The Throes of a Green-Eyed Albino Girl

"Color doesn't define WORTHINESS and blood doesn't define AFFINITY"

(A short story by Ma. Julie Bee Unlayao)

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.

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.

photo source: travel.nationalgeographic.com

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

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.

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.

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 2^nd 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