Agent Night (Tagalog | Complete)

Chapter 37 - The Woman's Tear

The house was located at the very end of the street. Madalang ang mga dumaraang sasakyan doon. Ang pinakamalapit ding kapit-bahay ay isang bloke ang layo mula roon kaya't hindi naging mahirap sa aming tatlo ang makapasok sa bakuran ng bahay.

Dating dalawang palapag ang bahay, makikita naman sa pundasyon nito at sa dingding na nakatayo pa rin hanggang ngayon. Ngunit sa kabuuan, tanging mga sira-sirang mga kahoy, kinakalawang na mga yero, natibag na mga bato, alikabok at abo ang natira roon.

"What are we searching for beneath these ruins?" I heard Apollo asked behind me. Nauna ako sa kanilang mag-explore sa tinutukoy niyang 'ruins'.

I had been there many times to reminisce a memory that belonged to me, but not quiet mine. Bahay namin 'yon noon. At bahay pa rin namin sana ngayon kung nabubuhay lang ang mga magulang ko. Isang buong pamilya na napakaaga sa akin nawala.

Daddy Samuel brought me there when I was six years old. That was also the time that he told me I was not their daughter. He explained me the death of my real parents—not the truth though. Like I said, nalaman ko lang noong pumasok ako sa PUGITA ang totoong trabaho ng pumanaw kong ama and yep, just recently, interesting things about my parents' death were being uncovered.

I walked towards the sculpture of a woman in the far corner of the ruined living room. It was the only thing unharmed there. The sculpture was made of marble stone. It was sleek black and man-sized, as tall as me. The figure was a vague depiction of Helen of Troy. The face was expertly carved, portraying the most beautiful woman in the world according to the myth. Greek tunic flowed around her body from shoulder to ankle. Her hands were outstretched in front of her presenting an apple on her palms. On the apple was a phrase inscribed: "To the Fairest".

I just realized now that the sculpture was a metaphor to the current events. The black diamond was Helen; the Trojan and the Greeks were the vampires and the cult. But what's my role then?

Napansin kong nasa tabi ko na sina Apollo at Justin. Parehong nakatingin din sila sa pigura sa harap ko.

"To the fairest." Narinig kong basa ni Justin sa nakaukit na mga letra. "Is that Eris, the Greek goddess of strife?"

I sniggered. "That's actually 'the face that launched a thousand ships'."

"Helen of Troy?" Apollo asked.

"Yep."

Sa kwento kasi, during someone's wedding, dumating ang hindi imbitadong dyosang si Eris. Sa inis niyang hindi siya inimbitahan sa kasalang 'yon, binato niya 'yung golden apple na may nakasulat na 'to the fairest' sa sahig. Pinag-agawan nina Aphrodite, Athena at Hera ang nasabing apple. Humingi ng saklolo ang tatlo kay Zeus and asked him to tell them who among the three was the fairest. Pero ibinigay ni Zeus kay Paris, a handsome young Trojan prince, ang pagpapasya. The goddesses bribed Paris, but it was Aphrodite who he favored in exchange of the most beautiful woman in the world at that time. Paris stole Helen from her husband, King Menelaus and thus, started the ten-year Trojan war.

I knelt beside the sculpture and looked up at the two men. "Help me push this thing there." Itinuro ko ang isang tile sa sahig na may basag na.

They both gave me puzzled look.

"Why?" Justin asked.

I sighed exasperatedly. Hindi na lang sumunod, eh. Magtatanong pa. "Just help me. Okay?"

Tumalima naman si Apollo at tinulungan akong itulak ang istatwa sa pedestal nito. Hindi na rin nagtanong pa ulit si Justin at tinulungan na rin kami.

The sculpture was so heavy that we were already breathing heavily when we reached the tile I pointed. I stood up immediately when the sculpture started to sink.

"Whoa!" magkapanabay pang bulalas ng dalawa kong kasama. Amazed na amazed sa nakita.

The sculpture sank hanggang sa paa nito. Then we heard grating metals below ground sending vibrations beneath our feet. Seconds passed, the sound ended with an audible click.

I walked across the ruined room to the undamaged wall. Inalis ko 'yung mga kahoy na nakasandal sa bahaging iyon ng dingding. The wall was made of cement and black substance I did not know. A small portion of the wall sank back. The sound of stone grating against stone made me clenched my teeth.

Several inches inside the sunken part of the wall, a painting with a bronze frame emerged from the right side. It filled the gap and moved forward. The slab of stone was now replaced by a painting.

"Well, that's some awesome mechanical work," puri ni Justin.

I smiled while admiring the painting. "My deceased mother designed and did that herself. Tito Louie told me."

"Marilyn Ramirez-Soriano was awesome then." He concluded. "And what painting is that now?"

I took the painting from the wall leaving the hollow gap exposed. Bumuntong hininga ako. "My late father's work and the one that I believe leads to wherever the diamond is. It's the Woman's Tear."

Hinarap ko sila at ipinakita ang painting.

"At anong balak mong gawin ngayon diyan?" tanong ni Apollo.

I smiled bitterly. "Destroy it."