Maverick Niccolo Morelli

WMS32: Baby boy

"What makes you show up suddenly?" Maverick asked Luxe curiously. He knows that Luxe wouldn't show up without any cause.

Kasalukuyan silang nasa isang burol malapit sa tinutuluyan nilang bahay na pag-aari ng isa sa mga miyembro ng Las Dagas Voladoras na nakabase sa Pransya. Dito palaging nagpapalipas ng oras si Maverick kapag gusto niyang mapag-isa dala ang kan'yang motorsiklong si Cindy. Hindi ito ang nag-iisang Cindy sa buhay niya. Nakailang palit na din siya ng motorsiklo at paulit-ulit lang na ginagamit ang pangalang Cindy. Minsan naging daan ito para asarin siya ni Luxe dahil sa ipinangalan niya sa behikulo.

"What's with Cindy? Why'd you can't give up that name for your motorcycles?"

Kahit siya ay hindi niya alam kung bakit basta lamang sumulpot sa isipan niya ang pangalan at iyon ang naging umpisa kung bakit naisilang ang pangalang Cindy sa buhay niya.

"A new Cindy, huh?" Luxe uttered and chuckled.

Maverick turned to him, smirking. "My previous one was destroyed during the fight. It was hit by a bullet that supposed to be for me but I was able to jump out of it and it crashed to the rocky side of the road and its life ended," he responds.

"Oh? Feel bad about it!"

"Let's not talk about the Cindy's of my life," wika ni Maverick para pigilan si Luxe sa kung ano pang nais sabihin tungkol sa kan'yang motorsiklo. "You haven't answered me yet why you are here."

Luxe took a deep breath and spoke. "I got Zeigler's company," he said.

"What?!" gulat na wika ni Maverick. "What do you mean, you got Zeigler's company?"

Pinandilatan ni Luxe si Maverick dahilan para mapangisi ito. Alam niyang ikinakairita ng kaibigan kapag pinapasubrahan niya ang reaksyon sa mga ibinabalita o ikinikwento nito.

"Let me talk, okay?" muling wika ni Luxe na tinitigan ang kaibigan. Saglit na namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan nila na tila minamatyagan ang bawat isa bago niya ipinagpatuloy ang nais sabihin.

"I knew that Uttenberg sabotage his father-in-law's company as I intercepted his transactions and I took that opportunity to get into Ziegler's company."

One of Luxe's dreams was to be part of the giant software company owned by the Zieglers and heaven did it for him. Bago pa man niya naisagawa ang planong pag-hack sa website ng kompanya ay na-intercept na niya ang mga transactions ni Uttenberg na naging daan para ibahin niya ang plano. Lalo pa siyang nanggigil nang nasabat ng Spiders ang transaction ng mga tauhan ni Maverick dahil sa pangingialam niya pero nang malaman niyang lumipad si Maverick mula Italy papuntang France ay alam niyang si Uttenberg ang pupuntahan nito. Kinumpirma iyon nang tawagan niya si Diego at nagtulungan sila para mapauwi si Uttenberg at makuha ng grupo.

Nandoon din siya sa party na hosted by Zeiglers kung saan nakipag-meeting si Maverick sa asawa ni Uttenberg. Iyo din ang gabi na habang nasa bahay ni Uttenberg sina Maverick ay kausap niya din ang biyenan nito.

Walang magawa ang matandang Zeigler kundi tanggapin ang proposal ni Luxe dahil sa hawak nitong mga litrato. Ito ang mga litratong kagaya din ng ginamit ni Maverick para mapasunod ang anak nito. It was given by Diego.

"So, you will be staying here?" Maverick asked afterwards.

"

Umiling si Luxe bago nagsalita. "Most probably yes but I have some things to do as well."

Sandaling katahimikan ang bumalot sa kanila. Parehong nakatingin sa papalubog na araw. Parehong nag-iisip ng buhay na meron sila at mga bagay na maaring gagawin sa mga susunod na araw.

"Huwag mo nang habulin ang mga kontrabando sa Pilipinas. Wala kang alam doon mapapahamak ka lang," wika ni Luxe pagkaraan ng ilang sandali.

Maverick stayed silent. He doesn't know what to think at the moment. Luxe was right. Since his Ninong took him from the orphanage where he met Luxe, he went back to the Philipines with him a few times before he became the leader of the group. And even during those times, he was in the country, still he doesn't know many things how the life of people there. All he knows, the country reminds him of bad memories.

