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Ang Kwarto sa Ikalawang Palapag

Ch. 1 · Ang Unang Gabi sa Maliit na Kwarto

Lorna stands in the open gateway with the last box hugged to her chest, looking up at the house; her two small children stand behind her. The three narra trunks rise black above the roof.
  1. Caption: Pasig, 2007. Dapit-hapon.
  2. Narration: Dito siya lumaki. Ngayon, babalik siya sa maliit na kwarto sa ikalawang palapag — mura, tahimik, at nakaharap sa mga punong narra.
  3. Narration: Si Lorna, 29. Kakalabas lang niya sa bahay ng asawa niya, dala ang dalawang anak at ang natitirang apat na kahon.
Inside the sala for the first time: Lorna has brought in the last box and sets it on the stack at the foot of the wooden stairs. The house is small and crowded with her things.
  1. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Ayan. Lahat na.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna (thinking): Kakayanin namin dito.
Mommy appears in the kitchen doorway and lays down the terms of the upstairs room; Lorna answers quietly and does not argue.
  1. Mommy ni Lorna: Sa'yo na ang kwarto sa taas. Sarili mong ilaw, sarili mong bayad.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Opo, Ma.
  3. Narration: Si Mommy, 56. Dito ang bahay niya — at ang mga patakaran niya.
  4. Mommy ni Lorna: Basta't walang ingay pag gabi. May pasok ang mga bata.
Mommy refuses to ask why Lorna left; Lorna lifts the last box and turns for the stairs without answering.
  1. Mommy ni Lorna: Hindi ako magtatanong kung bakit ka umalis doon. Dito ka ngayon.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Opo, Ma.
  3. Mommy ni Lorna: Kumain ka muna.
Before going up, Lorna stops at the open door of the ground-floor bedroom and looks in on her two children asleep on the mat.
  1. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Toto. Bunso. Matulog kayong mabuti.
  2. Narration: Sa baba sila matutulog ngayon, kasama ang lolo't lola. Hindi sa taas.
Lorna climbs the narrow wooden stairs with the box. The fourth tread creaks under her slipper and she stops to listen.
  1. Lorna (thinking): Luma lang ang hagdan. Kahoy lang 'yon.
She pushes open the door of her room and stands in the doorway with the box: the room is small and bare, and the window is full of the black narra canopy.
  1. Narration: Ang kwarto: isang kama, isang silya, isang kabinet, isang bumbilya. At ang bintana — puno ng itim na dahon ng narra.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Tahimik. Ito ang kailangan namin.
She sets the box down beside the low cabinet and looks at the window. Her first night in the room begins.
  1. Narration: Mura ang upa. Malayo sa kalsada. Tahimik.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Isang gabi lang. Kakayanin ko.
Night. Lorna lies on her back in the dark, too tired to sleep, staring at the ceiling.
  1. Narration: Unang gabi.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna (thinking): Pagod na pagod ako. Matulog ka na, Lorna.
A loose cloud of oversized mosquitoes drifts down from the ceiling corner toward her bare legs.
  1. Narration: Walang tunog. Walang ingay. Basta dumarating.
  2. Narration: Bawat isa, kasinglaki ng dulo ng hinlalaki.
The swarm settles over her calves and forearms; she sleeps through all of it.
  1. Narration: Hindi niya nararamdaman. Hindi siya nagigising.
Morning. Lorna wakes to dozens of bites on her legs and arms and sits on the edge of the bed looking down at them.
  1. Narration: Umaga. Dosenang kagat sa binti at braso.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna (thinking): Ilang lamok ba ang kailangan para sa ganito karami?
She checks the window screen twice. It is unbroken. She tells no one.
  1. Narration: Buong ang screen. Walang butas.
  2. Narration: Tiningnan niya ito ng dalawang beses.
  3. Lorna (thinking): Saan galing ang mga kagat?
Downstairs, the same morning: Mommy and the children eat at the table. Lorna hides her arms and says only that the room is quiet.
  1. Mommy ni Lorna: Alas-nuwebe na. Kanina pang gising ang mga bata.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Nagpuyat po ako.
  3. Mommy ni Lorna: Sa bagong kwarto? Maingay ba?
  4. Mga Anak ni Lorna: Hindi po. Tahimik.
Second night. The room in the dark again, the swarm already settled over her.
  1. Narration: Ikalawang gabi. Ganoon din.
Lorna lies awake, scratching her calf under the blanket, a weight settling on her chest.
  1. Lorna (thinking): Lamok lang. Lamok lang 'to.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Bakit ang bigat ng dibdib ko?
Second morning. More bites, up to the back of her knees. She pulls her sleeves down over her forearms and decides to show no one.
  1. Narration: Mas marami ngayong umaga. Hanggang sa likod ng tuhod.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Hindi ko ipapakita kahit kanino.
Third night. Too tired to think, she sits on the edge of the bed and lies back without checking the window.
  1. Narration: Ikatlong gabi. Wala nang lakas mag-isip.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Matulog ka na, Lorna. Bukas na lang ang lahat.
She is suddenly standing at the closed door with the light on, her palm on the switch, heart slamming, no memory of getting up.
  1. Narration: Wala siyang maalala — ni isang hakbang mula sa kama.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Sino ang nagpatayo sa akin?
Her hand on the switch, the light on, three in the morning. She tries to steady herself.
  1. Caption: Alas-tres ng madaling araw.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Nasa switch ang kamay ko. Nakabukas ang ilaw.
  3. Lorna (thinking): Kumalma ka, Lorna. Kumalma ka.
The room from where she stands: empty, lit, the blanket thrown back, the window black with narra.
  1. Narration: Walang tao sa kwarto. Alam niya 'yon.
  2. Mga Anak ni Lorna (thinking): Pero hindi pa rin bumababa ang tibok ng puso ko.
She checks the bed, the window screen and the floor. Nothing.
  1. Narration: Nakababa ang kumot. Hindi siya bumangon.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Walang butas ang screen. Walang tao sa ilalim ng kama.
She stops moving and listens to the whole house.
  1. Narration: Tumigil siya. Pinakinggan ang buong bahay.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Tulog na silang lahat sa baba. Alam ko.
The room is empty and lit; from the stairs below comes the slow creak of the fourth tread.
  1. Narration: Mula sa hagdan sa ibaba, mabagal ang pag-ungol ng ika-apat na baitang.
  2. Lorna (thinking): Sino ang umaakyat?

End of Chapter 1

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Chapter 2 · written, not drawn yet

Ang Swivel Chair sa Harap ng Pinto

Gabi-gabi nang bandang alas-dos y medya, nagigising si Lorna at tumatakbo sa pinto para buksan ang ilaw. Sa ibaba, ayaw maniwala ni Mommy.

about 24 pages · drawn in about 10 minutes · free for everyone after

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