by Thessa Lim
“No . . . ,” Laine whispered. “That’s not true. Anne would never just leave us. She’s the life of our parties.”
“Yeah, well, she might only want to party with dear hubby from then on!” Zara argued.
“I don’t like Daniel anymore. And his collared shirts. That are always too tight.” Laine scowled.
“Hey! Jake wore muscle shirts too.” Zara pouted, but her eyes danced.
“Yeah . . . Well, I don’t like Jake’s muscle shirts either. And why are his teeth so white?”
“He gets them bleached.” Zara grimaced.
Laine gasped. “Really? Did he make you try?”
“He did once, but my teeth became so sensitive after that, that I never had to do it again.”
After a few moments of silence, Zara quipped, “I used to stare at Braden’s nose. It looks like he had a nose job.”
“He did.”
Zara’s hands flew to her mouth. “How do you know that?”
“Jaz told me.” Laine gave her a sheepish grin.
Zara declared, “Now I think we need to pay Jaz a visit.”
The doorbell rang. When she opened the door and found Zara and Laine, Jazmine muttered a hello.
“Hi, Jaz,” Laine greeted and hugged her.
Zara frowned as she took in her friend. Jazmine’s hair was pulled back in a topsy-turvy ponytail, and her purple gypsy blouse had specks of soil and white paint on it.
“Why aren’t you answering my calls?” Zara asked.
Jazmine shrugged and sat on the couch. Her eyes were glassy. “Tired . . .”
Zara frowned.
She hasn’t looked this exhausted in the past two months. Maybe Liam gave her a hard time just now? Remember what you came here for.
“I’ve been meaning to show you something for over a week now . . .” Zara pulled out her mobile and went to Jazmine’s side. “I’m not collecting IOUs or anything, but . . . Do you see this?”
Jazmine stared blankly at the screen.
“These are pictures of gowns I thought would be great for you then. Jake and I went to a shop. I was supposed to show them to you as soon as he left Manila. And this . . . I had a draft schedule for the big day. I’ve shortlisted a few restaurants.” Zara looked Jazmine square in the face. “When Braden broke things off a week after, I couldn’t show these to you . . . Actually, Anne’s wedding organizer . . . I bought that for you . . .”
Jazmine blinked at the pictures.
“Jaz, you know I love you. We love you. Look at this . . . It’s that rotation schedule we made to help you out with Liam. We love you just as much as Anne. It just came at such an untimely period.”
Jazmine’s eyes watered, and Laine squeezed her shoulders.
“I’m s-such a foolish bitch,” Jazmine murmured.
“You’re not. Things just brought you down memory lane . . .” Zara studied her face. “But you can’t let the past get the best of you, and let it ruin your friendship with Anne. You had better go to Boracay, Jaz, or I’ll drag your ass down there myself.” Zara threw Jazmine a warning look.
This time, Jazmine’s lips trembled, and Jazmine buried her face in her hands. Her sobs poured out, and her breaths became difficult to catch. Laine frowned and reached down to hug her. When Jazmine grasped Laine’s arm and her nails bit into Laine’s skin, Laine shook Jazmine by the shoulders.
“Jaz, are you okay?” Laine asked.
Zara knelt down in front of the couch. “Jaz, I was just being dramatic.”
It was only then that Zara looked around the apartment. She drew in a sharp breath when she saw a chair turned over by the dining table and shards of glass on the floor.
Zara reached for Jazmine’s face and demanded, “Jaz, what happened here?”
“F-Fiona . . . ,” Jazmine cried.
“What about her?”
“Sh-she won’t give . . . L-Liam . . . back.”
“What?” Zara exclaimed.
“T-to me . . .” Jazmine sucked in a breath.
In between gulps of air, Jazmine shared how Sitti refused to let her through the gate and how Fiona could not be contacted.
Laine exclaimed, “This can’t be happening.”
“Shit!” Zara stood up. “Laine, call Anne. This is . . . Shit!” She glanced at Jazmine, who now shook. “Jaz? Jaz, calm down. We’ll fix this. We’ll fix this, okay?”
