Chapter 7: The stranger among us

Walang humahabol sa akin pero tila pakiramdam ko meron. Binalot ng panginginig ang buong katawan ko na pati ang susi ng main door namin ay na bitawan ko pa nang binuksan ko ito. Nakikipaghabulan ako sa aking hininga kahit hindi naman ako nakikipag takbuhan. Nahihirapan akong kumalma. Tanging nasa isip ko lang ang kahon na inuwi ko galing Baler. Yun lang ang makakasagot sa sitwasyon ko ng mga oras na iyon. Kaya mabilis kong ipinatong sa lamesa ko ang backpack ko at mabilis na binuksan ang aparador ko upang hanapin sa ilailalim ng mga damit ko ang kahon.

Nabawasan kahit papaano ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko. Kahit papaano, nakahinga ako ng maluwag ng mahawakan ko na ito sa aking mga palad. Napasandal nalang ako sa baba ng kama ko. Natawa nalang ako sa sarili dahil sa kaba. Binuksan ko na nga ang kahon at ibinuhos ang laman nito sa ibabaw ng kama ko. Mga bagay na maingat na binalot sa plastic na walang kahangin-hangin sa loob. Dalawang flash drive na magkaibang kulay. Isang dilaw at isang pula. Isang kwintas na ang pendant nito ay isang susi na may nakalagay na numero. At panghuli ay litrato namin ni Marilyn at ni Vin noong mga bata pa kami. Mga inosenteng bata na namumulot lang ng mga kabibe sa tabing dagat. Walang kaalam alam sa kung anong ginagawa ng mga magulang nila.

Nabulabog ng guitar ringtone ko ang tahimik kong kwarto. Tinanaw ko lang ito mula sa aking pagkakahiga. Kita ko kaagad ang pangalan ni Hannibal. Agad kong sinagot ito dahil baka importante.

"Musta, bakit hindi ka tumawag kanina?" Paguumpisa ko

Tawa lang ang narinig ko sa kabilang linya bago ang sagot niya. "GG, kala ko hindi ka na lalabas doon. Tatawag na sana ako ng pulis." At nagpatuloy siya sa pagtawa.

Napangiti na lang ako bago sumagot sa kanya. "Swerte lang tayo ngayon."

"Ah yes, speak of the devil, naka paghatid nako ng ube jam. Kaso-"

Napabagon ako ng wala sa oras ng dahil sa kaso niyang iyon. Mahalaga ang mga ube jam na yun at alam niya iyon.

"Sana good news yang sasabihin mo. Kasi hindi yan magugustuhan ni Boss."

"Kaso wala pa siya sa bahay niya. Kaya iniwan ko nalang doon sa mailbox."

"Wait-biglaan ba yung schedule niya?"

"Oo, tsaka ko lang na kita na may bagong update nung tinignan ko kanina pag-alis ko doon."

Resonable naman ang pagkakamali namin ay mali parin iyon. Nasa kontrata din jg trabaho namin na ang loyalty namin ay nasa Boss lang namin. Kailangan kong maging honest sa boss ko. Malapit na rin akong matapos sa kontrata, ngayon pa ba ako papalya?

"Pero! Sinisigurado ko namang siya ang nakatanggap nun."

Nanahimik nalang ako at muling humiga habang nakatitig sa kisame.

"So, anong pinag-usapan niyo ni Cua? At sobrang seryoso ng mukha mo nung lumabas ka." Naging mahinahon at may halong nag-aalangan pa ang tanong niya.

Napatitig lang ako sa kisame habang hawak pa rin ang phone sa tenga ko. Muling tumakbo sa utak ko ang mga tanong na iyon ni Rick. Alam kong may alam na siya tungkol sa akin lalo na tungkol sa trabaho ko. Hindi ko pwedeng sabihin kay Hannibal iyon dahil paniguradong magkakagulo lang.

"Bumungisngis lang. Akala ko nga mag ooffer ng pera, mananakot na marami siyang connection. Hindi niya nga sinabi na ipapatay ako eh. Sinabihan pa nga akong baliw."

"Nagpapatawa ba siya? As in, ganun lang?"

"Natawa nga din ako eh."

"O, ngayong nakuha mo na yung phone mo, anong idadahilan mo kay Boss bakit hindi ka sumagot sa tawag niya? Mukhang pareho pala tayong mako-call up niyan ah."

"E-ewan. As usual, bahala na. Hindi naman siya nagagalit, basta hindi niya alam."

"Hindi porket mabait, aabusuhin mo na. Morris, hindi ka tanga para hindi malaman ang katalinuhan ni Boss."

Napabugtong hininga nalang ako dahil hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sa kanya. "Hindi mangyayari iyon."

Magisa ko lang sa apartment kaya't muling naghari ang katahimikan ng matapos ang tawag. Umuwi si Marilyn sa bahay nila Papa at Tita Isabel. Bumiyahe kasi si Tita Isabel kaya mag isa lang ni Israel doon. Kinailangan ng kasama ng bata kaya mabilis na nagboluntaryo. Bumawi lang siya dahil ang dami niyang favor na hinihingi.

