Chapter Eleven: Melancholy of the Past
Tres stopped the car beside the sidewalk and lit a cigarette. I tried to open the window but it was automatically locked. I looked at him exasperatedly as he smoked. Does he plan to suffocate us?
"You are very careless, reaper. You could be dead as soon as you pointed a gun on her," wika niya habang naninigarilyo. Pinilit kong hindi langhapin ang usok. Was this the punishment he was talking about? Lung cancer?
"He tried to hurt a leader of Mafia Freniere. I was just doing my job," seryoso kong sagot.
"You haven't realized it yet, right?" Wika niya na ikinakunot ng noo ko. "That girl is valuable. She's very important to Giovanni. She's even more important than you. You are a valuable Reaper, of course, but that girl is very important."
Pinilit kong hindi ipakita ang sakit na kusa kong naramdaman sa pagkukumpara sa amin. I wondered if this would ever stop—this pain. I had walled my heart in a cage of ice and yet he could always hurt me in the worst of ways, whether he knew it or not.
"I see. The girl must also be so important to you because you are protecting her in the absence of your brother." I didn't know how those words got out but it was too late for me to bring them back. He was already smirking at my direction.
"Are you jealous, my Reaper?" He asked in voice that was dangerously sweet. He'd never been sweet to me and now that he was doing it, I realized that I hate it. He was treating me like one of his nameless, faceless flirt buddies. I felt insulted. He was putting me on the same level as those girls. I am a Reaper! I'm not just any girl!
I reined in my frustrations. His treatment of me had never been better, anyway. It shouldn't matter now. I should learn to let it go. Ignore it, then.
"I still need to check the Mafia grounds," I managed, wishing he would just let me go.
"You have another task, Reaper."
I sat up straighter. Now he was getting down to business. Good, then. Reaper tasks were always good. "What is it?" Pormal kong tanong. Now that we were back to our usual Mafia boss and Reaper relationship, I felt relieved.
"You are ordered to watch Summer Leondale."
I processed the name in my head. Right, Summer Leondale. That Montello Girl. Giovanni's girl. I knew it had something to do with the seasons. At least now, she wasn't just a nameless face. Wait... did Tres meant what I think he meant?
"I can't do that task. I'm a Reaper, Tres. I'm not a babysitter," tutol ko nang mapagtantong mabuti ang utos.
"It's a mission, reaper. Sir Algernon Freniere personally assigned you to this mission," wika niya.
I could not believe this! Why me? Of course, I could not say that to my boss. I struggled to keep my face expressionless. "How about the Hunter, Sir Maximus Brown? They seem to know each other. Or... maybe Forest?" I had nothing against that girl but I didn't want to be around her. I was just not comfortable with her. She seemed like trouble.
Nagtaas ng kilay si Tres. "This is the first time you are refusing to do a mission that doesn't include killing." Tila nag-isip siyang sandali. "How about I assign you to assassinate a certain businessman instead?" Agad akong na-alarma.
I silently took a heavy breath. He wasn't giving me a choice and he knew it. "Give me the details of this mission. And everything we have on the girl's profile. My role and how connected I had to be with her," pagsuko ko. Mukha namang nagustuhan niya ang pagpapatalo ko sa argumento.
"Already sent all the information to your account," he said confidently. "It seems like some of the members of the Stones Organization want revenge against her," dagdag niya.
Saglit akong natahimik. I would be Summer Leondale's security detail then. I tried summing up this mission. I thought we killed the last of that organization. Agad ring naputol ang pag-iisip ko nang lumapit si Tres sa direksyon ko. My heart started to beat faster when he crowded me to open my side of the door. Nothing was different. He was still going to kick me out of the car in a place I didn't know.
"You can start and do your mission however you want, Reaper. For now, I still have to find that little snake boy," he said.
I looked at him intently. Snake boy? "Giovanni's friend in Montello High?" Maingat kong tanong.
"Not his friend anymore." Iyon lang at saka niya isinara at pinaandar ang kotse. Naiwan akong nakatingin lang sa papalayong sasakyan.
Now it was getting more complicated. Tres would never stop until he finds Ethan Montreal. But why was he taking that mission personally? What was his deal with Ethan?
I decided to call Arturia Mansion to ask for a driver. I had to prepare for this mission but I still had to go to Arturia University since the holiday vacation was over. I guess I could only watch her at night but not during the day.
