For The Stars Have Sinned

I couldn’t save the merch I bought before. Fortunately, I hid the gifts from CLGF fans well so they were not burned along with the other merchs. Even though I wanted to stop the maids but I couldn’t because Mama was there, looking like everyone’s her enemy.

I just sighed and looked at the dark sky.

The wind was blowing hard and the rain was pouring heavily. I can almost feel the vibration in the handy umbrella I use. The field of the University is so wide that I have been having difficulty walking since the pathwalk is muddy. I’m afraid the doll shoes will get dirty and I’m going to receive another sermon at home.

I shut my eyes and sigh again. The campus gate is still far away but the hem of my skirt is almost wet. I have no choice but to run to the campus gate. I don’t mind about the splash of mud every time my shoes hit the wet ground.

“Here I come!” I whispered and took refuge in the waiting shed outside the campus gate. Finally arrived!

I folded the umbrella and shook my skirt. My face darkened even more as I shook off the splash of mud that reached the chest area of my upper uniform.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reun approaching me. She also took shelter here and I didn’t notice her when I arrived earlier. “Here, Rishell,” she said and held out a white handkerchief.

I turned to her and smiled slightly while accepting the handkerchief she was handing. “Thank you,” I said.

“I think there’s an incoming typhoon. It was also raining hard the day before,” she said. Reun just stood next to me looking up at the dark sky.

I looked up at the cloudy sky. The rain is still pouring down as if it has no plans to stop. I pouted. “Do you have anyone to pick you up today?” I asked her.

“Yes. But the rain might had caused heavy traffic in Mandaue so the car’s not here yet.”

“Where are you from?” I asked. I didn’t plan to pry but I couldn’t think of anything we could talk about. It’s very awkward if we’re just quiet here.

“I’m from Consolacion.”

“Oh? You should have enrolled in Main campus.”

She smiled crudely. “I prefer here, in Argao. It’s Mama’s hometown.”

“Oh.”

We were silent again. Some students also took shelter in the waiting shed. A few more minutes and the number of students gradually decreased. Suddenly, a car stopped in front of us. Reun stood straight.

“I’ll go ahead, Rishell. Be careful,” she said.

I waved and smiled at her. I just looked at the car driving away and was left speechless. Where’s Gerard? He didn’t tell me in advance that he’ll be late. Frowning, I grabbed my cellphone from my pocket and called his number but no one answered.

So I decided to call Mama. Before I could greet her, she bombarded me with questions. “Joy? Where are you now?”

“I’m still at the University, Ma. Is Gerard there? I can’t contact his number, eh.”

“He had an accident. Your Papa took him to the hospital.”

“What?!”

Some nearby students looked at me so I cleared a throat and looked away. “Who will fetch me? It’s pouring hard.”

Mama was silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. “This is what I told you before. I onky you careful back then, your Dad wouldn’t have taken your student license.”

That blame again?

I cast my gaze down. Actually, I have a student license but two months ago, I bumped the car into a streetlight pole so Papa took my license and hired a family driver for me, which was Gerard. Since then, that man has been picking me up from University.

I snorted. “I’ll just commute, Ma.”

“Alright. Don’t use your phone while commuting, okay?”

“Okaayy.”

She ended the call. I looked at the jeep terminal and saw a few jeeps on the corner. I ran under the rain. All of a sudden, the sling of the shoulder bag came loose and it fell into the mud. I gritted my teeth and picked it up.

When I arrived at the terminal, I saw the long queue. I’m sure, it will take me a long time before I can ride a jeep. I didn’t want to wait in queue but I had no choice.

While waiting for the queue to move, my nose itched. “Hatchoo!” I blinked and felt my forehead. Looks like I’ll be having a fever later, eh.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Here, Oslob-Oslob here!” yelled the operator.

I got into the jeep and sat behind the driver. I took a deep breath and hugged myself. I could feel my muscles shaking from the cold, especially when the cold wind blew into the window of the jeep.

I adjusted my seat and looked out the window. It’s late. When I looked down at my wristwatch, it was half past six in the evening and my stomach was grumbling. My lips pouted and paid fare to the conductor.

I leaned my head to the headrest and closed my eyes. My eyelid suddenly felt heavy so I planned to take a quick nap. But my sleep got deeper.

When I woke up, I noticed that the road the jeep was taking was no longer familiar. It was very dark around and only the streetlight poles and brightness from the houses on the side of the road illuminates the surrounding.

I approached the girl next to me and asked. “Where are we now, Miss?”

She frowned and looked my way. “Oslob. We’re almost at the terminal.”

“Huh? Oslob?” I quickly looked outside. My inside suddenly went cold. I had passed Boljoon! “Just right here, Kuya!” I yelled.

