OMDB5. The De Luna

Diego's POV

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"How much did you lose?" si Ranger sa akin.

"Half a mil." I jerk up and then face down. I covered my face using my hand.

"Half a mil my ass," sagot ni Morris sa gilid.

"You effing lost ten million? Idiot!" ngisi niya at napailing pa.

"Woah, beauty!" kantyaw ni Ranger. Bahagya na siyang natawa.

"May magsasayaw mamaya sa stage, bro! A freaking dimwit hot mafia!" kantyaw ni Diezel. Nag-apir pa ang tatlo. Mga walanghiya talaga ang mga baboy na ito.

"Cha, cha, cha, yo!" si Morris.

I looked at the three of them, and they were dancing like crazy pigs. I almost chuckled when Ranger shook his booty.

Tama nga siguro na binansagan sila noon ni Saraid na tatlong baboy na nanirahan sa kabilang tuktok ng mundo.

Una, si Ranger, ang happy go lucky na walang pakialam sa buhay. Pangalawa si Diezel, ang matigas at astig na walang kinatatakutan, pero pagdating sa babae ay napaka-unggoy naman. Pangatlo si Morris, ang pinakamakapangyarihan at pinakamayan sa kanila, pero baliw at walang lugar ang pag-ibig sa kanya.

I wouldn't say I like these three pigs, but for a valid reason, I owe them my life. I may not be around at them all the time. But they make sure that I belong to their clan.

Pero kung iisipin mo nga naman ay hindi na nabibilang ang tatlong ito sa mga matatatas na mga lahi ng Mondragon, dahil iba ang mundo nila sa pormal na mundo ng mga baliw na pinsan nila.

Huh, like me, these Mondragon boys are crazy mafia too.

"Paano 'yan, Digs? Paano mo haharapin ang tiyuhin mo'ng kapre?" ngisi ni Diezel sa akin.

"Let me know if he will kick your balls, Digs. I will kick the balls of his gangs. Ano? Okay ba?" astig na sagot ni Morris.

Akala mo naman makakatulong ang suhesyon niya. Ang baliw ng mukong na ito talaga.

"I don't think El Cappuccino will like that," si Ranger. "We all knew that El Cappuccino De Luna will put his life on the line to kill the remaining blood of the Costellos. Huh, good luck, bro!" pagpatuloy niya at tapik sa balikat ko.

"Umuwi ka na at magpakita ka sa mukhang kapre na tiyuhin mo, Diego," si Diezel sa akin.

"Your boys are waiting for you too, Digs. Nasa akin ang iba," si Morris.

I heave a sigh and laid back, now facing the sky. My kingdom is not far from here, from where Morris is located. Nasa kabilang syudad ako, sa bandang Sicily, at nandito ngayon sa puder ni Morris nagpapalipas ng sakit ng ulo.

I hopped in with him using one of his private choppers last night. I've lost one of mine. That bloody Cariena blew it up.

I heard it from Drake the other day that some parts are located down the vest valley dessert. A person was seen parachuting right on, a seconds after the blast. Pina-monitor kasi ni Drake ito, dahil may device na nakasabit dito. Mabuti na lang at nakuha niya ang lahat ng mahahalagang detalye. At dahil ginamit ito ni Cariena, ay nakuha rin ni Drake ang lokasyon sa lugar na nasaan siya.

I shut my eyes while listening to the three crazy pigs talking shit. I couldn't understand their convo as it came in and out inside my head.

That damn, El Cappuccino! I swore in the back of my mind.

EL Cappuccino Del Miquel De Luna is the brother of my father. When Papa died, I came to manage the whole clan.

In my hands, the De Luna and Del Fiore ruled out amongst the others. The other mafias do not dare to fight us. They all knew that they would lose in this battle.

I'm happy there because it's peaceful for me. But sometimes, I do accept missions that pay perfect money. Drake and I don't just kill anyone. We killed the very, very bad ones.

El Cappuccino is doing my head in sometimes, and it annoys me.

"When do you want to go back, Digs?" si Ranger sa akin.

Tumaas ang isang kilay ko at tinitigan siya. Nakaupo na siya ngayon sa bandang gilid ko at katulad ko ay humiga na. Pareho na kaming nakatitig sa langit.

"Maybe tomorrow. I need to see El Cappuccino. I'm not yet going back to Sicily. I need to visit him because he's doing my head in."

"Yeah, that's the exact rule of a pest," kantyaw ni Diezel.

"Oo, katulad mo minsan, pest," bahagyang tawa ni Morris.

"Dammit dimwit. I'm not a pest!" reklamo ni Diezel. Hawak na niya ang inomin na beer pero hindi ordinaryong beer ito. Dahil lihim na gumagawa ang mukong nang sarili niyang brew.

"Oo nga pala nakalimutan ko. Hindi ka nga pala pesti kung 'di unggoy," pagpatuloy ni Morris.

