"Color doesn't define WORTHINESS and blood doesn't define AFFINITY"
(A short story by Ma. Julie Bee Unlayao)
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| PHOTO SOURCE: PINTEREST.COM |
The Throes
of a Green-Eyed Albino Girl
It was a cold and rainy
evening in a small city of Malaya, somewhere in the province of Bohol. A young
girl in a hooded black coat was walking on the streets towards an open wooden ancestral
house owned by the Sebastian’s. She entered the house through the backdoor
swiftly and carefully hoping that nobody can see her or even notice that she
has arrived. She walked slowly on a dark and flamy Philippine rosewood floor and
seemed like following a ballerina dance routine, it was soundless, and well
executed ,she’s obviously used to it like a sneeky expert. She went straightway
to a well lit room and spoke in a whisper voice “Mama, I’m home”, she reached
for her right hand and pressed her forehead to it. Mrs. Regina reached for the
comb on her table and asked the girl to sit down, then she started to comb the
girl’s white long hair, as white as the sheep’s wool and with love she
caressed the girl’s white skin, as white
as snow and then she spoke while continually stroking the comb unto the girls
hair “Nieve, how was school today?”
“It was good Mama, the school is still very beautiful
actually more beautiful than before, our
teachers are always nice and friendly, and uhm, I always love the school garden
too, can’t wait for summer though—“ she answered.
Nieve paused for awhile and with her green eyes she
looked at her mother and spoke again,
“---but everything
in there is not all comfy and nice, my classmates are still being rude to me as
always, the sun is still hiding from those dark creepy clouds, the food in the
cafeteria doesn’t taste any better, eww it makes me wanna throw up even just
the smell of it.”, projecting a disgusted face.
Mrs. Regina
laughed hardly and while they were still talking and laughing, a harsh and deep
voice silence them, It was Mr. Gregorio Sebastian, Nieve’s grandfather. Mr.
Gregorio is a half paralytic man, his body from waist and all the way down was
paralyzed because of a terrible accident two years ago.
“So, your adopted little white one has arrived?” he said
sarcastically.
“I let you keep that outcast in our family, but come on
Regina, do me a favor, keep her voice out of my ears.”, he added.
Mrs. Regina urged Nieve to go to her room and Nieve ran
through the door as fast as she could.
When Nieve has exited the room, Regina broke into tears,
eyes fixed on her father’s and said, “How can you be so rude to her papa?”
“Regina, she’s not ours and she’s not like ours .” Mr.
Greg said.
“ She is our NIEVE Papa, and don’t treat her like she’s
not human, she’s purely human, she has a peculiar pretty white skin, beautiful
white hair, dear green eyes ----yes different from the normal ones but she’s a
human too, she’s even better than all of us here, far way worthy to live than
than the rest of us who did nothing but seeing the uniqueness of others as a
threat. You’re an educated and intelligent person Papa but how coudn’t you
understand that, why can’t you understand her condition?”, Regina breathlessly
answered her father.
Mr. Greg sighed and said, “I have nothing against her
condition, believe me Regiena, I’m ok having an albino granddaughter, there are
a lot of cases like of Nieve but come on Regiena, accept the fact, she’s not
your daughter!”, he paused and breathed deeply then continued.
“YOU JUST FOUND HER SOMEWHERE, WITH BLOOD IN HER MOUTH,
WOUNDED OVER HER BODY. When she came two years ago, you already knew what
happened right? You found her a day after your mom died and your brother lost
his sight, and two days later I met and accident and I was paralyzed, everyhthing
bad happened. Can’t you call it a curse for keeping her? Regiena, you know I
love you, I could have love Nieve because she’s been a good girl since she came
but I just can’t, I cannot love her, I’m sorry”, Mr Greg turned his wheelchair
and left Regiena in the room still broken and weeping.
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| photo source: www.rebellesociety.com |
January
12, 2015 – Ma.Segunda St. Malaya City, Bohol, Philippines
Dear
Diary,
I
don’t want to cry. My tears are just too precious to be wasted.They can never
see a single tear in my eyes, never today, never tomorrow and never forever. I
may be different, I may look unusual for them, I may have this snowy white skin
and unicorn hair and green eyes the rest of the albino children like me don’t
have but I am human too. I deserve to live and to have a place in this world.
