How To Be A Gangster

Chapter One

Chapter One – Bleize

"Ang init naman dito sa Pilipinas," sabi ni Misha habang pinapaypayan ang sarili gamit ang kamay niya.

Napairap na lamang ako.

As if that would reduce the heat. This is a tropical country, after all.

"Tss. Bakit ka ba kasi sumama sa akin dito?" tanong ko sa kaniya habang pinagmamasdan ang mga bagaheng umiikot sa baggage carousel.

Ang tagal naman ng bagahe namin.

"I'm your best friend. Of course I'll go wherever you are." Sabi niya at inirapan ako. "Bakit ba nandito ang parents mo?"

Hindi ko siya sinagot at tinitigan na lamang ang mga bagahe. She doesn't have to know the reason. She'll just worry needlessly. And this is for her sake after all.

Naaalala ko pa ang tawag na natanggap habang nasa Liverpool pa kami.

"Jamie, please. Take Misha here in the Philippines."

She's at it again. Why is she so dead set on taking Misha to that country? I know Tita Shan is a Filipina but ever since she got married to Tito Wade who's a French guy living in Sydney, she's never been in the country ever again.

Not until a month ago.

I don't know what made her return to her home country but ever since then, she's been bugging me to make Misha, who's always stuck to me like a koala to a tree, go there, too.

"Tita," I said, trying to control my temper. "You know it's not my decision to make. Misha has a mind of her own."

"I know, hija. But you know how stubborn she is. She wants to be wherever you are. Hindi yan pupunta dito kung hindi ka kasama."

I stiffened like a rock. She wants me to go there, too. But I can't do that. I would get into big trouble. And since she's very close to our family, she knows that, too. Bakit niya ako pinipilit gayong alam naman niyang hindi ko pwedeng suwayin ang pamilya ko?

"You know I can't go to that country, Tita. I can't leave Liverpool," I exasperatedly said.

"I know. But please, her life's in danger."

My eyes widened in surprise. I could taste the raw panic in her voice even through the phone. Misha's in danger? Why?

I've never felt so many emotions at once. Not until today. I can feel shock, anger, grief, pain, and protectiveness all at once that I thought my heart was going to stop.

"What do you mean, Tita?" my voice was cold and stiff that even I can't recognize it as my own.

"Remember the guys that are after Michael? They're now after Misha."

My lips twitched.

Michael is Misha's older brother. He's close to my brother but not to me. At dahil five years ago, wala na kaming communication ng kapatid ko, hindi ko na din siya masyadong nakita simula noon. Nabalitaan ko na lang two years ago na bigla na lang siyang nawala.

Misha is close to her brother kaya naman ay nagtaka siya sa pagkawala ng kapatid niya. She asked her family about Michael at nalaman na lang niya na tinatago pala ng mga ito ang kapatid niya. They said he got tangled up with some mafia at gusto siyang patayin ng mga ito that's why they wanted to kill him.