Laine nodded her head as she listened to Anne over the phone. “Oh man.” She put a hand to her hip and shook her head. “Oh man.”
“What is it?” Zara asked.
“Anne’s lawyer said if we plan to bring this to court, Tita might tell the police that Jaz hasn’t been taking care of Liam. That she’s been helping Jaz out for the past months.” Laine swallowed. “Tita might say that Jazmine is financially unstable.”
Zara cursed. “But Jaz is Liam’s mother. Tita can’t keep him from her just because.”
“The lawyer said we can file a case against Tita and demand Liam back,” Laine relayed and put Anne on speakerphone. Laine turned to look at Jazmine, who whimpered at this.
“I don’t want to go to court. I don’t have money for that kind of thing,” Jazmine refuted. “I-I told Tita stuff about my work—even my salary. She made me talk. I thought we were becoming f-friends. I never considered that she’d fish for info to use it against me. She even asked me”—Jazmine shuddered—“about Kuya Red Eyes. Somehow she remembered him from Braden’s stories.”
“Ja-az . . . ,” Zara groaned.
“How could you fall for her act, Abaya?” Anne cursed. “I want to slap you right now!”
“I want to slap me too,” Jazmine murmured. Suddenly she gasped. “I-I can tell Braden that Liam isn’t his! He’ll tell Tita to give Liam back to me.”
“No. Don’t. Because that’s not true,” Laine answered and took a deep breath. “I think . . . we should break in and get Liam out.”
“What?” Zara exclaimed. “Have you gone nuts? Break in?”
Jazmine stiffened on the couch, and her eyes widened. “Laine, that’s against the law. I can’t ask you guys to do that for me.”
“I love it!” Anne cheered from the other end of the line. “I’m in.”
“It is against the law . . . I don’t know what I’m suggesting really . . .” Laine shook her head. “If there’s anything I’ve learned lately is that I let things slip through my fingers. I’m already twenty-five, and yet I’m still dillydallying. I need to take more control of things . . . in my life. Liam is my godson, and I don’t want him to be . . . held captive. He’s not where he’s supposed to be.”
Anne concurred, “I’m totally with Laine on this. We should act fast. We don’t know what Tita has planned. For all we know, she might move Liam to another location. Knowing the success rate of the police, we have to take matters into our own hands.”
Zara cursed yet again. “What if we get caught?”
“Look. It’s likely that they will see us as we try to get Liam. The important thing is that we get in and we get out. If they see us trespassing—and they would want to sue—Jazmine would still have full custody rights of Liam, and he would already be with her. They won’t be able to get him back.”
“You girls don’t need to trespass. I can go in myself,” Jazmine retorted. “I don’t want to get y-you into trouble.”
“Shut up, Abaya. Don’t think we’ll let you go to battle solo. I’m coming over.” A jingle of keys came from Anne’s end of the line. “In the meantime, draw the layout of their property. We have to find a way to get in.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
When Girls Go Marching In
“So we’re going to the Palma residence today at 2:00 p.m., siesta[27] time. The less people in the house, the better. If they’re napping, that’d be the best.” Anne clapped her hands. “This morning, we need to prepare our bodies. Let’s stretch, make sure we can lunge and jump when we need to.”
“Sure, sure.” Jazmine clapped her hands as she jogged in place.
&n
bsp; It was ten o’clock that Saturday morning. The girls met on the long spread of grass in the Ilang-Ilang Garden of the Loyola Park. The sunlight struck the ground from directly above, and so the girls chose a spot under a narra tree.
When Zara saw someone at the other end of the field wave at their direction, she squinted. “Who’s that?”
Anne turned around. “That’s Zack. He’s going to teach us some self-defense, okay?”
“What?” Zara’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve let him in on our plan?”
“No.” Anne waved a hand. “He doesn’t need to know about that. All he knows is that we’re learning self-defense. So don’t say a word.” She laid a finger on her lips. “We wouldn’t want him to be implicated if this turns sour.”
