Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2- The beginning

“I was wondering, why did you introduced me to your Dad as your boyfriend?” Angelo asked as he opened the car door.

It was almost wee hour in the morning when the party ended. Angelo drive back Samantha in her condominium in Makati. It was a twenty story building situated in the eastern part of the city.

Samantha smiled before answering Angelo’s query. “Well i am just preparing them. Afterall, we are bound to that direction. Ain"t we?"

Angelo laugh aloud. An almost evil laughter that is thunderous and echoed in the silence of the night.

Samantha pout her lips and put her two hands in her hips as she begun to say something to Angelo but she was shortly cut by Angelo’s words.

“And where did you got that illusion? We are friends baby. Don't try to destroy that friendship, Okay?”

“Hayyy. You are so annoying. You must be thankful that of many suitors that i had, it is you i like and forced my self into.” Samantha said as she crossed her arms beginning to show her signature tantrums move. Stomping her feet like a little girl.

“It’s late, You have to go upstairs now.” Angelo curlty said. 

Samantha obliged. But before she turned her back, she attempted to kiss Angelo but move his head slightly so the kiss landed in his cheek.

“You are really annoying.” As she said the word, a slight slap landed in Angelo’s cheek and immediately turned her back and step towards the buildings.

Angelo was annoyed by what Samantha just did but he let it pass. She still need the woman for all his plans against Don Arnald and his siblings. He stared hard as he watched Samantha entered the condominium. Samantha was greeted by the uniformed security guard and disappeared. As the woman’s figure was lost in his sight, a vivid memory begun to appear.

It happened more than twenty-five years ago right at this place. He was five years old that time. As they stood with his mother Marisa at this exact spot, Angelo clearly remembered the events. His mother thin sickly body was dressed with her Sunday’s best yet, it was still the picture of poverty. He was wearing his favorite t-shirt and short pants which her mother bought as birthday presents, two years ago.

Marisa was once a gorgeous woman. The picture that Angelo keep shows how sweet couple Marisa and Arnald during their heydays. Marisa is embracing the young man. The picture was taken in the beach. Marisa is wearing a swimming wear revealing her beautiful body.

But fate was not on Marisa after he was born. As he remembered what his Auntie Belen, her mother’s younger sister reckoned and told him. Marisa suffered too much depression when Arnald Lopez suddenly disappeared without even saying goodbye or explanation.

Her mother Marisa was once a seasoned model and starting to enter the showbiz industry as bit player and supporting actress. Accordingly, it is where she met his father.

Marisa could not bear the pain of losing Arnald, so she lost interest in living. She turned to alcohol and stop working. He was entrusted to her Auntie Belen.

Her drinking became worst as time goes. To support her vices Marisa became a whore. She let men use her body in exchange for wine. Eventually she got sick and her once beautiful body started to sag. She lost her appeal that even the men that adore her before, started to shy away.

It was after five years when Marisa learned where his father was living. So they dressed up and rode a taxi to the condominium. The same condominium where he was standing right now. During that time, the building was newly inaugurated and was widely published in newspaper. It was where, Marisa learned where Arnald Lopez is living.

“You are not allowed here.” The security guard curtly said arrogantly. “Beggars are prohibited.”

“Hey! We are not beggars. I knew your boss, Arnald Lopez. You better ask him. We want to talk to him.” Marisa was shouting now.

Angelo was so scared that time as he tagged behind her mother.

“Do you have ID's?”

Her mother was so irritated and totally lost her temper.

“What ID? Have you not recognized me? I am Marisa Rosanes, the actress. You should have known me because I'm famous!”

The first guard laugh aloud upon hearing what Marisa just said. Another guard appeared and look at Marisa from head to foot.

“Hey! bro don't waste your time talking to that crazy woman. Get her out of this place. Ma'am Divina will be arriving soon.” The new guard said.

The first guard dragged Marisa and Angelo away from the building’s entrance. Marisa tried to resist and struggle but her light and sickly body was no matched to the muscular security guard. The passerby just stared at them and walk away. Nobody cares. Angelo was crying and begging.

“Please stop. Don't hurt my mother, i beg you." His tears flowed and his pitch voice was at its height but the man holding her mother ignored his plea.

The guard stopped dragging Marisa when a Mercedes Benz, park in front of the condominium. He hurriedly opened the car door. As the woman step out, the security guard bowed.

“Good morning Ma’am Divina.”

