Pariah's Wrath

Chapter Nine: Plan

Jophiel is leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window as he watches the calm waves of the sea. The television was on and he was waiting for the morning news to report about the package he left at the Delos Santos' mansion. He'd give all the things he had in this world just to be there and see how his father is going to react, but too bad he just has to wait for the news to report about it.

He looked down at the necklace that his hand was holding. Using his thumb, he flicks the locket open and her mother and sister's photos greet him. He took a deep breath savoring the salty freshness of the sea and went back to his desk. He unlocked the drawer and placed the necklace inside a wooden box.

He gave it one last look before closing the wooden box's lid and locking the drawer close. He could still remember the day that he climbed the orphanage's fences just to see his sister for the last time because at that point in his life ay masyado siyang lulong sa buhay sa kalye. He had to live so that one day mababawi niya si Anastasia o pagdumating man ang araw na magkakilala sila she'll be proud that she has a brother like him, kaya't patuloy siyang nakikipagsapalaran sa buhay. But until he's successful, he wouldn't show himself to her.

Jophiel squeezed his eye shut as tears threatened to spill. Kahit na abot kamay na niya ang kahit anong gusto niya sa mundo, he still feel like a failure. May mga oras na iniisip niya na pakawalan na lamang ang ala-ala ng kanyang kapatid, maybe she's living the life that he envisioned her to have, maybe she's successful in whatever path she went to, and maybe she's turly loved and taken care of.

But what if she's not.

He let out a deep exhale, clearing his chest of any anxiousness that was slowly creeping in. His eyes flicked up to the television when the news started to air.

"Magandang umaga bayan! Umagang umaga at mainit init na mga balita ang ating tatalakayin ngayon. Unahin na natin ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng gas na nagtutulak sa JDO o ang Jeepney drivers Organization upang humingi ng dagdag na tres pesos sa bayad pasahe. Sa kabilang dako naman ay ang patuloy na pagkakampanya ng mga kakandidato sa susunod na halalan."

Jophiel's eyes were stuck to the screen as he watched the news. He reached for his glasses at isinuot iyon. He leaned back to his seat at dumekwatro ito, his fingers tapping the table as he waited for the news that he wanted to see.

"May tatlong buwan na lamang ang natitira bago ang susunod na halalaan at base sa survey ang leading candidates para sa pagkapangulo ay sina senador Abrahim Delos Santos at Senator Policarpio De Guzman na kanya-kanyang flag bearer ng kanilang mga partido."

His body is slowly becoming so stiff, dahil hindi pa binabalita ang package na dineliver niya sa mga Delos Santos. He expects that the senator will go public about it upang magpabango sa press para sa halalan at para maipaalam sa lahat ang nangyari sa kanyang ampon.

"sa kabilang banda naman ng Pilipinas, nagbigay pugay ang Malacañang sa mga sundalong nakipagbakbakan sa Region II laban sa OTS o Order of the Three Stars na isang international terrorist at smugglers ng iba't ibang armas at pinagbabawal na gamot. Nagsalita na ang presidente sa mga susunod na akyson pangmilitar na balak niyang isagawa upang tuluyan ng mapulbos ang mga ito."

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Napatayo si Jophiel at napasabunot sa kanyang buhok. Ang inaasahan niyang balita ay ang pinadala niyang package at hindi ang tungkol sa nabulilyaso nilang operasyon sa Cagayan Valley. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit hindi siya nakauwi ng dalawang linggo dito sa isla. Lucas was supposed to deal with the Triads sa Isabela dahil lumalakas na ang mga pwersa nila sa Cagayan Valley and he was supposed to directly go to Batanes para magimbistiga tungkol sa kapatid niya ngunit hindi maganda ang kinalabasan ng paguusap ng organisasyon nila at ng Triads.