I called Cyann the next day, told him Alice left a necklace with a butterfly pendant the last time she stayed at his family’s ancestral house but the truth is.. Alice doesn’t even own a necklace. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung mahilig sya sa butterfly.
Gusto ko lang makapasok sa mismong bahay nila nang hindi ko tinitignan ang likod ko. Gusto kong malaman kung totoo bang may isa pang nawawalang bata sa pamilya nila because it doesn’t make sense.
I mean, bakit nila kukunin ang bata na galing sa isa mga prominenteng pamilya dito sa Pilipinas? One of the main goals of the Org is to conceal itself, why take some kid from the rich ones?
The Zaldivar family has chains of businesses around the Philippines; from real estate, luxury hotels and resorts, down to event planning and financial services.. aside from the ventures with few automotive companies. And the fact that the clan is one of the ‘old rich’ families in the country--meaning, the businesses were not acquired, rather built and strengthened within the years and was passed from generation to generation—you could say that the Zaldivars’ is a family of businessmen.
Sa tatlong anak na naiwan, ang gitnang anak na lalaki ang humawak at nagpatuloy sa pamamahala habang ang dalawang babae naman ay napunta sa pagiging doktor.
Mas maiinitindihan ko pa kung kinuha nila ang bata para humingi ng ransom money, pero ang palakihin ito para maging mamamatay tao? Ang labo.
Coincidentally, Cyann’s going home for the weekend and I considered it as a perk. I’m thinking of asking to crash in their house for the night para mas mahaba ang oras ng pag-iikot at walang lumalagpas sa paningin ko.
Nang makarating kami sa bahay nila, sinenyasan nya lang ako na sumunod sa kanya habang umaakyat kami sa grand staircase. Wala na ang upside-down Christmas tree na nakabitin dito nang pumunta kami noong December at napalitan ito ng malaking gold dangling chandelier.
Dumating kami sa second floor at bumungad sa’kin ang isang family portrait. Business attire ang suot ng angkan at pormal na pormal ang hitsura nila. Mas marami pang pinto ang dinaanan namin bago lumiko sa kaliwang hallway at makarating sa dulong pasilyo para umakyat ulit papunta sa third floor.
“So, I’m thinking of letting you use one of the guest rooms, pero baka you might need me for something. Okay lang if you stay in this room instead?” sabay bukas ng pinto sa tapat ng kwarto nya.
“Sure. Can I look around your house? Haven’t got the chance the last time,” sabi ko nang pumasok kami sa kwartong itinuro nya. I tried to act like I’m in awe of the place, more like a caveman seeing fire for the first time.
He immediately apologized to me, saying he got to make some urgent calls and tried to send a housemaid to tour me around but I declined. Okay lang naman sa’kin ang mag-ikot mag-isa, biniro ko pa nga sya na siguro naman hindi ako mawawala sa bahay nila at tumawa lang sya.
Sa isang malaking bahay na wala kang masyadong alam kundi ang floorplan nito, hindi ko alam kung saan ako magsisimula. Masters’ bedroom ang nandito sa third floor, malamang nandito ang lahat ng tao ngayong gabi kaya bumaba ako sa second floor.
