20: a good misunderstanding
#DWTDwp

Pi

“Good morning Pi,” bati sa akin ni Zero nang magising ako kinabukasan. He was sitting on the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee beside his gun and a newspaper.

I snorted. “Zero with that setup, you look like dad, probably getting older without a partner in life.”

He laughed as he sipped on his coffee. “I will take that as good morning too, Pi.”

I just rolled my eyes and poured myself a coffee, sitting across him. “Seryoso ako, hindi ka na bumabata Zero, kailan mo ba balak mag-asawa?”

He stared at me before he smiled. “The nature of my job is dangerous. I don’t want my wife waiting for me at night without assurance I can comeback alive.”

He has a point. Working in a crime family means you’re half, dead half alive. Tama si Zero, malamang hindi makakatulog ang kanyang magiging asawa sa kaiisip kung makakauwi pa ba siya na buo o buhay.

But then if there’s a will, there’s a way.

“Then marry someone who can understand the nature of it, or even better marry someone who do what you do.” I sipped on my coffee and then looked up at him, “Hold up, isn’t it romantic if you both die in an encounter?”

Zero laughed hard. What the fuck, I was serious! Kung parehas kayong nasa industriyang ito, it will be better. Dying together would be romantic! Imagine telling each other your last I love you’s before you pass out due to excessive blood loss, gunshot or whatever!

“No Pi, I prefer no dying at all.”

Mas lalo lamang akong napangiwi. “Then till death do us part is all bullshit then?”

“That is true but not till early death due to gunfights do us part. Mas magandang parehas kayong mabuhay ng mas mahaba,” sagot niya.

“Whatever,” sagot ko. “Then go find a wife, I really highly recommend my suggestion. Find someone who loves gun as much as you do.”

He smiled genuinely. “Yeah, I found her, I will ask her for marriage soon.”

I yelped, jumping towards him with a hug. “Oh my gosh Zero I am so happy for you! So when will I meet her?”

Tila nawala ang ngiti niya ngunit pansamantala lamang. “Soon...?”

“Puro ka naman soon eh! Wala kang kwenta!”

Tumawa ulit siya at ginulo ang magulo kong buhok. I just woke up and after washing my face, bumaba na ako para magkape, finding him her. Yup, there’s still a bit of the whip cream vodka’s aftertaste in my mouth so despite my splitting headache, bumangon pa rin ako ng maaga.

“Ikaw?” tanong niya. “Just to remind you miss, I am just a year older kaya hindi ka na rin bumabata. Any plans for marriage?”

“Of course, duh. It would be such a waste of genes if I don’t. I am a Bellomo, this world needs more awesome people like me.”

“That’s right,” pag-sang-ayon niya.

I grinned even more before, sitting back in front of my coffee. Iyon ang gusto ko kay Zero, all loyalty is on me. If I will let him chose who’s prettier, me or his crushes Megan Fox or Jessica Alba, he will definitely chose me over them.

Sorry girls.

Or if I will ask him, who’s smarter between me, Newton he would say me.

Sorry man, you’re long dead anyway.

“And it would be more awesome than awesome if it’s a combination of Bellomo and Styles, oh my god Zero I like to have a baby with green pretty eyes like Harry!”

Ibinaba niya ang hawak na newspaper at napatingin sa akin. “Seriosuly Pi, you’re still not over that ga--”

Bago pa man niya matapos ang sasabihin ay mabilis na kinuha ko na ang baril niya na nakalapag sa tabi ng kape niya. He was the one who taught me how to make a swift movement of a gun in hand and now I used it up on him, its nuzzle touching his forehead with a click.

“Don’t ever think of finishing your sentence Zero.”

Ngumiti lamang siya at hinawakan ang kamay ko, pulling it down at binawi ang baril sa akin. “Okay, okay I know okay? I know.”

With a pout, I sat back again.

"O di kaya, huwag na tayong lumayo, andyan naman si Cooler," sabi ko. "Imagine I am awesome and Cooler is cool, ano na lamang ang magiging anak namin?"

