68: Man Up

RYU

I watched my wife huddled up beside me. She’s sleeping soundly but I know there’s something worrying her even in her sleep. Her brows were furrowed and there were that tiny sounds of fear resonating on her throat. I pulled her beside me and started drawing circles on her back to soothe her.

She curled up even more, like she was finding comfort in me. She whimpered in her sleep so I started planting kisses on her forehead. Her whimpers gradually decreased before her breathing evened out. Bumangon ako sa kama at tiningnan ang mga maletang nasa gilid. 

Kadarating lamang namin sa bahay. Our two-day trip was cut short-- due to some reasons she only knew. I had a bad feeling about this. I know there’s something bothering her and if she refused to tell me whatever, guess I’ll have to find it on my own.

I opened my computer and stretched my fingers. It’s been so long since I’ve been in some serious works. Come to think of it, she’s been asking me to help her deal with her Uncle Flavio. To be honest, I do not find the man worth the trust too. Hitsura pa lamang, hindi na mapagkakatiwalaan (Titless’s words, not mine). He really looks like he’s been keeping a lot on his sleeves.

Hindi ko na maalala kung gaano na ako katagal sa ginagawa but I have not gotten any progress. I shook my head and massaged my neck. This is harder than I thought. Man is really careful in everything. If he keep most of things away where I could find a way to take a look, closer approach would be the perfect thing to do in this situation.

I fished my phone from my pocket and dialed a number. I waited for a while before someone answered it.

“Trip’s done?” bati nito mula sa kabilang linya.

I ignored his greeting, thinking it must be Mnemosyne who told him about it. “Poseidon, I need your help.”

“Sorry, reaper Poseidon is on leave at the moment,” sagot niya. Poseidon is one of my most trusted men. He devoted his life serving the Vanders and his loyalty is never questionable. He is literally someone who could do things done with minimal chances of failure.

I smirked to myself and try to make myself calm and not desperate as I am actually. “This is a personal request Red, please.”Alam niyang kapag tinatawag ko siya sa totoo niyang pangalan ay desperado ako. Damn, and yet I wanted not to sound desperate as I am.

Napabuntong-hininga siya. “Alright, on it.”

Thank goodness!

“Thank you,” sagot ko sa kanya. “I’ll send the data in your email. And please, do not let everyone know about this.”

“As you wish,” sagot niya bago ibinaba ang tawag.

Napasandal ako at napabuntong-hininga. Poseidon has lend me a hand but I cannot sit still and wait. I have to find things on my own. My thoughts were cut off by the door bell. Mabilis akong tumayo at bumaba para hindi magising ang asawa ko.

I’m not expecting any visitor today kaya bahagya akong nagulat. Isa pa, nasa bagong bahay kami. Only few people knew about the new house kaya tiningnan ko muna kung sino ang naroon. I stopped for a a while nang mapagtanto kung sino iyon. 

Antonio Bellomo, Pi’s father.

Agad ko siyang pinapasok at kinuha ang dala niyang mga prutas.

“I wasn’t expecting your visit today Sir,” bati ko sa kanya at iginiya siya sa sofa.

“Well, hindi ko rin naman inaasahang mapapadaan ako rito ngayon,” sagot niya. He made an old grunting sound as he sat at lumingon-ingon sa paligid.

“Natutulog po si Pi, napagod yata sa biyahe. Gigisingin ko na lamang--”

Hinawakan niya ang braso ko at ngumiti. His face tells me he’s tired. Medyo kulubot na ang kanyang balat at nanglalalim ang mga mata. “No it’s okay, huwag mo na lamang siyang istorbohin. This could also be a good avenue for us to talk about things.”

Napalunok ako at kinabahan. I silently prayed he has no regrets about me, marrying his daughter. He gestured me to sit across me.

“Just sit and relax son,” sabi niya, marahil napansin ang pangangamba ko. “It’s just right for us to get along right? We’re family now.”

Tumango ako habang umuupo. Antonio Bellomo and I never really talked much before Pi and I officially got married. Isa o dalawang beses ko lamang yata siyang nakausap at mabilisan pa dahil masyado siyang abala sa trabaho. Like my old man, he’s got business who demands his presence almost 24/7.

“How’s your married life?” panimulang tanong noya.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Few days from our wedding, Pi was cold then we argued and I left. But of course, I won’t say that. Baka kapag sinabi ko iyon ay bawiin niya sa akin ang asawa ko.

“It’s... great...Sir. We’re... coping greatly.”

Nakangiting tumango siya. “You’ll gonna need more patience to deal with my daughter.”

