Only Ever After

Kabanata 49

Kabanata 49

Maagang dumating sina Lessy, Capo, at mga tauhan ni Liham na tumungo sa Algaya para tubusin ako noon, nang makita ako ni Lessy mula sa threshold ng mansion ay tumakbo siya at niyakap ako nang mahigpit.

"I missed you!" She pouted, "ikaw talaga, basta-basta na lang sumasama nang hindi nagtatanong, pero mabuti iyon dahil nagkaroon ka ng closure with your mafia."

Ngumiti ako at tumango, "kumusta ang sugat mo?" Takang tanong ko, si Capo naman at si Liham ay seryosong nag-usap sa baba ng porch.

She smiled and shrugged, "ayos na."

"May kailangan kang malaman." Seryosong pag-iiba ko ng topiko, Lessy's smiling face vanished, "pero si Liham na siguro ang magsasabi sa iyo kung ano. I think I'm not in the right place to be the one to say the whole truth."

Hindi na nagtanong pa si Lessy at tumango, tinawag ko naman si Liham nang tapos na silang mag-usap ni Lessy, tumango siya at lumapit sa amin.

"Let's talk to somewhere more private.' Saad ni Liham, nauna na siyang naglakad at sumunod naman kami ni Lessy.

"Mukang seryoso itong pag-uusapan natin ah?" Lessy chuckled.

Nang nasa receiving room kami ng mansion ay pinaalis ni Liham ang mga bantay at tauhan na naroon, "I don't know how to explain in words so I'll just show you this." Ani Liham at saka pinakita ang litrato ni Lessy at ang kanyang kambal when they were still a fetus and 7 months old.

Lessy blinked, "wait, magkakaroon kayo ng kambal?!"

Lessy seemed to misunderstand the picture but still, she was right. I smiled and nodded. Kumislap naman ang mata ni Lessy na tila masaya siya sa kanyang narinig.

"That's not the point." Liham mumbled, "this picture is your picture."

"Dalawa ako? Ganern?" Lessy rolled her eyes, "paki-explain nang mabuti."

"You have a twin." Liham muttered, tila nawalan ng hininga si Lessy dahil sa kanyang narinig, hinablot niya ang larawan at tila hindi makapaniwalang tinitigan ito.

"So, my grandma's story is right?" Lumunok si Lessy habang inaalala ang kwento ng Lola niya na kinwento niya sa akin na kinwento ko kay Liham, I know, it's confusing how a story travels.

Tumango ako, "kilala mo ba ang komadrona? Siya ang kumuha sa kambal mo."

"The thing that I'm confused on is, why did grandma not tell me that mom is bearing twins? Bakit sa iyo lang niya sinabi ang bagay na ito noong bata ka pa?" Tila naguguluhang tanong ni Liham.

He was right. May karapatan din siyang malaman na may kambal si Lessy pero hindi iyon sinabi ng Grandma niya sa kanya, kay Lessy lang.

"Hindi ko alam, I think there's a hidden meaning." Lessy seem to think deeply about it.

"Paano kung kasabwat ng Lola niyo ang komadrona? Or what if she was being controlled?" Pagsingit ko, there's a high chance that my assumption is right.

Liham seem to consider it.

"May alam akong isa pa," wika ni Lessy, tumingin naman kaming dalawa ni Liham sa kanya, eager to know what she is about to say, "may sinabi si Grandma e, I think she told me the name of the komadrona, the one who was in charge with the labor of mom."

"What is her name?" Bulong ni Liham.

"Lola..." Halatang inaalala ni Lessy ang pangalan, "I don't remember."

"Lola? That is somewhat a part of her name?"

Nagkibit-balikat si Lessy, "yes, it sounds like that, parang pampatulog ang pangalan niya. Nasa dulo ng dila ko pero hindi ko masabi."

Biglang pumasok si Lola Lullaby, "Young Master, Young Lady, Young Mistress," saad niya, may dala-dala siyang tray ng pagkain at juice, "meryenda po."

