BOOK 3: The Mafia Game (Hiatus)

TMG 50: Crestfallen

TMG 50 ♠

Vincent Mc Garden

Why didn't they tell me?

"Tobi?" I mumbled sleepily, stirring from under the covers when I felt something cold lightly carding through my hair. It's his fingertips.

"Hmm? Sorry. Nagising ba kita?" malambing na tanong nito na hindi sinasalubong ang mga mata ko.

Napakunot ako ng noo sa tono ng pananalita niya. "Anong oras na?"

Huminto siya sa ginagawa at inilabas ang cellphone sa bulsa. "11:15. Where's your phone?"

Mas lalong tumindi ang pagkakakunot ng noo ko sa narinig. "Why?" tanong ko saka naupo sa kama.

"Here, change your clothes then go to the kitchen. It's almost midnight." His answer, instead; handing me the materials.

"Midnight..." I repeated quietly, letters carefully rolling to the tip of my tongue. That means, in few more minutes, it's new year. And I am going to celebrate it here with Tobi. Away from Superiors'. Away from the mafia. Away from Devy.

Hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng kaunting kirot sa dibdib sa huling naisip. She's so excited to celebrate the season's occasions with me and the rest of the group right before school break. She had plans set and all. And now we're here, about to celebrate it away from each other.

I shook the thoughts away, opting to bury it behind my head as I nodded at Tobi and reached for the shirt and hoodie in his hands. Dumiretso na ako sa maliit na banyo at tahimik na nagbihis.

Why did they lie?

"Tobi," umpisa ko saka ibinaba ang hawak na kutsara't tinidor sa plato. Nag-angat naman siya ng tingin habang ngumunguya, "Aalis na ako. Kailangan ko ng bumalik."

Hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng kaba sa biglaang pagbabago ng ekspresyon ng mukha ng kaharap. Gulat, pag-aalangan, blangko, hanggang sa tuluyan nang naging matalim ang tingin nito bago panandaliang gumuhit ang takot sa mga mata niya.

Anong nangyayari?

"Can't you stay overnight?" he asked in a voice so soft and low and almost inaudible if I wasn't just paying him full attention.

I shook my head no.

And at that very moment, I know, there is something wrong.

Ilang segundo niya akong tinitigan nang mariin sa mga mata na tila may hinahanap bago siya nagbuntong-hininga at tila pagod na hinagod ang buhok gamit ang mga daliri. "Can't you stay with me until the year changed? It's new year in few minutes and it would be lonely to celebrate it alone – me, in this hut and you, on the road."

Why did they hide the truth?

"Hey, you okay?" tanong ni Tobi bago naupo sa tabi ko at inabot sa'kin ang isang basong puno ng asul na likido. Alak.

Hindi ko na sinagot ang tanong niya at itinaas ang hawak bago lagukin. "Where did you get this? There's not a single store at at least 10 kilometers radius." Because obviously, this place is an isolated part of the earth. How did he even managed to find this?

"What do you mean? Of course I always had it with me. I brought enough groceries before deciding to stay here for a little while," tatawa-tawang sagot nito bago uminom sa sarili niyang baso.