Right. It’s kinda hard dealing with the devil herself.

“I’m doing well sir.”

“Listen son,” sabi niya kaya napaangat ako ng tingin mula sa pagkakayuko. “She’s not as tough as she look. She could break down any moment and find no will to live anymore. Have you two talked about...”

What he was about to say was maybe something that also pained him more than anyone so he halted and sadly smiled. Halata sa kulubot niyang mukha na may mga malulungkot na alaala sa gunita niya. I can see the way his fingers shake and his lips quiver but he tried his best not to tear up. He failed to prevent the crack from his voice though.

“...about her condition?”

No, Pi don’t want to talk about it. Ang pag-uusap lamang namin noon ni Antonio Bellomo ang nalalaman ko. Hinihintay kong si Pi miso ang mag-open up sa akin sa nangyari noon but up to date, no sign that she’s willing to open up about it.

Umiling ako. “At ayaw ko rin pong pwersahin siya na magsabi tungkol doon. I can wait.”

“You’re a good man son,” sabi niya sa akin sa kampanteng boses. Huminga siya nang malalim at napatingin sa kawalan. “My wife is my everything, sadly she was taken away too early. Napakasama ko sigurong tao kaya ginawang kabayaran ang buhay ng asawa ko.”

I’m not good in talks like this. I think I can only excel in giving threats, not comfort. But at the moment, I want to give comfort to the old man. I want to tell him that the he’s still blessed because he still has his children.

“No matter how bad you were sir, siguro naman may pagkakataong naging mabuti rin kayong tao,” sabi ko. 

Let’s be realistic. Everyone in this world is bad, we just vary in the level of our severeness.

Napangiti siya. “When you get older, there comes a time you’ll look back to all your deeds and realize no matter how bad you were, you’re still blessed. Look at my children, Pi... Pi is very smart, evil at times but with a kind heart. It’s such a contrast. Nakuha niya ang kasamaan ko ngunit nakuha rin niya ang kabutihan ng ina niya. She could decapitate people and kill them but at the same time she supports and donate for charities to support life.”

Hindi ko rin maiwasan ang mapangiti. Old man Antonio knows her daughter well. Alam niyang kahit may kasamaan ito ay mayroon dig nananaig na kabutihan sa puso.

“If you don’t mind sir, can you give me a background about what happened few years ago?” kinakabahang tanong ko. Maybe it’s a good start to dig more about this and help my wife find peace. 

“It... was Christmas season...” tila nanginginig na wika niya. “I was younger back then, high and idiot. I took someone’s life without knowing someone was also taking my wife’s life.”

Dahil hindi ko alama ang gagawin o sasabihin sa mga sitwasyong ganito ay pinili kong manahimik. The old man’s hands shook as he tried to recall what happened that cruel Christmas. He let out some lonely smiles as he turned to me. “Alam mo ba kung bakit hindi magkasundo ang pamilya mo sa pamilya ko? Though we didn’t have an obvious war against each other, sinisiguro ng bawat isa na hindi magkrus ang mga landas natin.”

Great, now Pi and I did it. Not just literally crossing the line but tying the knot.

“Naging ambisyoso ako noon. I thought I can enter the level of success the Vander Mafia has obtained to I tried to infiltrate the business to steal some trade secrets and important clients. Sa kalagitnaan ng misyon kong iyon, I decided to back out and told myself, ayaw kong banggain ang lider ng Vander Mafia. I heard a lot about Cronus and Homer, we’ve met on few occasions. He looks calm and relax but do you know what they say about calm water? It’s more deadly. Unlucky for me dahil nahuli ako but Cronus spare me since it was Christmas.” Ngumiti ulit siya nang mapait. “The man was brutish but still give shit about Christmas and other occasion.”

Well, that’s Cronus. He’s the closest man to me than my own father. Galit sa mundo ang sariling ama ko noon dahil sa pagkawala ng mommy ko kaya mas lalong nalayo ang loob ko sa kanya.

“But he told me to never ever cross paths with them ever or else hindi na siya magdadalawang isip na patayin ako. I know that wasn’t an empty threat. The moment Cronus opens his mouth for a threat, you have to be careful kaya hanggang ngayon ay naging maingat pa rin ako. But then right after Cronus release me, I found out my wife and my daughter was missing.”