I was still working on the logistics of this mission when I reached the University. I saw that my car was returned to its slot in the parking lot. I hoped the people from the Mafia didn't scratch it. Sa ngayon, malamang mayroong mga Mafia guards sa Montello High dahil isa na ito sa mga teritoryo ng organisasyon. It meant that as long as Summer Leondale stayed there in the mornings, she would be safe.
I had to treat this mission seriously dahil malinaw na seryoso rin ang Mafia Freniere sa importansya ng babaeng iyon. I gritted my teeth against the memory of how Tres described her. More important than me, he said.
I sent a message to the Basketball Team coach saying that I wouldn't attend the practice. I had to figure out this mission carefully. Kailangan ko ring pag-aralan kung ano ang magiging epekto nito sa personal kong misyon. Agad akong dumiretso sa Arturia Mansion. I decided to sneak into the Tree House to check my bait. I found him writing something on one of my blank notebooks from my small shelf. Lumingon sya at itinigil ang ginagawa nang makita ako.
"Hindi ako tatakas, kaya hindi mo na kailangang magmadali sa pag-uwi," aniya.
Tiningnan ko sya nang matiim at saka dumako ang paningin ko sa notebook. Apparently, he was not just writing. He was drawing a ship. Mukhang napansin niya rin kung ano ang pumukaw sa atensyon ko.
"Gusto kong maging isang kapitan ng barko."
Hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong isagot sa sinabi niyang iyun dahil hindi ko rin alam kung ano ang tumatakbo sa isipan niya. Mukhang masyado na syang nakukulong sa lugar na ito.
"Do you want me to bring more books?" Tanong ko na lang. Mayroon akong mga libro sa tree house but they were classics. Wala akong mga bagong libro na naka-stock sa lugar dahil matagal ko nang hindi ito pinupuntahan.
"No need. I'm enjoying Alfred Tennyson's collection of poems," nakangiti niyang sabi.
"You should never leave this place from now on," wika ko. Ngayong hinahanap sya ni Tres, mas kailangan kong mag-ingat. For now, Ethan Montreal was safe here. Tres might scope the whole world for him but I doubt Tres would ever think to look for Giovanni's friend in this Tree House. He'd never been here for a long time and I knew he never planned to visit this place ever again. This place was a portal to the painful part of his past. Nakaramdam ako ng lungkot para sa lugar na ito. Just like that, this Tree House was rejected. This used to be my favorite place in the world.
"I won't," determinado niyang sagot. Hindi ko alam kung ibabalita ko sa kanya ang muling pagbubukas ng Montello High. I didn't normally give information to people. But I think he needed to have a glimpse of the outside world.
"I went to Montello High." Mukhang tama ang hinala kong interesado siya sa kaniyang paaralan dahil mukhang naghihintay sya sa sunod ko pang sasabihin. Nang hindi ko na sinundan pa ang aking pahayag ay siya na ang kusang nag-ungkat ng detalye.
"Did you see her? Is she okay?" Tanong niya. I think I knew who he was referring to and I wondered. Why was everyone thinking of her? What was so special about her?
"I'm going to watch and protect her from people who want to harm her. That's my new mission," seryoso at malamig ang tinig kong sabi.
Tila naman hindi sya na-apektuhan ng panlalamig ko. "Please, take care of her. Don't worry about me. Hindi ako tatakas. Just protect her," pakiusap niya. Pinagmasdan ko sya. So, he obviously liked the girl.
"She doesn't like you, Ethan Montreal," diretso kong pahayag ng katotohanan.
Ngumiti lang sya sa akin at sinabing, "I know."
I was stunned at hindi ako nakasagot. Caring for a person who didn't care if you exist or not? That was one of the saddest things I could think of. And worse was if the person you care for the most hated you. That was too much for a heart to handle. Sounds like someone you know, Hetta?
Hindi ko pinansin ang sarili kong tinig na tila nang-uuyam lamang sa akin. I am a Reaper. I had a mission. I didn't have time to be sentimental. Keeping the ice princess up again, I decided to be downright cruel. Si Ethan Montreal ay isang pa-in lamang ng plano ko. And I was willing to use his emotions against him—to get what I wanted.
"If you try to escape, I might as well kill her before catching you again," malamig kong sabi.
Tumingin lang sya sa akin at saka tumango. "I won't escape," seryoso niyang sabi.
Tiningnan ko lang sya at hindi nagsalita. I didn't know why I suddenly felt so sad. He was probably aware of stories like this. And I think we both knew just too well how it will end.