CINCO (Five) [On Indefinite Hiatus]

Chapter 2: Fever Dream

“CINCO”

Chapter 2: Fever Dream

***

There was this man by the name of Don Sebastian Alejandro. He was scarcely industrious in shrouding himself in mystery and was in fact, very generous with aspects of his identity.

He was not a madman. He was not even a rich man. He was simply there to make sure that Emilio understood the project's terms and conditions. Emilio was, after all, only going to make a decision of his lifetime.

Emilio understood what Don Alejandro was trying to convey, and the Don even seemed conventional about it at first. Emilio was a law student, and even as the Don haven’t revealed himself as a lawyer either, the youth recognized the manner, speech, and the tact that was needed to make sure a client was comfortable and tickled to a solicitor's confidence.

However, what made this Don different was that he was a homely man. He was even warm, and open, and he spoke gently with a lilt that made him seem like he were asking a question every time. He also spoke in Spanish—the language Emilio actually preferred when he needed to express his thoughts more accurately and acutely. His Tagalog was not in its best form yet.

“Just making sure that Señor De Vita didn’t make you feel that you were being kidnapped,” Don Alejandro made conversation rather effortlessly, almost certain that his charge would return conversation with the same ease.

Which, to Emilio’s surprise, was the case.

“No, Señor Alejandro. He made sure that I came here of my own free will.”

The said personage, Señor Simeon De Vita—tight-lipped, silver-eyed and silver-haired, was sitting at a far corner of the room, calmly leaning on his dark burnished cane. He was no longer wearing his top hat, and his silver hair cascaded around his face, barely touching the tips of his shoulders. He was keeping a ponderous gaze on Emilio, but it wasn’t the probing sort. There were even times when the youth would turn to him, and the man’s face would soften a little.

“And yet you knew what would happen if you went with Señor De Vita.”

“Not entirely, no,” confessed the young man. “But there was something that pulled me to the gentleman that—“

“Hmmm?” Señor Alejandro prodded, blinking.

“—that was part of my calling,” Emilio finished, puzzled with the revelation. He knew what he had felt then, but to finally put it into words. It was meatier, weightier.

“Your loved ones, everyone who has known you, will think that you have disappeared, and are most probably dead, for the next five months,” continued the Don.

“You have mentioned that you will furtively watch over my mother and her welfare while I am gone,” Emilio repeated one of the terms.

“Very true. She may worry and grieve, but she will be looked after.”

“And Marina? Tio Jose? Andres?”

“Family members will be given the same treatment. All will be taken care of. Friends, on the other hand…”

“Andres is not just a friend. I answer to him. I have heavy responsibilities.”

“So you have mentioned as well, Señor Jacinto. I am not of the Katipunan, but yes, since we have watched you closely, we also made it clear to be privy to your involvement with all major and minor organizations.” When Emilio’s expression shifted a little, Don Alejandro said, “’Stalking’ may be quite the word, I’m afraid. But our focus was on you. Your family and friends are beside the point in this project. Ah, you seem unafraid; many would have bolted or raged in panic at the thought of being watched closely since birth.”