Chapter 38: His Words
"B-Brother..."
HEROD'S VOICE trailed off. Parang hindi siya nagulat na nakita niya ang kanyang kapatid na si Master Wilhelm—na noo'y akala n'yang patay na. Parang ang tono ng boses niya ay parang nagmamakaawa? Or it's just my thought.
"S-So, it's true... Y-You're alive... H-How?" he added. So he already have a hunch? Probably because a committee told him a while ago about the commotion we just made. Kaya siguro ganyan nalang ang reaction niya.
"Isa lang ang masasabi ko diyan, my brother," mariing sagot ni Master Wilhelm.
We closed the door and we prepared ourselves. Eventhough nag-iisa lang si Herod dito, we cannot assure na wala siyang gagawin laban sa amin in case he will forcefully decline our main goal.
"You failed to kill me." pagpatuloy ni Master Wilhelm.
Dahan-dahang tumayo si Herod sa kanyang napakalaking kama habang hawak-hawak ang kanyang tungkod. Ngayon ko lang napagtanto ang pagkahawig ng kanilang mukha. He directly looked at his brother.
His lips are trembling. "S-Sorry... I just wanted to have what you had that time. I-I admit that I regret for doing that."
Napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi n'ya. I am not convinced eventhough parang sincere siya sa sinabi niya base sa reaction ng kanyang mukha. Nagkatinginan kami nina Mama, Papa at Josh.
"Your sorry is not enough, Herod..." saad ni Master Wilhelm. "We will accept your apology kung bababa ka sa pwesto mo."
Herod's expressions changed. From apologetic to his normal one. "So ito ang dahilan kung bakit n'yo ito ginawa." he nodded his head repeatedly.
"What do you expect from our attack right now? To make alliance with you? Huh." I said sarcastically. Hindi ko na mapigilang sumabat. Is it just me or what, he's acting weird. First, he said sorry. And now, he didn't know the reason why we are here eventhough it is already quite obvious. Acting naïve, tsk.
Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin but didn't say a word. Then bumalik ang tingin niya kay Master Wilhelm.
"If that's what you want, then fine." aniya.
Nagkatinginan ulit kaming apat. I sensed that something's not right here. Parang sobrang dali lang niyang sinabi iyon. By his personality, hindi ako makapaniwalang basta-basta na lang siyang papayag. I mean, that's nice dahil hindi namin kailangang makipagtalo pa sa kanya but something's off. I felt it.
"What's the catch, Herod?" tanong ni mama. She might also feel what I felt.
He heaved a sigh at dahan-dahang lumapit sa gawi namin. My parents, Josh, and I immediately moved in front and cover Master Wilhelm, causing him to stop. We displayed our swords.
"Look," he sighed again, raising his one hand. "I will sincerely surrender my position as a leader. Ayaw ko na ng gulo. Matanda na ako."
Nagkatinginan na naman kaming apat. Nagdadalawang isip kami kung papaniwalaan ba namin siya o hindi.
"I-I wanted to talk to my brother..." he added. We noticed that his eyes turned teary.
Tumingin kami kay Master Wilhelm. He nodded his head as a response. Pumunta kami sa likuran niya at siya naman ay pumunta sa direksyon ni Herod.
"B-Brother..." nasaad ni Herod habang humakbang rin papalapit kay Master Wilhelm. "S-Sorry sa lahat. Sabi ko nga kanina, I am just overpowered by my will to be the next leader."
I heard Master Wilhelm heaved a sigh. "I know... Alam kong hindi ka ganyan. And promise me that you will not do it again."
Ang tono ni Master Wilhelm ngayon ay parang pinangaralan niya ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid. He just simply accept the mistake of his brother but at the same time, giving him a lesson.
"Patawad..." Herod apologized.
Well... ramdam naman namin ang sincerity niya. We've known him for being a harsh leader but we didn't know him as a brother... as a person. They talked a lot of things and we just listened to them.
Sabi ni Herod, nagawa niya lang raw ipalaro ng bloody ang chess game ay para masosolusyunan ang overpopulation and supply shortage of the city. He explained that our city has a big debt to the other city—ever since to their parents' ruling. Siningil na raw siya ng pinuno ng lugar na pinagkakautangan ng pamilya nila that's why he needed to took an action to limit the money he will provide to the people or else, ang taga-ibang lugar ang mamumuno sa Shah.
Another thing is that, he said that the world statistics showed that Shah holds the record of being the most populated city. The government of each cities already gave warning to him about that matter. Kung hindi raw niya gagawan ng aksiyon ang overpopulation, they will drop a nuclear bomb here and this city will be vanished. Kaya nga raw 20 to 25 years old ang range ng edad ang pinapalaro niya sa chess game ay dahil sa ganyang edad raw karamihan magsisimula ang reproduction.
Now, there's something in my mind wanted to agree to Herod's action. I mean, kung hindi nga dahil sa Chess Game, baka iba na ang namumuno sa lugar na ito—probably worst than Herod's doing. At saka baka patay na kaming lahat ngayon. Imagine, the government of each cities will put a nuclear bomb here!
It's a big sacrifice if I may say. It's a big decision on Herod's part.
But there is still something in my mind wanted to disagree. Wala na ba talagang ibang paraan? Patayan nalang ba talaga ang solusyon para masugpo ang problemang iyon?
"That's a big burden to my part..." Herod said after he told us about that matter.
"Oh?" hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Master Wilhelm. I remember what he told me about his guess why Herod implement the bloody chess game. "Sorry to hear that. Ako na ang bahala sa problemang iyan."
Napatungo si Herod at itinango niya ang kanyang ulo. "Ikaw na ulit ang mamahala dito. Then anong gagawin n'yo sa akin?" he asked.
Somehow, nakaramdam ako ng awa sa kanya dahil sa tono ng kanyang pananalita. People, including us, has a bad impression towards him.
"Don't worry... wala kaming gagawin sa'yo especially after hearing your side, brother. Tayo tayo na lang ang natitira sa pamilya natin—"
"At nagawa ko pang patayin ka..." Herod cut Master Wilhelm's statements short. Nakayuko pa rin siya.
Nakaginhawa ako ng sobra sa nangyari ngayon. I am glad that our goal will really happen. Nakita naming nagyakapan silang dalawa. I am touched by their gestures. Nagkatinginan kaming apat at nginitian namin ang isa't isa.
Mayamaya ay nagulat na lang kami no'ng biglang itinulak ni Herod si Master Wilhelm! We are shocked and cannot able to move immediately lalo na no'ng itinaas ni Herod ang kanyang tungkod at itinapat iyon sa direksyon ni Master Wilhelm.
Parang bumagal ang takbo ng oras no'ng makita ko na may pinindot siya sa tungkod niya and a loud sound echoed into my ears.
Bang!
"Urggh—!" Then we heard Master Wilhelm's groan. Nataranta kami lalo na no'ng makita naming may dugong lumalabas sa katawan niya!
"Master Wilhelm!"
The next thing I knew was Herod fired us gamit ang kanyang 'di ordinaryong tungkod.
♨THE CHESS GAME♨
BINABASA MO ANG
THE CHESS GAME (Completed)
ActionHave you ever thought that a simple board game will turn out to be bloody? Witness a real-life battle of pieces in a game called Chess. Shah City has this fearful tradition. Once every ten years, 16 people of each community; the Black and White comm...
