Trigger King

Chapter 20

Please bear with me. This is the longest chapter so far. Hope you won't get bored.

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CHAPTER TWENTY

Gustave and Trigger King faced each other in the arena. Trembling, I tried to clenched both of my fist. Focusing my mind on the game and not be carried away by my emotions—goodness, you need to pay attention Cherry Ann, I scolded myself.

I sandwiched between Papa and Lilah. "It's going to be a tough game," Lilah recognized. My world where I belong is dark and full of violence. I was naïve and warm and didn't want to recognize the reality of my world—it was in fact a dark world, where weakness isn't an option, never an option.

Someone was talking to Gustave and Trigger. Both of them were down and dirty. "I trust my son, he will avenge our name," my father responded. Nararamdaman ko 'yong galit niya sa aking tabi—nag-aalab at gustong pumatay ng tao.

"He's going to make you proud. He will win the game, Papa." He should win the game.

Nang sabihin ko iyon kay Papa ay nakatingin lang siya sa akin. Unbelievable, I know. Sa akin pa talaga iyon nanggaling pero kailangan magpakita ng suporta kay Gustave.

"This would be good for our family. We could get rid of him. If your brother will win, Trigger King will just become nothing."

"FIGHT!" The announcer declared, his voice boomed in the entire watchroom. There were speakersphones that were cabled in the room so the entire noises from the outside could be heard inside too; the watchroom aslo was located on the top of the fighting arena.

After we heard the declaration—the game started and my father was sitting comfortably in his seat as Gustave landed his first closed fist hard punch on Trigger King. The yells in the fighting arena swallowed up the whole place. Nanginginig ako sa aking upuan habang ang ibang tao ay naghihiyawan sa pagkatumba ni Trigger King sa malakas na suntok ni Gustave.

Even my father looked so proud. And Lilah, she was just watching and her eyes were focused on the fight. Sa mga nagdaang minuto ay hindi lumalaban si Trigger at nakakapagtaka iyon dahil iwas lang siya nang iwas kay Gustave. I don't want to scare myself by thinking that maybe he was doing it on purpose.

"Two minutes and he's not doing any attack but only dodging. Gustave should calm down," said Lilah. A moment later, I tried to watched Gustave's expression and I distiguished his annoyance and he was losing his temper too. "Trigger King, a stage-manager had an admirable control—"

Hindi natapos ni Lilah ang kanyang sasabihin nang magsalita na si Papa. "Shut up, Delilah. Gustave is your husband so watch your words, you know that I don't hesitate, Delilah so don't make me repeat again," Papa remarked.

"Never said things that would be against our family. You watch here," Papa added, pointing Gustave and Trigger in the fighting arena. "And you'll say things that would not betray the family because I hold a grudge, Delilah."

Habang nakaupo si Lilah ay nagpakawala siya nang nalusaw na ngiti sa mga babala ni Papa. "Yes, of course," payag niya. "Gustave is giving him a hard time that's why Trigger King can't throw an attack," dagdag pa nito pero nahimigan ko na ang labag sa loob nitong sinabi.

Nilingon ko si Lilah at may roon siyang ridiculous ekspresyon sa kanyang mukha. Nanatili na lang din akong tahimik sa mga nangyayari. I don't want to give my unsolicited opinion anymore about the fight but I can't help but be anxious even if Gustave was the one whose attacking Trigger King.

Then there were gasps from the audience. As Trigger King suddenly moved behind Gustave. Fear sizzled my body for I fear for my brother's life as Trigger King with precise momentum elbowed Gustave on his neck—oh fuck, Lilah jumped on her seat and that was when I realized that something have gone wrong.