Los Ojos
2449 Words
The elders lived on top of the tallest hill of Monte Vega overlooking all of the land, in mansions inspired by Spanish Gothic architecture inside the 1000-hectare property.
Luca might be in helm but everybody knows that it's still just in the name for the meantime. Hindi pa ito ang lubusang magmamana ng isang upuan sa taunang meeting. Pinatutunayan pa rin nito ang kakayahan. Hindi pa talaga rito naipapasa ang buong kapangyarihan. Patunay na wala pa itong mansiyon dito sa Ojos de Dios.
May pag-asa pa siya. It's still the elders who are making the major decisions in the clan. He can still change their minds if he plays his cards well.
The Asturias currently has living five elders while the Alcantarans only has three. Isa sa mga elder ang taong sumumpa siyang hindi na niya uli haharapin pero ngayon, handa siyang baliin iyon
"Smile, Langdon. Mahirap kumbinsihin ang papa para pagbigyan akong makausap siya na kasama ka. Kinulit ko pa iyan ng ilang araw para lang ma-schedule tayo ngayon."
He turned to her mother when they were outside the humongous golden gate guarded by uniformed personnels in their red uniforms.
"Thank you for doing this for me, ma."
Inayos nito ang kuwelyo ng suot niyang gabardine polo at proud na tiningnan siya.
"I know we're just starting but I already know as early as now that you will make it, Langdon. Ikaw ang susunod na magkakaroon ng mansiyon dito sa Los Ojos. You will restore your father's name in our emblem. Kayang-kaya mo iyan. We're here for you."
Tipid lang siyang ngumiti sa ina. Ayaw niyang sabihin dito na napakalayo sa iniisip nito ang numero unong motivator niya sa pagbabalik sa kompetisyon sa pamamahala.
It's for their enemy's name. It's to restore the honor of the woman and his unborn child whom he brutally murdered.
"Come on," yaya nito sa electronic cab na nakaantabay para sa kanila.
Ojos de Dios is the ultimate dream of the Asturias since the day they came to the Philippines. It's their sacred place. This is where they congregate for the yearly meeting of the elders to select the next leaders.
He stared at the grown palm trees from afar and a memory from the past sprung up.
"You remembered him? He used to come here with you but not once with me," saad ng ina niya na animoy nabasa ang nilalaman ng utak niya.
He kept his silence. How can he forget him when he used to plant these trees with him back then?
Until they reached the only black mansion in the village, he kept quiet under his mother's understanding gaze.
Hindi na nila kailangang pumasok sa marmol na bahay. Pagbukas pa lang ng gate ay natanaw na niya ang pakay nila.
Don Atticus Edralin Asturia is sitting in his automatic wheelchair waiting for them on the porch while smoking his famous Cohiba Behike cigar.
Something thrashed inside him when his grandfather's greenish eyes leered at him distainly.
The look is cold and yet Langdon felt warm.
"¿Cómo estás, abuelo?"
Hinalikan niya ang pulang bato sa singsing nito bilang tanda ng paggalang at yumuko rito ng limang beses.
His mother kissed his cheeks but his eyes were fixed on him, studying him, analyzing even the way he stood up in front of him.
Pinag-aralan niya rin ang mukha nito. Still the same authoritarian man he had known but this time, he is trapped in the most bitter reality of existence. The once leader of the whole clan is living in this disintegrating body.
"Nunca ha sido bueno, joven," he said in the thickest Spanish accent he could gather.
Iminuwestra nito ang upuan sa harap nito para sa kanila.
"¿Estás perdido, Langdon? Ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas mula nang pinili mong abandonahin ang responsibilidad mo sa pamilyang ito." His eagle eyes went to his gloved hands. "What made you come back? Is it because of that dead woman from that family?"
May lumabas na unipormadong maid dala ang tray ng mga pagkain at inihain sa kanila. Kumuha ng maiinom ang ina niya habang hindi niya inaalis ang mata sa abuelo.
"I am not here to commemorate the past, abuelo. I came here personally to ask for your blessings."
"Personally," he said roughly. "If you are so brave then why do you have to hide behind your mother? You made her beg for me to see you. Hindi gawain iyan ng mga Asturias! Hindi tayo umaasa sa mga babae!"
"Papa," singit ng ina niya.
"Do not interrupt us, Claire!"
Embarrassed, she silently leaned back on the seat and sipped the tea.
"That's exactly my plan, lo. I know how to designate. I need my mother to see you while I'm doing the best for our family," he said composedly.
Umarko ang dalawang kilay ng don.
