Chapter Fifty Four
"Pauwi na si Andrei sa Pilipinas." napatingin ako kay Adam nung sinabi nya yun.
"Bakit pa? we can handle everything." mariing sabi ko. coz as much as i can. i dont put another person's life in danger.
"Valdez got her wife."
"WHAAAT?!"
"Kinidnap ni Vien si Celine."
"Kelan pa?!" i asked. bakit kailangan pati si Celine?
"The day they took Alexis too."
"Anung kailangan nila kay Celine?" inis na sabi ko.
"I dont know, pauwi na si Andrei. sa kanya tayo magtanong."
"we have to move fast, Adam. i need to bring the book to Valdez!"
"kailangan mag usap muna kayo ni Andrei. he told me not to let you go without meeting him." mariing sabi niya.
"Times running, Adam. we have to move!"
"And i ordered everyone to keep a close eye on the place. hindi tayo pwedeng sumugod basta basta!" naiinis na sabi nya sakin.
naiinis na sinabunutan ko yung ulo.ko saka tumingin sa kanya. "Mamamatay ako pag nawala si Alexis." mahinang sabi ko.
"Babawiin natin sya. we'll do everything to get them out." umupo sya sa tabi ko.
"How?" i asked. pinanghihinaan na ko ng loob sa sobrang daming nangyayari. how can i do things right when i'm a broken man without her.
"i dont know, Steven. i dont know." mahinang sabi nya.
natahimik kami pareho ng mahabang sandali, sabay pa kaming napatingin sa pinto nung pumasok si Andrei.
tumingin sya samin ng seryoso saka tinuro yung kwarto namin ni Alexis. tumayo kaming dalawa ni Adam saka sumunod sa kanya. pagpasok namin umupo kaming tatlo sa kama ni Alexis.
"What is it, Andrei?" tanong ni Adam agad.
"kinidnap ni Vien si Celine." lumunok sya saka tumingin samin.
"Bakit?" i asked. i really have no idea why Vien needs to take Celine. they only want me!
Vien is Reynaldo's Son.
"Nalaman nya na siguro yung tungkol kay Celine." kumunot yung noo namin sa sinabi nya.
"Tungkol kay Celine? whats up with Valdez and the Yulos" naguguluhang sabi ni Adam.
"Nothing. but there's something about Celine and Valdez Senior." he answered. naguluhan kami lalo.
"Ano?" di makatiis na sabi ko.
"Baka nalaman na nila yung totoong identity ni Celine."
"Wag mong sabihing Anak ni Valdez si Celine?" di makapaniwalang sabi ni Adam.
"Of course not! hindi anak ni Valdez si Celine. at hindi rin anak si Celine ng mga Yulo." napanganga kaming pareho.
"Adopted si Celine?!" sabay na sabi namin ni Adam.
"No. but Celine, my wife. is a fake Celine. she's not the Real Celine Erika Yulo that we knew."
lalong kumunot yung noo ko. ang gulo naman ata nun.
"Mean to say. impostor yung asawa mo?" tanong ko.
"Not Impostor. shes just living in someone elses identity."
"will you please elaborate." naguguluhang sabi ni Adam.
"the real Celine Erika Yulo died on a shipwreck when she was six years old. they never found her body. she's the heir of the Navarro's chain of hotels. if the Navarros find out that the youngest heiress was gone. magkakagulo silang lahat. Celine will inherit all their Hotels as part of her inheritance sa mga Navarro. and if she die, the next heiress would be the Katrina Navarro. the youngest Child of the Old Navarros, Katrina is married to a drunkard bastard. Allistair. you know what will happen if they found out right?"
"Mawawala sa kanila yung hotel." i answered.
"Exactly. thats why i offered Carl someone to pose as Celine Erika Navarro Yulo." napakunot yung noo ko.
"you mean to say your wife is the fake Celine?" Adam said.
"Yes, and they got her."
"Bakit? anung kailangan nila Valdez sa pekeng Celine?" naguguluhang tanong ko.
"They know the identity of the fake Celine. you see the Fake Celine Erika Navarro Yulo is your sister." tumingin sya sakin.
"My sister? may kapatid ako sa labas?" di makapaniwalang sabi ko.
"No, she's Liezel Erika Gonzales." he answered.
"WHAAAAAAT?!" my jaw dropped. "Thats not a good joke, Andrei."
"Its not a joke, Steven. she's your sister." seryosong sabi ni Andrei.
"Panu nangyari yun?! i was there when she died!" mariing sabi ko.
"Remember the guy who helped you bring your sister to the hospital?" tumango ako saka tumingin sa kanya.
"That was you?!" nagulat na sabi ko.
"Yes."
(A/N: Flashback would be on Andrei's POV.)
"Kuya Be careful ha? wala sila Mommy. isoli mo na kasi yan." sabi ni Alexis sakin habang nakatingin sakin. nasa loob ako ng sasakyan namin at sya nasa tapat ng gate. kanina nya pa ko kinukulit na ibalik yung susi ng kotse sa loob ng bahay. nasa business trip kasi si Mommy saka si Daddy kaya kami lang saka yung mga katulong yung nasa Mansion. nagprapractice lang naman ako na magdrive.
"Baby i'll be fine. pumasok ka na sa loob." utos ko sa kanya.
"Kuya naman kasi." maktol nya. natatawa akong bumaba saka binuhat sya. she's only four years old and i'm twelve.
"one hour lang ako. payag ka na babylove." malambing na sabi ko. ngumuso sya saka yumakap sa leeg ko.
"Wag na kasi, Kuya. its late na. its dangerous. tatakas ka lang naman. if Mommy finds out you sneak out you'll be grounded."
"One hour nga lang Baby. besides you're not gonna to tell Mommy, right?"
