t.w: terror, violence, strong language and murder, this chapter may be disturbing so better question yourself if you'll read this or you'll skip it, you have been warned!
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
HARVIN HOWARDS
10 Years Ago
“Brat! How many times do I need to tell you, not to breath hard, huh?! If ever an enemy's approaching you, you should've been dead! You bastard! Hurry, continue from number 1!”
Sweat dripping, teary eyed eyes, I stood up wobbly and tried to punch my father's punching bag. It wasn't an ordinary punching bag, it was a real person.
I was just 14 years old that time and my father already opened my eyes for the world of violence. Everyday he'll train me while he's drunk, if I failed, he'll beat me to death.
We live in a shabby livelihood in Leyte, Philippines. It was my hometown. Everyday, every night, my father will teach me how to start and end a fight. At the age of 15, he started teaching me how to knock an enemy by hitting its vital parts, he also teached me how to... kill.
He told me that in his world, killing is a must, and he wanted me to follow him there. He was a thug. A criminal thug under an organization named Lou Siév. He still didn't saw the bosses of the bosses, and out of desperation, he wanted me to see them myself.
“What are you staring at huh brat?! Punch him bastard!” I heard my father spoke while sitting in our wooden chair, still drinking liquor.
Afraid of being beaten to death, I obeyed him. I punched the man to death. As of that moment, at the age of 15, I became a murderer.
It wasn't a big deal, in fact my father praised me.
“Good job, Harvin. You've truly become a man. As your reward, I'll take you to Manila.”
The 15 years old me looked up to see my father. He was grinning and he looks so excited.
“M-Manila?” I asked. Manila is a home for dictators, thugs, and judgemental people. I don't wanna go there.
“Yes Harvin, I'll introduce you to the main boss, I heard that he's already back from Japan. For sure he have a lot of imported chocolates, Harvin. I'll let you eat them, all!”
My heart thumped like crazy upon hearing his sentence. His idea was absurd. A boss bringing a dozen of chocolate? It'll only happen when he have kids, but I don't think he has one.
“T-This is my s-son... S-Sir...”
I stared at the tall man in front of us. He has this powerful aura surrounding him. Beside him was two kids, nearly around my age. A girl and a boy.
“What's his name?” the boss asked, coldly. I can feel my father trembling and flinching every time that their boss will say a word.
“H-Harvin... Harvin Esperanza, s-sir!”
I saw how the man in front of me nodded. “I see, so he have a foreign surname, not known by the world.”
I was startled when the boss tilted his head to see me. “Harvin, do you want to come with my kids, they're studying at New York, also let's replace your cheap surname, it doesn't suit your face.”