"The best? Anong best sa pagiging batugan at duwag mo, Langdon? Nagmana ka talaga sa ama mo! How can we trust a man who has continued loving an enemy?! Nang dahil lang sa babae ay nagkaganyan ka na! Itinapon mo ang magandang kinabukasan na inihanda ko para sa iyo kaya nagkakalakas-loob na din iyang si Cahil na maging rebelde dahil sa iyo. You weren't a good brother to her!"
Tinanggap lang niya ang lahat. Those were true except for a couple of things.
"But did you forget papa that he also killed an Alcantara?" hindi na naman napigilan ni Laura na sumali sa usapan.
"It's just a petty woman! Matutuwa pa ako kung isa sa mga bastarda ni Gerardo na siyang dahilan ng pagkalugmok ko sa lintik na bakal na ito ang napatay niya pero isang hamak lamang na maledukadang Alcantara ang nilibing niya sa hukay! That is not enough!"
Pulang-pula na ang mukha ng matanda. Langdon just stayed silent. Kanina pa siya lumulunok ng dugo mula sa sugat sa loob ng bibig na kinagat niya sa pagpipigil ng galit.
"And what blessings are you talking about? You didn't speak to me after that. Wala pang apo ang binastos ako nang ganiyan!" patuloy pa rin nito. "This should better be good. 'Wag mong sayangin ang oras ko."
"Papa, dahil sa ginawa ni Langdon kaya natigil na ang--"
Hinawakan niya ang kamay ng ina para pigilan ito.
"Young man," putol nito uli sa manugang at itinutok ang atensiyon sa kaniya. "What could you offer this time? Let me hear it. I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself now."
"The speakership of the House of Representatives, abuelo," walang kagatol-gatol na sagot niya.
The elder erupted in a mocking laughter. Iiling-iling na pinindot nito ang controller sa wheelchair para umalis na.
"It's been done. Deal sealed." Tumingin siya sa relo. "Ten minutes from now, Arturo will call you to inform you about the new development."
May inilabas siyang dokumento na inilahad niya sa matanda. "It's the copy of the unreleased press statement of the party."
Huminto ito sa tuluyang pagtalikod para kunin ang iniabot niya. Mabilis nito iyong binasa saka itinapon sa sahig.
"Anyone can write this. Get out of my sight now! Both of you!"
Bumukas ang pinto at humahangos na lumabas ang isang unipormadong lalake na kabilang sa security detail.
"Sir, a call from Congressman Escudo."
Tumingin ito sa kaniya bago kinuha ang telepono.
He looked impressed after the call.
"Paano mo nagawa ng ganoon kabilis ang hindi magawa-gawa ni Luca sa loob ng ilang buwan?"
He smiled confidently. "It's because I'm capable, abuelo. If I want to do it, I can do it. I will do it. In fact, I can do more than this."
Lumikha ng interes sa abuelo ang sinabi niya.
"What could you offer more on the table, young man?"
May pagdududa pa rin sa mukha na tuluyan itong bumalik sa harapan nila. Laura breathed a sigh of relief and took a piece of pie.
"I know when I see a greedy man joven and you're not it. You are like your father. Too soft, too mild to our affairs. Hindi nagpapakita ng pangil."
Doon na siya ngumisi. "I decided to be greedy, lo. I am a greedy man who wants to have that seat for myself. I could give the clan a better future. Luca wants to focus on technology but I'll take the family to a bigger wider view where we could do everything. A seat in the Senate and Senate Presidency. I could give that to the Asturias, Don Abuelo."
"What do you want in return?"
Muntik nang mapahalakhak si Langdon. Kailanman ay hindi siya binigo ng ama. His grandfather reacted the way he told him before.
Kinailangan lang niyang takutin ang pulitiko na ilalabas niya ang s*x scandal ng anak nito at mabilis na nitong pinirmahan ang kasulatan. It wasn't even a sure fact. He just deduced it.
"I want what Luca wants—the next leadership of my generation," sagot niya.
"Hmmm." Don Atticus side eyed his mother. "You have a very ambitious son here, Magda. Better keep an eye on him. Ayoko ng maging isang kahihiyan uli sa susunod na pagtitipon. Laura, I want to talk to you. Your son can wait for you at the gate."
Nakahinga siya nang maluwag nang senyasan nito ang guard na samahan siya palabas. It's synonymous to saying yes.
"Thank you, pa."
Laura kissed her father-in-law and faced Langdon to hug him. She whispered in his ear.
"Go. This is needed."
Muli niyang hinalikan ang singsing ng abuelo bilang pamamaalam. Adjusting his cuffs and unbuttoning his polo, he walked away with a satisfied grin on his mouth.
"Langdon," tawag nito sa kaniya kaya napatigil siya sa pag-alis.
"Wag mo akong bibiguin. Huwag kang gumaya sa ama mo."
Ikinuyom niya ang kamao.
"I will never fail you, lo. I'll show you what I can do."
