Chapter 4

Kindat lang pala ang katapat ni P. Hindi na ito nakapagsalita at lihim s’yang natuwa. The woman was a puzzle to him. It fascinated him how P can rile so much emotions in him so quickly. She has a smart mouth. Naisip niyang baka lawyer ito dahil napakatabil. Pero napailing din s’ya pagkatapos. Parang napakabata pa nito para maging abogada. Baka nga nasa kolehiyo pa ito. 

Dear God, Ale. Magiging cradle snatcher ka pa yata.

Tulog. Kain. Tulog. Kain. Iyon lang ang ginawa niya sa natitirang oras sa loob ng eroplano. Hindi na muling yumakap si P sa kaniya. Still, having her near helped him sleep quicker. Naisip niyang baka ang amoy ng shampoo nito ang dahilan. Or maybe it was her presence. Whatever it was, he liked it. Pansamantala niyang nakaligtaan ang sakit na naramdaman sa pagpapakasal ng kapatid sa babaeng itinatangi niya.

Time heals all wounds, they say. Pero para sa kaniya, hindi naman talaga 'yon naghihilom. You just learn to live with the pain and hope that tomorrow would be better than yesterday. Sumagi sa isip niya ang mga magulang. Hinahanap kaya siya ng mga ito? O baka ni hindi namalayan ng mga ito na umalis na siya at wala ng balak bumalik?

Wala pa siyang plano na kahit ano. He will live even if he doesn't work with the amount of money he has. He would be comfortable, but the boredom would kill him. Hindi siya sanay na walang ginagawa.

Alejandro would always hand him a list of what he needed to do at nasanay na s’ya.  It was a list of places where the men can be found. Those men he killed for the Gambino family needed to disappear. Lahat nang hadlang sa plano ng kanilang pamilya ay pumapanaw. He killed them without blinking. 

FLASHBACK

"Kill him."

"I can't," sagot niya sa ama.

His father was referring to the old man who stole from them. Carlos worked for their family for years at halos kasing-edad ito ng kaniyang ama. At sa loob ng maraming taon, marami rin itong nakulimbat sa kanila. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit kailangan nitong magnakaw. He was paid a lot of money. It was more than enough. But money is the root of all evil, at kailanman ay hindi magiging sapat ang kahit anong ibigay dito. Kasapakat ni Carlos ang namamahala sa finance department kaya nadodoktor ang mga numero sa libro. His brother hired an external auditor and an investigation began. Nilaro nila si Carlos at umaktong parang walang problema. 

And now he's on the ground—almost lifeless.

"Kill him or I'll give him a gun so he can shoot you first."

Ang babala ng kaniyang ama ay tototohanin nito. He grew up in a household that looked normal on the outside. But inside, they were all rotten. Hindi niya alam kung paano nakakaya ng kaniyang ina na gumising at matulog araw-araw habang alam nito ang pinagkakakabuhayan ng asawa. His mother is Italian-Filipino. They were required as kids to learn as much foreign languages as they can because of the family business. 

"Kill him, Alessandro." 

"Do it, Ale. It's okay." Pagod na ngumiti ang matanda sa kaniya. Isinusuko na nito ang buhay na hindi naman utang sa kaniya.

He held back his tears and pulled the trigger. He shot him on the forehead. It brought joy to his father, pero siya ay mabilis na naglakad palabas ng silid na 'yon, at saka tumakbo palabas. He didn't stop running until he was out of breath.

He's now a killer.

The man who trained him and his brothers when they were younger said it's all for self-defense. But the old man was defenseless— and maybe he deserved punishment, but not in his hands. That old man gave him bread when he was hungry. At tuwing pupunta ito sa kanila ay may dala itong pasalubong sa kaniya. Kahit ilang dasal pa ang gawin niya, he's doomed to hell. 

END OF FLASHBACK

Nakasanayan niya 'yon and it's going to take awhile to get used to his new routine. Kung anong routine 'yon, hindi niya pa alam. Maybe it's time to put his degree to good use. He was a Chemical Engineer and although he works a consultant for Taylor’s company, mukhang kailangan na niyang magdagdag ng oras. Wala na siyang ibang obligasyon ngayon.

He will talk to Taylor about it, but not on his first day. Magpapahinga muna siya. He wants to go to the beach. Maybe take a painting lesson, go for a drink and have a good fuck once in a while. No commitments though. 

Nagitla siya nang sikuhin ni P. "What?" tanong niya sa babae. Ngayon lang siya pinansin nito. 

"Tinatanong ka ng stewardess kung gusto mo ng soup." 

"Sure," sagot niya kay P. 

She rolled her eyes. "Mukha ba akong stewardess at sa akin ka nagsasabi? Tsk." 

Pero bago pa siya nakahuma ay binalingan na nito ang stewardess at nag-order ng dalawang sopas. It's one of those instant noodles. Na-miss niya 'yon. Kapag tinatamad silang lumabas ni Taylor sa Australia noong nag-aaral pa sila ay 'yon ang pinagdidiskitahan nila. Magpapainit lang ng tubig, tatakluban ng limang minuto at pwede ng kainin.

Ale found P staring at him— at his crotch to be exact. "Hindi mo naman siguro ibubuhos sa akin 'yang sopas?" biro niya sa babae.

Isa pa 'yong pagbibiro. He doesn't do that. Pero pagdating kay P ay marami siyang ginagawang hindi nakasanayan. P is changing without knowing.

Kumunot ang noo nito. "What? Why would I do that? Do I look retarded to you?" Napakamot siya sa kaniyang batok. Naiinis na naman ito sa kaniya. 

"Then why are you looking at me? Intense kang makatingin e. Parang gusto mo akong kainin."

"Kai— Figlio di puttana."

Napatawa si Ale. Ngayon lang niya narinig magmura si P sa Italian. She said motherfucker. But it didn't even make him mad. Para siyang natuwa na nakuha ang atens'yon nito dahil kanina pa siya hindi pinapansin. At least, she's talking to him again at hindi na siya mapapanisan ng laway. 

He wondered if he will see her again when they land in Manila. 

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sir. But the only reason why I was looking at you was because your fly is open. Ayaw mo naman sigurong makawala 'yang alaga mo at takutin ang lahat. Pero sabagay, parang hindi naman nakakatakot. Kumbaga sa sawa, baby pa." She grinned at him.