Zara groaned.
“Gals, I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into my mess.” Jazmine looked at each of them. “I really will understand if you back out.”
“No, Jaz, I’m all for going this afternoon. But this? Who are we supposed to defend ourselves from?” Zara winced. “Tita?”
“Look. They might have a driver we don’t know about. Tito or Braden might be there. Who knows?” Anne argued. “We’ve got to be mentally prepared for anything.”
Laine nodded her head slowly. “Fine. Let’s get this over with. I want to get Liam safe and sound. And I’d want us to go home tonight, scot-free.”
The girls nodded.
“Our family lawyer will be able to represent us. If anything goes wrong,” Anne added. “Don’t worry.”
Zara gawked at her.
Just then, Zack came up behind Anne. “Hi, girls! Stretched already?”
The girls nodded.
Zack wore a black jersey muscle shirt and a pair of black striped training pants, baring his ripped biceps. When Zack and Anne high-fived as a greeting, Laine, Zara, and Jazmine smirked at one another. At the gym, Zack had a way of dropping clients to attend to Anne.
Zack turned to the group. “So, uh, Anne asked me to teach you guys some street combat self-defense?”
The girls nodded.
“Have you girls gone to a class before?” Zack laid his backpack on the ground.
Except for Anne, the answer was no. Zack nodded and stood in front of the group.
“Street combat is different from martial arts. It’s adapted from different forms of martial arts so that if you get into a bad situation on the street, you’d know the right moves, whether you’re standing up, brought down to the ground, or choked—enough to get you out.”
The girls nodded.
“Since it’s your first class, I’ll teach you the basics: the palm strike, the chasse kick, and eye pokes,” Zack continued, executing the pose for each of the moves.
“What about grappling?” Anne asked and began jogging in place.
“It’s too early for you to learn grappling.” Zack frowned. “I can teach you the basics this morning. If you want to learn any more, I’m holding a class at the gym on Tuesday evening.”
“Uh, no, it’s okay.” Anne let out a shaky chuckle and began doing lunges. “No need for grappling today then. What about chokeholds?”
Laine cringed and made a face. “Do we really need to learn that?”
“We have to be prepared,” Anne hissed.
Zack peered at them. “Uh, prepared for what exactly?”
“You know . . . attacks and stuff.” Anne shrugged and began doing jumping jacks.
“We can learn a bit of chokeholds . . .” Zack studied Anne for a while. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Anne, you seem hyper.”
Anne stopped moving her feet. Her eyes widened. “No, I don’t. I mean, I’m not.”
Zack frowned and looked her up and down. “Something’s up with you.”
“No. Nothing. There’s nothing up with me.” Anne shook her head.
“I don’t buy that.”
Anne fidgeted and turned to the other girls for help. They merely gave her a look of helplessness, and she groaned and frowned at Zack. “Ugh, why do you have to know me so well?” Her shoulders slumped, and she heaved a sigh. “There’s something we need to do. That’s why we need you to teach us how to defend ourselves.”
“What do you need to do?” Zack looked at the rest of the girls.
Zara stared at the ground. Laine looked away. Jazmine clasped her hands in front of her and begged him with her eyes to take pity on them.
“It’s better that you don’t know,” Anne replied.
“What is it?” Zack pressed. “I can’t be teaching you these things if it’s for the wrong reasons.”
Anne cursed. “We’re not doing anything wrong . . . It might be illegal, but it’s not wrong.”
“Anne, anything illegal is wrong.” Zack placed his hands on his hips.
Anne nodded and sighed. “It’s something we have to do.”
“Then tell me.”
“Jazmine’s son is being kept from her . . . by the mother of her ex. We’re going to break into the grandmother’s house and get our baby back.”
Zack reddened. “What?”
Anne told him the gist of the story. Zack cursed and looked down at the ground.
“Who knows about this?” Zack asked.
“Just us girls, and now you.”
He nodded his head. “Does your boyfriend know about this? Is he going with you?”