"Baog 'yon."

I glared at him. "Zero!"

"Kidding Pi," sabi niya. "But he's a Vander."

"So?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, pero tama, wag ka na ngang lumayo," dagdag niya.

Yup, matunog ang pangalang Vander sa underground business. They could be one of the richest mafia in the country.

... and the most dangerous too.

"Why are you hanging out with Ryu Morisson again?" tanong niya sa akin. "Hindi mo sinagot ang tanong ko tungkol sa inyo. How did you two get to know each other?"

I frowned. "Mahabang istorya, not worth telling."

"I want to know everything about you Pi," sabi niya sa akin. Zero is really protective of me mula pa noong pagkabata namin.

He's lucky he has an awesome person like me and likewise, I am lucky to have him. Zero isn't just loyal and trustworthy.

He's hot and heaven's gift to every Eve.

"Let's say I owe him big."

Zero looked at me intently. "He's playing mindgames Pi and that's something you're bad at. How did this owe thing happened?'

He really knew me well. Give me the hardest math equations and I can solve it but not mind games... Nah.

"He saved my life...?" Did he? I doubt.

"He saved you yet it's his fault why you were in that situation, tama ba?"

I stayed still, nodding a bit.

“Pi--”

“But that’s not just it Zero, I didn’t just let him get into my weakness. I really asked for his help and let it charged as debt,” katwiran ko, which is true. I really did.

Zero crossed his arms. “Like what?”

“Like driving me to find Levi.”

“At bakit mo naman hinahanap si Levi?” tanong niya. “I hate him, didn’t he cheat on you?”

I rolled my eyes. “He didn’t cheat Zero, cheating is for couples and we’re not. I wouldn’t even think of him as my boyfriend duh. Just few good fucks.”

Napansin ko ang pagdilim ng anyo niya. “Stop fooling around Pi and settle for good.”

“Don’t want yet,” sagot ko.

Kahit kailan talaga ay bata pa rin ang tingin ni Zero sa akin. He was always protective of me since then. The guy who I gavey virginity was long dead, the moment he knew about it. At hindi lang basta pinatay, he was tortured and brutally killed.

Yeah, Zero could be a psychokiller when it comes to me.

It wasn’t even without my consent. It was one of the guys I met in a party noong nag-aaral pa ako abroad. Troy was one hella hot guy, with his blue eyes and blonde hair. At least my first was from a hot guy. I was aware every guy I dated or fooled around had a piece of Zero’s protective wrath. Well, even Levi.

“At bakit mo naman hinahanap si Levi? Is this about him prying on your phone? Naturuan na namin siya ng leksyon dahil doon hindi ba?” he asked.

Umiling ako. “Nope, that wasn’t the case. Three months ago, he smashed a bottle on Cooler’s head! Cooler as in Cooler fucking Vander Zero, my Cooler! Hindi ko naman palalampasin iyon.”

Hindi makapaniwalang nakatingin siya sa akin, a frown slowly growing on his lips before he wiped his palm all over his face. “So this is about Cooler?”

“Yup.”

“Seriously Pi?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt the love of my life,if anyone does, I will haunt him to hell,” seryosong turan ko. And yeah, I really mean it. “Anyway, I’m bored. May inutos ba si Daddy sa’yo?”

He looked away. “Wala.”

“Huh, I know you look away when you lie Zero,” wika ko at hinila ang upuan palapit sa kanya. “Saan kayo? Sama?”

“No.”

I pouted and batted my lashes. “Please?”

Sighing a bit, he patted my head. “Uh, Tito will kill me if he knew this!”

A let out a victorious grin. “Then don’t let him know.”

✒️✒️✒️

If I have known this is where we're headed to, I should have stayed home and sleep.

Or meet up with some guys I had fun with.

Or do my nails.

Seriously wala ng mas bo-boring pa sa mga election campaigns!

