Janna was on the prowl for Enzo. She was about to venture
out to the beach when she sees Lena rushing into the house,
wet and visibly distressed. She tried to call her but Lena
just went on without looking back.

A few minutes later she sees Enzo also coming in. He was wet
too. It didn’t take Janna long to figure out an explanation
for both of their unexplained wet states.

JANNA
Saan ka galing?

ENZO
Diyan lang sa beach...

JANNA
Ba’t ka basa?

ENZO
Ah eto..wala to...masarap kasi ang
tubig...

JANNA
And what? You just decided to swim?
In your clothes?

ENZO
Believe me, Janna, you don’t want
to ask questions that you don’t
want to hear the answers to.

With that, Enzo walked away, leaving Janna seething.

INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON - AN HOUR LATER

Lena is now out of her wet clothes, and now into a light and
fresh sundress. She was getting a bottled juice out of the
fridge when Janna cornered her.

JANNA
There’s more to you than meets the eye!

LENA
Anong ibig mong sabihin, Janna?

JANNA
Huwag ka nang mag-maang-maangan,
Lena. Alam ko ang balak mong gawin.

LENA
Hindi kita maintindihan, Janna...

JANNA
Quit the holy than thou act, Lena.
Kala mo hindi ko alam ang tunay
mong motibo?

LENA
Wala akong ibang motibo, Janna...

JANNA
Huwag ka nang mag-deny, Lena.
You’re the lowest of the low.

LENA
Nakaka-insulto ka na, Janna. Tama na!

JANNA
Hindi ako titigil Lena! Hindi ako
titigil hangga’t hindi kita naeexpose
for who you really are...a
fraud.

LENA
I won’t stand here and be insulted
by a jealous second rate has been...

JANNA
Surprise! Surprise! Ang talas pala
talaga ng dila mo! Who would’ve
thought? Ano pa kayang mga sikreto
mo ang mailalabas ko?

Lena went past the really furious Janna but she caught
Lena’s arm. Janna’s nails are now digging deep into Lena’s
skin that it made her wince.

LENA
Bibigyan kita ng limang segundo
para bitawan ang kamay ko. Isa...

JANNA
Sinong tinatakot mo?

LENA
Hindi mo ako kilala.

JANNA
Nobody does.

LENA
Hindi mo alam ang kaya kong gawin.

JANNA
Oh, don’t worry, I’ll expose
you...one way or another.

LENA
Wala naman akong dapat pangambahan...

JANNA
Wala nga ba? Binabalaan kita Lena,
stay away from Enzo and stay away
from his family.

LENA
Sila ang lumalapit sa akin, hindi
ako. Sila ang pagsabihan mo.

JANNA
Really?!!! Sinong niloloko mo, Lena.
Kala mo hindi ko alam? You are
trying to make this whole family
fall in love with that goody-goody
act of yours. Nagbabait-baitan ka
para makahuthot ka ng pera sa
kanila. Nakita mong vulnerable ang
dalawang matanda sa isang babaeng
apo, kaya hayun, nagpapanggap kang
perfect nilang apo. Hindi ba iyan
ang ginagawa mo. Lena?
Nagaalingasaw na ang baho ng mga
plano mo, Lena. Hindi magtatagal
makikita din nila kung ano
ka...manloloko, manggagamit, at
magnanakaw.

LENA
Hindi ako magnanakaw!!!

JANNA
Really?!!! Huwag ka nang mag-ilusyong
magiging permanente ka pa
sa pamilyang ito, Lena.

LENA
Hindi ako ilusyonada tulad mo, Janna.

JANNA
You can never belong in this house
Lena, as long as I’m here, I will
make sure they’ll kick you out. You
don’t belong in their family, dearie.

LENA
Neither do you.

With that, Lena shimied her arm out of Janna’s grip. Lena
walks away.

Camera follows Lena. She heads upstairs directly to her room.

INT. LENA’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Lena hastily closed her door. She let out a big sigh then
broke down to tears by her bed. Janna’s words hurt her,
perhaps because it really hit close to home.

LENA (V.O.)
Tama si Janna, Lena. Hindi ka
nababagay sa mundo nila...

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR - FLASHBACK TO A FEW MONTHS AGO

It was the eve after their Chinese restaurant heist. They
were on the drive out of the city, happy with their latest loot.

PIPO
Ang tahimik mo Lena...anong iniisip mo?

LENA
Sa tagal na nating ginagawa natin
to, Kuya, kunwari nakuha na natin
ang gusto nating pera. Kaya ba
nating mag-panggap na matino?
Maging matino nang mahabang panahon?

PIPO
Anong klase tanong iyan, Lena. Oo
naman. Ang capacity ng taong
magbago ay depende sa kagustuhan
niyang magbago. Hindi na tayong
magpapanggap na matino, Lena.
Magiging matino na talaga tayo.

LENA
Napakalalim naman ng sinabi mo kuya
para sa isang magnanakaw.

PIPO
Matalino tayo Lena. Hindi lang tayo
basta-bastang mangagagancho.

LENA
Kuya, di ba maraming magnanakaw na
kahit matino na ang buhay, nagagawa
pa rin nilang paulit-ulit na
magnakaw? Tulad ng mga tao sa
gobyerno. Nasa kanila na ang lahat
ng pera, pero nagnanakaw pa rin
sila. Can we really take out yung
pagiging manggagancho sa sistema natin?

PIPO
Don’t ever underestimate ang
capacidad ng taong magbago, Lena.

LENA
Paano kung hindi?

PIPO
Then, we’ll just run away! Ang
kagandahan sa buhay natin Lena,
anytime, puwede tayong tumakbo at
magtago. Pag hinihingi na nang
sitwasyon, tatakbo lang tayo,
gumawa ng panibagong identity,
presto! Bagong buhay na.

LENA
Hindi ba nakakapagod iyon, Kuya?

PIPO
Oo, nakakapagod. Pero, ganon
talaga ang buhay, Lena.

LENA
Pag dumating ang panahon na
makakatakas na tayo nang tuluyan sa
buhay na ito, Kuya, tatakbo talaga
ako. Tatakbo ako ng mabilis na
mabilis, hanggang sa halos mapatid
ang hininga ko, at asahan mong
hinding-hindi ako lilingon pabalik.
Hinding-hindi na.

PIPO
Promise?

LENA
Promise iyan, kuya.

CUT TO:

INT. LENA’S BEDROOM -CONTINUOUS

Lena is still breathing heavily from her encounter with
Janna. Her recent flashback brought clarity to her mind
though. From then on, only one thought reverberated on her mind.

LENA (V.O.)
Kailangan mong tumakas, Lena.
Tapos na ang oras mo dito.
Kailangan mo nang umalis...