55 - Market

“Shhh… I should be the one to thank you,” he said, “Wash your hands and we will eat. I will also call Indang and Tonyong. ”

She immediately complied. She washed her hands, she also washed her face and put on a little perfume. She also managed to change a nice dress and fix her hair when Fender came out to pick up their two friends. When they arrived, she was presentable to look at. Tonyong was even stunned when he saw her and could not speak.

"My Blessy is really beautiful!"

She blushed at what Fender said. Even though she knew he was too vocal when it comes to her, she was still not used to it. She invited the two to eat. While her boyfriend smile at her when he saw her enjoying and happy on her birthday.





BUT after the fun, there is a replacement. A week after her birthday, she didn’t see Fender, he was gone for a week. She almost become crazy about finding him and where he went. So when he came home with gifts and food, she ignore him because of frustration.

She notices that he's different now. He always says, he got job in the market and he earns more than trading.

Until she got used to Fender that always disappearing. She's confident that he will do nothing wrong but as the days and weeks go by, she feels more and more that Fender is moving away from her.

“Blessy, where is Fender? I don't see him much.” Indang asked her.

“He said earlier, he can't go home because they have a lot of work in the market. You know Indang, I'm starting to get mad. I want to be angry!”

“In that case, you should be angry! He always leaves you here alone here in your house which is dangerous!”

She looked down. The last time she got angry, it has no sense at all and that’s what she hates most of all, the two of them fighting.

“Since tomorrow is Sunday. I also have nothing to do because I am going to church. Do you want me to accompany you? Let's go find Fender in the market where he works.”

Her eyes lit up at what she heard. "Really?"

“Yes so don’t be sad. Tomorrow, we will look your boyfriend, okay?”

She smiled and nodded.

She were at church early the next day with Indang. She clutched the rosary Fender had given her with both hands. She silently praises God because God still does not abandon her despite the trial God has given her. They went straight to the market after attending church. They simply walked around and look for him. Blessy has no problem with long walks because she is used to them.

"The market is kinda big so how can we locate your boyfriend?" Indang had her arm around her. This is because she is familiar with the area. "Hide your beauty, Blessy. Those who will see you might charmed your beauty."

She lightly slapped her arms. "You're insane. I'm not beautiful!"

She simply shrugged and yanked her away. They began to walk around the market courtyard. They went to the wet market first, then to the rice paddies. They examined the young men they saw as tall and about the same size as Fender, but they were disappointed. There isn't even a single trace of the man.

"He's not working here. But where is he?"

"Indang, let's just go home. Fender is obviously not here."

"Are you sure?"

She simply nodded and signal her to return home. The truth is, she's starting to feel uneasy by those men they passed by. They looked at them as if they were walking food waiting to be devoured at any moment. Indang and her were not safe in this place.

"What are you looking for, ladies?"

She was taken aback when a group of men suddenly blocked their path. When she looked at them, she noticed that their big body was covered in tattoos. She tightened her grip on Indang's hand because she was scared.

"Nothing." Indang responded boldly and fearlessly.

"You are welcome to come here first. You both young and fresh." Indang gave them a snide look. "How much do you charge? Are you looking for a client? We will stay with you and give you two hundred pesos each. Sounds good right?"

Blessy could hear the other men laughing, they all had tattoos and their eyes were already red from drinking. She quickly took Indang's hand and motioned for them to leave. They're looking for Fender and don't want to be insulted like this.

"Stop being hurry." The three men stood up and grabbed their arms. "If you don't want one hundred, let's make it 500. That's big money!"

Indang quickly slapped the man with her hand. "We're not a prostitute! Shame on you!" Indang spat at a man who was shock of what she did.

"Goodness!" she was taken aback by what her friend did. She knew they'd be more dangerous than they were.

"Bullshit!"

The tattooed man hand landed on Indang's cheek. She yelled. She wanted to help to her friend, but she was already being held by two men. She wanted to scream, but someone immediately put towel on her mouth, preventing her from doing so, and another man showed her the sharp knife.