I know dad has a lot of friends in politics kaya minsan ay nagki-cringe na lamang ako sa tuwing nakikita ang mga campaign ads at posters nila. Kunwari ay suportado ang anti-drug campaign ng administrasyon tapos sila pala ang nagfi-finance sa mga drug labs na nasa bansa.

Well anyways, the bottomline is I regretted coming here. Nakaupo pa ako sa friends and family section ng kampanya, pero ayaw kong kausapin ang ibang naroon.

"Smile Pi and just wear the shirt I gave you," sabi ni Zero at umayos ng upo sa tabi ko.

I tossed the orange shirt away na may mukha ng kandidato. "Ew I'd rather be naked kaysa magmukhang preso. Can we just go home?"

"I can't. This is an important task Tito Antonio gave me habang nasa Miami siya para sa ilang trabaho."

"But he wouldn't know if you leave right now isa pa ay marami namang tao si Daddy dito, hindi lang ikaw," I sulked like a kid.

"Pi, no."

Oh I know that tone. It's final. So I glared at him, crossed my legs and looked away.

I counted up to three seconds and yup, I've won.

Hindi ako matitiis ni Zero.

"Okay," he sighed in surrender, handing me a key. "Mauna ka na sa sasakyan. Magpapaalam muna ako kay Congressman. I'll also alert the men that I'll leave."

Malawak ang ngiti na tinanggap ko ang susi. "You're the best Zero!"

Agad akong umalis doon at nagpunta sa parking area, only to face another dilemma. Hindi ko alam kung alin doon ang kotse ni Zero. I know it's a sleek black car but there's at least three cars of the same description there!

Bakit hindi ko kinabisado ang sasakyan niya? Or his plate number? I didn't know where he parked dahil bumaba ako sa harap ng building at siya lamang ang nagpark.

Wow, what a perfect start of my already ruined day.

Wala akong ibang choice kundi subukang buksan ang tatlong sasakyan. I pressed the key fob at tumunog ang nasa sulok. Agad akong pumasok doon ngunit bago ko pa man masara ang pinto, some guy leaned down holding a gun and pointing it to my temple.

"Out," he said in a calm voice.

He wore a cap and his long braided hair looks great. Well, this gun toting guy although he has bruises on his face looks great. I gripped harder on the steering wheel, calculating if I can pull out Zero's gun in the glove compartment.

Definitely not.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Hermes, but it doesn't matter. Out."

Hmmm, Hermes, where did I hear that before?

Can't really recall.

"Why?"

"Don't ask, just get out and walk towards that white car silently, got it?" sabi niya.

I rolled my eyes and obliged. "K."

Tossing Zero's keys, lumabas ako ng sasakyan at sinunod ang sinabi niya. I hate moments like this especially if I have no gun hidden on my leg or anywhere near me.

Pagpasok ko sa sasakyan ay nakaupo sa gilid ang lalaking may mga pasa din sa mukha. Wait, they did brawl or what?

Pagpasok naman ng nagpakilalang Hermes ay agad niyang binuhay ang makina at umalis doon, constantly glancing at me and the guy beside me.

"Eros?" tanong niya.

"Yeah?" sagot ng nasa tabi ko. So, his name is Eros.

Hermes and Eros... Eros and Hermes... Hmmmm... Eh?

"She's too calm for someone who's abducted. You sure she's the one?"

"I guess so. Ang sabi ay ang babaeng nasa friends and family ng Congressman, and she's not wearing the orange shirt at may puting sasakyan---"

"Hold up, if you want to confirm something about me, confirm it to me idiots."

Malayo na kami sa parking lot at kung naroon na si Zero malamang napansin na niyang nawawala ako. For now I have to find a way to let their guard down para makatakas ako.

None of them said something hanggang sa may tununog na cellphone and the Eros guy beside me answered it.

"Zeus, we got Congresssman's daughter. We're on the way back."

Congressman's daughter?!

No I'm not!

But wait.

Zeus?

Now it all makes sense. Hermes, Eros and now Zeus.

This is a misunderstanding.

...but a good one.

#

ShinichiLaaaabs✒️