Chapter 4: Trace

CHAPTER 4

Trace

STELLA'S POV

"Marlon will take care of my business while I am gone," si Hector.

It's been a week since I stayed here at our house. Marami rin kasing kailangang gawin at pagtuunan ng pansin. Nag-check up kami tungkol kay Santi at nalaman namin na puwedeng i-transfer ang portion ng liver ko sa kaniya.

I don't know if it's just me. But Hector and Santi seem not to be the sweet lovers I knew in the past. But I sense that they're still working things out. Siguro ay dahil na rin sa kondisyon ko sa kanila.

"You know I can hire somebody to take care of your business. Ano bang business mo? Tindahan ba, babuyan? Poultry ng manok?" pagmamaliit ko.

"Kaya ko naman 'yon, Ma'am Stella at Ser Hector... Sabi ko nga sa kaniya, eh, magpahinga muna ng ilang buwan dahil kayod nang kayod, akala mo naman may pamilya..."

"Marlon," si Hector.

Nangunot ang noo ko. Napakamot sa batok si Marlon at nginisian ako nang pilit.

"Este... Syempre, magjowa 'yan sila ni Santi kaya iniisip kong wala pa siyang pamilya, ganoon. Pero kumakayod siya para sa kanilang dalawa."

Ouch, do I need to get hurt?

Nasa hospital kami kung saan dinadialysis ang kapatid ko. Ngayon lang ako pumunta rito dahil ngayon na rin kami aalis. Gusto ko lang kasing malaman kung may sakit nga ba talaga ang kapatid ko o jino-joke time lang ako nito.

I sighed as we entered my sister's room. Nakahiga siya sa hospital bed habang may mga aparatong nakakabit sa katawan niya, at amoy gamot ang buong silid.

"I don't care how beggared his business is. Limpak-limpak na pera naman ang makukuha niya sa akin pagkatapos nito," sambit ko habang nakatingin kay Santi.

She looked away from my sight, which satisfied me. Simula bata pa lamang kami ay mahal na mahal na niya si Hector, kaya kahit hindi niya sabihin ay alam kong hirap na hirap siyang i-let go itong boyfriend niya.

I looked at Hector and saw that he was looking at my sister. I faked a cough, but he still didn't look at me.

"Hindi kayo maghahalikan ni Santi bago tayo umalis?"

"Hindi na, S-Stella," si Santi ang sumagot at kita ko ang pagpikit niya nang pilit.

"Aw, 'wag ka nang magselos, Ate. Sa 'yong sa 'yo pa rin naman itong si Hector. Hihiramin ko lang saglit."

"Basta... iyong napag-usapan," aniya nang hindi minumulat ang mata.

Napabuntong-hininga ako. "Huwag kang mag-alala! Tutuparin ko 'yan, kung magiging maayos din ang trabaho roon ni Hector."

Ang totoo ay nagmamadali na akong makarating sa Maynila. My husband has been confined privately, and my friend, who is a doctor, and I are the only ones who know that he's in a coma.

Ilang beses na ring pilit na tumatawag ang Daddy ni Luther. At sa tuwing nangyayari iyon ay pinapatay ko ang tawag. I still also need to reply to the business-related mails, that's why I don't have the courage to turn off Luther's account. It would just fuel Papa's curiosity if he knew that my husband isn't in line.

Payag na rin naman si Hector... They have the same distinctive voice and tone as his brother. Pero wala pa rin akong tiwala sa kaniya kaya hindi ko muna pinapagawa sa kaniya iyon. I just need an allotted time to train him.

Hindi ko alam kung nakailang buntong-hininga na ako sa loob ng ilang oras na pagbiyahe namin ni Hector. He had been driving the whole ride; wala rin kasi akong nadalang driver dahil ayaw kong may maka-trace kung nasaan ako at baka mabuking pa ang itinatago kong sekreto.

"Sabihin mo nga sa akin... Ano ba talagang nangyayari? Gusto mong maging si Luther ako? Nasaan ba siya?" Hector broke the silence.

"I guess I need to tell you the truth." I bit my lip after saying that.

Kailangan niya ring malaman ang katotohanan, ngunit hindi ako lalagpas sa kung ano'ng nagawa kong krimen, lalo na at kahit pagbali-baliktarin ang mundo'y kapatid niya pa rin ito. At ako'y isang hamak lamang na asawang nakikisawsaw at nanlilimos sa yaman nila.

"We're operating internationally... And suddenly your father," I stopped mid-sentence and continued. "I mean, Luther's father decided to have a business here in the Philippines too. Kami ni Luther ang nakatoka rito, dahil nga si Luther lang naman ang maaasahan ni Papa."

Nasa Maynila na ang kotseng sinasakyan namin kaya saktong traffic ngayon at malayang pakinggan ni Hector ang sinasabi ko. Ikalimang kotse kami sa pila dahil may mga police enforcer sa malapit. Hindi ko iyon pinagtuunan ng pansin bagkus ay ipinagpatuloy ko ang aking sinasabi.