He paused to bite his lower lip, probably to prevent himself from sobbing. “It must be the Vanders who had them as captive, naisip ko. Pero ayaw kong paniwalaan iyon. Cronus is a man of his words. When he let me off, he meant what he said when he spare me na kung magkrus pa ulit ang landas namin, I’m a dead man kaya impossibleng siya ang mayhawak sa asawa’t anak ko. Then we received news from my men that Rionessi Morisson caught some of my men who were also trying to infiltrate the business... but I ignored the news and focused on finding my wife and daughter.”

“I did my best to find them, I employed all my workforce para mahanap lamang sila but then my wife’s already dead. Beat up to bones at nasaksihan iyon lahat ng anak ko. My most trusted men found them on a dark alley. Flavio said it must be the Vanders since they still had some of our men. Hanggang ngayon ay ayaw kong paniwalaan iyon. Galit na galit ako pero... pero pinili kong maging maingat. Gustuhin ko mang gumanti, hindi ko magawa. Wala akong laban at kailangan kong protektahan ang mga anak ko. But then later I found out some inconsistencies in the story.”

“Hindi ko alam kung panghahawakan ko ba ang sinabi ni Cronus na iyon na dapat ang huling pagtatagpo ng landas namin o mas susundin ko ang sinasabi ng isip ko na malamiang sila ang mayhawak sa asawat anak ko. I chose to play safe and didn’t make more mess. Inisip ko na lamang na nawala man ang asawa ko, andyan pa naman ang mga anak ko. Ayaw kong pati sila ay mawala kaya kahit gustong-gusto kong alamin kung may kinalaman ba ang mga Vander ay hindi ko na ginawa. Ayaw ko ring direktang itanong iyon kay Pi, she has suffered enough and I don’t want her to remember the bitter memories of that night.”

Saglit siyang natahimik at mayamaya ay tumawa. “What am I saying, iba talaga kapag tumatanda na at nasa bingit ng kamatayan. Anyway, don’t mind me son. I’m old and who knows I’ll be gone today or tomorrow. Walang nakakaalam kung hanggang kailan na lamang ang buhay ko. There’s just one thing I want to ask from you.”

Tumuwid ako ng upo at tumingin sa kanya nang diretso. Right now, I didn’t see Antonio Bellomo, leader of one of the biggest drug and crime families. All I see was a father, showing genuine love and concern for his daughter.

“Make my daughter happy and free her from all the shackles of sorrow.”

It was a hard request. I can try my best to make her happy but the other one would be harder than I thought. Hindi iyon mangyayari sa isang iglap lamang. Even the part where I have to make her happy. What if my best wouldn’t work? There are infinite possibilities.

But I am a man and I have to be dedicated to my word. I have to do it.

“I’ll do the best that I can sir,” matatag ang boses na sagot ko.

He gave me a tap of relief bago ngumiti sa akin. I guess I’ll have to work this work as fast as I could.

When Antonio Bellomo left, I went upstairs and found Pi still sleeping comfortably on the bed. Naupo ako sa gilid niya at hinalikan nang bahagya ang kanyang noo. Guess I did it twice, or maybe thrice. I just love the feel of my lips pressed against her forehead. Mahinang gumalaw siya at marahan na binuksan ang kanyang mga mata.

“Hey,” nakangiting bati ko. 

Kinusot niya ang kanyang mga mata at ngumiti. “Are you trying to wake me up?”

I shook my head and moved closer so I could scoop her to my side. “Nope, I just find it hard to resist kissing you.” 

Napangiti siya at idiniin pa ang ulo sa dibdib ko. I cleared my throat and tried to think of a way to start a conversation I’m sure she will avoid.

“Christmas is coming,” panimula ko. I sensed how her body tensed up upon the mention of the season. Naging mabigat din ang kanyang paghinga kaya sinubukan ko siyang kalmahin sa pamamagitan ng paghimas sa braso niya. “How about we’ll spend it at home, with my family? The Vanders?”

Now the way her knuckles crumpled and her body shook alarmed me. It wasn’t hard to guessed that the mention of the name just worsen her feeling. Hindi rin ako tanga para hindi maitagpi-tagpi ang mga pangyayari.

Come to think of it, she’s gone cold to me only after she had that business trip. God only knows what exactly happened pero hindi imposibleng isipin na maaring may nangyari roon kung kaya’t naging ganito siya. She must have known about the possible involvement of the Vanders to what happened to her and her mother few years ago.

With cold hands, she stood from my hug and walked towards the bathroom. 

“I... I think I need to use the b-bathroom,” nanginginig na sabi niya pumasok doon nang hindi man lamang ako nilingon.

That’s it. I couldn’t let this to continue. It’s time for me to man up and find the truth no matter how shattering it it for both of us.

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ShinichiLaaaabs🖋️