Gambit of Hearts: Chasing Black UNO

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

JUST LIKE what he's grandfather said, the security of their house was tightened. Hindi alam ni Matthew kung bakit iyon ipinagawa ng kanyang lolo. Their house was also heavily guarded. Napabuntong-hininga na lamang sya at napatitig sa sariling kisame.

Nasa kalagitnaan sya ng kanyang pag-iisip nang tumunog ang sarili nyang telepono kaya naman kaagad syang napabalikwas sa kanyang kama at kamuntikan pang mahulog. Dali-dali nyang inabot ang kanyang telepono para tignan kung si Zean iyon pero kaagad na bumagsak ang mga balikat nya nang galing ito sa kanyang pinsan.

From: Timothy

Let's drink.

Nagpakawala ng malalim na buntong-hininga si Matthew. Sa isang buwan mahigit, ngayon pa lamang sya nakatanggap ulit ng mensahe galing sa pinsan. Babalik na sana sya sa pagkakahiga nang sumagi sa isipan nya si Zean kaya naman natigilan sya.

Si Tim, alam ni Tim lahat.

Mabilis na nagreply si Matthew at tinanong ang pinsan nya sa lugar na pupuntahan nila at nang masagot ni Tim ang tanong nya, dali-dali na rin syang nagbihis.

"Where are you going anak?" kaagad na bungad sa kanya ng kanyang ina nang makarating siya sa sala.

"Lalabas po muna kami nila Den at Tim, Mom. I'll be back later." sagot nya at hinalikan ang pisngi nito bago tuluyang lumabas ng bahay.

After almost fifteen-minutes of driving, he found himself outside a famous bar. He parked his car first before going inside. Kaagad nyang ipinakita sa isang lalaki na nagtatrabaho doon ang VIP room number na syang ibinigay ni Tim sa kanya kanina.

"Here Sir."

"Thanks." wika nya na sa lalaki bago ito tuluyang umalis.

Pagkabukas ni Matthew sa pinto, kaagad bumungad sa kanya ang dalawa na kanina pa nagsisimulang mag-inuman. He closed the door behind him first before he went near them and sat on the vacant seat.

"You look like shit, Vasquez." saad nya tsaka bumaling sa isa nyang kaibigan, "Have you been sleeping? You have bags under your eyes."

Timothy flipped him and Denvee playfully rolled his eyes, "Thank you, Salazar. And you look horrible too."

His cousin snorted, "Pumayat ka, prensan. Parang isang ubo ka nalang, ah?"

Matthew just chuckled at that before he went to grab himself a bottle of rum from the liquor rack on the table in front of him. He is not the type to drink alcoholic drinks. Tanging mga wine lang ang iniinom ni Matthew na maliit lang ang porsyento ng alkohol at kapag umiinom man sya ng ganon, kapaga may okasyon lang.

Kaya naman nang ininom nya ang rum na isinalin nya sa sarili, kaagad syang napangiwi sa lasa nito. It wasn't that bad, Matthew thought, so he chug all the rum up.

"How have you been? It's been a month." pagbasag ni Denvee sa katahimikan.

"Awful."

"Terrible."

Both Matthew and Timothy chuckled dryly because of their response. "We're all a mess. Wow. " natatawang komento ni Tim.

Mahinang tawa lang ang naging tugon ni Matthew sa kanya bago muling nagsalin ng maiinom habang si Denvee naman, tipid lang na napangiti.

He, as well, is not well. At first he thought that he'd be fine, not until the second week of the month came. He never really thought that he had a thing for Aina. It surprised him, actually.

They fell into silence again while silently drinking their own choice of drinks. The only sound they can hear was from the bottle getting chunked and the muffled sounds of beats coming from the dancefloor outside. They stayed like that for almost ten minutes until Timothy spoke.