Nevertheless | ✓

76:

76. Instead of feeling afraid and leaving, he insisted on stopping me by sitting in the passenger seat. Masama ko siyang tinignan nang tuluyan siyang makaupo at humarap sa akin.

“I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t tell you this,” he then sighed. I didn’t respond and just blankly looked at him dahil alam kong magsasayang lang ako ng laway sa harap niya. Hindi ko naman na rin siya mapipigilan.

He sighed before starting to talk.

“20 years ago, I was seven at that time, my parents taught me how to do the things that normal kids can’t do,” panimula niya.

“They taught me how to use gúns, knivés, and even all kinds of weápons, defend myself from harmful people, and showed me their real job inside the Hokiya which is to catch and tortúre criminals, the reason why I killéd thousands of people at such a young age,” iniwas niya ang tingin nang makitang nagulat ako sa sinabi niya.

He became hokiyan at the age of seven? How possible is that?

“At first, I got jealous whenever I see children like me playing with their toys or with friends like normal kids do habang ako, punung-puno ng sugat ka ttraining at ni hindi manlang nakahawak ng mga laruang gusto ko,” I saw how his eyes became emotionally.

“But as time goes by, mas lalo kong naiintindihan ang lahat.”

“Hokiyans’ job is just to save other people who can’t seek for justice. Doon ko napagtantong kakaiba ako sa mga batang katulad ko dahil sa murang edad, marami na akong natulungang tao kahit na malaking kasalanan ang pagpátay. Ginawa ko ang trabaho ko hindi dahil sa iyon ang gusto ng mga magulang ko…” he then looked at me sincerely, “but because I’m starting to feel happy and love for what I’m doing.”

Tumahimik muna siyang saglit at nag-isip nang malaim bago muling nagsalita.

“Until one day I received a special mission that normal hokiyans couldn’t have. Nalaman kong mayroong sikretong organisasyon na pinag-eeksperimentuhan ang mga kababaihan… they named that organization Spulchre.” I don’t know why but I suddenly felt uneasy with what I heard. Pamilyar ang pangalan pero hindi ko matandaan kung saan ko narinig.

“They k*lled many people and they used women to create a reproduction process. May tinuturok sila na kung anong gamot sa mga babae para mas mabilis na magdalang tao ang mga ito nang sa ganoong paraan, mas mapabibilis din ang paglago at pagdami ng mga miyembro ng Spulchre na pinatatakbo nila. Sa inggit nila sa mga magulang ko na tagumpay na nakapagtayo ng Hokiya, gumawa rin sila ng sariling organisasyon kung saan malaya ang mga itong pumátay ng kahit na sino. Kahit na inosenteng tao,” I secretly curséd after he said those words and clenched my fists out of anger.

“They also wanted power to rule the world.”

What the f*ck is wrong with them?

Tao pa ba ang mga ‘yon?

“I accepted that mission because If I didn’t, maraming inosenteng kababaihan pa ang madadamay,” He looked directly into my eyes as if there was something he wanted me to hear clearly.

“Until I successfully k*lled them, your parents.”

Nagtataka ko siyang tinignan at tila naguguluhan.

“Hindi totoong nagselos ang tatay ko dahil natalo siya ng papa mo kaya pinapátay niya ang mga magulang mo. The truth is, nagalit si Vercelo dahil siya ang natalo sa laban nila ng tatay ko kaya niya ginawa ang Spulchre.”

“What?”

“Your parents were the ones who made the Spulchre Organization. Ang mga magulang mo ang mga taong nag-eksperimento sa mga babaeng gaya mo.”