Always And Forever

The Root

A/N: Those italicized are flashbacks.

Francisco stood there for a moment, hearing the question that he had been reflecting upon all these years.

"Your father, parehas kayo", he chuckled, eyes never leaving the tombstone before him, "makulit, stubborn, di mapigilan".

"Dad!"

Antonio bursts inside Francisco's office without bothering to knock. He marched towards his father's desk carrying thick folders. Sleeves were rolled up his elbows, necktie loosened.

"A door is there for a purpose, son". Francisco didn't bother looking up from the papers on his desk.

"I know"
"Yan, alam mo pala"
"Pero mas mabilis pag dumeretcho"
His father finally looked up, "At proud ka pa"

Antonio grinned unapologetically and dropped the folders he was holding on his desk, "There"

"Ano 'to?"
"Yung hinihingi mong documents"
"Tapos na kaagad?"
"You have a workaholic son, senator"

Francisco removed his glasses and stared at his son suspiciously, "Do you need something?"
"Wala"
"Sigurado?"

"I just wanna speed up the process", Antonio just shrugged and dramatically slouched on the sofa, "Managot ang dapat managot sa katiwaliang ' yan".

Francisco leaned back on his chair, "You're really optimistic, you know that?"

"I'm just like you, dad. Mas pogi nga lang" , he jested, " But I do need something, hehe"

Francisco laughed, pushed himself back and stood up.

"Ayan na nga, I knew it" he said walking near his son, "What is it attorney?"
"I need a paternity leave, pag bigyan mo'ko this time. I've managed your business naman"
"Okay, what are you planning?"
"I'll bring Leonor and Isabel to Tuscany"

"It wasn't even supposed to be a big case", Francisco shifted his gaze to Leonor. "At first it was just an ordinary committee inquiry", he looked at the distance and placed his hands inside his pockets.

"Reports of illegal mining permits, displaced farmers, environmental violations. We thought we'd uncovered few corrupt officials, file official charges then move on"

He took a deep sigh.

"We were wrong, what started as missing permits eventually became forged environmental clearances. Forged clearances became ghost corporations. Ghost corporations became money laundering."

Francisco was speaking as if everything was just yesterday. He took a pause before continuing.

"Before we realized it, halos lahat nang pangalan in our witness list was connected to people no one wanted to question"

"What do you mean?", Leonor asked.

"Politicians, and influential families that time", he answered then continued recalling.

"It went well at first, people testified. Farmers traveled from provinces just to tell us how their land had been taken from them. Government employees quietly admitted that signatures were forged"

"They were willing to talk?"

"They were. By the time the committee finished its hearings, we believed that we had enough evidence to prosecute"

He turned to Leonor once more, "Even your dad believed that."

"Dad tapos na"
"Dad this is it"
"Were really going to Tuscany after this"

His son's voice played in his head, making him flinch for a second. All the anger suddenly got ignited again.

"And then? What happened?" she asked, making Francisco snap back.

"Something happened. The first witness failed to appear." He shrugged, "We assumed he got scared. The second requested to withdraw. The third suddenly can't remember anything". He chuckled on what he said, he still finds the reason ridiculous aftee all these years.

"The fourth", he paused. "Was found dead. The official report confirmed it was vehicular accident. I didn't believe it, your dad also. From that, people started disappearing faster than we could subpoena them."

"Does this have something to do with their deaths?", another question came from Leonor who couldn't keep up with the puzzle.

"As I said", Francisco started again, "Your dad was stubborn"

"He could never sit tight kapag alam n'yang may mali. He kept asking "Who benefits?". Not who signed, or who approved, it was always that question"

He looked at the folder he was holding.

"Like George, your dad practically lived in the archives. He found inconsistencies everywhere"

"Like?"

"A survey map had been certified by someone who had retired years earlier. A notarized deed carried the signature of a lawyer who died two years before"

"Impossible"

"That's what your dad said." Francisco remembered clearly.

"It should've ended there. But dahil matigas ulo nang daddy mo, he found something he wasn't looking for."

"Ano?"

"He found several shell corporations that traced to different names, different addresses, but they all shared one accountant and one law firm"

Leonor frowned, "So they were all connected"

Francisco just nodded. "I told him to stop. He didn't. I told him we'd have the proper agencies investigate. But you know what he told me?"

His granddaughter didn't respond and just looked at him intently.

"Dad, if we wait for somebody else to move. Matatagalan 'to. Kawawa ang kawawa"

Francisco closed his eyes.

"I should've forced him to stop, before it cost him his life".