Bela, Angelica, Diabla

Chapter 5: Meredith, Sherwin, Macky, and Emily

Several deaths in less than a month. Julian is on the brink of insanity.

Nang ibinalita sa kanya ang pagkamatay nina Fabian at Zenia, hindi siya makapaniwala. Sasabihin pa niyang kakakausap lang niya ang kanyang kuya Fabian tungkol sa pagkamatay ng kanyang kuya Raul. Hindi na nga niya alam kung "magandang balita" pang maituturing na mabilis nakita ang katawan nina Fabian at Zenia dahil hindi pa huli ang lahat para maligtas ang baby ni Zenia, na ngayon ay kasalukuyang nasa ospital. Buti't may nagsumbong tungkol sa masangsang na amoy.

He goes up from his bed and shakes his head. Three a.m. pa lang. Dalawang oras pa lang siyang tulog, pero hindi na siya nakararamdam ng antok. Pagod na lang.

His professors have told him to grieve, pero pa'no? Not that he doesn't care about his brothers—they cared less about him anyway, he reasons out to himself. Tanging si Bela nga lang ang nakakaalala sa kanya at tumutulong sa kanyang pag-aaral. He is sad about his brothers' death, but truth be told, he is not mourning. Na parang hindi niya kakilala ang mga namatay.

But still . . . he's now alone. Unlike his ate Bela's funeral, sina Raul at Fabian ay hindi handa. Wala silang insurance, wala silang advanced cremation services. He jokes to himself, "Baka 'yung two million pala ay para dito?" Overwhelmed na rin siya sa mga gustong tumulong, sa mga nagtatanong kung ano'ng nangyari, sa mga kailangang gawin.

Yep, I am going mad, he thinks.

What creeps him out is the fact that they are killed in the same manner. At hindi lang sila—may iba pa, and all are related to them in some way. Kung hindi man nila kilala ang namatay, kilala ng kakilala nila.

Sakto namang magigising ang girlfriend niyang si Lanie at makikitang nakasimangot ang kanyang boyfriend, not that she's not used to it. No'ng nalaman niya ang pagkamatay ng kuya ni Julian na si Fabian, leaving him alone, she requests her dad, a police officer, to watch over him. Ayaw ito ni Julian, kaya palahim niya itong gagawin.

"Am I going to be killed too?" he asks in the air.

When she hears this, she goes to Julian.

"Love naman. You won't, okay?" she comforts him. Nagpapanggap siyang malakas para sa boyfriend, pero kahit siya ay kinakabahan sa mga pangyayari. "Just . . . give yourself time to grieve."

"Iyon nga ang problema, e. I can't," he answers, sure of his words. "Stress lang ang abot ko. One, they were murdered. Murdered. Why? Ewan. I thought it's just an area or city serial killer, pero may iba ring biktima na hindi malalapit sa kanila."

"Maybe the serial killers operate in a group . . ."

"Pero ano'ng kasalanan nina Kuya?"

Lanie doesn't answer. She doesn't know too.

"'Tapos ako 'tong namomroblema. They didn't prepare like Ate did. 'Yung kay Ate, di pa nga siguro nila aasikasuhin kung di nila mababalitaang beneficiary sila do'n sa insurance. At naiinis akong ginawa nilang parang shopping center ang bahay ni Ate." Julian sighs. "Pero may silbi pa ba 'tong galit ko sa kanila, e, patay na rin sila."

Lanie knows Julian's history. Sobrang laki ng age gap niya sa mga kuya niyang sina Raul at Fabian. As per her math, siguro mga twenty-one ang nanay nila no'ng ipinanganak ang una niyang kapatid at thirty-five naman kay Julian. No wonder ang yumao niyang ate Bela ang nakakausap lang ni Julian dati. She's the one paying his tuition, at kahit pa patay na, she continues to shoulder his school expenses.

On the other hand, alam niyang walang-kuwenta ang mga kuya ni Julian. Absent sila sa buhay ng kanyang boyfriend ever since. Basta, alam ni Julian na may mga kuya siya—iyon na 'yon. "Only child" din ang tatay at nanay nila, and they don't know any of their second cousins. Julian's family setup is very different from hers dahil close na close sila ng family niya.