Someone up there can hear me right? Someone powerful. Diary is my creator sees
me?
Nieve
Nieve closed her Diary notebook, lied on her bed and keep
thinking about her grandpa and how can she convinche him that everything bad that
happened two years ago was not because of her but because everything just
happens and nobody can’t control deaths or lost.
Early in the morning she woke up evey 6:00am, cooks food
for everyone eventhough they have helpers but she really loves to cook just
like her mother and they love all the food that she cooks except for her
grandpa and her girl cousin Miranda (a 20 year-old daugther of her blind uncle)
who also believes that she is a curse, her uncle doesn’t treat Nieve rudely
though, but his daughter Miranda just ignored her like she never existed.
Nieve has never been absent to school, eventhough she’s
bullied everyday and hated by her classmates it’s ok for her at least she have
her cat Nephets and her boy bestfriend Rei to back her up. They’re the unlikely
friends, the albino one, the cat, and the thief, I’m talking about Rei. He is
Neive’s classmate since she was sent to school two years ago, Rei hated her at first
and believed about the heresay that she is a curse but then Rei became a loyal
friend to her eventually after she saved him from drowning when he tried to steal a boat.
Months have quickly passed. At school under an acacia
tree outside their classroom, the three unlikely friends took shade and had
some snacks and while Nephets and Rei were devouring their empanadas and
drinking their buko juice, Nieve just sat silently, took her Diary notebook and
wrote again as usual.
March
20, 2015- Malaya National High School, Bohol
Dear
Diary,
Yehey!
It’s almost summer, I can’t believe I made it this far, next school year I’ll
be a junior high school student. Right now I still haven’t recovered from the
pain on my left leg caused by Miranda when she threw a heavy mug at me when her
parrot died, she blamed me for it. She saw me holding her dead parrot and she
thought I did kill it. Grandpa just said nothing, I thought he would curse and
yell at me too but he just remained cold and silent. Uncle Bert tried to calm
Miranda but she got hold of the mug near her and threw at me. That was painful
huh. Another thing, my classmates are getting and getting meaner. The bullying
is still going on but as what I’ve promised I never ever cried. Never again,I
hate remembering a horrible event that happened
two years ago when I left the orphanage but that was the only time I
remembered I cried . That was when I saw an old woman lying on the street, bathed with her own
blood, still breathing. I tried to carry her and looked for any help, her blood
all over my white dress but minutes later she stopped breathing. I was so
afraid, I cried hard when a man shouted “you want to die too huh, lady?”, I
can’t remember his face, it was so dark then, he pointed a gun on me and
started shooting, he missed some shots and I believed he didn’t recognized me.
I ran as fast as I could, I tripped hard causing some wounds on my body and
tore my upper lip but then I still managed to escape. I was sore afraid, I
cried hard until all the pains became numb and I closed my eyes. I wish I could
find that man, the man who killed the old woman and the man who almost ended my
life.
-Nieves
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| photo source: www.sodahead.com |
It was past 12am when Nieve wasn’t able to sleep. She
kept on moving and tossing on her bed until she decided to go to the kitchen to
get some cold water and food as well. Quitely she walked through the kitchen
door but she stopped when she heard something. She then decided to open the
kitchen door slowly (not fully opened) and to her horrible surprise she saw her
uncle Bert with a knife stabbing the two maids with grandpa lying on the wooden
floor begging Uncle Bert to stop. Blood everywhere! She stayed on the other side of the door
listening and watching him. Until she remembered something.
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| photo source: coronertalk.com |
“Isn’t he him!” Nieve silently said to herself, when she
remembered the figure of the man who killed the old woman 2 years ago. She now
remembered everything, the man’s deep voice, the man’s well-built and large body,
his silhoutte, much more like his Uncle Bert as she was looking at him on that
very moment. Suddenly Bert started to speak.