Kumunot ang noo ko, "masyado naman pong maaga ang meryenda?" Tinignan ko ang grandfather clock sa tabi, "it's 5am."

Napamulagat si Lola Lullaby, "t-talaga? Ay, naku, sorry Young Lady! Nawalan ako ng malay sa oras, sige, dadalhan ko na lang kayo ng tinapay."

Why is she acting weird?

Mabilis na umalis si Lola Lullaby, binaling ko ang atensyon ko kay Lessy, hindi ko gaaong narinig ang huling linya ng pangungusap niya pero nakinig na lang ako.

"Saan ba ang bahay ng Grandma mo?" Takang tanong ko.

"Sa Algaya." Lessana laughed, "funny, right? Kasi taga-doon ka rin noon."

Napatango na lang ako, "so, ano ang plano?" Tanong ko sa dalawa.

"We'll go to Algaya." Seryosong sagot niya, "we might find clues there."

Hindi kami umimik, muling dumating si Lola Lullaby na may dala-dalang tinapay at coffee, dala ng gutom ay kumain na kaming lahat.

"You may leave." Utos ni Liham, yumuko ang matanda at lumabas sa silid.

Pagkatapos nito ay tumayo na kami, "we'll be going tonight, I'll be taking Alpha, Delta, Omega, Sigma, and Gamma Team with us." Tumingin siya kay Lessy, "you gotta go rest."

"Babalik na lang ako sa apartment, nandoon ang mga gamit ko."

Umiling si Liham, "no. Delikado sa labas, what if your twin tries to replace you?"

Tumango naman si Lessy, "then I'll take Capo with me, siya ang magbabantay."

Umiling na lang si Liham, Lessy smirked. "Fine. Be here before lunch, take all things you need, then by afternoon, take a rest."

"Yes Sir." Natatawang biro ni Lessy, she winked at me before storming out of the room, naiwan naman kaming dalawa lang ni Liham.

He slumped in the couch and sighed, "I'll be personally holding a meeting for all of the team leaders of my mafia house since Capo will be gone with Lessy."

"Ilang team ba ang mayroon sa Silician Mafia?"

"24, each team represents a letter from the greek alphabet." Liham said, "this is how the ranking goes." Aniya, may nilabas siyang papel at ballpen na hindi ko alam kung saan niya tinago at nagsimulang gumuhit, sa pinakataas ng guhit ay ang mafia boss, "this is me," turo niya roon.

Tumango naman ako, he is trying to teach me with the mafia things, I smiled.

Sa baba naman ng mafia boss ay ang underboss, "iyan si Capo?" Tanong ko, he nodded. I suddenly remembered Guardian.

Mula sa underboss ay 24 lines at ang greek alphabets, from Alpha to Omega.

"Each teams have roles, we have the defense, the offensive, the paramedics, the spies, researchers, dealers, inventors, the housemaids."

"Pati housemaids?" I blinked.

"Yes, they belong to the weakest team, the Rho Team, in charge of the mansion, the hideouts, and all that."

Tumango na lang ako, so even the maids here are part of the mafia?

"Walang tao dito sa mansion na hindi kasama sa Mafia house ko, if they want my protection, then they'll get it, for as long as they compensate with services, this isn't a charity after all." Liham explained, "you have to give and take."

"Paano naman ang structure ng Lamortel mafia?"

Liham shrugged, "you're the mafia boss, Castro is the underboss, and your mafia is divided into 8 teams, each team's name are from the letter of the Lamortel, for example, Team L, Team A, Team M, Team O, Team R, and the team goes on. Though kaunti lang ang team, maraming tauhan. The Silician Mafia is the first amongst the biggest mafias, pangatlo ang Lamortel mafia, your mafia."

"Somehow, our mafia are similar." Saad ko, "o lahat ng mafia ay pareho ang istraktura?"

Umiling si Liham, "no, every mafia are different." Naglakad siya at tumigil sa harap ko, he grinned, "let's have a mini-date here, to celebrate us, having twins."