Triumphant, Langdon mentally checked the list on his head and headed for the e-car on stand by but the feeling was only short-lived. Bumagal ang kaniyang paglalakad nang makababa sa sasakyan at mamukhaan ang taong naghihintay sa kaniya sa labas ng gate.
The man in his long beard and Bohemian shirt threw the unfinished cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it when he saw him all the while sneaking a tricky smile at him.
"Langdon! My man! Congratulations on your annulment. Ang bilis ah! Sino ba ang abogado mo at nang mahiram ko naman minsan."
Huminto siya sa harap ng tiyuhin na buong akala niya ay nakakulong pa rin sa Bilibid. Spencer Asturia is sentenced to a life imprisonment of committing multiple counts of rape and murder.
"Kailan ka pa nakalabas?" he asked to buy some time to remember the last time he saw him.
Ngumisi ito at inakbayan siya. Nakatingala ito sa kaniya sa tangkad na limang talampakan pero ang mapusyaw na mata na nakasaksi sa pinakamadugong kasaysayan ng dalawang pamilya ang nagpapatunay kung sino talaga ang nakahihigit sa dalawa.
He is incomparable to the one and only Spencer who owned all the heinous crimes the elders committed. He is serving the sentences; he's not finished yet obviously but he managed to get out now.
"Luca needs me. He sneaked me out."
Lumayo ito ng isang hakbang para sindihan ang panibagong sigarilyo.
Sinagot nito ang tanong na hindi niya kayang tanungin. That's what he really wants to know, not the date when he walked out of the prison as if Langdon himself didn't do it once in the past.
"Alam mo naman dito, pera-pera lang. He thinks that someone is trying to steal his seat in the clan," sabi nito na sadya siyang pinapatamaan.
He shrugged. "Luca can be paranoid sometimes. I guess it comes with age, weed, and a lot of pills," he added to let the grizzly man know that he also has some special ingredients in the pocket.
Tumawa lang ang tiyuhin.
"Alam ko iyan ano ka ba pero malabo 'atang paranoia lang ang dahilan. May dumale sa maganda na sana niyang plano sa kongreso."
And just as he thought, this will never be easy. Luca has already built a great system in place. Isang kilos pa lang ang nakokompleto niya pero nalaman na nito agad iyon.
Impressive. Just as what he expected from him.
Nagkibit-balikat uli siya. "Sometimes the things we worry that would happen might turn out to be happening. Everything is fair in love and war. I'm declaring war over him, Uncle."
Mas malakas ang tawa na pinakawalan nito sa pagkakataong ito.
"Ganiyan! Wala ng paliguy-ligoy pa! Iyan ang batang Langdon na pinalaki ko."
He tapped his head just like how he used to everytime he ranks one in his class.
"But I heard your pretty little dead girlfriend came back to life. That's a big problem but I doubt you're seeing it as one."
His face turned serious. "Remember, an Alcantara will always be an Alcantara. Ang sabi nga nila, maaalis mo ang Alcantara sa Monte Vega pero hindi mo maiaalis ang pagiging Alcantara sa kaniya."
Humitit ito saka pinalabas ang usok sa ilong sa mukha niya.
"Once is enough a lesson for someone who's vying to become our next leader, Langdon. Hanggat hindi mo iyan natututunan, hindi mo makukuha ang posisyon. You need me but I won't side with you."
Langdon just stood his ground while fanning away the smoke from his face. He won't be on his side because he will never allow him.
"I'm not recruiting anyone to stand by me, Uncle. I have enough. Your resistance won't matter anyway because the next time we meet, I'll be the head of the clan and you can't do anything about it."
Nilagpasan niya ito pero bago makarating sa kotse ay huminto siya at nilingon ang lalaking isa sa mga kakaunting Asturia na nirerespeto niya. Uncle Spencer volunteered to be his guardian when he was studying in the States. He taught him how to fight, how to live on his own. Even so, he will drop him off if he stands on his way.
"By the way, mom is in there. You might want to wait a little longer."
Hindi na niya kailangang hintayin pa ang reaksiyon nito. Just the mention of his mother could render him speechless.
Pumasok siya sa kotse at minaniobra ito palabas. Iniwan niya ang driver ng ina para hintayin ito.
His phone rang even before he could go down the hill.
"Rash," sagot niya sa kanang kamay.
"Langdon, be quick. Luca's men are here outside waiting for you."
Alarm is in his voice. Mabibilang lang sa daliri ang mga pagkakataong narinig niya ito nang ganito.
"They had a hostage with them," pagtatapos nito sa sasabihin.
Tumiim ang kaniyang panga saka madaliang iniatras ang kotse para tawirin ang kabilang lane ng kalsada.
"Stay on guard. Malapit na ako."
- Writer