“You poor old man, after I killed your wife and pretended
to have lost my eyes trying to save her life you easily took and ate my bait.
You welcomed me again in this hell-damn family after I left it for 3 years. How soft is your heart?” he grinned
devilishly.
Mr. Greg knowing for the first time who killed her wife
tried to reach for his cane but Bert just stepped on his arms injuring it. Mr
Greg helplessly and angrily looked at him and said, “How could you do this?
Why? What have we done to you?”.
“What have you done? Actually nothing, ahm, let me think.
Uhm, maybe for not being honest enough to tell me that I’m an adopted child for
how many years. Until I found out not telling you about it. I did my best to
repay you, work hard at our huge farm and brought good harvest every year, I
took good care of this ancestral house and maintain what is need to be
maintained but then I learnt that everything I’ve been working for will only be
succeeded by someone who did nothing! Someone useless, who only cares about
herself, her garden and her little white albino. I think I should eliminate her
first, you know your beloved daughter.” Bert said.
Mr. Greg begged him to leave Regiena alone that he will
give everything that he wants just to spare her. But Bert’s mind was already
poisoned and was already controlled by his sadistic and murderous nature. He
doesn’t care about anything anymore, all he wants is to kill and satisfy his
addiction, to shed blood. He loves seeing them spilling and splattering in
front of him.
Bert was about to attack Mr Greg when Nephets jumped at
him scratching him leaving him a lot of wounds on the face. Bert cried in pain
and caught Nephets by the hand and threw him away. While Bert was still
struggling from pain Nieve tried to help his grandpa and carried him outside
the kitchen then locked Bert inside. Bert was laughing there like a demon who
has been restored.
Nieve at that time was in her full power of determination
to save her grandpa and her mom. Nieve looked for the nearest phone and called
the police. After she have dialed and gave brief information to the police she
by the back strongly carried her paralyzed grandpa to her mother’s room. Mr.
Greg was so surprised with her strength, a girl like her age can never carry a
man and walked as fast as she can. He must have thought wrongly about her.
Unaware of what was happening Regiena opened the door and
was surprised to see her father out of his wheelchair, bloody and with bruises
on his face. She let them in. Nieve placed Mr. Greg on the bed and she with a
speed of lightning closed the windows, the door and made sure that Bert cannot
open the door. A few moments later Bert is already outside Regiena’s door.
Knocking it harshly with what Nieve thought as a big bolo or something like an
ax. They were so afraid. What if Bert succeed in opening the door, what if Bert
killed them even before the police could save them, what are they going to do
now?
The door was nearly opened and the three prepared
themselves for the attack. They decided to fight back and their main goal is to
hurt him so much that he can never move. They never aimed to kill him but they
will if they have to.
Bert succeeded in opening the door. He greeted them with
that same devilish grin and evil laugh with an ax in his hands aiming for
REGIENA!
“So you’re all here, you just gave me an advantage.
Hahaha. I remember the time you had your car accident, well if you’ll ask me if
who did it, I will answer you with the very big “ME”, Bert this time is facing
to Mr. Greg and he continued, “ I thought you’ll be dead, but unfortunately you
did survive, well yeah, fortunate for you, but this time you will have no escape.
You never know how I long to tear you all apart. Especially Regiena, I wonder
what will your father feel when he lost his only daughter. And your white girl,I wanted to kill her
first because she ruined all my plans, Nieve I don’t want to kill you because I
found you interesting and loving, but your connection to this family gave me no
choice” Bert ran towards Nieve to attack, Nieve managed to avoid the first attack
but the tip of the ax caught her face slightly leaving her a straight deep
wound on her face. Regiena tried to save her but ended up being knocked off.
Bert continuosly aimed for Nieve, Mr. Greg want to do something but he can’t.
Nieve fell on the floor and it was the right time for Bert to kill her when Rei
came to the scene and targetted Bert with his “balisong”. It was bull’s eye, he
have hit Bert’s on the eye (right eye). Bert lose his coordination and Rei took
the chances to punch him and again and again and again until he was sure he’s
unconscious.
