahan.

Sinubukan niyang tumayo at napamura nang mahina nang maramdamang may nahawakan siya. She grimaced as she saw the spoiled food next to her and now it's all over her hand. 

Napalingon siya sa paligid. Walang tao. Agad siyang bumaba mula sa basurahan na agad naman niyang pinagsisihan dahil mataas pala iyon. She landed on her butt and she groaned in pain at the contact. Agad naman siyang tumayo at hinugasan ang kamay. Mabuti nalang at may nakita siyang isang bote ng tubig na itinapon na rin doon. 

She sighed as she looked at the spoiled foods thrown in the garbage. Seeing them, she wondered if the people ever considered how lucky they were to have food on their table. Madali lang sa kanila na magtapon ng mga tira-tirang pagkain dahil marami naman sila noon. But for people like her who strive on the streets, seeing spoiled food gives her a sense of anger. Sinipa niya ang basurahan and the sound echoed across the narrow alleyway. 

It's been four years. Four years since she rose from the ashes. Hindi rin siya makapaniwala sa nangyari. She couldn't believe how the nuns burned her alive. She couldn't believe how they betrayed her. She couldn't believe how she was alive after that when she definitely felt fire touch her skin and burn her flesh. She felt everything. She heard her own screams. She saw how the nuns looked at her as though she's an abomination. And she remembered it all. 

But she rose again. Hindi niya alam kung paanong nangyari iyon. There was not a single scar on her skin. Not a single burn. But she knew better than to linger on the place swarming with people wanting to kill for reasons she doesn't know. Kaya naman agad siyang umalis sa lugar na iyon at nagpalaboy-laboy nalang. She remembered how she stole clothes to cover herself up dahil nasunog ang suot niya. And she started lying low after that. She wandered the streets of Finnore. Stealing from people to survive. 

Nang makalabas siya sa eskinita ay agad siyang nagpalinga-linga hanggang sa may makita siyang malaking salamin na nakapaskil sa isa sa mga tindahan na naroon. She beheld herself clad in dark jeans she had been wearing for almost four days now and a dirty white shirt that still has traces of those spoiled food. Inamoy niya ang sarili niya at napangiwi nalang siya nang malamang kailangan na niyang maligo. With a few coins left, she went to the nearby tavern and paid for the bathroom and some clothes. Mabuti nalang at nagkasya ang pera niya. 

The owner of the tavern eyed her suspiciously but she just gave him a sheepish smile before she went inside the bathroom and enjoyed her bath. If she's going to steal today, she has to at least smell good para naman hindi siya layuan ng mga biktima niya. People often get cautious around people who they think don't fit in when they should be more cautious of people who fit in. 

Nang matapos siya sa pagligo ay agad naman siyang nagbihis. Nagrenta na rin siya ng kwarto para tutulugan niyang mamayang gabi. She doens't want to end in a trash bin again. Nilabhan niya ang damit na suot kanina at pinatuyo iyon sa kanyang kwarto. By the time she emerged from her room, she was already well-dressed. 

It was a dress layered with a leather corset. The cloth was not too comfortable but she looked comfortable enough as she beheld herself in the mirror. The tavern owner gave her a look and she just ignored him. Agad naman siyang lumabas at pinagmasdan ang paligid. Maraming tao. Hindi na siya nagtaka. After all, it's Finnore day. The Royal family will be paraded across the streets and people worships them as though they were gods who gave them their lives. And women ogle at the Princes for their dashing smiles and just for just being a Prince. 

She supposed it was a nice opportunity for her to steal. Magsisiksikan ang mga tao makalapit lang sa parade at doon na niya pagagalawin ang kanyang kamay. 

"This would be bountiful," she whispered to herself before she walked towards the thick crowd. 

*** 

The smell of daisies and all sorts of flowers seeped through her nose. Earlier, she could smell the awful smell of pollution but as she walked straight to the thick crowd, all she could smell are flowers. 

"Gusto mo ba, ineng? Makakatanggap ka ng grasya kapag isinaboy mo ito sa daan ng mga prinsipe," alok sa kanya ng matandang babae na naroon sa gilid. 

Of course I'll be taking a lot of blessings today. 

Hindi na sana niya bibilhin ang bulaklak pero may tira pa naman siayng barya kaya kinuha nalang niya iyon. Hindi na niya narinig na nagpasalamat ang matanda sa kanya at agad siyang nakipagsiksikan sa mga tao. 

Then the horns sounded. Then the fanfare started to play. The people cheered and raised their purple and yellow flags--Finnores colors. She weaved my way into the thick crowd as she heard voices of the guards asking the people to part the way for the Royal carriage to pass. Umatras naman ang mga tao, giving way for the carriage. And then they started throwing flowers on the path. The fanfare continued to ring together with the cheers and shouts of the people. 

Then she made her move. 

Her hands, quick as lightning, started going from pockets to pockets. Her victims, not noticing that her hand had been in their pockets. By the time the carriage arrived near her position she looked up. She saw the King first. He was sitting on a chair gilded with gold and intricate design. He was waving to the people and the people cheered and started to throw flowers in the King's direction. My hand went inside a woman's satchel and took her pouch. 

Then the next royal carriage appeared with the first prince Finnore atop the platform. He was smiling at the people. He even went to crouch down and touch a child's head as though he was blessing the child. 

You're not a goddamn priest. 

Nagpatuloy siya sa pagdukot ng mga dapat niyang dukutin. By the time the royal carriage of the second prince arrived, her satchel's almost full of pouches. She threw one stalk of her bundle of flowers and it reached the Prince's platform just like the others. The second Prince isn't as cheerful as the first. He just stood there and looked straight ahead. Rinig na rinig niya ang nakakririnding tili ng mga kababaihan sa gilid. 

And then the third prince's carriage arrived. 

Prince Reagan Serranova looked regal as always. Hindi niya pa rin makalimutan ang kabutihan na pinakita sa kanya ng lalaki noong mga bata pa sila. Kindness is not something she would forget easily kaya naman hanggang ngayon ay hinahangaan niya ang prinsipe. She threw the rest of her flowers to the Prince's carriage. Sakto namang napunta iyon malapit sa paa ng prinsipe. 

And the prince looked at it. Looked at the flowers she threw. Then his eyes went to the crowd. She remained to stare at him as he flashed his dashing smile to the people. Nagpatuloy naman siya sa kanyang ginagawa at nang tingnan niya ulit ang gawi ng prinsipe, saka niya namalayan na nakatingin din ito sa kanya. 

Nakakunot ang noo ng lalaki at ang mas malala pa ay nakatingin ito sa kamay niya na nasa loob ng bag ng isang babae. Hindi siya umiwas ng tingin sa prinsipe. Sa posisyon nito, kitang-kita nga siya kung anong ginagawa niya. Then his smile tugged into slight curve as his eyes went back to her face. 

Her heart hammered against her chest. Sino ba naman ang hindi kakabahan na ang prinsipe na ang nakakita sa kanya na nagnanakaw? Hinintay niyang sumigaw ang prinsepe at ipahuli siya ngunit hindi iyon nangyari. Bagkus as ngumisi lang ito sa gawi niya hanggang sa makalagpas na ang karwahe nito sa kung saan siya nakatayo. She swallowed hard and sagged a bit. 

Tiningnan niya ang karwahe ng prinsipe na palayo na nang palayo. She grasped her now full satchel and walked away from the crowd. 

She had already taken enough. 

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