Chapter 34

MATI

"Welcome my dearest visitors," sabi ng payat na lalaki na halos magkasing edad ng daddy niya. " We are pleased you chose to join the festivities." sabi nito at napahalakhak.

Mukhang demonyo lang! sa isip niya.

"We hate to incovenience you in any way," pagpatuloy pa nito. "but security is the most important. My men will perform the necessary search." anito at may lumapit sa kanila na dalawang lalaki para siguro kapkapan sila.

Wala namang nakuha na kahit ano ang lalaki kay Trust. Pero siya halos mamuo na ang pawis niya sa noo at parang nag stiff na rin ang leeg niya para lang ma maintain ang kanyang composure, at nang sa ganon hindi mahahalata ang armas na dala niya.

Humarap na sa kanya ang lalaki. "Ma'am," nakangising wika nito. "Pwede ko bang--"

"No!" pagmamatigas na tanggi niya.

The well-dressed older man stepped between them. "Hindi mo na siya kailangang kapkapan pa."

Hindi siya tumingin kay Trust at sa kanyang dad, para mas lalong hindi siya mahalata.

"Alam kong ako lang ang kailangan mo," ani Trust sa matandang lalaki. "Hayaan mo na silang umalis, at tayo ang magtutuos."

"Such arrogance," sabi naman ng matandang lalaki. "Yan ba talaga kayong mga Pinoy? ang hihilig nyong magpakabayani? But this is exactly the triumvirate I had long planned to entertain."

"Matanda na si Luis, Arthur, at may sakit pa." Trust said, gesturing toward her dad. "Wala na siyang laban sayo. At wala na rin siyang pwedeng gawin sayo."

Nanlilisik naman ngayon ang mga mata ni Arthur na nakatingin kay Trust. "Wala bang alam ang mangmang na ito?" sabi nito sa kanyang dad na nagpupumiglas sa kanyang mga tali. "Well, this is more than I'd hoped."

"Then let her go," Trust said, positioning himself infront of her like a human shield. "She doesn't know a damn thing about any of this."

Para namang nanlumo si Arthur na nakatingin sa kanya, at pakiramdam niya parang bumaliktad naman ang sikmura niya. Then he dismissed his henchmen, telling them to wait in the anteroom, at tatawagin lang daw ni Arthur ang mga ito pag kinakailangan.

"Sit down, my dear." sabi nito sa kanya, and gestured toward a chair that stood by the window.

"I'd rather stand, thank you."

"Okay." anito.

Nakita niyang pilit pa ring nagpupumiglas ang kanyang ama sa mga tali nito. He looked so gray, so ashen, the way he had right after his heart attack. Oh God, she thought. Daddy! A fierce protective instinct rose up inside her, pushing everything else away, pushing all of the years of misunderstandings and pain. Nang akmang lalapitan sana niya ang ama, pero hinarangan siya ni Arthur.

"Pabayaan mo na siya, Arthur." sabi ni Trust. "Wala ka namang makukuha sa kanya."

Napahalakhak ito. "Nagkakamali ka." saad naman ni Arthur. "She is everything."

"How ridiculous," aniya pa. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could barely hear her own words. "Hindi pa nga tayo nagkikita eh."

"I knew you many years ago," sabi pa ni Arthur. "kilala na kita kahit nasa sinapupunan ka pa ng iyong ina."

Nakita niyang tumulo naman ang mga luha ng kanyang ama. Anong sinasabi ng matandang ito daddy?

"I'm sorry, pero hindi talaga kita matandaan."

"I held you when you cried, my dear."

Involuntarily she turned toward her dad. "No! It can't be." she cried as her father, still tied to the chair. Sweat poured from his forehead, and even from a distance she could see he was having trouble breathing.

Bigla naman siyang tumakbo papunta sa kinalalagyan ng daddy niya, but Arthur held her fast.

"Let me go!" iyak niya. "Lalapitan ko lang ang ama ko."

"No, he isn't your father," ani Arthur. "I am."

"What?" bigla siyang nanghina sa sinabi nito. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We have the same eyes, my dear. Katulad ng kay Mama." malapad itong nakangisi sa kanya. "Ang mga mata mo ay katulad sa lola mo."

