The next day, Pablo came to report again. He found the whereabouts of one of the people involved in my mom's death a decade ago. "I want you to continue getting information about these people as fast as you can, Pablo." "Oui, Monsieur!" Agad kong nilagok ang alak na nasa hawak kong kopita. Lalong nagpasidhi sa pagnanasa kong mahuli ang mga responsable sa pagkamatay ni Mommy ang init at pait ng alak na humahagod sa aking lalamunan. "You can leave, Pablo." "Yes, boss!" Yumukod si Pablo bago tuluyang umalis. Itinuon ko ang tingin sa harap ng laptop at muling inisa-isang sinuyod ng tingin ang mga nakasulat doon. Mga impormasyong magtuturo sa akin sa kung sino ang mga salarin kung bakit maaga akong naulila sa ina at umani ng pangungundena ng aking ama hanggang sa kasalukuyan. But, I don't think he will change his treatment toward me if I manage to avenge my mom's death. Sagad hanggang buto na yata ang galit niya sa akin at ni minsan, hindi ko naalalang itinuring niya akong anak. I h
6.45 P.M.I arrived with my men fifteen minutes earlier at a place where the leader of the Italian group wanted to meet me. I fixed my tie before I got out of the car. Nanatili muna akong nakatayo ng ilang saglit at marahang pinasadahan ang paligid. “Ichiro, follow me. The rest, stay here as lookout,” utos ko sa mga kasama kong tauhan. Alam kong may mga miyembro ang organisasyon na nakabase dito sa Italya at alam kong inalerto na sila ni lolo pero hindi pa rin ako maaaring pakampante. Kahit pa alam kong kilala ang lider nitong grupong kikitain ko, inalam ko pa rin kung anong klaseng tao siya. Ito ang una naming paghaharap at wala pa akong ideya kung ano ang magiging kahihinatnan ng paghaharap namin ngayon. I took a breath in and out before I started to step inside the building. It’s a five star hotel which is controlled by the person I’m going to meet. He is clever. He knows the assignment. Well, he is a known leader underground, what should I expect? According to Ichiro, he became
2011"Wala kang kwentang anak! Wala ka ng magandang naidulot sa pamilyang ito kundi puro kamalasan!""Ikaw ang malas! Hindi mo lang matanggap na wala kang kwentang ama kaya you found me as a scapegoat. You're a loser, Adam Walker!"You son of a bitch! You got the balls to disrespect me!" "At least I have balls, devil! Unlike you, you don't have the balls to admit that you're a loser, dimwit!"This is where my conversation with my dad always goes. He was blaming me for my mother's death. I know he loves my mom that much, so do I. But is it my fault? My mom took her body to dodge the bullet that was meant for me when I was a kid. I was kidnapped with my twin sister Devon by people I don't know. Until now I couldn't figure out why things went wrong. "Dad, Kuya, please stop! Lagi na lang kayong nag-aaway. Wala na bang katahimikan sa bahay na 'to sa tuwing nagtatagpo ang mga landas niyo? Para kayong mga bata," my twin sister said suddenly. Hindi ko namalayang nandoon pala siya. Nakatangh
After meeting Elliot, I came home trying to talk to my twin sister as I know she was upset to witness my argument with our father. She is not home so I chose to stay here in my room before my dad will come out and we will end up in a fracas again. My bed is comfy and invites me to have a rest but my dad's voice is echoing in my mind. I looked up at the ceiling thinking that I can find an answer to my confused mind. I don't know what to decide, whether to listen to my dad or just let it go. When I contacted Elliot for help, he didn't agree with it. What I mean is, he was shocked about the cult. Sino ba naman kasi ang hindi magugulat? Sino ang mag-aakalang gano'n ang trabaho ng lolo ko? I don't know either if it is true or not. Basta narinig ko lang minsang nagtatalo sina mommy at daddy noon bago pa man kami na-kidnap at namatay si mommy. I had a chance then to asked mom but she told me to shut my mouth that is why no one knows, even Devon and only this time that I told my cousin about
