The Last Quarantine (Published Under LIB)

Season 3: Episode 8

"Dad, what the hell is happening?!" My son freaked out. I can clearly feel the trauma to run on his veins. And it pained me to see that the fear is poisoning his mind. It is evident by the way how his body trembles in every noise that we are all hearing from outside my office.

"Santhy," hinawakan ko siya sa mga balikat, sinubukan ko siyang pakalmahin sa pamamagitan ng pagtingin diretso sa mga mata niya, "everything will be fine. I got you, I will protect you."

To my suprise, what I said created a rare emotion from his face. He curved the conners of his lips upward. He is smiling but it contradicts the series of emotions on his eyes. Para ba siyang nalulungkot at nawawalan na ng pag-asa.

"Protect me?" He chuckled bitterly, "Then what? Then I will lose you too? Dad, pagod na akong ma-disappoint. Tapos na tapos na talaga akong umasa na magiging ayos lang ang lahat."

This is a rare ocassion. Nasanay akong tahimik lang siya. Iyong hindi niya pinapakita ang tunay na nararamdaman. He was a shy kid and opening up to someone, even me as his father, is a hard thing for him to do.

"Son--"

He cut me off, "Just don' let my hopes to go paramount, Dad." Bumagsak ang mga balikat niya, "I've had enough."

I really don't know what to say.

This is one of the moments where I badly wish for her mother to just come to life. Kasi mothers are great when it comes to emotional stability. Fathers like me don't have any idea on how to deal with this situation.

But I didn't see it coming when Briela butt in.

"Santhy, listen." She cupped his cheeks. "Your father is a man of his words. As our superior, nakita ko na iyon nang maraming beses. And I am a living proof of that. He saved me on our previous drug operation noong hindi pa kami dito naka-assign."

I squint my eyes.

"Kung hindi dahil sa kanya, patay na ako ngayon." She continued.

For what I can remember, that didn't happen at all. Simula't sapul naman, dito na kami talaga in-assign sa New Bilibid Prison. Dito ko na talaga siya nakilala.

Anong pinagsasasabi niya?

"Just trust him, we should trust him because I know, he will deliver. He will keep you alive." She started to wipe the tears of my son like a loving mother. For a moment, my heart raced fast because of the view.

"Okay?" She mumbled after an agonizing silence. And then that earn her a nod from my son.

Santhy darted his gaze at me. He is looking apologetically when he told me, "Sorry for the outburst, Dad. Stress lang ako sa lahat ng nangyari sa akin. I lost Orion, I saw the one I love to die and I witness it all, I can still clearly remember kung papaano namatay lahat ng nakasama ko sa pandemic na ito."

He is with his teary eyes when he continued, "Sariwang-sariwa pa sa utak ko ang lahat, Dad. It burns my mind, it keeps on stabbing my heart." Doon ay niyakap siya ni Briela. He rest his head on his her chest while still staring at me with all of his apologies.

I only nod at him. And then I threw him a reassuring smile that I am okay. When I turn my eyes at Briela, she is now smiling at me while winking like a proud and dangerous woman.

That moment, I realized that telling a lie is not bad at all. Depende na lang talaga iyon sa sitwasyon.

"I think, we should move now, Sir." Manuel said. Doon ay napatingin ako sa kanya. Napalunok ako nang mapansing unti-unting naitataas ng mga buhay na bangkay sa ilalim iyong pintuan ng escape hole. Sa lakas nila ay hindi naman iyon imposible.

"Right," Briela mumbled, "We should really move now but first, kailangan nating dalhin ang lahat ng mga armas mo, Sir."

"Agree, Sir." Manuel moved the book shelf near the hole. Matapos ay pinatumba niya iyon. Doon ay nakakagulat na may pag-galaw pa ring mararamdaman galing sa mga buhay na bangkay.

Tumango ako sa kanilang dalawa.

"Give me one, Dad. I want to help." Santhy told me with a motivating hopes on his eyes.

"Sure, Son." I didn't hesitate to nod. Lagi ko siyang sinasama sa lahat ng shooting practice ko. Iyon ang naging bonding namin before this pandemic happened.

"Now move! All of you, kunin niyo lahat ng armas na kaya niyo! We will keep ourselves armed outside!"

Those words of mine are all it takes for all of us to move with the wind. Si Manuel ay pinagtuunang pansin ang tatlong shotgun sa ibabaw ng lamesa ko. Si Briela naman ay kinuha ang mahigit kumulang limang handgun, ipinasok niya iyon sa itim na bag na naglalaman ng mga bala.

I handed Santhy my favorite automatic rifle. This firearm is working smoothly, hindi siya mahihirapang gamitin. Then I only satisfy myself with my usual silencer gun. Nagsakbit din ako ng itim na bag para sa mga bala.

"Move! Move!" Hiyaw ko sa gitna ng pagtayo ng mga balahibo ko. Unti-unti kasing umangat iyong book shelf. At alam ko, kapag nagtagal pa kami dito ay wala na talaga kaming ligtas.

Agad na napatakbo sina Briela at Santhy papunta sa pinto. Ngunit natigilan ang anak ko dahil sa biglang narinig.

"Santhy, natatakot ka na ba? Heto na kami . . ." Malambing na boses ng babae ang una naming narinig mula sa escape hole.

Santhy knitted his eyebrows and he mouthed, "What the hell?"

"Don't mind her, kid." Manuel mumbled and then he jumped towards the book shelf. He tried to add weight but that didn't flinch the zombies at all. Unti-unti at buong pwersa nilang iniaangat ang book shelf. And I admit, we can never do something that could stop them from entering my office.

"Let's just move!" I instructed. "We should reach the rooftop as soon as possible! Ang helicopter na lang ang huling chance natin para mabuhay!"