2. P2: ALTHEA

Italy

ZENO

“What do you want to have for dinner?” I asked Thea. My wife.

We have already been married for five months. Married secretly, and we don’t want Althea's family to know about us. I could face her family, but she was the one who kept on telling me that we needed time to be accepted.

Our relationship cannot be publicized because our families belong to different alliances. My family, they already acknowledged Althea as one of us. She is a member of our clan now. They respected my decision to marry her.

Only her family has no idea. That one of them is now part of us, the Scotto clan. We eloped and hid in Greece before I told Papa about us. Papa told me we should return to Italy because they could not protect us if we wandered overseas.

When Althea said her family would understand what we have at the right time, I believed her. I love her, and all she will say is, I will make it happen. I know that everything she wants to do is to make me happy too.

“What do I want for dinner?” Thea asked with mischievousness on her lips. “I want you.”

I grinned to what she said. How I love this woman… very frank and candid. And she is my light, my guiding light. Siya ang babaeng hindi ko akalaing magpaparamdam sa akin paano magmahal at mangarap ng payapang buhay.

My wife is a Brazilian-Filipina. Her mother is a Filipina, whom after the divorce with her father, took Althea in USA and she grew up there. Sa America na kami nagkakilala. At ang dahilan siguro kaya unang kita pa lang namin ay nagkasundo kami ay dahil pareho kaming marunong magsalita ng Tagalog. Nagkasundo kami nang hindi namin alam na ang ama niya pala ay mula sa pamilya ng mga Ferreira sa Brazil, pamilyang dapat kong iniwasan.

Althea was only nineteen then. She was young and full of dreams, but her vision changed as she returned the love I gave to her. She became reckless. We indulged ourselves in the mad love we have for each other. Mad but true love.

“Ti amo amore mio. Tu sei l'unica ragione per cui ho rinunciato alla mia eredità. You are all that matters,” I raised her hand to my lips and kissed its back.

She sighed at what I said. Guilt in her eyes. “But why do you need to do that?” She stared at me and closed our gap. She kissed my mouth thoroughly. “Why would you sacrifice all your birthright for me?”

“Kailangan,” I used Tagalog words this time. Iyon lang ang lenggwahe namin ni Althea na hindi maiintindihan ng mga tao ko. At kahit may tiwala ako kay Samuel na driver namin ngayon ay mas mabuti pa rin may mga bagay na para sa amin ni Thea lang.

At sabi ko ay tao ko… Sa ngayon ay tao ko pa… pero simula mamaya, kapag naianunsyo na ni papa ang pagtanggal sa akin bilang pangunahing tagapagmana niya sa trono, na kay November na mapupunta ang lahat, mawawala na rin ang mga tao ko na naglilingkod sa akin sa ngalan ng Scotto’s Paradiso.

November is my thirteen-year-old sister. Ipinanganak ni mama noong twelve ang edad ko. My sister was also why my mother, Viviana Scotto, died.

Althea was kissing me on my lap when my hands traveled from her back… caressing down to her rounded buttocks and legs. Thea kissed me deeplier. Ang dila niya ay naglaro sa loob ng bibig ko. I stopped kissing her at inilayo siya sa akin para matitigan ang mukha niya.

“Not here, Thea…” I hushed those words as the fire caused by her desires was all in her eyes.

“That’s fine with me, Zeno. But…” She grabbed my member, that is now rock-hard because of her. “But how about this guy? Hmm?”

I breathed heavily and she gripped on my member na imbes isipin ko ang mahigpit niyang pagpiga at masaktan ay lalo lang iyong nagalit.

“Stop the car!” I almost yelled every word to Samuel. Sumunod naman agad ang isa at inihinto nga ang sasakyan. He looked at me using the rearview mirror at agad ding umiwas ng tingin nang makita na nakakandong sa akin ang asawa ko. “Get out,” dagdag utos ko.

Agad naman siyang lumabas ng sasakyan. Thea’s giggling when I hold her waist and made a swift move para ihiga siya.

“Are we really going to fuck here?” she asked me teasingly.

“This is all you want me to do, Thea. Me fucking you here, right?”

“Oh, Zeno…” she whimpered as I ripped her thong. She was wearing a dark red bodycon, and I didn’t care anymore, even when we reached my father’s ancestral mansion, where she had no underwear.

We didn’t do much foreplay. Ang gusto lang namin ay makaraos. A quickie would do for both of us. After she screamed my name, I released my load. Bumabawi pa lang ako ng paghinga sa ibabaw niya nang…

Sunod-sunod na putok ang narinig namin. Agad akong napaupo at napatingin sa labas at makitang ang mga sasakyang ng mga tauhan ko na sumusunod ay pinosisyon nila para pagitnaan ang sasakyan namin ni Thea.

May sunod-sunod na putok na tumama pa rin sa bintana ng sasakyan ko at maging sa harapan. Agad kong itinakip ang mga kamay ko sa ulo ni Thea na nanlalaki ang mga mata na nakatingin sa akin nang may mga bala na tumama sa bintana sa pwesto niya.

Diavoio!

“Who are attacking us?” tanong ni Althea sa nanginginig niyang boses at kasunod ay napasigaw nang duguang bumalandra sa sasakyan namin ang katawan ni Samuel na may tama sa ulo.

Mabilis kong pinuwestuhan ang driver’s seat at paandarin sana ang sasakyan nang ayaw nitong umandar. I checked the monitor for the car’s status at galit kong pinukpok ang manibela. Hindi aandar dahil ang mga gulong ang problema. Tinadtad na ng bala.