"Baliw ka ba?" angil niya, even if she saw herself in the shape of his chin, and lift of his brow. "Hindi ako naniniwala sayo."

"Ahh.. but you do," said Arthur. "Somehow you know I'm telling the truth."

Dinaluhan naman ngayon ni Trust ang daddy niya. He untied the rope and tossed it aside. Oh My God! He's dying, she thought numbly. Ang lalaking nagturo sa kanyang mag bisekleta noong maliit pa lamang siya, at ang lalaking nagpupunas sa kanyang mga luha tuwing umiiyak siya. Ang lalaking lubos na nagmamahal sa kanya at ginawa ang lahat para sa ikabubuti niya. Alam niyang hindi hahayaan ni Arthur na basta-basta nalang makaalis ang kanyang ama na buhay sa lugar na ito. Kaya gagawin niya ang lahat para sa kinilalang ama.

"Your mother was my wife," Arthur was saying as Trust administered CPR to her dad. "You are our child."

"Sinungaling ka!" sigaw niya rito. "Bakit mo ito ginagawa sa amin? Kailanman hindi kita matatanggap na ama ko.. Ano bang makukuha mo sa palabas na ito, huh?"

"Kukunin ko lang ang sa akin. I have watched you over the years, waiting for the right time."

"I don't believe a word you're saying. My birth parents ay taga rito sa Pilipinas. Eh ikaw mukha kang banyaga."

Arthur's laugh was harsh as he glanced quickly toward her dad, who had regained consciousness. "Iyan ba ang mga kasinungalingang sinabi niya sayo? Lie after lie. Lumaki ka lang pala na puro kasinungalingan ang alam mo."

She thought of the ten years she'd lost, years when she and Trust could have been together, building a family of their own, at nakaramdam naman siya ng panlulumo ng maalala niya ang kasinungaling ginawa ng ama para lang mapaghiwalay sila ni Trust. Her father had almost ruined her life with his lies, but she finally understood kung bakit nagawa iyon ng ama.

Nagtama ang mga mata nila ni Arthur. "You were married to my mother?"

"Yes, I married to a beautiful woman and that's your mom." Arthur said. He gestured toward her father, who was sitting up with Trust assistance. "Pero sinira niya ang lahat ng dahil sa kasinungalingan niya." turo nito sa kanyang ama na si Luis.

"Paano?" tanong niya. "Did they have an affair?"

Nagdilim naman ang mukha ni Arthur, and she felt cold all the way through to her bone marrow. "Yes." mapait na pahayag nito. "All these years ay tinago ka lamang niya sakin at hindi ko siya mapapatawad ng dahil diyan."

Pero ginawa lang yon ng ama mong si Luis, Mati, dahil mahal ka niya... at ginawa lang niya yon para panatilihing ligtas ka.

Arthur studied her face for what seemed an eternity. "Babawiin na kita mula sa kanya, Matilda. We have many years to account for, many stories to tell."

"Hindi!" biglang sabat ng ama niyang si Luis. "Wag kang makinig sa kanya, Mati."

"Mamamatay rin naman si Luis." kalmadong pahayag ni Arthur.

"Baliw ka talaga," hagulgol niya ng iyak. "Hindi mamamatay ang daddy ko."

"Mati," tawag sa kanya ni Trust. "Masama ang lagay ng ama mo."

Para namang pini-piraso siya ng ilang beses sa mga narinig niya. "Anong nangyari kay daddy?" she asked, turning toward Trust, at sobra siyang kinakabahan.

"Chest pain. Nausea. Pain down his left arm."

"Oh God,.. No." halos hindi na siya makahinga. "Inatake na naman si daddy."

"I will call for help," Arthur said calmly. "Do not worry about him, Mati."

"Walanghiya ka," naghihingalong sabi ng ama niya kay Arthur. "To hell with me. My time is over. Tell her the whole story before I die. Tell her, Arthur. Tell her how you--"

"Enough!" putol ni Arthur sa sasabihin sana ng ama. "Tapos na ang araw mo, my friend."