"Right. but its still dangerous."
"No, its not. i'm just driving around the village. nothing will happen. one hour lang, please babe?"
"One hour, Kuya and we're going to sleep. okay?!" mariing sabi niya. napangisi ako.
"One hour Baby, Love you." i said and kissed her cheeks.
"Love you. be careful ha?" tumango ako saka binaba na sya.
"Go inside now. i'll see you in an hour." ngumiti sya.
"Kay," sabi nya saka pumasok sa loob.
napangisi nalang ako saka pumasok sa kotse. nagdrive ako paikot ikot sa loob. Dad doesnt want me to learn how to drive at this age thats why i always sit on the passenger seat to watch him drive.
pag wala sila saka lang ako nakakapag practice mag drive and at twelve. marunong na marunong na ko.
pauwi na sana ako sa mansion may makasalubong akong humaharurot na Van na kalalabas lang galing sa street na katabi nung samin. pumasok ako sa street na pinanggalingan nung Van. may tumatakbong batang lalaki na may kargang batang babae at papunta sa daan ko kaya nagpreno ako sa harap nila. only to be suprised when i saw blood on the girl's Pajama. lumabas ako agad saka pinasok yung batang babae saka yung batang lalaki sa back seat.
"What happened?" i asked immediately while taking them to the nearest hospital.
"My sister got shot by those bad men in our house." mangiyak ngiyak na sabi nya saka hinawakan yung pisngi ng batang babae.
"You'll be alright Liz. promise." mahinang sabi nya. i can see how he tried to be strong infront of her sister. i drove faster. she's still alive when we reached the hospital. but too many blood was lost.
"Doc do everything you can. please save the girl." nagmamakaawang sabi ko. when i saw her i felt the need to save her in every way that i can.
"what happened, Kid?" i asked and sat beside him.
"My sister was shot and my mother was killed." naiiyak na sabi nung bata.
"Whats your name?"
"Steven Gonzales. and that is my sister Liezel Erika."
"Steven. who shoot your sister?!" i asked.
"Reynaldo Valdez. he killed my mom!" nakakuyom yung kamay na sabi nya.
"why?"
"I dont know. i'm gonna kill Valdez! i'll kill him." umiiyak na sabi nya.
"good thing you're not hurt."
"I hid inside the closet. Lizzy hid with Mom. they saw them. if they find out that Lizzys alive they will go back to kill her. what am i going to do?"
natahimik ako sa sinabi nya. that little girl's life is in danger even if she survived the operation.
I have this uncontrollable urge to keep her safe.
i stood up and patiently wait for the doctor to come out and we he did. i pulled him.
"How's the operation?" i asked.
"its good. she responded to the operation ililipat na namin sya sa private room." ngumiti yung doctor.
lumapit ako dun sa batang lalaki saka ngumiti ng malungkot.
"She's gone." i whispered. if the girl's life is in danger then it wont be in danger when they think she's dead.
"Noooooooo!" he shouted.
nilabas na nila si Lizzy.
the boy was shouting when they took her body away. i hugged him tight.
"Lizzzzzzzy!" he shouted. napaluhod yung bata sa sahig "Lizzzy you cant die on me!"
"i'm sorry for your sister. Kid." sabi ko saka niyakap sya ng mahigpit. pag nakalapit sya sa bata, he'll know she's alive. if i want to keep her safe. i have to take over her life.
"Maybe they can do something for her. maybe they didn't listen to her heartbeat thoroughly. i can do something!" he shouted again.
"She's gone Kid. i'm sorry." niyakap ko ng mahigpit si Steven. kahit gaano man ako naaawa sa kanya, mas mapapabuti kapag iisipin nilang wala na sya.
"Nooooo!" he shouted and cried.
nakatulog sya ng umiiyak. i called someone to do a wax figure for me. inayos ko yung libing nung wax figure nung bata. ako na nagbayad. i called his dad to tell him about what happened. i called his relatives when everything is set.
nung naihatid ko yung bata sa bahay nila hindi na ko nagpakita sa buong burol. late ko nang nalaman na kaibigan pala ni Alexis si Liezel.
***
"i supported Lizzy while she was in the hospital. when she got out of the hospital. sinabi ni Carl yung tungkol sa mana at kay Celine. i suggested Lizzy to pose as Celine since they haven't seen her in person. sila Carl palang saka yung parents nya yung nakakita kay Celine nun kasi nasa states silang lahat."
nakatanga lang kami kay Andrei.
"bakit hindi nagtaka si Lizzy?!" i asked.
"May amnesia kasi sya. dahil sa trauma nung gabing yun. noon napapanaginipan nya lagi kung pano pinatay yung mommy nyo kaya pinatheraphy sya. she was four years old but she posed as a six year old Celine." paliwanag ni Andrei.
"am i suppose to be happy because she's alive or go mad because you kept her away from us for so long?"
"sorry, Brother. you did it for my sister right? i did it for your sister as well."
tumayo ako saka sinapak sya sa mukha. hinawakan ako ni Adam sa braso para pigilan ako sa muling pagsapak kay Andrei.
"More than two decades of agony. thats whats that for." galit na sabi ko. "i can keep it a secret Andrei! you could have saved us from agony because of her!" i shouted.
balewalang tumayo sya. "Its the choice i have to make then Steven. i know about Valdez and you're in for revenge. i gave you what you want. pinagbigyan kita kahit umiyak yung kapatid ko. alam kong alam mo yung pakiramdam na ganito." matabang na sabi nya.
"Kahit pa!"
"Dude mahal ko si Liezel, okay?! she's my life! i love her!" mariing sabi nya.
napatingin ako sa kanya. "thanks for taking care of my sister, Dude. yang love mo pag uusapan natin yan pagkatapos nitong lahat, Lets get them now."