Shipwrecked Hearts

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I wanted to be updated to what the hell was going on right now in the world. I was too stuck on seclusion. Nasa malayong sibilisas'yon ang Anarchist Harbor kung saan ang teknolohiya at globalisas'yon ay hindi ito abot. It'll seem like time traveling to the medieval era if you're there.

Kinuha ko ang remote control na naka-display sa ilalim ng coffee table. Sumalumpak ako sa sopa at saka binuksan ang telebis'yon. Hinanap ko agad ang channel kung saan may nagbabalita. I engrossed myself with the television. Maximo is currently away. I think they're planning something regarding the welfare of my family. I don't even know for how long... I mean, we cannot protect them all the time. There is life outside of this matter.

Which is why we need to resolve this matter. We need to catch the enemy. It is now or never.

Pinikit ko ang aking mga mata at naalala ang mga katagang sinabi ni Maximo nang tanungin ko siya kung ano ang plano niya, kung paano namin mahuhuli ang mga kalaban.

"It's simple, Starfish. We only need a shark bait." He smirked, the kind of smirk that would put all devils to shame. "Only a trap."

Bumalik ako sa huwisyo nang nahanap ko na rin sa wakas ang channel na may news anchor. I engrossed myself with the flat screen that is a meter in length. I let my joints rest on my knees, bumaluktot ako ng kaunti upang dingging mabuti ang nagsasalita. I even raised the volume with the remote. Updates regarding the presidential debate flashed. It will be held tomorrow at the Maestro Complex's stadium of the province near the provincial capitol. That would be in Fiora. I think three cities away from here. Another news flashed, this time, regarding on one of the candidates—my dad.

"Mikhael Kara, isang negos'yante at mayor ng Sta. Klara. Sa gitna ng public speech sa El Plaza kahapon patungkol sa kan'yang pagtakbo bilang presidente ng bansa ay naging emos'yonal habang binabahagi sa katha ang pagkawala ng kan'yang anak na si Akira Kara. Binanggit ni Mikhael na sa kabila ng kan'yang pagtakbo bilang presidente ay ginagawa niya ang lahat upang hanapin ang anak, isang malaking tinik sa puso bilang ama ang pagkawala ng anak. Dinagdag pa ng mayor na sa kung sino mang makakahanap kay Akira Kara ay mabibigyan ng sampung milyong pabuya."

My jaw dropped. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa remote control. Ha! I am missing? He should have said that I ran away because he was such a dick! Dahil sa mga sandaling ako'y nasa kamay na niya'y napagdisesyonan niyang ibenta ako dati kay Vanz!

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga upang pakalmahin ang sarili. I shouldn't be impulsive, but after hearing the entirety of his speech, sino nga ba ang hindi magagalit?

He was using my disappearance to strengthen his campaign! He was appealing to the pity of the mass! Hah! Hindi na ako magtataka. My father will use everything to his advantage. Kahit mismong pagkawala ng kan'yang anak. I bet he wasn't really doing anything to find me and that the bounty on my head he set was just a public stunt.

I rolled my eyes and shut the TV down. I rested my back against the sofa with an angry sigh.

Nagulat ako nang naramdaman ko na may kamay na biglang humilot sa aking mga balikat. Tumingala ako at nakita si Maximo. He gave me a sly grin, bumaluktot siya pababa at saka ako hinalikan sa aking labi. It was only a peck, but he managed to make it feel like a whole eternity. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Is something wrong?"

Umiling ako. "Nothing is." Nagpatuloy lang siya sa paghilot. The way he pressed his finger on my shoulder and blades made me feel tranquil. It soothed my senses and calmed my tensed muscles. It made me feel very relaxed to the point that I closed my eyes and just didn't mind suppressing a moan. "Diinan mo pa." I bit my lips, and he complied. "That's it."

Nang tumigil siya sa pagmasahe sa akin ay sumimangot ako. "The plan is already set." With those words, agad niyang nakuha ang aking atens'yon. Hindi ako umimik, but he knew that in this silence, I was already telling him to enlighten me with the specifics.

"Tomorrow is the presidential debate. It will be held in public. Whoever is in charge of the event's security must be dumb. Public means more people; more people means the chance of the enemy slipping through using the mass. Of course, we'll use the audience and crowd to our advantage and blend with them."

"But we have a problem." I saw the thrill brewed in his eyes. He was excited whatever this problem was. Maximo has always been the kind of guy to be thrilled with such things instead of being down. "We don't know the enemy."

"We know that they're a part of the government, right?"

"Yes. Indeed." Tumango siya, "but that's all we got."

"Do you think they'll execute my father tomorrow? In public? During the debate?" Hindi umimik si Maximo. "I mean, they need information from him, right? They will not get anything from a dead man."

"Unless they take it before they kill him." Maximo said in his cool voice. "My instincts are telling me, Starfish, there is something that we are missing in the picture. It feels like everything that has happened have connections, but we just don't know how to link. Perhaps tomorrow, we'll get our answer, too. Now, what do you want for dinner? I'll cook."

I smiled, my cravings started to kick in. "Anything made of fish."

"Noted." He saluted and retreated to the kitchen of the cottage. Looking at Maximo, I somehow envied him... how can I calm like him even in the middle of crisis? Hindi ko namalayan ang sarili ko na sinundan ko pala si Maximo. I watched him from the dining table as he cooked. He was only wearing a boxer and a black apron. He was swiftly doing his thing and when he was done, he served the meal. And then we ate in silence.