Anne’s mouth dropped open. “N-no.” She shook her head as the thought of Daniel came to her. “Why didn’t I think of Daniel? W-we didn’t mean to tell you either actually. It was supposed to be just us girls. But we need to learn how to fight if we have to, and you know better than anyone else I know.”
This time, the veins on his neck bulged.
“What the hell are you thinking, Anne?” He seethed. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?”
Anne gasped and glared at him. “No, it wasn’t, although I agreed with it right away. And if it were, why does it sound like you’re insulting me?”
Zara pulled Laine and Jazmine back by the shoulders. She whispered to them, “I think we better give them some space.”
As Zack and Anne argued, the girls inched backward and sat on the ground. Zara’s eyebrows shot up when Zack placed his phone against his ear and gestured for Anne to quiet down.
“Do you think he’s calling people?” Jazmine covered her face with her hands and groaned, “I really don’t want any more people in on this.”
Laine patted Jazmine’s hand.
“I should’ve listened to you gals from the first time Tita called me. If—” Jazmine swallowed as she watched Anne grab for Zack’s mobile. “This never would’ve happened.”
“We’re getting Liam back,” Zara consoled her friend.
Their heads snapped up when they heard Zack swear. He stared at the ground for a while, making the girls squirm and look at each other questioningly.
He cursed yet again and then asked, “What time are you going there?”
Anne’s face softened. “At . . . at two.”
“I’ll go with you,” he declared.
Anne launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him. Zack took a step back as Anne’s weight fell on him.
“I’m going in with you.” He patted Anne on the back.
“W-what?” Anne croaked.
“No, no. Wait.” Jazmine shook her head. “Zack, I don’t want to get another person involved in this. Things might not turn out as we planned.”
“You girls should worry about yourselves more than about me,” Zack insisted.
Anne shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t go in with us. Stay in the car. If anything happens, I’ll call you.”
Zack raised a hand. “This is not up for discussion. It’s either I go in with you, or I’m stopping you from going there.”
“Don’t you dare,” Anne called out. “Our plan is solid enough as it is.”
Zack looked up at the sky, closed his eyes, and rubbed his face with his hands. “Fine!” he barked. “Make me a backup plan.”
He stared at Anne for a moment, then mumbled, “I’m just a backup plan.”
Zack demonstrated the most common attacks on the street. Then he taught them the simple punches and kicks and made them practice with one another.
After two hours, Zack spoke to the group, “A lot of times, even when people have learned to protect themselves, when they’re attacked, they’re unable to react. Any idea why?”
“Umm . . . things happen too fast?” Laine offered. “Like how you showed us earlier?”
“That’s one thing.” Zack nodded. “Also, there’s a shock factor. People who’ve never been hit before get shocked the first time they’re hit. Their first instinct is to back down and be afraid. So . . . so that you don’t get shocked when somebody attacks you, you have to know how it feels to be hit.”
“Okay . . .” Laine frowned.
“Now, I don’t want to hit any of you. Anne has sparred several times at the gym and knows how jarring a hit can be . . . So Anne will have to hit you girls. Just on the jaw, okay?”
Laine gasped. “That can’t be good.”
Anne smirked and cracked her knuckles. “I’d be happy to.”
Zara groaned, “Please don’t break anything on my face.”
“Anne, hit just enough to make an impact,” Zack instructed. “Girls, bite down, so that you don’t break any teeth.”
Anne went to Zara, who was the nearest, and struck a palm to Zara’s face. “Stop calling me at twelve midnight just to ask me another thing about the wedding, obsessive freak.”
“Whoa!” Zara winced as she stumbled back. “That’s dizzying.”
Next was Laine.
“Stop being a wuss. Call Tony up already.”
“Ouch!” Laine exclaimed.
Then it was Jazmine’s turn.
“Trust me more next time, okay? Know-it-all.”
Jazmine scowled as she rubbed a palm over her jaw. “What’s with the trash talk?”
Zack scratched his head. “Yeah . . . I don’t think it was necessary either.”
