Buy Me

CHAPTER 59

'Should I even be doing this?'

[I already said it, Constantino!]

'Should I even be begging for this?'

[WALANG PUWANG SA SAMBAHAYANG ITO ANG BABAENG 'YAN!]

'Maybe I should...'

[HUWAG MONG IPANGALANDAKAN ANG TIGAS NG ULO MO, CONSTANTINO!]

'Or maybe I shouldn't...'

[HINDI KO GUGUSTUHING MAKITA ANG BABAENG--]

"She has a name." Ipinikit ni Constantine ang kanyang mga mata nang putulin ang mga sinasabi ng Don. He'd heard enough—no, actually, he heard so much more than enough to understood that calling the Don was nonsense. And yet... "My woman goes by Ella, Pa."

[SHE STILL DOESN'T BELONG--]

Then that was it. Padabog na pinatay niya ang tawag dahil hindi niya kinakaya ng kanyang puso ang mga pinagsasasabi nito. Ganoon ba talaga kahirap ipaintindi rito na nagmahal lang siya? Na wala na siyang gugustuhin pa sa huling mga oras niya, kung hindi marinig man lang na pagtanggap nito?

Sure, he had been an asshole to his own father for the longest time. And yes, he did everything he could do so the Don wouldn't marry dahil wala siya talagang tiwala rito. Pero dapat pa bang idamay ng matanda ang mag-ina niya?

He was already drowning! He couldn't even tell if he would still have a chance to meet the old man again. Naghahanap na siya ng makakapitan, dahil damang-dama niya sa sarili niya na malapit na siyang mawala, pero dapat pa bang maging ganito kahirap 'yon?

Constantine palmed his face. Ilang segundo muna siyang tahimik lang na umupo roon habang pinapakalma ang sarili. He could only imagine how it would make him feel better if he could brawl and release all the pent-up pain in him.

But then the question was, may magbabago ba?

'Wala...' a part of him answered with a defeated sigh. Wala nang magbabago sa kapalaran niya. Benjamin already confirmed it—there was only a 25 percent chance for them to take the killer down. Kahit saan siya magtago ay susundan siya ng mga ito hanggat buhay siya—it's just how the underground group Deep Blue works. It's a group of hitmen and elitists where you can buy someone else's life for a large sum of money. Bahala na ang grupong iyon kung paano itutumba o kukunin ang taong natipuhan ng parokyano ng mga ito.

Was that bad? Of course, but not as bad as knowing that he would leave his woman pregnant and vulnerable.

'Ella...' Nagpakawala siya ng matalim na hininga nang may hapding gumuhit sa kanyang dibdib. Ella was his dream come true. The summary of his very short life. Sa loob lang ng maiksing panahon ay nagawa na nitong iparamdam sa kanya ang mga bagay na hindi pa nararanasan ng ibang mga tao.

She made him feel how it was to obsess, lust, and love all at the same time. She made him experience pain but then rewarded him with so much joy by learning about their little child.

'Noah...'

Dinampot niya muli ang telepono mula sa desk nang maalala ang pangalan na 'yon. Swallowing his pride before wasn't something he would willingly do, but then he couldn't care less if he had to kneel his father and kiss the old man's shoes.

'Our first and last family pic...' Mapait siyang napangiti nang pagsindi ng kanyang cellphone ay makita muli ang huling larawan na kinuha niya bago siya umalis. Katulad ng nakaraang araw, natagpuan na naman niya ang sariling pinaparaan ang kanyang mga daliri sa natutulog na mukha ni Ella sa larawan.