“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lahat sila ay nagtipon-tipon sa bahay ni Zack. Lahat kumpleto. Hinawakan niya ang braso ng asawa na ang mga kamay ay naka tukod sa tuhod nito habang ang ulo ay nakayuko. Ciara knows Kelvin is bothered badly about the text Justin had just sent. Lahat ay nabagabag. Hindi mapakali. Pabalik balik si Zack sa loob ng living room. Si Amber naman ay nilalaro ang mga daliri. Si Ethan ay panay ang tawag kay Samantha habang si Nikki ay nakamasid lang dito. Ang mukha ay puno ng pag-alala. Alex and Val are sitting beside each other without any word. Si Tyler naman ay nasa likod ng bar counter at kumukuha ng maiinom. Kinakausap ito ni Sommers na naka-upo sa bar stool.
‘What’s going on?’ tanong ng kaniyang isipan.
Maya-maya ay tumayo si Val. “I’ll prepare something to eat habang naghihintay tayo sa tawag ni Sam.”
Tumayo rin si Alex. “I’ll go with you.”
“Heart?” untag niya sa asawang parang malalim ang iniisip. Umayos ito ng upo at inakbayan siya. Inilapit nito ang noo sa kaniyang noo.
“Ciara I’m scared for my friend. Ayokong isipin na may nangyaring masama sa kaniya. I hope he’s fine. I hope he’s still alive!” may namuong luha sa mga mata nito. Mas lalong nabagabag ang kaniyang damdamin dahil sa nakikitang paghihirap ng kaniyang esposo.
Valerie and Alex came back with an appetizer. Pero konti lang ang nabawas dahil walang ganang kumain ang karamihan sa kanila. Narinig pa niyang tinanong ng kaibigan si Alex. “Was the food that bad at hindi man lang nila kinain?”
“No. Actually it’s very delicious. Masyado lang talagang mataas ang tensyon ng lahat kaya walang ganang kumain.” Pang-aalo ni Alex dito.
Naghintay pa sila ng halos anim na oras bago tumawag si Sam. Pero isang lalaking nag ngangalang Benjamin Quinto ang nagpakilala. Ito ang naging kasama nina Sam at Justin sa gubat ng may maganap na Genocide sa isang bayan sa Comval. Si Ethan ang kuma-usap dito.
“Ben, all of us….. Justin’s friends received a text message from him saying goodbye. We all got worried that’s why we want to clarify that to Sam. Sad to say we cannot reach Justin’s phone anymore. He can be a clown but this is something out of his character. I’ll put you on speaker phone so that everybody can hear what your about to say.” Paki-usap ni Ethan dito.
“Hi everyone. I’m Ben. I’m a Navy Seal. The CIA collaborate with my Commanding Officer to work with a case regarding Pablo Ruiz. A very popular drug dealer in Mexico. The day he was supposed to get sentenced… he just vanished. But The CIA track him down in Comval and that’s when I met Sam as her tour guide.” Mataman lang silang nakikinig sa mga sinasabi nito. “Earlier today the three of us headed to Timolo, in one of the tiny village outside the area. Sam wanted to give them a heads up that there will be help in a few weeks. Sad to say we arrived in a village masacre scene and vast majority of the villagers were killed. I told Justin that we better back off and call for help….” He paused and took a deep breath. “…He was shot.” The women in the room gasp loudly.
