A Mafia's Obsession

CHAPTER 22

I stopped by McDonald's to grab some food since I hadn't eaten yet, and I knew my son probably hadn't either. He didn't want to go to school today, but I convinced him because we're picking up Grandma and Grandpa from the airport later.

I ordered three pieces of chicken, a sundae, fries, and a float, plus Jam's meal.

The kids were starting to head home, so I knew it was time to leave. I waited in the waiting area.

As time ticked by, I started getting impatient. It was already 2 PM, and Jam wasn't there. I couldn't reach him by phone, either. I decided to go into the school and check on him in his classroom.

I saw Kyle's teacher heading out, so I approached her.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am Janel," I said. She turned and gave me a warm smile.

"Good afternoon din po, Misis," she said. I didn't beat around the bush and asked her where my son was.

"Ma'am, asaan na po si Kyle? kanina pa po kasi ako naghihintay sa waiting area pero wala pong dumating na Kyle roon at hindi rin po matawagan ang yaya niya. Kanina ko pa rin po tinatawagan yaya niya hindi sumasagot, " nangunot ang noo nito sa tanong ko. "May nabanggit po ba silang pupuntahan nila?"

"Po? Kyle left earlier. He finished his work first," she said. My stomach churned with anxiety.

"O-Okay. I'll be going then," I said, unable to wait for a further explanation. I rushed out of the room.

I ran to the parking lot, got into my car, and sped off. I tried calling Jam several times, but she wouldn't answer. My worry grew. What could have happened?

Finally, when I tried calling her again, she answered.

"Hello, Jam? Where are you? I've been calling you for ages, but you weren't answering. Where's Kyle?" I asked, my voice tinged with panic. I heard her whimper, and I almost slammed on the brakes because of what she said next.

"A-Ate, si K-Kyle... si ... may kumuha po s-sa kaniya," she said, her voice trembling. I dropped my phone. I heard the car behind me honk.

Kumuha sa kaniya?

"W-What? H-How did Kyle get kidnapped? Don't joke like that, Jam. This isn't funny," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. My heart hammered in my chest.

"A-ate, sorry hindi ko siya nabantayan... andito ako sa likod ng school samay mga puno... hindi ko alam kung paano ako napunta rito. Tulungan mo a-ako, Ate," she said, her voice strained, like she was in pain.

"Wait for me. Papunta ba ako," I said, and quickly made a U-turn. I didn't care about the other cars. I just sped off, my vision blurred by tears.

It didn't take long before I reached the back of the school. It was hard to find Jam because it was all trees, but I could hear her whimpering.

"T-tulong, please, s-saklulo, tulongan niyo ako." I heard her call out, her voice filled with pain. I followed the sound.

"Jam, J-Jam. Ikaw ba 'yan?" I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. She was covered in blood, and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Was it his?

Tears streamed down my face, and I didn't know what to do. She looked so fragile and vulnerable, and I was frozen, unsure whether to approach her or not.

"A-Ate, h-help m-me..." she said, her voice weak. Then she slowly closed her eyes. I quickly scooped her up and ran a short distance, since my car was at the edge of the woods. I tried to call for help, but there wasn't a single person around. She wasn't that heavy, so I could carry her.

"J-Jam, please d-don't give up. I'll take you to the hospital," I said, even though he was unconscious. As soon as I got her in the car, I drove as fast as I could to the hospital.