"Then kill me." paghahamon ng ama niya kay Arthur. He looked like a man on the verge of death. A man with nothing to lose. "Do it, you bastard. Show Mati what you're all about."

"Wag mo akong susubukan, Luis Aragon. Kung hindi mo naman ako kaya."

Nakita niyang nasa likuran lang naman ng daddy niya si Trust. Why don't you do something? she thought. Why are you just standing there?

Napatingin naman sa kanya ang amang si Luis, and in his eyes she saw love and fear. Oo, nagkamali man ang kinilala niyang ama, pero minahal siya nito na parang tunay na anak, at minahal din niya ito dahil napakabuti nitong ama sa kanila. How on earth could she have ever doubted that?

"Makinig ka sakin, anak. If you don't hear another word I say, hear this."

"Tumahimik kang matanda ka." banta ni Arthur sa kanyang ama.

"Siya ang pumatay sa mommy mo. Pinatay niya sa loob ng guest house ang mommy mo. He strangled her with his bare hands."

"Hindi," she said, thinking of the beautiful young mother she'd loved. "Wag mong sabihin yan, daddy. Please wag..." hinding-hindi talaga niya masikmura na pinatay ang kanyang ina.

"Totoo ang sinabi ko sayo, anak. We thought she was finally safe from him, that we buried the traces, but--"

"Tama na!" hagulgol niya at tinakpan na lamang niya ang mga tenga. "I don't want to hear that."

"Pero kailangan mo itong marinig, anak." sabi nito with all his strength. "He killed your mommy in cold blood, and he'll do the same to--"

With that, bigla nalang natumba ang ama niya. Mabuti nalang at maagap si Trust at nasalo pa nito ang kalahating katawan ng ama bago paman ito bumagsak sa sahig.

"Itanong mo sa kanya, anak." her dad managed to say, but his voice almost inaudible. "Ask him for the truth.."

"Totoo ba yun, huh?" she whirled around to face Arthur. "Did you kill my mother?"

"Nagtaksil ang mommy mo sa akin." malamig na pahayag nito. "Pero hindi na mahalaga yon. Dahil nandito ka pa naman, Matilda."

"That's not the whole story, Mati." sabat naman ni Trust. "During the pregnancy, sa tuwing susubukan ng mommy mo na iwan siya, pinagbabantaan niya ito na papatayin ang batang nasa sinapupunan nito - at ikaw ang bata na yon."

"Alam mo?" tanong niya kay Trust. "Alam mo pala ang lahat ng ito?"

"Luis told me the day I left." pag amin nito.

Nag-unahan naman sa paglandas ang luha sa kanyang mga mata, blurring her vision. "Totoo ba ang lahat ng ito, huh?" baling niya kay Arthur. "You killed my mother?"

"Tapos na yon." sagot sa kanya ni Arthur, dismissing his actions with a wave of his hand. "We have the future to consider, and there is much I can offer you, Matilda. Higit pa sa kayang ibigay sayo ni Luis."

Napaungol naman and daddy niya habang sapo-sapo nito ang kanyang dibdib.

"Oh God, do something!" she cried. "Please Trust, do something for him!"

The expression of despair on Trust face spoke volumes. Especially to Arthur.

"Quite a dilemma, isn't it boy?" Arthur obviously relished the situation. "I could call someone to help him, but I have heard you are quite gifted in these matters."

Ano bang sinasabi nito? All Trust had to do was lay his hands on her father, and--

"No," she whispered, remembering what Trust had told her. Naalala kasi niyang pwede pala nilang e-reverse ang kakayahan ni Trust sa pagpagaling, and she realized that no matter what Trust chose to do, her father was doomed.

"Kung hindi mo siya tutulongan, Trust, siguradong mamamatay siya." kalmadong wika ni Arthur, watching the scene with avid interest. "And yet, if you chose to lend aid and comfort--" tas kinapa nito ang maliit na silver box na nakakabit sa breast pocket nito. "--I might find a way to end the old man's suffering."

Tagaktak na ang pawis sa noo ng ama niya. His breathing was shallow, and she could see that his pulse was as rapid as a jackhammer.

"Ano susugal ka ba, Trust Benedicto?" tanong ni Arthur. "Will you take the chance?"