"truth or dare?!" i hissed. "paano masesave ng childish play ang company?!"
"you are not even half of what I know in this industry, Fayre. It's a game between life and death, you don't know anything about." I saw dad grew older in a few months. Wala ako alam na yung kumpanyang pinaghirapan niya ay nasa dulo na ng katapusan.
"you've gone that far? You took lives, dad. YOU TOOK LIVES AND MADE THEM TAKE ALL THE BLAME FOR THEIR LOSS!" I slammed my fist against the wall. Frustrations na din siguro. I never meddle sa magulong industriya na to. Pero di ko naisip na aabot siya sa ganito.
"i never meant it. All I ever wanted was the lan-"
"WAS THE LAND? TO EXPAND?! Para lumaki, para lumago? Pero di mo makuha, kasi ayaw ibigay sayo. You intentionally built it weak. Pinasa mo lahat ng kasalanan mo sa bidder ng materyales na pinagkuhanan mo. Tinreathen mo yung mga buhay ng mga taong nawalan na para pumirma sa at maging katibayan sa affidavit na nag realease ng notice na under observations pa yung building dahil sa natuklasan mo kunwari na substandards ang ginawa na materials don, pero dahil probinsya yon pinalabas mo nanag insist yung mga tao na buksan na for their leisure" I leaned against the wall. Napaupo nalang ako. Alam ko yung issue. He wanted to get the land, pero sobrang higpit ng government agency to nurture the environment. They wanted Pampanga to stay nurtured. All they ever agreed upon was a small mall, not a big as those we have here in manila, pero ang mahalaga lang naman ay magkaroom ng libangan yung mga tao don. It will be operated by the local government. Ginawa lahat ng paraan para mag suit sa mga tao yung magiging gastos nila sa leisure nila. With every 200 sacs of wheat grains o isang 100 sako ng bigas may mga coupons na binibigay ang government sakanila para gastusin sana sa Farmer's Place Shopping mall. The coupons will also depend on the quality and how much they have imported. Naging maganda ang project dahil sa magandang hangarin na magpapalago pa lalo sa buhay ng mga tao don.
"THEY SHOULD HAVE GAVE ME THE LAND! I WANTED IT TO BE THE CENTRAL OF INDUSTRIALIZATION. IT CAN FEED MILLIONS OF HUNGRY STOMACHS IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET THE PLACE. Gaganda buhay nila, even the farmers. They will more secured with the pasahod which is aligned to what the constitutions says about minimum wager works. I am giving the life they would be benefiting of. Gaganda lugar nila, aayos. What's strong with that?! WHY IS IT MY FAULT?.Was it my fault kasi maliit na kumpanya yung kinuhanan natin ng materials? WAS IT MY FAULT DAHIL LANG DI NATIN SILA KALEVEL? AND IN THIS BUSINESS, ONE HAS TO LIE DOWN FOR THE RISE OF A BETTER COMPANY. " Without hesitations he said those words to me. He stood up from his seat. Dahan dahan nag lakad papunta sakin and he looked down na parang ako dito yung walang puso.
"I can't believe you. I can't. You've been receiving billions of money but never fed a single food-deprieved person with your own will. Magpapakain ka, for exposure. Pakitang tao. Pakitang gago." i closed my fist. Sobrang inis, galit at pagkamuni. Yung pakiramdam na ama mo kriminal. "you wanted the land for their your good, not theirs. You think magiging maganda buhay nila if they will be forced to move out dahil sa industrilisasyon nagusto mo? You'll buy their lands, you will take away their livelihoods and homes aways from them with cheap settlement cash kasi if they do not leave or agree, they will be all dead. WITH YOUR POWER AND GREEDINESS YOU GONNA MAKE THEM SUFFER TO GET FAME AND CASH THAT CAN NOT EVEN HEAL MOM!" I screamed. Kasabay non yung luhang pumatak sa mga mata ko. Luha na di ko masabi kung sakit ba o galit. Galit sa mga bagay na di kokayang makontrol at galit sa amang walang puso.
"without this cash and fame, you would not be able to graduate high school with awards. You wouldn't be able to get the grades you do not deserve. IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS FAME AND MONEY THAT KEPT YOU ON TRACK. AND IT IS THE SAME FAME AND MONEY THAT KEEPS YOUR MOM ALIVE" galit na din siya. Sobrang galit. Galit na parang may karapatan syang magalit.
