Hiding The Mafia's Son

CHAPTER 1

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa gulat. Papaliparin?! May bintana kaya pwede silang tumakas!

"Teptep, papagalitan tayo ni Father kapag nawala ang mga kalapati niya!"

Binatukan niya ako kaya napahimas ako sa ulo. Tiningnan ko naman ito ng masama. Hindi naman masakit pero kahit na. Pain is pain. It shouldn't be invalidated at any level.

Kapag talaga 'hindi ko na matiis ang bwisit na best friend kong 'to, itutuloy ko na sa totoong kasalan 'to. Maybe I will ask some help from my lawyer Ninong to pull some strings for me? Tapos magpapaanak kaagad ako kapag naging dalaga na ako para wala nang kawala pa! Kahit sabihin na nating 7 years old pa lang ako ngayon. Siya naman ay 10.

Turo yan ni Riley sa'kin. Ang sabi niya paglaki nila ni Theia, 'yan daw ang gagawin niya para silang dalawa na daw forever. Crush niya kasi si Theia.

"Engot! Babalik at babalik naman sila. Kapag nag-alaga ka ng kalapati, ikaw na ang kikilalanin nilang master. Sa oras na papaliparin mo na sila palayo, babalik at babalik sila sa taong nag-alaga sa kanila. Their love for their owner is more than loyalty. Tandaan mo yan."

"Wow! Lalim no'n ah."

Iningusan niya lang ako at humarap siya ng maayos sa'kin.

"Ako na ang mauuna bago ikaw," tumango lang ako at tiningnan din siya ng diretso sa mga mata. 

Those eyes that captivated me since day one.

"I, Stephan Lewis, promised that I will always love and cherish Elaina Stephanie Villariguez, to stay with her in every day of forever, to be loyal to her and to never hurt her intentionally and that we will be best friends forever and ever." 

He smiled at me after. A smile that never failed to make me feel safe and melt at the same time.

His vow made my heart warm that I wanted to cry but I won't let my tears fall.

"I, Elaina Stephanie Villariguez, promised that I will always love and cherish Stephan Lewis, to stay with him in every day of forever, to be loyal to him and never hurt him intentionally and that we will be best friends forever and ever."

Again, we smiled at each other. A smile that is the only way of our young hearts to talk. Words that our mouth can not voice out.

"1, 2, 3 go!!" Sabay naming sigaw at pinakawalan ang mga kalapating hawak. 

Saglit kaming nagkatinginan at saka bumunghalit ng tawa. We bumped our fists and act like we're hugging ourselves. Our friendship code.

Napatigil kami sa tawanan nang may marinig kaming mga yabag. Hindi nagtagal, narinig namin ang boses ni Father Bernal na tinatawag ang palayaw naming dalawa. I call Stephan Teptep from his name and he call me Teptep from my Stephanie. So we are the Tepteps!

"Tepteps!" 

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. Tinginang may pinapahiwatig at agad kaming nagkaintindihan.