My car is a bulletproof one but the wheels are not. Sunod-sunod na putok na naman ang tumama sa mga bintana. Napatingin ako sa harapan, may crack na ang salamin. Hindi na magtatagal ay makakapasok na ang mga bala. My men looked like they are all dead.

Binalikan ko si Althea na nakasiksik sa sahig ng kotse. Mabuti na gano’n lang siya. Anytime ay tatagos na ang bala sa mga salamin. I heard her cries and feel the fear she was exhaling.

“Shhh… stop crying. No one could hurt you. I promise… Just stay here,” I said to her while taking my gun from the holster on my sides. Mabuti na lang pala at hindi ako naghubad. Itinaas ko na rin ang zipper ko at itinapat ang daliri ko sa bibig ni Althea na nakikita kong natatakot na. “Hush, amore.”

“G-Give me a gun.” Determination in her eyes.

“Here.” Abot ko sa kaniya ng baril na naiwan ni Samuel. “But stay inside the car. I will clear our way out here.”

“I can fight with you, Zeno!” she hysterically cried. “You know that well! I’ll go with you!”

“I love hearing that, amore… But this is not the right time for that sweet talk of ours,” I tried to make my wife smile, but she didn't buy it. She just stared at me, telling me she wanted to go with me to face those devils outside.

“Please…”

“No! Just listen to me. Stay here!”

“I want to be by your side. We promised each other, right?”

“Yes, we promise that. But this… this situation is not included, Thea. I cannot go fight with you while I am worrying that you might be—damn!”

Althea sniffled. Trembling. I pulled her and kissed her hard. I need to calm her. Nang maramdaman kong kalmado na siya ay saka ko pinakawalan ang mga labi niya.

“Makinig ka lang sa akin at magtiwala. Ako ang bahala. Makakaalis tayo rito.”

“Sino… sino sila?” tanong niya pa sa akin. “Bakit nila tayo in-ambush? Kung kailan ayaw mo na sa organisasyon ay bakit nanggugulo pa sila?”

“Isa lang ang alam kong nagpapadala ng death threats sa akin,” galit kong sabi. “Si Rex Pellegrini.”

“Oh, God! That man… Bakit galit siya sa’yo?”

“I cannot answer that, amore. I need to go. I need to make sure na makakaalis tayo rito.”

“Be—be careful…” Thea sobbed and pulled me. “Come back here alive!” She hugged me tighter.

“I will.”

“I’m scared, Zeno.”

“I know. That’s why you need to trust me and stay here, amore.”

She nodded at saka ko binuksan ang pinto kung saan wala akong nakitang bala na tumama kanina. I am using a bulletproof vest at kung hindi rin lang sa ulo ako mababaril ay hindi ako basta mapapatay.

I covered myself from the car in front of me at nasilip ko na patay na ang mga tao ko na nakasakay roon, nawasak na ang mga salamin ng sasakyan nila.

Tumayo ako nang…

“Zeno, dock!!!” narinig kong sigaw ni Thea na sinunod ko kasabay ang pagpaputok niya para sa isang lalaki na nasa likuran ko.

Naningkit ang mga mata ko na napatingin kay Althea na lumapit sa akin. "I said stay inside the car!"

"If I'd stay inside, you are already dead!"

"Damn, Thea!" I said annoyingly sabay pagpapaputok sa nakita kong lalaki na biglang lumitaw.

Another man down. Ilan kaya ang mga ito?

Saktong iniisip ko pa kung ilan sila nang may isang lalaki sa may gilid ang nakita ko. Agad na pinaputukan ko ito pero nakakubli sa pader. Magpapaputok pa sana ako nang...

"No!!!" sigaw ni Thea na bigla akong niyakap at kasabay ay pag-ikot para... para saluin ang lahat ng bala na pinakawalan ng isang lalaki na mula sa kung saan. Tumama ang lahat ng bala na pinakawalan nito sa katawan ni Thea na yakap ko.

Itinaas ko ang braso para barilin ang lalaking bumaril kay Thea at sabayan kaming nagpakawala ng mga bala. Tinamaan ako sa balikat at tinamaan siya sa noo.

Dahan-dahan kong ibinaba si Thea at nakatitig sa naghihingalo niyang anyo. Nanlalaki ang mga mata ko sa takot na naramdaman para sa asawa ko.

“Thea… don’t die, please…” my jaws clenched kasabay ng pagpatak ng mga luha ko na nakatitig sa kaniya. "Don't die…"

“Ze… Zeno… eu te amo…”

I raised her body and hugged her until another gunshot hit me.

Gunshot!

Napadilat ako bigla at pabalikwas na bumangon. Pawis na pawis, I gulped all my hatred and anger that I felt with that constant dream. A constant dream that is not a fragment of my imagination... a dream that came from the past. My painful past.

Tumayo ako at lumakad palayo sa kama nang napansin ko na may incoming call pala ako.

“Talk,” I said to my henchman on the other line.

“We found her. The accomplice of the one who took your wallet.”

“Details about her. And don't let her be out of your sight. I need to have that wallet back."

“I will send the woman's picture and details in your email.”

“Good.”

I ended the call and checked my email. I opened it and read the name of the woman first. The attached photo needs to be downloaded first kaya binasa ko na lang muna ang mga detalye tungkol sa babae.

Delphi Gomez. Twenty-eight years old. Widow. Mother of a four-year-old daughter with aplastic anemia.

I downloaded her photo, and there… there I was shocked!

Althea.

Amore.