Chapter 3: Trojack

The room was dimlit, ngunit kitang kita mo ang mukha ng isang lalaki na halos wala kang makitang mali, para bang siya lang ang paborito ng Diyos.

His handmade black fitted shirt ang nagiging rason para mas makita ang hulma ng napakaganda niyang katawan. His eyes were just staring at the corner, and anything that he does, even if wala siyang ginagawa, napakapogi pa rin nitong tignan.

Biglang narinig niya ang papalapit na yapak papunta sa kwarto niya and a sweet voice from his grandmother ang umalingawngaw sa isip niya.

“Just marry Rosa, my dear. I will never accept anyone but her as my granddaughter-in-law. You know me, Trojack. I don't usually likw people especially those who will be part of us.”

But, at this point, isang tao lang ang pumapalibot sa isipan ni Trojack, the first and only woman he was possessed while in the dark. Simula ng nangyari ang gabing iyon, hindi na siya nawala sa isipan nito kahit ilang taon na ang nakakalipas. She was the only person who made him crazy despite the fact na hindi niya man lang narinig ang pangalan nito.

That was the same night that he drank something and was unconscious. Hindi niya maalala sino ang naglagay or kung ano ang nilagay sa usual order niya sa club, but all he can remember was she was under him, and she was sobbing brokenly and begging for mercy.

Afterwards, he took off his watch and handed it to her saka siya nawalan ng malay.

Ngayon, Limang taon na ang nakakalipas ngunit na mapahanggang ngayon hindi niya pa rin malaman kung sino siya at kung ano na ba ang nangyari sa kaniya. He was feeling guilty for whatever happened that night, and it was obvious something already happened and the woman would have never forgiven him.

Ayon rin naman ang gagawin niya.

Just last week lang niya nalaman na naibenta na ang relo sa isang second hand market, ang nagiisang relo na may engraved name ng pangalan niya kaya hinding hindi siya magkakamali.

Nagulat na lang siya ng biglang banggitin na lang ng lola niya na ikakasal siya sa babaeng hindi naman niya kilala, and it pisses him off pero in the end, mukhang wala rin naman siyang magagawa sa utos ng lola niya.

Biglang nagring ulit ang cellphone niya, but this time, sinagot na niya.

“Hello?” Malalim na tanong ni Trojack.

“Sir, we already found the girl, her name was Sheena and the same watch you had was traded from her,” saad ng nasa kabilang linya.

Trojack stood up and there was furious in his eyes, hindi siya mapakali na after five year may nahanap na siyang clue. His heart rose with excitement and he knows, unti na lang malalaman na niya ang identity ng babaeng hinahanap niya.

“Give me her address, I’ll go find her myself,” utos niya.

Sheena just took over a women's clothing store a year ago, ngunit sa kasamaang palad mas lalo lang lumala ang sitwasyon niya day by day. She can’t pay rent pero hindi dumaan sa isipan niya ang tumigil sa negosyo, and all she did was sell a few things sa bawat araw na kailangan niya ng pera pambayad.

Ngayon lang niya naisipang ibenta ang relo dahil nung una ay akala niya walang value lalo na’t mukhang luma na ito, but as soon as she went to sell it, nabayaran pa siya ng 50,000 pesos. Wala naman siyang naramdaman dahil it wasn’t hers in the first place.

Five years ago, the club contacted her that someone left a watch sa private room na binook niya after her plan in that same room, Room 808. Even if she already saw it as something not valuable enough to be sold or worn, she just took it and kept it to herself.

“I really can’t imagine na ang isang walang kwentang relo na iyon ang maglalagay ng laman sa banko ko,” bulong ni Sheena sa sarili habang nakaupo sa loob ng store niya, tinitigan ang 50,000 pesos sa screen ng phone.

Bigla na lang may malakas na nagbukas ng pinto at dali dali siyang tumayo, but before she could ever say anything to protest kung paano sirain ng taong iyon ang pinto, she was already feeling the fear inside her.

Isang matangkad at poging lalaki ang pumasok sa loobm, and there was a noble aura in the way he looks and walks.

“W-welcome, sir,” nauutal na sabi ni Sheena, “what are you looking f-for?”

Tinignan niya ng maigi ngunit dahan dahan ang lalaking nasa harapan niya, and he was a man wearing a top-grade haute couture suit. Halata sa kaniya ang kakaibang aura and sa katangkaran nito, he would be around 1.9 meters. He was definitely not here to buy clothes.

“Are you Sheena?” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, waiting for her response to find out if she really was teh person he was looking for.

“Y-yeah, bakit? Why are you looking–”

He took a watch in his hand and bigla na lang nagulat sa Sheena ng makita muli ang relo na binenta niya nakaraang araw lang. He handed it to her, and asked in a low voice, “Did you have this specific watch all this time?”

Tinignan niya ang relo sa harapan niya, and the way he confronted her just scared more inside, “Y-yes, I do recognize this watch,’ nangingnig na sagot ni Sheena habang nanginginig ang mga hita.

“Five years ago today, there was a woman in Room 808. Was it you?” He stared at her, asking himself whether she was the girl she was with that night.

Without any hesitation, she just replied, “Yes, that was me.”

Suddenly, her memories and thoughts collided, and there was this one question that came in her mind.

Is this the person inside the Room 808 that I booked five years ago to frame Rosa? Why would he come back sa relong matagal ng nawawala sa kaniya?

“Keep my watch, and don’t ever sell it again. I will comeback and compensate you for what happened last night,” his voice became softer and he looked down for a second, “Remember my name, Trojack Yddro.”

He didn’t waited for her reply nor her reaction, and just left the store with Sheena still in shock.