Tinawagan na ni Keina si Azi. Si Azi ay ang pangalawang anak ng mga Amelio, ang mga Amelio ay kaibigan ng pamilya ko. We have the same family business pero sakanila kung ayaw mong sumunod sa family business ay pwede kang maging kung ano gusto mo. That's what I envy about her family. They can decide kung gusto nila maging hitman o maging chef, astronaut, teacher, or whatever the hell they want to be. While in Keinas and my case are different from hers. Our lives are decided to which path we are to walk on.
Fifteen minutes go by and we heard Azi's car park up at the front of the house, she let herself in and I welcomed her, I see her wearing an all black outfit and gave me a big smile and a hug as a greeting.
"Anong nangyari?" agad na tanong ni Azi saamin ni Keina
"Well..." nagsimula kong ikwento mula nung umalis ako three months ago hanggang sa pagkauwi ko ngayong araw. I told her everything I did. She quietly listened whilst looking at the letters written at the floor carefully.
"You said you received a text? Let me see what it says." I handed her my phone and let her read it.
"..twenty - five.. AQWT.." binubulong niya sa sarili niya at saka binalik saakin ang aking cellphone.
"Have you tried decoding?" Azi asked while still looking at the letters
"I tried, but I don't know much of decoding, so obviously I fail to decode this"
"Pen and paper" sabi niya saka inilabas ang kamay niya habang iniintay niyang may mag-abot sakaniya ng papel at pen. Kumuha si Keina ng papel at ballpen. Inabot na ni Keina ang hiningi niya at nag simulang kopyahin ang mga letrang nakasulat sa sahig. Matagal niyang tinitigan ang papel at maraming sinubukang deciphers pero mukhang hindi gumagana base sa ekspresyon ng mukha niya. Inikot ikot lang niya ang ballpen sa mga daliri niya nang parang alam na niya ang gagamiting pang decipher.
"Alex?"
"Yeah? You got it?" sagot ko ng tawagin niya ako, tinignan niya ako at si Keina ng nakangiti
"Nagugutom ako, lutuan niyo ko hehe" sabi niya ng natatawa't hawak ang ulo niya. Pinalo ko ang balikat niya atsaka hinila si Keina papunta sa kusina para ipagluto si Azi
"...Its simple.."
Lumabas na kami ni Keina sa kwarto at dumiretsyo na sa kusina, kumuha ako ng macaroni pasta, gatas, salt, black pepper, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Pinaluto ko si Keina ng chicken breast para sa mac 'n cheese. Pinakulo ko ang gatas bago nilagay ang macaroni at nilagyan ng black pepper and salt. Once the pasta is cooked I added the chicken breast along with the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, turn of heat and mix until well incorporated.
It took us almost 2 hours making such an easy meal dahil nagkwento na nagkwento si Keina about sa fling niyang si "Calyxe", natatawa ako sa mga kwento niya dahil kada sabi niya ng maganda at decent fact and detail about this guy biglang isusunod niya yung words na "Ibibigay ko talaga dapat sainyo yung lalaking yun eh, kaso ako ang nais hahahaha". I'm happy to see her having a fling, I know na kinukwento niya lang ito saakin para mapasaya ko kahit saglit lang. Habang nagkukwento siya ay hinahanda na din niya ang pagkain para saaming tatlo dahil naparami ang luto namin. Naramdamankong nag vibrate ang cellphone ko at tinignan ko ito, nakita ko na nag send ng message sakin si Azi
AZIgzag
A: Come here. I solved it. I need to talk to you in private. Bring my food if its done.
"Azi just messaged me. Dalhin ko daw pagkain niya. Gutom na gutom na siguro haha." sabi ko ay Keina habang pinakita sakaniya ang message ni Azi
"Alex, you should ask her na." what she said made me skip a beat.
I went back to the room, nervous to what the answer is to what she decoded and what she would answer to my question. Pagpasok ko sa kwarto ay nakita ko si Azi na nakatayo sa may bintana't nakatingin saakin ng seryoso, kinabahan ako sa kung ano man ang sasabihin niya, kaya sinara ko ang pinto at lumapit siya saakin at kinuha agad ang pagkain niya at madaling kumain
My initial words were "Anak ng.. di ka ba kumain ha?" at tinignan niya ako ng masama
"Mac n cheese. MAC N CHEESE, it takes you 2 whole hours to make mac n cheese?" Tanong niya sakin ng hindi tinatanggal ang eye contact saakin.
Tinaasan ko lang siya ng kilay at umupo sa tabi niya, waiting for what the answer was. She began telling me how to decode this. I pretended to understand what the hell she is talking about.
"... substitute the letter 25 to letter 1..."
I noticed she stopped talking, so I looked at her eyes and she said "You're not listening at all", sharp as always, I laughed at the fact that she found out that I didn't understand it at all. She began showing me the letters and its answers.
AQWT PCOG KU YJCV VKGU AQW FQYP
YOUR NAME IS WHAT TIES YOU DOWN
"Do you know what it means?" Azi asked, I replied with "Yes, I have an idea to what it means" it meant that I have no escape from murdering people. Its a threat to me and my family. It means that whatever I do, I will still, eventually, kill for the name of this family.
Once she as done showing it to me, she also have finished her meal. She stood up and went to the door. There was always something I was curious about Azi. But I never asked her before, I can't ever think of the answer myself. I can't ever think of decent reason of why she would help me. Now is the time for me to question her.
"Hey Azi.." panimula ko
"Why? why did you choose to become like one of my family?" I questioned.
"Why do you ask?" She replied, ignoring my question.
"You had the chance to live a normal life, you've always wanted to be a doctor, so why? why would you choose to be like one of us?" I upsettingly questioned
"Next time. I promise to tell you next time. Right now isn't the perfect time. We can talk about it after we find your family, but for now, let's not." She said then continued to go out of the door, I see her shadow walking away.
I went back to the kitchen after a few minutes have passed by. I felt their eyes focused on me as I entered the kitchen.
"What's the plan?" Keina asked.
"We go to possible places my father may have gone to" wika ko
"Bukas tayo umalis. Alam ko ang mga lugar na kung saan nagpupunta ang mga ate't kuya mo kasama si Mr. Mercadejas." sabi ni Azi.
____________End_______________________________________________of_____________________chapter 3___________________
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Bloodline
Mystery / ThrillerAlex, being only 15 years old and in a family where her worth as part of that family is to be a part of the family business. A family business where they are to become hitmans. Her only way of proving her worth to her father is to also be a hitman...