“Who are they?“ The woman addressed by the guard as Ma’am Divina said, staring at the direction where Marisa and Angelo is standing.

“They are beggars that is why we are driving them away."

As the woman was talking to the guard, a girl stepped out of the car. Angelo look at the girl who is almost his age. The girl was well dressed with a face almost angelic.

“Wait." Marisa blurted. “You are Divina Montes right?”

The well dress woman halted and turned back. Marisa was aware that Divina Montes was Arnald Lopez's wife. The newspaper had told about the couple and their daughter Samantha. Family pictures were in the society pages that featured the condos inauguration.

“And who are you?” Divina said as she appraised Marisa from head to toe.

“I want to talk to your husband.”

“And why is that?”

“This is Angelo, he is also his son. It is his obligation to support his son so i wanted to talk to him.”

Upon hearing Marisa, Divina look at Angelo who was so scared and almost buried himself at her mother’s back.

Without saying a word, Divina Montes begun to walk away.

“Hey! I want to talk to your husband." Marisa shouted almost panicky.

But the woman ignored her plea, instead she ordered the guard.

“Romove them here. Drag them out of here. I don't want to see them again or i will fire all of you."

The guard immediately grab Marisa and dragged them away. The little girl watched the entire fiasco and her eyes locked with Angelo’s eyes without any trace of emotions.

At that moment, Angelo felt the raged burning inside him. At an early age he knows that someday he will find the little girl. It was an ardent promise to himself.

Angelo take a glance at the building and drove his car away. As his Ferrari speed up at the expressway going to Laguna where his farm was located, his memory speed back again to his past.

Her mother died when he was seven years old. Her drinking continuously deteriorated her health. He was left to her Auntie Belen’s care but her Auntie also died shortly after her mother. He was hit by a car driven by a drunk. Because no more relative left, Angelo was taken by their parish priest who happened to visit their community in Tondo, Manila.

Father Benny’s advocacy to help the youth away from crime and vices, frequented him to visit them. Their community are composed by informal settlers. Their houses are made of light materials and dilapidated galvanize roof. All kind of hardened criminals were found in their area. Both previously served their jail sentence and some are active participants of crime.

Angelo remembered that one of her mother’s regular customer was Mang Marcus. Mang Marcus was jailed several time but got out so easily because of his influential God father. For a short while after her mother died, Mang Marcus took care of Angelo. He served as runner and collector of the man’s illegal activity from drugs, extortion and other petty crime.

But Father Benny convinced Angelo to take a straight life away from illegal activity. Father Benny took Angelo to an orphanage under the care of nuns. For a while Angelo felt contented in the orphanage. The comfort that the place offered was appealing. He has clean clothing and regular meals at hand. He no longer suffered hunger like those time that he was still living alone.

But the routine bored him eventually. Waking up early, doing assigned chores like cleaning the floors and garden, was so monotonous. In addition, his anger within continue to grow. He questioned even God why is life is so miserable. Why his father abandoned him and let her mother died at an early age.

The influence that Mang Marcus had taught him even for a short while is also appealing to him. He learned to fight and depend himself. That influence was the reason why he was always into trouble with the bully in the orphanage. He fought back and learned the trick of body combat. His pain tolerance grew and eventually, no more bully has the guts to fight him.

The nuns were all concerned about his behavior that they petition Father Benny to take Angelo out in the orphanage. For a while Angelo serve as altar boy assisting Father Benny during masses in his Parish in Tondo.

But after a while, Father Benny was killed while visiting the community. A new priest took over the Parish. Angelo lost his benefactor and returned to Mang Marcus look out. From being a runner he learned to lead, local boys. He joined local gang which further make him strong. His body is becoming stronger as the years passed.

When Mang Marcus was caught and sentence to serve life imprisonment, Angelo took over the leadership. He was barely eighteen and young but fierce and merciless. Their operation grew to neighboring places. His name became known to both the underworld and the authorities. As the new leader he totally over hauled the group operation. Strictly no to drugs. They serve as point man and collectors to various casino. They are effective in collecting debts from rich people who refused to pay after losing in the casino. They protect clubs and beerhouses but maintained threshold paramount of legality.

It is his stand to avoid conflict with the authority as much as possible. He believed that business should go on, without clashing the authority head to head. In fact, many local gang were so annoyed because they could not operate their illegal trade.

But people like them, no matter how they tried to avoid the authority, always find enemies among the corrupt police who protected the illegal business.

He was framed and jailed at the age of Twenty-three.