Malalim na ang gabi pero tila pati ang antok ko ay iniwan ako. Kahit anong gawin kong pagbaling sa magkabilang gilid ng kama, nauuwi parin ako sa pagtitig sa kisame. Umaasang makalimutan ko ang mga nangyari ngayong araw. Para itong kanta na tila namemorya kaagad ng isip kaya't hindi tumigil ang diwa ko kakaisip rito. Pero buti nalang meron si Hannibal. Siya ang nagsisilbing comic relief ng kwento ko. Parang siya si Flint na laging nagpapagaan ng buhay ni Damien.

Since that day 5:

Chapter 4: excess baggage

… Maxwell silently stood at Damien's door. His eyes wandered around his son's room with mixed emotion. Sadness, anger, happiness and shame rumbles inside his chest. He doesn't know what to say. Though Damien didn't bother to look at his father. He continued stacking his last set of clothes inside his body bag. Damien thought to himself, his dad should be glad that he's not going to bother him anymore. He won't be responsible for him anymore. He didn't need him and so he was with him. He has no other reason to stay there just to be his father's burden.

Maxwell finally gathered his courage and his professionalism. He must do something that is worth listening for. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Do you have your ride now? I can get you one."

Fortunately, Damien was facing his closet. He couldn't even look at Maxwell without thinking to punch his nearly wrinkled nose and eyes until it swells and bleeds. He couldn't bear what he just heard. Yet he kept his composure and replied to Maxwell.

"No need."

Maxwell winced even though he didn't feel physical pain. All he could do was to scratch his head as he lowered his gaze. He needed to think for another."Look uhmm...." He looked at Damien again, who was almost finished packing his remaining baggage. "I can give you a ride going there if you want. I-I don't have anything to do today."

Stinging sensation tingled Damien's ears upon hearing him say those words. He couldn't help himself to listen to the little voice in his head. He couldn't help his tongue to talk for himself. Damien clenched his left fist while his right hand's grip on his bag went tighter. Immediately turned around and faced his father.

"Why don't you go to some church huh?" His question blended with his sarcasm. "And-and confess- confess all of what you've done to this family or do some pilgrimage if you still have some conscience!"

Maxwell's brow crippled together. A sudden hot temperature rose inside his head. "Conscience? Can't you see that I'm trying to be good to you! I took a leave for this f*cking thing! I left those who needed me at the capitol for my ungrateful son! "

"Huh! Do you even ask why I badly wanted to leave this f*cking hell? Or ever ask back how I'm doing?"

Damien continued to stack his remaining clothes. He didn't even think about folding it. All that was in his head was to leave the f*cking house.

Maxwell sneered as he shook his head. "Wow! You even have the audacity to talk back to your own father! You lived in my house for those years and this is what you'll pay me!"

Damien turned his head again to his father giving him a furrowed brows and gapped mouth "Those twelve years without her were all just bunch of bullsh*ts! I never felt even the simplest father's presence came from you! Ever since, my life has heen f*cking torture! Everyday Maxwell! Every f*cking day! I was punished for the sin I never did kept slapping back at me!"

Maxwell suddenly clapped like it was some kind of a movie scene. His cynical laugh matched the tense atmosphere of the room. "What a drama queen! You son of b*tch! Get out of the house now!"

"No need!" Damien outcries back at Maxwell as he firmly grabs his last baggage. He was ready to get out. But he was stopped on his track, keeping him from turning the front door knob.

"I wish you had never been born! She'd... still be alive if it weren't for you!"

There it was. The final push that Damien needed. He was taken aback at that moment. That was the strongest word he ever heard in his life. It was the deepest wound he ever had. The tears finally fell down his cheeks. Even his eyes couldn't handle that pain anymore. He let loose the pain that kept gnawing up his chest. He turned around and laid his blazing gaze on Maxwell. Without any hesitation, his words bursted like fireworks of the fourth of July.

"Yeah! OF COURSE! The blame falls on me! As always! You're a coward and foolish motherf*cking piece of sh*t! You don't even know that because you are a narcissistic monster! You deserve to be alone- ah wait!" Damien chuckled in sarcasm though his tears continued streaming down. "You should be the one who is rotting down there! Not my Mom!"

Damien finally turned his back from him then aboard his sedan. His tears were still filling up his eyes as he drove away. Looking back wasn't even in his list of options at that moment. Rage kept punching his chest so he could not stop panting. Still, he managed to wipe his tears. He could still gather his composure. He sat up straight, made himself comfortable sitting.

Though, he won't find it difficult to move on with his life. Maxwell was estranged to him ever since so there would be no strong connection that would still tie them. Maybe their names would but it could be nothing once Damien changes his name. Flint will always be there for him. Flint can never leave him.