Naikuyom ni Maverick ang mga palad nang maalala ang ilang bahagi ng nakaraang sa kan'yang memory.

"Sometimes we failed but doesn't mean we're weak or stupid. It was just some things aren't meant to be but will open doors for bigger opportunities," Luxe said and tapped Maverick's shoulder.

Luxe became a big brother to Maverick when he was nine. They met at the orphanage in the Philippines where he doesn't know how he end up there. The last thing he vividly remember was, he became astray. Living on the street with other children who lost their homes and families. Some just wanted freedom and wanted to live independently lives away from their chaotic families. He became a scavenger in the streets, to looked for something to eat. He experienced sleeping on an empty stomach but he survive. He was even bullied and fight for food he found from rubbish dump sites.

The last thing he remembers was he was shivering with a high fever and when he woke up, he was in a room with a nurse and nuns around. And there he found out that he was in an orphanage. Two months past and he met Luxe, who was a year older than him. He barely remember how but he found himself getting close to him. He treated him like a brother and he does to him. He didn't understand but he trusted Luxe until the day his Ninong took him from the institution.

Napailing si Luxe nang lingunin ang kaibigan. Alam niya kung ano ang nasa isip nito. Kaya muli niya itong tinapik sa balikat.

"What are you thinking, baby boy?"

"Shut up! Stop calling me that sobriquet ever again!" angil ni Maverick kay Luxe.

Baby boy ang tawag ni Luxe mula nang magkakilala sila sa bahay-ampunan. Laging tulala si Maverick noon dala ng mga pinagdaanan niya bago pa siya napunta sa bahay-ampunan at tanging si Luxe lamang ang nakapagpangiti sa kanya at pinagkatiwalaan niya. But due to his unstable mentality dala ng pagkabugbog, gutom, takot, at kung anupang mga bagay na nakaapekto sa kanya psychologically, pati ang pag-iisip nito at pananalita ay apektado. Kaya naging X ang tawag niya kay Luxe dahil nahirapan itong bigkasin ang pangalan ng huli. At para mapasaya ito, inalagaan ito ni Luxe na nagsilbing kuya niya at naging simula na tawagin siya nitong baby brother or baby boy.

"But, I used to call you that before and you're happy with it," pagdedepensa ni Luxe na sadyang inaasar ang kaibigan.

"Noon 'yon! And not from now on," tugon ni Maverick at sabay na tumayo para hubarin ang jacket ng suot na black suit na puno ng natutuyo ng dugo. Lalong lumantad ang kakisigan nito na bakas sa natirang suot na white long sleeves shirt na itinupi niya ang manggas hanggang siko.

"Are we leaving now?" Tumayo na rin si Luxe at hinubad din ang suot na jacket at basta na lang itinapon sa damuhan..

Tahimik na naglakad si Maverick at walang imik na sumakay sa kan'yang motorsiklo.

"There is someone waiting for me," tugon ni Maverick na sinuklay pa ng mga daliri ang buhok at matiyagang sinilip ang sarili sa basag na salamin ng kan'yang motor.

"A w***e?" tanong ni Luxe na sinahan ng halakhak para asarin ang kaibigan. Sumakay din ito sa sariling motor.

"Have you ever heard that I had s*x with a w***e?" balik tanong ni Maverick na sinamaan ng tingin ang kaibigan.

"Okay na! Virgin pala ang mga tinitira mo at hindi pinapakawalan hangga't hindi nagmukhang—

"Shut up, dude!" Asar na putol ni Maverick sa kaibigan na ikinahalakhak naman ni Luxe. Aliw na aliw siyang asarin ito dahil mabilis uminit ang ulo. Lalo siyang ginaganahang asarin ito dahil alam niyang kahit kailan ay hindi siya nito magawang patulan.

At Mavericks' age of twenty-four, though, he was a ruthless mafia boss, Luxe knows that there are things that will trigger his young mind. Ito ang dahilan na madalang man silang magkita pero palagi niya itong sinusubaybayan. Hindi man matagal ang kanilang pagsasama noon sa ampunan, nag-iwan naman iyon ng malalim na samahan. The friendship that they promised to be forever.

"Halle?"