In Too Deep

Kabanata 39

Kabanata 39
#sealed

Hideo

"So,this is the crime scene." I uttered as I squatted and put my hand on the grassland.

We're on the side of the road,few meters away from the arched of Villa Estrella. As in sa labas lang ng bayan namin ang pinangyarihan ng ambush.

Ginala ko ang paningin ko hanggang sa nahagip ng mga mata ko ang isang puno. I pulled myself up and dotted my eyes on that tree.

"That's where Ms. Eugenio's father died. It was a car accident." Max informed me.

That tree is only few meters away from where I am standing. Nakakapagtaka lang, iisang lugar ang pinangyarihan ng insidente.

And that fucking tree is on the left side of the road while you should be driving on the right side of the road if you're heading out from the town.

What exactly happened five years ago?

"There was a foul play." I declared. That's the intuitive feeling I have. And I am afraid the elites or the politicians were involved in these cases.

"Sure there is, señorito."

"Did Helios investigate the death of our grandparents?"

"He did. And he suspected Raphael Del Fierro. He wants revenge even if he can't put the thread in the needle. He can't stitch."

I drifted may gaze to Max and he's staring at somewhere, on the artificial waterway-the canal. Doon natagpuan ang katawan ng isang lalaki pero hindi iyon ang tatay ni Selena. It's the Del Fierro's bandit.

"You know something, don't you?" Our gaze met and the seriousness on his face was a cue. "Why didn't you help my brother?"

"He didn't ask my opinions." He answered abruptly." I'm sorry to say this señorito but he's a self-centered leader. And I have no choice but to follow his orders even if it's quite unreasonable.Unlike you, you always consider the point of views of other people. You always look on both sides and other sides before you decide. And I admire you for that."

This is the first time Max praised me. He never complimented me since I was young and he's more strict than my father.

"I have made irrational decisions before. And I am afraid I might repeat them."

"Making decisions are one of the most difficult things to do and those irrational ones will challenge you as  a leader. And it's up to you if you're going to make things right after that."

Binawi ko ang tingin ko dahil hindi ko na kayang pantayan iyong sulyap ni Max sa akin. His eyes were humorless,it was full of warnings.

"I hate this town,Max." I admitted and sighed heavily. "I want to leave this place and live a simple life. But I can't. I think I have to do something to..make things right and to find out the truth behind these cases. That's the reason why I am here I guess."

"The truth... it's already on your psyche. You just couldn't figure out yet. But you're already on the process of rationale, señorito. And that's a progress."

Bumalik iyong sulyap ko kay Max. "What do you mean by the first line?"

"Your mind knows what you have in the heart but your heart probably can't accept what's on your mind. It's either love over truth or truth over love."

What? I don't get it.

Sumakay kami ni Max sa lumang SUV na dala niya. He was driving through Ciudad de Catalina.Kami lang ni Max ang magkasama kahit na marami kaming tao. I just can't trust all of our men.