HEIRS OF ATTICUS

HOA: THE TRADITION

" I am the one and only oldest tattoo artist and has the only tattoo house in Las Haciendas. Why?" nang marinig ko iyon bigla ako nagkaroon nang clue.

" So that means someone who has a tattoo ring that named Anastasia is your client?" hindi na ako nagpaligoy- ligoy pa at tinanong ko agad sa kanya iyon. I heard Krio calling my name pero hindi ko siya pinapansin

" Sabi ko nga iha, matanda na ako kaya hindi ko na maalala kung sino- sino ang mga taong nagpapa-tattoo sa akin."

" Please sir. Baka kahit isang kliyente lang po may maalala kayo? Importante lang po talaga.

" Patawad iha. " nalungkot ako dahil wala akong nakuhang impormasyon

" Bakit natanong mo iyon iha?"

" Her boyfriend is an Atticus. He was killed by the man with that tattoo." Krio interrupted, napatigil siya sa pagtattoo sa akin at bakas sa mukha niya ang pagkagulat.

" An Atticus? You are a Madrid?" sabi nito kaya nanlaki ang mata ko nang marinig iyon.

" Kaya pala familiar ang iyong mukha."

" Paano niyo po nalaman? "

" You are the girl who's known to be dead." hindi ako maka-imik nang marinig ko 'yon.

" I survived but my husband didn't. I mean my fiance."

" Do you know the story? Behind your deaths?"

" What story?" I was so confused. I heard my wristwatch

" Wait sir give me 10 minutes. Krio please let me remind me of this." this life is so f*cking hard.

After 6 minutes

" Where am I?"

" Leyra, I'm your doctor. We are in Haluma. He's Mister—

" Vicenzo" the old man said

" Yeah, Vicenzo the tattoo artist. And you decide to get etch by him."

" Sir don't be confused it was part of her condition."

" Oh, now I understand."

" Sir tell her the story."

" The story about your death was one of the most controversial in Las Haciendas. There are two stories speculated in these place, who's your killer might be. The people in here believed that you're dead. People believe that the person who killed you and that Atticus, ay may malaking galit sa isang tagapagmana nang Atticus, dahil may pinatay daw itong isang lider na may malaking pangalan din sa Las Haciendas, Ang mga haka-haka nagsasabi na napagkamalan lang na ang iyong mapapangasawa ang pumatay dahil siya ang pinakakilalang tagapagmana nang pamilya. Ito ang isa. At ang isang pinaka kontrobersyal ay—" napatigil siya saglit at nagbuntong hininga.

" Mahirap paniwalaan pero ang sabi nila ang pumatay daw sainyo ay isa mismo sa tagapagmana nang pamilya." hindi ako makapaniwala sa narinig ko.

" N-no. I-it can't be." nauutal kong sabi

" They're not a killer." I insisted

" I can't believe it also pero iha—"

" pero ano po ?"

" Matagal na ako sa lugar na ito, marami na akong nasiksihan na patayan simula pa noong bata pa ako. Alam ko na ang kalakaran sa lugar na ito."

" Ano po ang gusto niyong sabihin, please po kailangan ko malaman."

" Aside from being well known for being the richest, their family is also well known for being a murderers back then. Atticus brothers run an organization called 'Nocivo' in which they kill people in exchange for money, it was Luviano and Valerio, also known as Señor Matias Atticus. And you know what's more interesting in that family? It has a tradition."