Humakbang agad siya at patakbong pumasok sa sa loob. HInahabol na siya ni Diezel at nawala na ang dalawa. Naiwan na lang kami ni Ranger dito sa rooftop.

Napabuntonghininga ulit ako at pinikit ko na ang mga mata ko. Hanggang sa maalala ko ang ginawa ko sa litrato ni Cariena. Nakakatawa nga naman. Gusto ko siyang patayin pero ayaw ko ng diretsahan. Gusto ko unti, untihin siya.

"Anong klaseng ngisi iyan, Digs?" si Ranger. Napansin niya ang pag-ngisi na ginawa ko.

I shake my head. "Nothing. It reminds me of something," I say with a chuckle.

"Kilala kita, Diego. At isang tao lang ang nagbibigay nang ganyan na ngiti sa mukha mo. SI Siobeh Cariena ano?"

Dammit! Tahimik na mura ng isip ko.

"Whay can't you just kill her, bro? Alam ko dapat sana matagal mo na siyang pinatay pero mukhang ayaw mo pa," kantyaw ulit na ngisi niya.

"It's boring if I will kill her. I want slow torture, Ranger," pilyong ngiti ko.

"Huh, really? That sucks, man." Mahinang mura niya at napailing na.

"How can you do that? We all knew that Cariena Siobeh Costello is a one hell hot mafia goddess." He whistled, "Kahit na sinong lalaki, Digs. Bibigay ma-e-kama lang ang babaeng iyon," kantyaw sa titig niya.

We stare and he jerk up. Ipinapamukha sa akin na talong-talo ako pagdating sa babaeng iyon.

"I will not give in. No effing way that I will fall under her trap, Ranger," I say with a hell serious stare, and he shakes his head.

"And I doubt it again," sabay iling niya.

"Sana nga pala tinapos muna iyan noon pa," kantyaw niya. At tumayo na. Tinalikuran lang din ako at pumasok na siya sa loob. Naiwan na naman akong mag-isa sa posisyon na ito.

I shut my eyes again for the final time and inhaled deeply. . . I wish I could bring back the time when everything was okay when I was still a teenager.

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"And what do you expect me to do, Diego? Sit here and do nothing? The Costellos want me dead, want you dead, and so - "

"You should had not fucked-up, Cappuccino!" tigas sa boses ko at putol sa pagsasalita niya.

For all saints sake, I don't effing care about him being my uncle. Wala akong pakialam kahit na kapatid siya ni Papa. Ang bobo niya talaga!

No wonder my father hated his guts to hell, and wish that he will pass away first. But what a shame ai, dahil nauna pa'ng namatay si Papa kaysa sa kanya. And for a record, I will never give him the title to rule my boys and my territory when I'm not around.

"You send one of your men to the Costello's territory to kill Cariena? And do you think that will work? The fuck!" Malutong ulit na mura ko. Mas sumakit lang lalo ang ulo ko sa sitwasyon na ito.

Hindi pa ako tapos kay Cariena, at dumagdag pa ang walang utak na El Cappucino.

The hell, I don't care. I don't give a damn shit upon calling him, my uncle.

"Don't worry. They will never know that it's one of my men," ngisi niya na parang sira.

I looked at him. My eyes were like bullets aiming at his soul.

"Hindi tanga si Cariena para hindi malaman na isa ito sa mga tauhan mo!" I hissed and looked away.

I should have gone to my place and mansion with all the boys. But I got a call from Ace, telling me that EL Cappuccino had sent one of his men to the Costellos to kill Cariena Siobeh. But sad to say, Cariena killed that person and probably now was being held for ransom or worse, bait to her crocodile 'Zorya'.

Either way or another, I bloody don't care!

"Go f off, Caps," I say and grabbed the brown folder. I handed it to him. It's a ticket to the Caribbean for him.

Mas mabuting magbakasyon muna siya at magpakalayo sa akin. Nasisira ang bawat plano ko dahil sa kapalpakan niya.

"I'm not taking that, and you could no longer push me away from your life, Diego," tigas sa boses niya.

"Kung buhay lang si Miguel ay tiyak gagawin niya rin ang ginagawa ko. What is wrong with you? Why can't you kill that bitch? Isang babae lang pala ang sisira sa angkan natin, Diego. At hindi lang siya basta-basta babaeng, dahil ang pamilya niya ang mortal na kaaway ng pamilyang ito!"

I feel my blood boiling now. It reminds me of the odds and the hate that's been hiding for so long.

Kulang pa yata ang lahat ng daliri ko sa kamay sa mga numero ng taong napatay ng mga Costello sa pamilya ko. Hindi lang naman kami ang nawalan, dahil sila rin.

Our families have been enemies for generations, from my great-grandfather down to the present. The De Lune and El Costello will never be at peace anymore.

I smirked and looked him in the eye.

"Don't worry, Caps. Konti na lang at luluhod na ang babaeng iyan sa harapan ko," pilyong ngisi ko. 

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C.M. LOUDEN