SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE (Sold out)

            "Mr. Valderama, baka ho kinidnap ni Martin ang anak 'nyo. You know that asshole, ang dami kong nalaman tungkol sa kanya. Tungkol sa-"

            "No. No." Putol niya sa sinasabi ko. "He wouldn't do that. He loved my daughter. They have plans on moving away together. Ginagawan ko ng paraan. Kaya imposible ito na bigla silang aalis dito sa bahay nang hindi man lang nagsasabi sa akin? We have plans."

            Nanginginig ako sa galit at talagang si Varona ang gusto kong pagbalingan ng lahat ng galit na nararamdaman ko.

            Hindi basta-bastang tao si Martin. Natakasan nga niya kami at nabugbog niya ang kasama ko kahit naka-posas siya. At totoo ang sinasabi ni Mr. Valderama. Sa mga sinabi sa akin ng lalaking Ghost ang pangalan, hindi sasaktan ni Martin si Elodie. Mahal ni Martin si Elodie.

            "Gabriel, tulungan mo ako." Humagulgol ng iyak si Mr. Valderama.

            "I'll call you again, Sir." Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot niya. Muli kong hinarap si Varona at idiniin ang baril sa noo nito. "Ano ang sinabi mo kay Jorge?"

            "W-wala. Tungkol lang talaga sa witness ang sinabi ko sa kanya. Wala ng iba. Gabriel, maniwala ka sa akin." Nakikiusap na sabi niya.

            Umiling lang ako at parang nandidiring lumayo sa kanya.

            "Fuck you." Tinalikuran ko na siya at tinungo ang pinto. Hindi ko na kayang tingnan ang mukha niya. I lost the tiny hope that people in my office would be like me. Straight and cannot be bought and the only concern was to help helpless people.

            "Kung pupuntahan mo si Jorge, alam ko kung saan ang opisina niya. Doon kami nagkita nang mag-usap kami. Hindi sa opisina ng tatay niya."

            Napahinto ako at nilingon si Varona. Kinuha niya ang telepono at nagpipindot doon tapos maya-maya ay tumunog ang telepono ko. Address ang ipinadala niya sa akin.

            "I don't want to see your face in the office anymore. Mag-resign ka. Magpa-transfer ka sa ibang lugar wala akong pakialam." Walang emosyong sabi ko sa kanya.

            "Gabriel-"

            "Dahil kung hindi, ako mismo ang lulumpo sa iyo. And the worst I can do is to put a bullet in between your eyes. Trust me, I can do that." Walang emosyong sabi ko.

            Hindi ko na pinakinggan ang pagtawag niya sa akin at tuloy-tuloy na akong lumabas. Nagmamadali akong sumakay sa kotse ko at pinaandar paalis doon. Pupuntahan ko ang address na ibinigay ni Varona.

            Sa labas ay mukhang normal na opisina lang naman iyon. Pero parang walang mga tao. Nakita kong may tatlong kotse ang nakaparada sa labas. Agad kong kinapa ang baril na nasa likuran ko at kinuha iyon. Ikinasa. Pumasok ako sa loob. Wala namang mga CCTV sa paligid kaya dire-diretso lang ako. Pagpasok ay walang kalaman-laman ang loob. Hitsurang abandoned office pero may mga pinto. Naisip kong ito siguro ang hideout nila Jorge. Dito ginagawa ang mga kabulastugan nila ng mga kapatid niya. Nakakarinig ako ng pagkaka-ingay at napahigpit ang hawak ko sa baril ko nang makarinig ako ng tunog ng baril.

            Dali-dali akong lumapit sa pinto at binuksan iyon. Ang nakita ko agad ay dalawang lalaking naka-suot ng scrub suit tapos ay isang hospital bed na may nakaratay na lalaki. Si Martin ba iyon? Tapos ay isang babae na hawak ng isang lalaki na pilit isinusubsob sa mesa. Hinuhubaran. God damn it. It was Elodie.

            Jorge was going to rape Elodie again.

            Doon na ako pumasok at hindi ko na binigyan ng pagkakataon na makagalaw pa ang lalaking iyon. I shot him on his body. Nang makita kong babarilin din ako ng lalaking naka-scrub suit ay binaril ko din ito pati na ang kasama.

            Elodie looked like a mess. Blood was all over her face. She was beaten. Pero hindi niya intindi ang nangyayari sa kanya. Dali-dali siyang tumakbo sa kama kung nasaan si Martin and I could see blood on his body too.

            I felt a pang on my chest when I saw how Elodie was worried for Martin. She doesn't mind that she needed help too. All I could see was a devastated woman that was looking for her lover. Well, they were both looking for one another.

            Look for another woman, son. She's not going to like you. Ever. That's the reality.

            Maybe Ghost was right. Even if my intentions for Elodie was pure and true, she would never look at me the way she was looking at Martin.

            Because right now, that's what I see. Two lovers looking for each other regardless of the situation that they were facing.

            But I saw something moved. It was Jorge. He was holding a gun and in a blink of an eye, he shot Elodie. Reflex kicked in and I shot him more than once. I was shooting at him until there was no bullet left in my gun.

And when I looked at Elodie, I felt everything around me stood still. I could see blood pooling on her clothes. She doesn't realize that she's been shot until she fell on the floor.

Mabilis ko siyang nilapitan at nakatingin lang siya sa akin. Eyes were staring at me like life was beginning to fade away from her. No. She cannot die like this. She cannot leave me. Us. She cannot leave us.

Agad kong kinuha ang telepono at tumawag sa station para magpadala ng ambulansiya dito. She doesn't have time. I knew it. I can feel it.

Nang mahulog si Martin sa kama at pagapang na nilapitan si Elodie ay parang dinudurog ang puso ko. They were both shot, but all they wanted to do was to be with each other. Elodie was trying to reach for his hand, and he was doing the same. Hindi ko namalayan ang tumutulo na pala ang luha ko.

"Don't let go," Martin's voice was pleading but I saw Elodie closed her eyes.

She was giving up this time.

            "No! Don't close your eyes!"

Boses namin iyon pareho ni Martin.

But she couldn't hear us anymore. Our sobs. Our pleads for her to keep her eyes open. Her body was just lying in there. Motionless.

            I've seen people dying in front of me. I am used to see dead people every day. But it was different this time. Because the person I cared about hanging by a thread and her life was starting to fade away from her.

            I don't know it I can go on with my life after this.