"sino ba may kasalanan kung bakit siya nakahiga don? Ikaw? YOU WANTED TO BE ON TOP WHEN ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS TO HAVE A SIMPLE BUT GREAT LIFE! I NEVER TOLD YOU I NEEDED HELP. I NEVER TOLD YOU TO PAY FOR MY GRADES. I WORKED HARD FOR MY OWN NAME. IT ALWAYS PUT ME IN A SHAME TO BE A DAUGHTER OF A BIGGEST CRIMINAL, THE GREAT MR. GUSTAVO." i stood and he was able to look at me after my words. He advanced and slapped me hard on my face. I held my face, it's burning. Pero di ako umiyak. I glared at me, puno ng galit at punot. Nag iba facial expression niya as if he regret he slapped me. But what does he regret? He was never shaken with the number of deaths he caused, a slap on his daughter would be nothing.
"now, you want me sell my own life for your sake? You want me play the game you told me it's between life and death. Okay. I'm good. But I am not doing this for you, but once mom died, I'll put it all on you" i pointed my finger on him. Sinadya ko syang banggain before I headed out. I slammed close the door and cried while running away.
--
"this is what I have been trying telling you since the day you told me you were a Gustavo." Said niña. I envy her, sa totoo lang. Simple ng buhay. Her dad was a doctor and her mom was an accountant but applied as a full time mom. They might not have what we have, but at least it's sufficient for what is only essential. She's a curious cat. She wanted to know everything that doubts her. Which is sometimes and advantage and a danger I wouldn't even risk to take.
"ano namang meron sa childish game na yon? Papatayin ba ko diyan kasi sabi niya sa gitna ng buhay at kamatayan" I asked. Manhid na ko to feel anything pa. I am doing this for my mom. Sobrang lala niya. Kailangan ko ng pera. Kailangan namin ng pera para masustained yung buhay niya. It's been 3 years pero hoping pa din ako na someday she will wake up from coma.
"nope, not really. It's a truth or dare but less truth, which leaves you to choose dare. They do not assisinates, as far as I know ah. They only play the game you can never win. So basically, childish but with a thrill. Remember the Hernandez Corp? Yung sa jewelries? They have faced a lot of lawsuits dahil some of their jewelries sold with unbelievable value, were turned out fake. Kasalanan naman kasi ng tao. Porket may brand, totoo agad. Hell no. Pero after their "rumored win" sa larong yan, they were all cleared, even their name and see how great they are doing today. Still competitive like as if it never faced nearly death. I do not know where, when and who exactly started the game, but it can never be "just a fair game". You cannot win with rewards and lose with nothing to loss. We never know what's really in it kasi sobrang rampant yan sa politics and business industry. But there's more in it that your dad talked about noong sinabi niya sayong between life and death." She said like a geek habang nagbobrowse pa din ng pwede niya pang mahanap. Sobrang techy niya na even the deepword doesnt scares her.
"Di ba yon gaya sa deepweb, na pag di ka nakapag bayad bitcoin, papatayin ka?" I asked again. Wala akong maintindihan
Where it all started. Pero gaya ng sabi ni niña naniniwala ako na you can win with prize but lose with nothing to loss
"no, there were cases na may natalo na. However, yung owner ng company, was still alive. Nabaon na nga lang kasi wala ng pera and fame. Pero ewan ko. May gusto pa akong malaman" Di ito mapakali. Pero tama siya. Hindi pwede na ganon ganon malang yon. Mas higit pa don. "baka ikaw na maging sagot, Fayre"
"no. I will win. I will. At ako mismo tatalo kay daddy" Humiga ako sa kama ni Niña. Puno ng galit, poot, takot at pagmamahal kay mommy. If she's here she won't allow this to happen.
"pero kung anong klaseng laro man yan, I'd be your player number 2" she looked at me, held my hand and smiled. Niña is what I have now, ever since mom was in coma, dito nako nakatira sakanila. Siya na din naging kaibigan, kapatid, nanay at tatay ko. Her family treats me normal like how I always dreamed about. Di sila na iintimidate sakin, they do not ask about dad and how well his company company doing. They treated me a normal teen gaya nila, gaya ni niña.
--
Author's note: yey! MY FIRST CHAPTER!! HEHE. I WOULD ALSO WANT TO INFORM EVERYONE NA DI PO TALAGA PROVINCE ANG PAMPANGA. PERO DAHIL PO TAGA DITO AKO, WALA NA KO IBANG LUGAR NA MABANGGIT KASI I MIGHT SPILL OUT WRONG INFORMATIONS. SO KUNWARI NALANG PROBINSYA PA TO BUT IN REALL LIFE WE HAVE FREAKING 4 SM's, 4 other small malls and ayala mall!!!! So yon hope ya stick with me through.
Love lots,
