Catch Me If You Can (Completed)

CHAPTER 14: LUPIN III

Chapter 14: Lupin III

~SA-EL~

Isang malakas na pagtunog ng cellphone ang nagpagising sa akin. I tried to cover my ears with a pillow but still the phone's ringtone is boring through the soft pillow. Whoever is calling me must be determined enough to wake me up at this hour. And it's still fucking 8 A. M. of Saturday morning! It's too early to get up lalo na at puyat ako kagabi! I hang out with some friends and I had so much to drink to the point na hindi ko na naalala ang mga nangyari. Padabog na napabangon ako at tiningnan ang nakahubad kong katawan sa ilalim ng kumot. Ah! Why can't I remember anything last night?

"Good morning, dude," I greeted to my friend who's the one who always provide me pleasure. I didn't expect it to respond so I covered my body again with the blanket and reached for my phone at sinagot iyon. "Yes?"

"Why do you still sound sleepy?" tanong niya but his voice is a little serious than usual.

"That's because I'm still sleeping, dummy!"

"So you're sleep talking now?"

"Yeah, and I'm gonna sleepwalk toward wherever you are to kill you. Tumawag ka lang ba upang magbiro?"

"Have you seen the latest news?" tanong niya. It was a simple question ngunit hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla akong kinabahan.

Napabalikwas ako ng bangon upang abutin ang remote at binuksan ang TV.

"Isang grupo ng magnanakaw ang nagpadala ng online manifesto sa pulisya. Inanunsyo nila sa kanilang manifesto na mag-iisang taon na sila sa larangan ng pagnanakaw at hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin sila nagpapakilala. Upang pormal na hamunin ang pulisya, sila na ang nagpakilala sa pangalang Lupin III isang grupo ng mataas na uri ng mga magnanakaw. Ang Lupin III ay binubuo ng apat na miyembro-"

I almost rolled my eyes at naalalang kausap ko pa rin si Mimo sa telepono. "Lupin III, my foot! First of all Lupin lang ang pangalan natin at walang the third!" I mumbled at muling ibinalik sa screen ang paningin kung saan nagsasalita ang newscaster.

"Ang Lupin III ang responsable sa pagnanakaw sa mga mamahaling bato gaya na lamang ng Lily of the West-"

"Lupin III? Since when did we expose ourselves and who thought of that name? Bakit nilagyan ng III?" wika ko kay Mimo habang ang mga mata ay nakatuon pa rin sa screen kung saan inisa-isa ng newscaster ang mga ninakaw namin.

"Wake up, Israel Verona. That isn't us," wika ni Mimo.

"A-anong..."

"Ipinahayag ng Lupin III na nanakawin nila sa eksaktong alas dyes ng Linggo ng gabi ang mga gintong nahukay na pinaghihinalaang bahagi ng Yamashita Treasure-"

"What the- Ibig mong sabihin ay may nagpapanggap na tayo?!"

"Congratulations! Now you're awake!" sarkastikong wika ni Mimo.

"Why the hell are they getting credits for what we have stolen?!" bulalas ko. My eyes were still fixed in front of the screen where the newscaster was giving the details of the items and jewels that this so-called Lupin III stolen which were supposedly stolen by us. Minasahe ko ang aking noo at napapikit sa inis. "Alam na ba 'to ni V?"

"Oo. Siya ang unang nagsabi sa akin tungkol dito. And man, these fake people knows details of our operations. Saan ka galing kagabi?" tanong ni Mimo.

"What? Ano naman ang kinalaman niyon?" I asked but I tried to recall at the back of my mind. Party. Drinks. Drinks. Drinks. Girls. Ah! This is frustrating. Wala akong maalala sa nangyari matapos ang inuman. The last thing I remember is that I am stripping while a chic lay on my bed.