"Try yelling."

Her eyes welled up with tears. She just wants to find Fender without putting her own life in danger.

F-fender!

"You pervert! Let us go!"

"Let me bet, these two are still virgins. We've hit a jackpot, dude." They both burst out laughing at the same time.

She looked around, tears in her eyes, hoping that someone will helped them, but there was no one there. Everybody just ignoring them, and no one stopped to help them. Even those two cops who passed by, just laughed and saluted.

"P-please we're begging you, we want to go home," she pleaded. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"After we're done honey. After we taste your body and took your virginity."

When they pulled them somewhere, Indang couldn't lay them down. This would not have happened to them if she just stay in dumpsite! Her body began to tremble, and she was unable to calm down. Her tears did not stop as Indang was taken away, but when the knife was pointed at her side, she fell silent and looked helpless. Is this the way she's gonna die?

"L-let us go! Please, let us go?!"

"Blessy, we can get out of here! We can get out of here, believe me— noooo!!!" Indang was pushed onto a filthy bed by the man.

Only then did Blessy notice that they were in a filthy room with a lot of scattered bottles and cigarette butts. She's not a moron for not knowing what they're going to do to them. Shehe was taken aback. Scared. As they began to undress, Indang and her immediately hugged each other.

"I-indang... I don't want to die here," she sobbed more loudly. She wanted to rush to the door, but her knees were weak and she couldn't. All she could do was cry as she and Indang, hugged each other. "We wouldn't be here if we hadn't looked for Fender, Indang. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry…"

"Make no apologies. I'm the one who suggested to find Fender here, and— nooo please!!!" Indang screamed.

They divided them. She tried to fight but she felt a punch to her abdomen. She gasps for air, and Blessy was afraid she would pass out from pain. She was carried on the floor by two men, while Indang was placed on the bed by another. She felt them take her dress off.

Two tears escaped from her eyes, "F-fender..." she was running out of air, and she knew she'd lose consciousness in a few moments, and she didn't know if she'd even see the young man after that. "F-fender... W-where have you gone?" Her vision darkened, and her eyes slowly closing.

She heard a loud banging on the door, followed by her name being called. But she couldn't open her eyes to see who it was. She no longer had the strength to do so, and she's completely consumed by the darkness in a matter of moments. She never found out what happened next.





WHEN she opened her eyes, she's in another room, with a IV fluid attached to her hand. Indang?!? she immediately looked around. It's only then that she realized she's in a hospital ward, next to Indang.

"Indang!"

When Indang saw her that she's awake, her friend immediately turned to her, and her face lit up. They both wore IV, but she took her off. She doesn't need it.

"You're fine and that's good. We're here at the hospital. We both passed out, and thank God, nothing bad happened to us. Those animals that nearly rape us are no longer alive, Blessy."

Her heart pounded as a result of what she heard. Are they no longer alive? Who was the murderer? Two female police officers entered before she could open her mouth again to ask Indang what she meant.

"Don't worry, we're not going to do anything bad to you two. We are only here to demand your second statement against the four men murdered by your companion."

She was taken aback by what the officer said.

"I-I don't understand what you're saying."

"Your companion is currently incarcerated. Answer our questions if you want your friend to come out."

Indang nodded to them one by one, and they responded to some of their questions. The other questions are too personal and the others, have nothing to do with what happened to their friends. When they were finished, the two cops immediately left.

"I'm not sure I understand—"

"It's Fender. He helps us and killed those men."

"Huh?" her tears streamed down her cheeks one after the other. That's something Fender can't do. He even couldn't kill a rat. "Fender can't do that, you're kidding, Indang. I've known him since..."

"Blessy, I saw how he stabbed those animals to death. I saw how he kills them all."

"No! It's not true," she said, shaking her head. Her mind couldn't accept the fact that the man she loved had killed someone.