Downfall Misery Part I | Downfall Trilogy I

Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty
Misery

"Inno."

Hinubad niya ang suot na cap at ipinatong iyon sa counter saka siya umikot at lumapit sa rack ng mga bote ng mamahaling alak na nando'n. Halatang sanay at alam niya ang ginagawa, hindi dahil dati siyang nagtatrabaho bilang bartender sa bar kundi dahil pagmamay-ari niya ang buong lugar.

"You drink?" He asked without looking at me but I still shook my head and didn't say anything.

Nakakatakot ang Casino Blood Win kapag wala ang maingay nitong kapaligiran at mga makukulay na ilaw. Ang tanging liwanag lang ay nasa may banda namin kaya pakiramdam ko may biglang lilitaw na kung ano sa kadiliman. Mapanglaw lang din ang ilaw at nakakabingi ang katahimikan.

He's sipping his vodka when he finally faces me and his eyes are glued to me. With one brow up, he's like examining my body, reading my mind.

I almost didn't recognized him if not from his eyes and familiar presence. He looks so different from the last time I saw him, samantalang ang dami niya ding pinagbago noong huli naming pag-uusap.

He has now a military built, from the way he stands to the way he moves. Tuwid na tuwid ang tayo niya at may pag-iingat ang galaw. Halata na rin ang balbas at bigote niya pero parang mas nakadagdag pa nga iyon sa kakisigan at lalaking-lalaki niyang itsura.

Kung dati ay may palakaibigan siyang mukha na laging may nakahandang ngiti sa labi ay kabaliktaran na iyon ngayon. He looks deadly serious that you'll get intimidated immediately once he gaze at you. His stares alone can really make your knees melt.

"You were the one who kept sending me puzzles and riddles." I rolled my eyes. "And even math problems. Also, you were the guy who kept on following me and always watching me from afar."

"Hmm-mm!"

"What's the meaning of 'can the sea know blood will always win' then?"

"Casino Blood Win. Can, sea, know, blood, win." Malalim at malamig ang tono ng boses niya.

Wala na iyong bahid ng nakilala kong Inno noon. At kung titingnan siya ngayon, wala na talagang ni katitining na Inno na nakilala ko noon.

"The 'you have it in you as I lie with the darkness'?"

"My name. In. You. Inno. And just some of our conversations back then."

Napatango-tango ako.

"Mister Bloodwyn." Mapaklang usal ko, pilit na itinatago ang takot at panginginig ng boses sa matapang na ekspresyon ng aking mukha. "You owned Casino Blood Win, right? Inno Bloodwyn. That's your real name."

Gusto kong matawa dahil nasa mismong pangalan na ng casino ang totoong pagkakakilanlan ng may-ari. Kunin mo lang ang huling tatlong letra sa salitang casino at dagdagan mo lang iyon ng isa pang letra na N ay makukuha mo na ang pangalan niya.

Casino Blood Win. Inno Bloodwyn.

It looks like he already noticed that I finally get it, that slowly, I know now who he really was but not everything. Because I still don't know his reasons. Why does he need to pretend to be a nice and friendly person and disguise himself as a simple bartender when he owns one of the biggest casinos in the country?

Umangat ang gilid ng labi niya para sa isang naaaliw na ngisi habang ang mga mata ay nagpapahiwatig ng panganib. "Kailan mo pa nalaman?"

"Noong gabing nangyari ang barilan dito. I saw you and I heard someone calling you Mister Bloodwyn..." Then I stopped because he looked like he was not interested to know more.

"Ah! When we saw each other at the bar, you already knew who I was. That's why you insinuated interest, but you still feigned indifference. But look at you now, here we are. You're still alive and looking fine as hell."