A few months later. 'Sanctuario De Atlas' Napangisi ako nang mabasa ko ang nakaukit na mga letra sa itaas ng bakal na gate. Pangalan ko talaga? I scoffed as I saw that brazen iron gate open, creating a clangor that irritates my ear as the car window from the driver's side is slightly opened. Grandpa sent some of his men to pick me up at the airport. Ayaw ko sana but he insisted. Yes! I'm now in France. I decided to come to see him. I wanted to know right from him what my dad had told me. Curiosity as well pushed me to decide. Tita Erina tried to stop me, even Elliot but I didn't listen. Coming here will end my desire and stop prying for something that I know I could stop. Nang tuluyang bumukas ang gate ay mas lalo akong namangha sa laki ng bahay ng lolo ko. Anyway, hindi lang siya basta bahay, it looks like a fortress built in the middle of an open. As the car goes closer to the fortress or whatever it is called as it doesn't look like just a house, I roamed my stares outside of th
"Can you elaborate on what are you talking about. . .Grandpa?" nang-uuyam na tanong ko kay lolo. Pagkalabas ko ng banyo ay agad niya akong kinausap. Ni hindi ako inayang kumain man lang muna sa halip ay alak ang inihanda para sa akin kaya lalong uminit ang ulo ko sa mga sinasabi niyang hindi ko maintindihan. Ni damit ay wala akong pagpilian dahil nakahanda na agad ito sa aking paglabas. Ayon dito ay ipinahanda niya ito sa kanyang mga tauhan. Napaismid ako. "Look! This room is creepy. I can't live in this dark room with giant candles lit up, draperies that are dancing with the breeze- "Atlas- "Daxon!" putol ko sa kanyang pagsasalita, "my friends and people in the Philippines are calling me Daxon or Dax whatever, just don't call me Atlas. I'm not a book!" inis ko pang wika. Grandpa scoffs. "Mana ka talaga sa akin."Tumungga ito ng alak mula sa kanyang kopita at saka muli akong tiningnan nang matiim. "I'm not! Hindi ako magiging lider nitong kulto mo!" mariin kong wika. Halos mabas
Muli akong namangha sa ayos ng santuwaryo ni lolo. Even the hallway displayed a grandeur design. It's so good to walk on it's carpeted floor. The paintings from several famous artists were displayed on the wall. Napapaisip tuloy ako kung gaano ba kayaman ang lolo ko pero napaismid din nang maisip ko kung anong grupo mayroon siya. Baka pangungutong lang sa mga miyembro ang pinagmulan niya. Kung tama ang iniisip ko maaring ang perang ibinigay niya na ginamit ko para ipatayo ang resto bar ay baka doon din nanggaling. Kung totoo man ang hinala ko, isasara ko iyon pag-uwi. We arrived at the huge dining area. There is a long table in the middle na sa tingin ko ay mahigit sampu ang makakaupo dahil sa dami ng upuang nakapaligid dito. Grandpa is waiting like a king sitting powerfully on his throne. I sneered. Looking at him made me only think of his cult, whatever his group is."Come, sit on that chair, Atlas," he called me, gesturing to sit on the seat at the other end of the table facing
With my hands in my pockets, I am standing firmly, looking at the vast field of vines from where I stand. We are at the terrace of Atlas Sanctuary facing the grape farm. The breeze is soothing and warm which gives me calmness, ready to hear what my grandpa is going to tell me. "I want you to be my successor, Atlas."I scoff and turned abruptly toward Grandpa who is standing just a couple of meters away from me. The same as me, his hand in his pockets, one holding his walking stick, and facing the fields. I'm not surprised anymore as I expected him to tell me to be the leader of the group. "Lo, look! That is your cult, not mine! Why should I lead them?" agad na kontra ko sa sinabi ni lolo. "As I said, it's not a cult!" Mabilis na tanggi ulit ni lolo. "I created this group for you. I promised that this is for my first grandson." "Doing all activities, illegally? Grandpa, I may be tenacious at times but I didn't see myself leading a group that will go against the law," I answered co