When they saw Bert lying on the ground. They thought it’s
their right time to escape and leave him there. Rei got the ax from Bert’s
hands and made sure to check if he still has more weapons with them. After
making sure that he’s unconscious, they all went through the door trying to get
out from the house. Rei carried Mr. Greg, while Nieve carried Regina who was
knocked off.
When they were almost at the exit going to the garden
they heard a loud gun bang following them. They were alerted again and the walk
turned into a run. They already passed through the exit door when suddenly
Nieve fell unto the ground. She was shot. Mr. Greg felt something for Nieve, he
remembered the days that he was being rude to her, and now in times of danger
or even death, this little albino is willing to risk her life for them which is
not her biological family. Mr. Greg felt the urge to protect them all, for
Regiena, and now also for Nieve and Rei.
Mr.Greg covered up Nieve while Rei tried to wake Regiena
up. Rei caught something in the corner of his eyes. He saw Mirinda,hiding in
one of the trees in the garden, crying and shocked of what she saw. Her father
killing everybody. Rei created a plan on his mind. Mirinda!
Bert managed to get out of the door eventhough he’s
suffering from the pain of losing one eye. When he was already in the garden, he
saw Mr. Greg covering Nieve. He kept on shooting Mr. Greg, but failed to kill
him. Mr. Greg is very determine to save the life of the unconscious Nieve.
Regiena is right, Nieve deserves to live like a normal human, and she is even
more deserving to live than those people around her. He must not let her die.
He will protect Nieve and Regiena as his own. No matter if it will cause him
his life.
Bert came closer and closer to them when Rei stopped him
through Miranda. Miranda begged his father to stop. That was the only way Rei
and Miranda can think of to stop the killing. Miranda thinks that her father
will listen to her and because a father loves his child, there is no way that a
father will do anything to hurt his child. But.....
Bert shot Miranda
right in the heart.
“Everyone who blocks my way should be eliminated.” Bert
briefly say.
Bert went closer and closer to them and is about to have
them killed when a bullet goes through his head..
Bert felt pain, pain that is undescribable. He managed to
turned his head to see who shoot him. He saw there 2, no 3, no it’s 5 people
with guns, no there were more of them with that light the blue and red. Before
he fell into the ground, for the last time he saw Nieve, that white little
albino who was not part of his plan of killing but he never had the choice to
suppress his addiction to shed blood and tried to kill her anyway.
Bert remembered of
a baby he carried on his arms a long long time ago but lost her anyway when he
left his wife and that baby to save the farm from burning and chose the
Sebastian family over his own family. A baby girl born from his first love
Nivina.
“Nivina and my baby girl, I’ll see you soon,” with tears
in his eyes Bert’s life has ended.
After the incident, the
Sebastian Family still gave Bert a decent burial. They also cleared and filed
all papers for Nieve’s full adoption. Mr. Greg admittedly say that he was sad
of Bert’s fate and Mr. Greg oftentimes blamed himself for what had happened and
what happened to Greg. Regiena and Nieve were there to cheer him up and never
allow negative feelings in their family again. The 2 maids who were stabbed were rushed to the hospital and they were treated immediately.
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| photo source: philippines.knoji.com |
One day,
Nieve, Rei and Nephets were together
again.They were having a picknick at the field near the Sebastian’s House.
Nieve asked Rei, “It was past midnight when the incident happened,what brought
you there?”. Rei answered, “It was
Nephets, he came into my tree house and kept on bothering me, I just ignored
him at first . But then the 2nd time he came to me, he looked so
messed up and wounded, that’s what brought me there,I ran as fast as I could
and there I saw the two maids lying on the floor covered with their own blood and so on.”.
Nieve just smiled and thanked him again and again for saving them..
On the field they saw a small hut, they went there to
check if they could find some thing s/tools they can use for crafts and they
saw some Bert’s belongings.
They saw a photo. A photo of Bert, a beautiful
woman and a white baby with green eyes. They were a happy family. And Nieve
just stood there, looking at the picture, stunned. END
(Thanks for reading)
-Julie
