All Falls Down

Veintisèis

'I almost had you, didn't I? If only he'd never gets in my way! I tried to make it differently. I even tried  to make him my friend... But now... I want him dead.'

Nilamukos ko ang papel na hawak. Mabilis ang pagkabog ng dibdib ko habang binabasa ang sulat na binigay ng secretarya ko. Sinabi niyang bagong sulat ito. Kahapon wala akong natanggap o kahit noong mga nakaraang araw. Ngayon na lang ulit, after four days.

This is the sixth letter I received ever since I started to work here in France. Iba iba ang mga sinasabi ngunit pareho lamang ang gustong iparating.

Threatening and to scare the hell out of me!

But now's different. Mas lumala. He's threatening me before, but never I imagine that it will became serious kaya hindi ko na masyadong pinapansin. And now I'm in deep trouble. Its like he's waving a red flag and and he's ready to attack anytime soon!

Hindi ako ang pakay niya. I have the guts that he's just scaring me to be submissive to him. At ang totoong target niya ay ang boyfriend ko. I have guessed who it was. But then, I just can't easily point fingers without any strong evidences.

Damn it!

I glanced down at my hand and saw that my knuckles had gone white. Tumayo ako at lumapit sa malaking glass window ng opisina ko, tanaw ang malaking siyudad ng Paris.

This can't be you... Right? Hindi mo ito magagawa sa sarili mong kaibigan.

Napapikit ako ng mariin at napahawak sa sentido. I forced myself to relax a bit and turned my attention back to the city.

Kahit ayaw kong isipin lagi itong sumasagi sa isipan ko. At sa tuwing nakakatanggap ako ng ganito, isang tao lagi ang pumapasok sa isip ko.

I remember the towns people complenting and praising him.

Or should I say... them.

A ruthless brute who was said to be fabulously wealthy. The damn name was Craig Walter Calvari.

Yes! That's what his real name is! Kung saan niya napulot ang Dawson ay hindi ko alam. Sinungaling siya! Kung hindi pa sinabi sa akin ni Zendy ang totoo, hindi ko malalaman na siya ang hinahanap na anak ng retiradong Heneral ng isla na si Don Simon Calvari!

How ironic! That brat? Anak ng isang heneral? Come on! Sa tingin ko hindi siya naturuan ng tamang disiplina

Noon pa mang bago ko pa siya nakilala, may kakaibang aura na akong nararamdam sa kanya. Not in a way of romanticism, but in a way that I can sense dominance and supremacy.

I scoffed at the thought.

Unlike Laxx, Craig didn't trouble himself to do the work, but had  hired someone who can do it for him instead. Sino? Edi ang sarili niya ring bestfriend! Sino nga bang mag aakala? He's fat on family money and not interested in breaking a sweat over anything! Sanay siyang siya ang pinagsisilbihan at sinusunod. Not the other way around.

Mas lalo lamang nilukob ng galit ang puso ko nang maalala ang mga pinapagawa niya kay Laxx para sa ganoon maging busy ito at mawala ang atensiyon sa akin. 
Iyon din ang mga oras na sinasamantala niya akong lapitan at buyuin ng mga pananakot niyang mga salita.

Kaya naman hindi na ako magtataka kung siya rin ang may gawa nitong mga sulat na ito. Walang rason akong makita kung bakit hindi dapat siya ang pagbintangan ko dito. Dahil kung nagawa niya na nga ito noon, ano pa kaya ngayon!

That bastard! He really thinks he'll win again this time.

"Have you not learned anything, Lea?!"

Tahimik akong nakatingin kay Wendy habang pinapakinggan ang kanyang pagaalburoto sa harap  ko. I was asked by her dad na daanan sya rito sa kanyang apartment dahil ilang araw na raw siyang hindi nag paparamdam sa kanila. But things just escalated so quickly that our topic was changed into my whereabouts.

Minsan ko lang syang yayain na lumabas dahil sa sobrang busy ng sched ko sa botique. At least one day a week, Wendy and I eat lunch at a diner around the corner here in Paris.

