Through Secrets Unveiled

Chapter Twenty-Four - Renante and the Third Secret

RENANTE AND GUILLERMO USED SEPARATE CARS. They left the building after agreeing on meeting up in a quiet gastropub in the metro.

The quiet gastropub was dominated by polished black marble built-in fixtures— the bar table, the shelves, the corner seats and tables. Chatter, clinking utensils and glasses played in the background along with upbeat Korean songs. Thin smoke fogged the room, grilled barbecue meats and savory sauce could be whiffed in the air. Yellow lights came from the hanging tri-set umbrella lamps on strategic places. The brightest glow came from the bar area and its lighting that stretched parallel to the length of the table.

Overall, the ambience was warm and dark.

Renante and Guillermo sat across each other with a grill stove and two sets of Korean samgyupsal meal between them.

“She’s at home?” kumusta ni Guillermo sa kanya kay Stacey.

Si Guillermo ang nag-iihaw ng mga karne, si Renante naman ang panay ang kain. Guillermo didn’t mind though. He understood that between them, it was Renante who was tired and hungry from his overtime at work.

Renante nodded. Nanatiling seryoso ang kanyang mukha. He would grill Guillermo a little later, like these meats he was eating. But first, he had to eat. He picked up each cooked meat quickly off the grill using wooden chopsticks. Thankfully, he got used to using chopsticks. Sa sobrang hilig ba naman ng tatay niya sa Japanese cuisine. Noong nagtatrabaho pa kasi si Renante sa kompanya nito, madalas sila kumain sa mga Japanese restaurants.

Sa sobrang abala sa trabaho kanina, at saka lang namalayan ni Renante na nalipasan na siya ng gutom.

“Soju?” magaang tanong ni Guillermo. Nag-angat ito ng tingin sa kanya.

“Fuck. No,” panlalaki niya ng mga mata rito. “I’m driving! And you shouldn’t drink too. You’re driving.”

Guillermo shrugged. “A shot glass or two won’t hurt. Tried and tested.”

Then, the young lad returned his eyes on what he was doing. Pinanood ito ni Renante.

“You have been MIA for four years. What brings you back here in Manila?”

Hindi siya nito tinapunan ng tingin. Guillermo concentrated on rolling the strip of meat using chopsticks. Then, placing them on the grill. Iikut-ikutin niya ang mga ito. Ididiin ng kaunti sa ihawan habang niluluto. The meat would fizz a bit then smoke and be cooked

“I’m selling my properties one by one. That’s why I’m back.”

“Really? Bakit? Naubos na ba ang mana mo?” ngisi niya.

“I just want to have no more reason to keep coming back here,” makahulugang titig ni Guillermo sa kanyang mga mata.

“Does it hurt seeing your brother? That he’s a well-off man, legitimate—”

“Geez. I could care less about that dolt,” he gritted then shook his head. Mabilis na humalili ang ngiti sa mga labi nito. “He’s nothing. No matter how legitimate he is, he is still under my mercy.”

Inahon na ni Guillermo ang lutong mga karne. He neatly stacked them in his small round plate.

Now that Guillermo became serious, it must be the right time to grill him…

“About Artemia…”

Bumalik ang mga mata nito sa kanya. “She asked about Stacey. Kung ano ang nangyari sa kanya nitong nakaraang mga taon. I only told her what I know.”

As expected. But that was not what he really came for.

“And what did Artemia say… about the things you told her?”