"But suddenly... A-An accident came. Ayaw ko munang sabihin kung ano pero nasa coma si Luther," I said.

"Na-coma siya," pag-uulit ni Hector at napailing na lamang habang pilit na pinipigilang matawa.

Napabuntong-hininga ako at tila hindi ko na kailangan ng mahabang litanya upang maintindihan ni Hector ang lahat.

"Kilalang-kilala ko na si Luther. Kahit anong mangyari, kailangang matuloy ang pag-launch ng new business nila rito sa Pilipinas. Kung sakaling malaman din ng Daddy niya ang nangyari, he would be mad at me and at Luther. He will stop our plan to launch a company here," I explained.

"Why is he the one who'll operate here? For sure my former Dad is capable of that. Getting mad at your husband if he doesn't make it? Bakit? Hindi ba kaya ng kapatid ko?" he said sarcastically.

"So, wala ka talagang balita tungkol kay Papa?"

"What about him?" He shrugged his shoulders as if the last thing he wanted in the world was to know his father's well-being.

Umandar na ang traffic at napako ang tingin ko sa mga pulis habang sinasabi ko ang dahilan kay Hector.

"He's weak now and almost on the edge of death. He's currently on medication at high-end hospitals internationally. He has men eyeing us right now. Kahit gaano kayaman ang tatay n'yo, hindi naman siya immortal para hindi mamatay."

One of the police officers, who had a distinctive badge and uniform, came out from the tent, and I saw how he looked at our car as he waved at it to stop.

Nanginig ang kalamnan ko.

"Oh, shit... I think there they are!"

Nagmadali akong kumuha ng masusuot ni Hector sa compartment ng kotse... I have this sense that they're eyeing us. That chief is the same person who welcomed us after we arrived in the Philippines.

"Who?" si Hector, na hindi man lang mabakasan ng kaba ang boses.

"Iyong mga tauhan ni Papa! Come on, quick! Wear sunglasses," I said and handed him the eyewear.

Hector chuckled. "Relax. Napaghahalataan ka, Stella."

Mas lalong lumapit ang chief sa amin at kinatok ang bintana nang nasa tapat na kami ng LTO. I inhaled and exhaled heavily before I slid down my window.

Nakita agad ng chief ang mukha ko. At base sa ngisi niya ay kumpirmado na sa akin na kami nga ang hanap nila.

"Yes, Chief... How may we help you?" I sounded sweet as hell, the same as when we arrived here in the Philippines. I just forgot his name.

"Your father-in-law contacted us just to check on you. Hindi naman kasi sa probinsya ang construction site ng kompanya n'yo. He's wondering why the two of you went silent for a couple of days now," aniya. Sinenyasan niya ang mga kotse sa likod namin na umandar na at pumalagpas sa amin. I guessed they traced that I went outside this city.

Nangapa ako ng sasabihin. Hindi ko naman puwedeng sabihin na bumisita ako sa pamilya ko dahil hindi sila maniniwala. But they could've traced my car and where it went! Luther's dad has access to NBI and police officers here! At isa yata sa mga tauhan niya itong chief na ito.

"May asawa ka naman, Chief Montellano?" Hector suddenly spoke.

My eyes widened a fraction. Nabaling kay Hector ang paningin ko. He was calm, looking at the person outside, while I was so shocked that he spoke up.

I never trained him to speak like my husband! Bida-bida rin ito, eh!

But I was so stunned that he knew this specific person. He was already wearing the sunglasses, and suddenly he bore a little resemblance to Luther.

Hindi na rin ako kinakabahan na baka hindi mamukhaan ng chief na ito ang asawa ko dahil ilang taon din kaming nalagi sa ibang bansa. At noong nakaraang linggo lang niya nakita si Luther, madilim, gabi, at sa airport pa.

"Yes, Mr. Marchetti. Why did you ask?" he said politely.

He chuckled. "I guess you're not taking her on vacation?" aniya. "Because I took my wife to rest for a couple of days."

Kahit naka-sunglasses ito'y dama kong napukol sa akin ang atensyon at tingin ni Hector, na para bang mag-asawa talaga kami at in love na in love siya sa akin. I cleared my throat as I turned my gaze to the chief to support Hector's reasons.

"I-I'll just tell your Dad that you went on vacation."

"I'm not sorry for being silent, Chief... We just really need this kind of vacation since we love each other, because this seems very tiring on us in the long run," aniya.

Hindi ako sumagot. Hindi rin kasi gusto ni Luther na nakikisawsaw ako kapag hindi naman ako ang pakay ng kausap niya. Just like Hector, I needed to play along. He was Luther now, and I had to go silent whenever he was speaking.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Marchetti. Napag-utusan lang po kami..."

"Please, excuse us. My wife is starving, so we really need to go," he cut him off.

Si Hector ang sumara ng bintana ko bago ako nakahinga nang maluwag.

Tiningnan ko si Hector nang may pagkamangha nang paandarin na niya ang kotse. He looked back at me and took off his sunglasses. Napalunok ako.

He chuckled. "What? You look shocked. Why? Isn't he this kind of romantic?"