"Do you really think he's the one behind this? I mean, It's been years, you say. Don't you think he moved on?" She lamented.

For a moment, I do not speak. I try to mentally pry out the source of her suggestion. Bakit ngayon? Bakit ngayon sya nagpaparamdam ulit? Does he really love me that much-- crazy! He's engaged! And it's been years! Imposibleng ginagawa niya ito dahil lang sa mahal nya pa talaga ako. But then, If he really love me. Shouldn't he be threatening me?

Pero ganon s'ya! hindi ba? He threatened me before too!

He couldn't possibly be merely and sincerely asking me to be submissive to him. Dahil isa iyong kabaliwan!

Tinignan ko siya at nginitian. "I ignore the obvious implication of your statement." I shifted at my seat and sip in my tea.  "I can't barely think of blaming anyone who can do this to me, Wend.. I can only think of him. And I can't able to ignore any of this."

"Eh kasi nga tinatak mo na r'yan sa isip mo na s'ya lang ang pwedeng gumawa n'yan sayo. Think of someone who has a deep grudge to you and your fiancee! Malay mo nandirito lang siya sa tabi tabi.." Huminga sya ng malalim at tumikhim. "At saka, ghorl... ang layo ng probinsya n'yo! Tingin mo pupunta sya dito sa Pransya para lang i threaten ka? Ganda mo rin eh."

"What?!" singhal ko sa kanya.

Minsan ang bibig ng babaeng ito ay walang preno sa pananalita. Galing pa naman s'ya sa isang marangyang pamilya pero kung umasta ito ay parang isang ordinaryong mamamayan lang.

Wendy and I are not that close. Nakilala ko lang siya noong minsang isinama ako sa Dubai ni Larexx para sa investment ng isang high classic profile ng isang clothing company sa doon. Which was happened that it was her mother who owned it. The CEO of Crest La Rose. There I met her in very unexpected manner.

"Mom! Please! I don't want to be there! Mas may importante akong gagawin kaysa r'yan! Please, Mom!"

I heard a woman almost dying to plead to her mom. Nasa loob ako ng cubicle ng banyo nang marinig biglang malakas na pagbalya ng pinto at ang pagta tantrums ng isang babaeng pumasok.

"What? No! I mean--yes! I just want to see him this instant. Mom, please. I need to know where he is now!"

"Fine! Fine--my ghad! Ten minutes! Just ten fvcking minutes and I'll be gone there!"

Hinintay kong lumabas ang babae bago sana lumabas ng cubicle nang isang malakas na hampas ang narinig ko sa mismong pinto ko. Napatalon ako sa gulat at napasigaw.

What the hell is the problem of this girl!

"May tao ba r'yan?!" sigaw niya pa.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa takot. I can even imagine what this insane girl can do?

"Y-yeah.." sabi ko sa namamaos na boses.

"Sorry..." aniya kasabay ng tunog ng yapak ng kanyang mga paa palabas. Doon lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag.

Doon ko lang din nalaman na anak siya ni Ma'am Shannon. At si Ma'am Shannon ang sinisigawan niya n'on sa kanyang telepo no! Walang dudang isa siyang bratenella. But then my first impression of her didn't last.

About once a month, we force a sisterly bond by chatting on the phone for a few minutes. We talked about our love lives, our hair and our newest purchases of clothes and fashions, but mainly our topic was business. That is the only topic that we find the most easy to discuss.

Kahit naman ganyan sya, she knows how to run and handle a business very well. And that is why mostly of the clothing company owners wants to have a connection with her. Natatawa na nga lang s'ya kapag naririnig niya na may tumatawag sa kanyang fashion deity.

"Kidding. Anyway, want to go bar hopping tonight?"

Tumayo na ako at pinasadahan ng palad ang damit. "Ayoko. May date pa kami Laxx. Don't wanna be late." sabi ko.

Tumango s'ya at uminom sa kanyang shake na kanina niya pa hinahalo.

"Okay, then... see you when I see you, huh?" she smirked and wave her hand, signaling me her goodbyes.

"Yeah... see you."