VI - Stripped

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Primrose's POV

Warning: There are no accurate words to describe my fails in my first practice with this creep. Please bare with my clumsiness. Thank you.

Round 1: The Fallen Tarzan

Mula sa taas, kailangan kong lumambitin sa trapeze bar na parang Tarzan until I reach the end point na nasa kabila. Nanginginig ang mga paa ko sa kaba. Seriously, how long are they gonna push this stunt? Buong akala ko, kakapit lang ako sa bar then habang nagsu-swing ako, saka ako magna-knife throwing. Eh, gusto na yata nitong mamatay na ako!

"Hoy pagong, bilisan mo!" sabi ng Hudas na walang ibang ginawa kundi laitin at sermunan ako. With help of Moiselle na expert sa larangang ito, tinuruan niya ako ng konting acrobatic stunts na sa totoo lang eh, hindi ko kinaya.

"Heto na! Lakas mong makalait diyan, para namang may naitulong ka!" 'Di pa man, umuusok na ang ilong ko. Bantay lang 'to mamaya. Makikita niya!

"Yo, don't put pressure on her. Habaan mo ang pasensya mo. Sooner or later matututo rin 'yan," sabi ni Moiselle kay Judas. Now that she's on my side, lumakas ang loob ko.

Inhale... Exhale... And go--*blag!*

As soon as I reached the center, my hand slipped from the bar kasunod ng bigla kong pagbagsak sa sahig na nilatagan ng foam. Mabuti na lang kamo't meron n'on in case na malaglag ako--which is nangyari na nga.

If not? Huh, patay na. Siyempre, hindi hahayaan ng circus na malagay sa peligro ang buhay ng mga tauhan nila. After all, isho-shoulder nila lahat ng liabilities sakaling ma-injure o mamatay ang member. This circus is strange however, may pagkakapareho rin sila sa circus na meron ang real world.

"Whatcha' say, Prim? Still alive?" asked Moiselle. I don't know if she's teasing me or what.

"Nabalian 'ata ako," pag-iinarte ko--nang matapos na 'to!

"I doubt any woman has ever been fractured by foam, idiot." I don't ask for your opinion, Judas!

"Damn you..." I cussed.

Nagmamagaling porket may alam ng "very very slight" sa acrobatics, 'di man lang niya inisip ang kapakanan ng ibang tao! Aside from throwing deadly weapons, I have no idea what on earth am I doing at this very moment! I can't learn every single detail about trapeze for just a day! Yes, a day!

Imagine, dapat sa mga susunod na araw ko pa gagawin 'to but he's pressuring me to do it as soon as possible na para bang mamaya na kami magpe-perform. Hindi naman kami minamadali nila Happy, eh. Siya lang 'tong hayuk na magpakitang-gilas! Ang hambog ng walanghiya!

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Two days later...

Round 2: Ahoo! Ahoo! (The Fallen Tarzan: Reborn)

Same stunt with slight changes and deadly efficient twist. Now, my goal as Judas' partner is to reach him on the other side. Kailangan kong matiyempuhan ang pagswing niya papalapit sa 'kin upang magawa 'yon.

Kumapit akong mabuti sa bar and I did the Tarzan thing. I swung for about two before I released my hand. As expected, nauwi iyon sa kapalpakan at ang ending? Nalaglag ako sa foam.

Sa pangalawang ulit, nangyari na naman ang scenario sa first round two days ago. I fell again and again. Damn it, quotang-quota na ang katawan ko sa kakahulog! I was scolded by Judas every time I meet my fall on the ground. Rinding-rindi na ang tenga ko sa pagbubunganga niya!

"Dumbass! Primrose, you dumbass!" Shit, it sounds like the Japanese translation to me:

Boke! Primrose, boke! Uh, help. Lalagnatin yata ako.

"Hey, you two. Come here," the voice called our attention. It was Cheshire who just entered the rehearsal tent. He was holding some paper na ewan ko kung para saan. Lumapit kaming dalawa ni Judas at nakinig sa kanyang announcement.

"Good day," bati ni Judas. Wow, 'kakagulat. Marunong pala 'tong bumati?

Cheshire replied with a flying kiss. Okay, so in this circus, it looks like I'm the only one who's not captivated by this bullshit. C'mon look, in reality, I'm a boy. Hindi ako babae at mas lalong hindi ako katulad ni Cheshire na bakla.

"I'm waiting, my dear Judas! Kiss me back!" malanding sabi nito. Oh geez, I feel like I'm gonna throw up!

Judas avenged him with a glare na siyang nagpabalik sa katinuan ni Cheshire. "What do you want?"

"Oh, yes. Let's get back to business. I would like to inform you that your schedule of performance will be tomorrow at eight in the evening. Take all your time to practice because tomorrow is your judgement day whether you are qualified to be part of the main cast or not."

"Say what?!" gulat kong sabi. "We're not ready enough! Can't you give us more time? Three days palang kaming nagpa-practice at wala pa kaming one week sa circus niyo! Imposibleng makapag-perform kami ng stunts by tomorrow!"

"Well, we already discussed this at hindi namin papayagang magulo ang schedule of events for this week. Bukas ang huling show para sa linggong ito. You can't just say no to that."