The jeep quickly stopped on the sidewalk. I was sweating profusely while getting off the jeep. I didn’t know which part of Oslob it was but I decided to got off but when my feet hit the ground and I looked around, I felt regret.

There was no public transport. Only private vehicles. Then, only the illuminated covered court nearby gives light to the surroundings. I drew a breath in annoyance. Why did I fell asleep?!

I looked into the distance and saw a large house not far away. But there was no streetlight between the house and the covered court so I would be walking in darkness if I’ll go there to ask where to hail a cab back to the city. I had no choice specially when I heard laughter nearby.

There was a tree on the edge of the covered court where drunkards were chatting loudly under its shade and lone bulb light. I know I’ll just endanger myself if I ask them for direction.

Holding my breath, I walked my way towards the glowing house in the distance. I almost yelled when lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the surrounding for a second followed by loud thunder and heavy downpour.

My uniform was completely soaked in seconds. I shivered when the freezing wind blew past me. Rainwater drips from every strand of my hair. I hugged myself and brought the shoulder bag closer to my body.

I didn’t want to call my mother because I know she’ll just scold me for being too careless. But a few more steps and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I quickly grabbed the phone from my wet shoulder bag but my eyes widened when I saw cracks in the screen.

“What the heck,” I mumbled.

The phone was waterproof but now it’s not. I tried to press the power button but it won’t turn on. I just knew that I could not ask for help from my parents now. Earlier, I was not nervous but now my teeth couldn’t stop chattering in the cold. I was completely terrified.

Shivering, I opened the shoulder bag and rummaged through the inside. The bottom is wet. I looked at the wallet but my cash was wet too.

I looked up when a light hit my face. A car is coming! I immediately stepped forward and stood in the middle of the road, arms outstretched to block the car. I closed my eyes and waited for the car to approach and even though my knees were shaking, I swallowed my fear in the hope that the driver would help me.

The car halted in the middle of the road and that’s when I breathed a sigh of relief. I opened my eyes and quickly stepped closer to the driver’s door. I knocked on the glass window.

The window rolled down and I saw a man wearing shades. He frowned. “What do you think you’re doing, young woman?” he asked me, annoyed.

I swallowed. “Uh, Big Brother, can you take me to Boljoon? Just in Arbor.”

“I don’t do charity work.”

“Ah…” I quickly took out my wallet. “My money got wet. I can withdraw when we pass an ATM.”

He stared at me for a few seconds before shaking his head. “No. I’m busy.”

He raised the glass window of the car. I knocked on it and begged but he didn’t listen. The car sped away.

My insides trembled as the gusts of wind grew stronger. I stood on the side of the road, waiting for a passing car to plead again.

I sat on the muddy ground and hugged my knees. I was in that position for a few minutes when I heard laughter approaching my direction. I looked up and turned my head in the direction of the covered court but I couldn’t see that part very well. I just heard the approaching voices.

“Hey, man. Look, there’s someone sitting up ahead.”

“A girl? Wait a minute.”

I heard fast footsteps approaching my place. I quickly took the shoulder bag and ran away in fear.

“Pre! She’s running away! Let’s chase her, man!”

I tried to run better but suddenly I tripped over a protruding rock. I screamed as I landed on the ground. I gasped as I felt the blood rush down my leg. It looks like I injured my knee from being on all fours.

I stood up and ran away from the drunken men.

The downpour got heavier along with the gusty wind. I feel like I’m about to be blown away by its strength. I tripped again and this time, I was writhing in pain from the wound. No matter how hard I tried to stand up, my shaking knees couldn’t do it.

I can’t do anything but crawl away.

I’m afraid of lightning so every time the sky lights up, my insides shake to the core. But even so, I am thankful for the lightning because it gives light to the surroundings, so I can see what is in front of me.

I crawled faster. When I looked back, I saw that the drunks were having a hard time moving forward because of the mud stuck to their pants. I think it was because of the drunkenness that they did not think of walking on the paved road and preferred to walk on the muddy path.

When I was sure they wouldn’t be able to catch up for a few minutes, I just breathed a sigh of relief and laid down on the road.

I am tired. I’ve been stumbling and I’ve been crawling, and I just want to sleep and rest. I closed my eyes.

“Man, the siren. The police are coming! Let’s go!”

I am tired. I’m very tired…

“Officer, there’s someone lying on the road. Call the ambulance. Now!”

“This is SPO2 Jefferson Estrella. There is a woman lying in the middle of the road. She is unconscious. Send an ambulance to Barangay Masulob-on. To the paddy field. In the middle of Oslob. Yes. We will wait.”

I heard footsteps approaching me but my eyelids were too heavy.