Catch Me If You Can (Completed)

CHAPTER 16: HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Chapter 16: How to Get Away With Murder

~SA-EL~

Few days ago...

PAULIT-ULIT NA bumabalik sa isipan ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Mommy. Galing ako sa mansyon ng mga Verona at pinagsisisihan ko kung bakit umuwi pa ako roon.

"Israel, kailan ka ba magtitino? Are you contented with the life that you have? Patambay-tambay? Walang trabaho? Why don't you use your degree and help your dad?!"

Ibinaba ko ang hawak kong kopita na naglalaman ng mamahaling wine. No matter how I tried to forget what she said, it keeps on ringing at the back of my head. My mom always despise me and I don't know why. She always wants me to be the "perfect" son which I cannot be.

She told me to grow and be a Verona dahil naiinis siya sa mga feedback ng mga kaibigan niya. They call me the black sheep of the Verona Family. My elder brother Zachariah grew up following every order they gave him. Yes, he's successful now yet unhappy. Ang bunso naman namin ay si Ezekiel, nasa elementary pa lamang siya but he is a living robot. I am the middle child and when they told me to take up Business Management, I did but I was unhappy, too. Nevertheless, I pursue it. When Mom told me to pursue law, I tried ngunit pagod na akong mamuhay na dinidiktahan.

Why I hate it that much because the reason why Mom is so pressured to make us into something better is for people to see. Nagpapaapekto kasi si Mommy sa sinasabi ng mga tao. I don't hate her though.

I hate the people who've got something to say in everything we do, either good or bad. Some people tend to find flaws and faults in you. No matter what you do, hahanap sila ng butas and make nasty comments about you. Buti sana kung lahat ganoon ngunit hindi eh. Others would disguise it in a way they so-called constructive when in fact it's not. Sometimes people only wanted to show off to make other people see that they are better than you or just to humiliate you.

Mom's friends always comment: Sayang naman si Israel mo. Dapat ganito siya. Dapat ganyan. Ganyan mo ba pinalaki ang anak mo?

I hate all of it. What's worse is that they don't talk about it with Mom in private. Madalas na pinag-uusapan nila iyon sa mga pagtitipon, that's why Mom feels like I am only tarnishing the good name of Veronas. How I wish Mom would separate herself from toxic people like them!

Muli akong nagsalin ng inumin sa baso ko nang tumunog ang cellphone ko. The caller ID says that it's Josh, my drinking buddy. Walang pag-aalinlangan ko namang sinagot iyon.

"Josh."

"How about making the night a day, bro?" he said at naririnig ko sa background ang malakas na musika na marahil ay nagmumula sa lugar kung nasaan siya. And his offer is just in the perfect time. Maybe I will enjoy a little company.

"The chics are here," pang-e-engganyo pa niya.

"Oo na! I'm on my way," wika ko at inilapag ang cellphone matapos pindutin ang loudspeaker button upang magsuot ng pants.

"And bro..."

"Oh?"

"The boys brought something wonderful."

Napahinto ako sa pagsusuot ng pants ko at naupo sa kama upang abutin ang cellphone. "Josh, alam mong hindi ako gumagamit."

"This one's nice, bro-"