"At bakit?!" Susugurin ko na sana si Cheshire kaso, hinarangan ako ni Judas.

"That's enough," he said. "Please tell to our leader that our presence tomorrow will be assured."

D-Did he just say, tuloy ang laban bukas?

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT--" He covered my mouth. Not bad, hindi mabaho ang kamay niya. Goodness, Primus, what the hell are you saying?

"I'll take care of this," said Judas, The Great.

"Good. Kitakits na lang bukas, dahling!" Another flying kiss. Baklang 'to talaga.

"That's it! Bahala ka! Mag-perform ka mag-isa mo!" Tinalukuran ko siya at akmang maglalakad nang pinigilan niya ako.

"Who told you to leave? We still have time left," he said, looking straightly to my eye. "If you can't do this just because you're an airheaded tart, you must listen to me very carefully--"

"What did you just call me?"

"Tart," ulit niya. "Your outfit doesn't suits you, to be frank. Besides, judging by your looks, it seems like you've had sex with many men."

The fire starts to grow inside me, like I'm burnin' up in too much anger. Nagtatagis ang mga ngipin ko at awtomatikong kumuyom ang aking mga palad. Bakit, bakit laging ako ang pinagti-tripan nito?! ANO BANG NAGAWA KO SA 'YO?

"H-Hey, Prim, y-you're not gonna kick us outta' here, are you?" kinakabahang wika ni Moiselle na nakatayo sa tabi ko.

Out of control, I slapped Judas, harder than Jude's when I was in the manor. Sa lakas ng pagkakasampal ko, napatingin 'yong ibang nagpa-practice sa tent, but I don't give a fuck. My concern is what this scumbag called me.

"Just because I'm wearing this disguising outfit, doesn't mean you have the right to call me whatever you want! You demon!"

I made my exit. Ang kapal ng apog niya, sobra! Pinahiram ako ng isang circus member ng damit na medyo revealing kaya ako nag-dare na suotin ito. No choice dahil 'yong mga damit ni Moiselle na puwede niyang ipahiram sa akin ay hindi pa tuyo. Right before I came back to my tent, hinabol ako ni Judas. Tuloy-tuloy lang ako sa paglalakad. Nang marating namin ang loob, hinatak niya ako.

He placed his mouth into my ear saying, "I'm no demon, but one hell of a Count Dracula."

"What?"

Judas cupped my face softly. I could still feel the heat, hindi dahil sa galit, kundi sa kakaibang sensasyong dala niyon.

"Forget it. I'm sorry."

He apologized?

I released from his hand. "It's not easy to forgive, you know. I've never been treated like this since I was born at sa lahat ng taong nakilala ko rito sa Wonderland, ikaw ang kinasusuklaman ko. Bakit? Kasi hindi ka marunong rumespeto sa mga kababaihan! Sa tono ng pananalita mo kanina, parang binabase mo sa paraan ng pananamit ang estado ng isang tao. Na kung ang isang babae ay nakasuot ng hindi kaaya-aya sa paningin ng lalaki, pokpok na agad."

There, I ruined my outfit. I stripped, I take off that damn dress in front of him. Tinapon ko 'yon sa kanya. Of course, I covered the parts he mustn't have to see. My tears burst like the strong rain. My heart was already wounded and now even more damaged.

"If it wasn't for someone who lend me that fucking dress, I will walk naked for the rest of the day! I came here without bringing any clothes except my pink wet dress which is hanging outside! You have no idea how much I hate that bullshit! Pero anong ginawa ko? Sinuot ko pa rin! Kasi ayokong mabastos paglabas ko ng tent na ito! But no matter what I do, may isang tao pa ring kukutya sa pagkababae ko at paparatangan akong bayaran base sa suot kong damit!

"A-anong klase kang lalaki, ha? Ano, ano ganyan ka rin ba sa ibang babaeng nakakasalamuha mo, ha? Para sa kaalaman mo, hindi lahat ng babae, puwede mong tawaging bayaran! Wala kang karapatang sabihan ako ng gano'n dahil hindi mo alam ang bawat sulok ng pagkatao ko!"

Noon ko unang naramdaman ang pagiging babae, na bagama't lumaki akong lalaki, nasasaktan ako sa tuwing inaapakan ang dignidad ng isang babae. My mother used to wear such clothes in her time kaya ramdam ko ang sakit nang marinig ko ang masasakit na salitang 'yon mula kay Judas. Kulang na lang sabihan niyang pokpok din ang nanay ko. Ang sakit!

Kinuha ni Judas ang kumot na nasa ibabaw ng higaan niya at nagulat ako sa sunod niyang ginawa. He placed it around my body to cover my nudity. Niyakap niya ako at sa 'di maipaliwanag na dahilan, napasubsob ako sa dibdib niya. I cried more than I thought. I felt his hand on my head, he's caressing my hair. Lalo niyang hinigpitan ang pagyakap sa akin.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't listen to you. Hindi ko man lang inisip kung anong mararamdaman mo. I'm sorry for making you cry, Primrose. Please, forgive me. Forgive my rudeness and I promise, I will never be the same again."

I heard him sniff. He's crying.

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