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EPILOGUE
The ambulance in the street was blaring. It was midnight and Gen Ver had no notion as to how this was coming to him. He sat alone in the shadows of his lonely apartment, in exile. No more men to order, no more leaders to follow. You were a loyal soldier . . . a great survivor. A voice came from somewhere inside his mind.
Yes, he mused with a cynical smile. I've been a loyal one through and through - but loyalty turned zilch once I lost everything including the honor that I guarded so much. I'd rather die now with honor than to live in the shadow of disgrace.
And disgrace hung over his head. He had bungled the plan to eliminate the senator in a very disgraceful way. There was no doubt he deserved to be hanged, to be ridiculed. His intentions had been patriotic, but nothing had gone as he had planned. There had been trials, accusations, and public outrage. He had served the strong man with honor
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1983 Hindu hermitage, Himalayas, Nepal. John Carlos Martin had long been wishing to learn Astral travel. This is a unique experience going back in time. Also, he wanted some personal questions answered by the masters of the unknown mystical world which he could not find in his city. So during his one-week vacation from work, he took the liberty to fly to India and visit one of the Ashrams. It was a long trip but he knew that what he was going to experience was worth the expense and the hassle. Once there, he immediately had a session with a Raj guru. The place was like nothing he had visited before. He felt the deafening silence that echoed all over. On the edge of the sacred river Ganges, he only heard the dribbling of the water. The sound of the flowing current could hold anyone under its spell, so much so that he swore he would be able to find inner peace and solace. In its indo
BUNGLED Chapter 1 The show of force
Halfway around the world, where the sun shone whole year-round, the splendor of the land was highlighted by the booming of drums. People were dancing in the streets. Cebu city celebrated the annual veneration of the Santo Niño, the young Jesus.It was high noon, and spectators, young and old, excitedly trickled in, filling the streets with expectations. Floats glittered with colorful decorations and confetti from buildings showered in different shades. Although the atmosphere was uncomfortably hot in the open, the curious ones stayed on to feel the throbbing of the festival. When the sun slithered down behind the school grandstand the shadow gave people some shade and relief. Those who had crowded under the trees, elbowing for the little space, later swarmed out into the open spaces when the sun went down.Tourists from other countries also came, curious as to what the festival was about. Also, prominent personalities started to notice the importa
BUNGLED Chapter 2 Back to New York
Half a world away, spring was around the corner, trees were turning green, and colorful rosebuds were blossoming at the park near John Carlos' apartment building. In the early mornings, the air was fresh and cool. Now he was back from his trip to Nepal. Under the comforter, he stretched, moaned, and rolled to get out of bed.Dawn had broken, and daylight found its way through the tall drapes covering the Persian window in his room and landed on the floor. It gave form to the pair of pants, shirt, shoes, and socks worn the night before, scattered all over the place. Struggling with a hangover from a Saturday night out with friends, he half-heartedly stepped out still sleepy and groggy and then groped for his glasses. When he found them he toddled to the kitchen to look for something to drink. His mind was fixed on the fridge. He opened it and winced. The light from inside assaulted his unaccustomed eyes, making him grope for what he wanted to find.“Derr bra
BUNGLED Chapter 3 The Breakfast Club or Sulog
From the street level, San Carlos university was an imposing building. It occupied the entire block, from one corner to the other corner of a long street, with its bricks painted impressive green and dirty white. A magnificent structure that reflected knowledge, history, and years and years of labor in molding students to become one whole being, it was the meeting place of a secret organization. In one of the rooms, concern, and worry pervaded in the air. Not too large with a wide window facing the street, the room smelled of antique furnishings and old books. Along the walls were shelves stacked with legal and political tomes which suggested higher learning in the field. Lodged in the main building where the Dean of Law held office, two of the highest-ranking officers held their emergency meeting.“This is getting out of hand,” Mr. Anton Silva said, pacing back and forth along the length of the room. He was a university professor, the leade
BUNGLED Chapter 4 His Assignment
It was a warm August Monday in New York. Nobody liked Mondays. JC was no exception. But whether it was a Monday or a Friday, or even if it was a rainy day, he would have to move his arse and go to work. At twenty-six, life was just okay, getting by with a job as an international correspondent for the Asia region. Okay because he had no responsibility of raising kids and building a home yet. He strolled to his office along Eighth Avenue, about twenty-eight blocks down south of Manhattan. He calculated that thirty minutes was enough to spare and be at the office on time. He crossed Columbus Circle toward the other side and took the left side of the road. Today he liked to walk. The excellent summer weather and the sight of some familiar big names along the way made it seem shorter, for it gave him the chance to admire their beauty and greatness.Under the competent management of people who made them move all over the world, he repeated their names one by one as he padded along:
BUNGLED Chapter 5 A visit to Mary Dames
JC excused himself from his officemates to prepare for his assignment. He had to pack for a week away from home. Then he bid goodbye to friends, waving to all those who were farther away from his desk. He winked at Kate. On his way out of the office, he was pondering about this trip. Now was his opportunity to see his father's homeland for the first time. A place which he had only heard about, from him. What would he expect to see? He knew there are mangoes. The sweetest mangoes, grown nowhere else. He didn´t know how lanzones and manzanitas tasted. Now was his chance to taste them. He was also wondering how the local girls would react to a handsome foreigner like him. All of these were tiny figments of his imagination. His parents were immigrants in the States. His father had only been back to his country twice for more than thirty years - never with the children. A practicing surgeon he couldn't find time to go back and visit his count
BUNGLED Chapter 6 The PP12
The PP12 is a small group of twelve prominent men in the military and the business community. It was said that they controlled the economy and the government of the country under the supervision of the President. Normally they meet at Camp Crame, a military bulwark of the country. The military camp was a huge complex, situated about eight-thousand five hundred miles to the east of New York. It had a large mid-section with towering trees jutting up in acres and acres of land, flanked by buildings to the right and the left when you enter. This was the seat of the military top brass of the Philippines and PP12. A black sedan luxury car rolled past the sentry at the gate and then proceeded to the north wing building taking the right lane. It found its way in front of a large building where it stopped. Total urgency pervaded at the camp. The uniformed chauffeur unlocked his door and snappily jumped out to open the back door. A tall muscled officer in brown f
BUNGLED Chapter 7 His departure
JC accepted the job, hopeful that the new assignment would give him a promotion.In their talk at the office, Mr. McMillan told him, "Your role is principally to follow the story of the controversial senator, Benigno Aquino Jr., who is on his way back to his country after seven years in exile. He is a charismatic person and full of followers. People think that he is the only possible replacement for the ailing president. There are threats to his life. And he might not be able to step on the land. This is the reason journalists are overly interested in covering his life. Catch up with him. I don´t want any other newspapers to come first before us. "JC listened with an open mind. "Copy, sir," was all he could say.In going out of the office, JC was jubilant and eager to do what his boss told him to do. "The discomfort is temporary. Of course, there is a sudden change in temperature, from temperate to tropical that I will have
Latest chapter
- BUNGLED EPILOGUE
- BUNGLED Chapter 59 His last visit to the Raj Guru
- BUNGLED Chapter 58 The wedding
- BUNGLED Chapter 57 Tessa´s visit to the States
- BUNGLED Chapter 56 Their next date
- BUNGLED Chapter 55 Celia and Jeanie
- BUNGLED Chapter 54 Tessa´s invitation
- BUNGLED Chapter 53 Love´s first enounter
- BUNGLED Chapter 52 JC´s return
