La Heredera VI: Felicity Saavedra

Chapter 6 | Dirty Jobs

[Lance]

Nanlumo ang mga tuhod ko. Dumagondong ang puso ko noong araw na nakita ko si Sitti sa aking opisina. If Willow wasn’t there. Siguro wala kaming hidwaan ni Sitti ngayon.

“I don’t have another woman. Ikaw lang ang babae sa buhay ko, Fey.”

Paliwanag ko subalit hindi ako kinibo ni Sitti. Ipinikit nito ang kaniyang mga mata matapos yakapin si Logan. Indikasyon n’ya na iyon na ayaw niya na akong makausap.

Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang aking mag-ina. Nagbaliktanaw ako kung paano ko siya nakilala. Sitti supposedly my mission. Pero hindi ko natupad iyon dahil umibig ako sakaniya.

Halos labing isang taon na ang nakaraan ng magtagpong muling ang landas namin mag-ama sa Kendall -Kirby Law Firm and Associates, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sa law firm na pinagtatrabahohan ko kung saan kinalaunan ay naging isa ako sa naging may-ari ng firm.

Matapos mamatay ang aking ina napadpad ako kung kanino-kaninong pamilya. I went from one foster parent to another until several foster families took me in during the holiday seasons. It is a program for those orphans like me. Hinahanapan kami ng pamilya tuwing magpapasko until Rafael Antonio and Penelope Monreal took me in for that holiday at hindi na nila ako ibinalik pa sa child services.

The Monreal's loved me like their own son. Pabalik-balik na rin ako sa kanila ngunit dahil travel nurse si Mama Penny. I always went back to the childcare services sa Nevada after the holidays because frequently they are home in Nevada sa tuwing mag-papasko.

Seven years after my Filipino foster parents adopted me. Naiwan ako mag-isa sa New York. Namatay ang ama ni Papa Tonio kaya naman kinailangan niyang bumalik sa Pilipinas at saluhin ang pagpapatakbo ng negosyo ng kaniyang pamilya.

Malawak ang lupain ng mga Monreal sa Davao. Minsan lamang akong nadalaw roon sa Hacienda de Monreal. Sa 'di inaasahang pagkakataon nasunog ang hacienda because of a wildfire. Naubos ang lahat ng kabuhayan ni Papa. Struggling life, they asked me for help.

Kahit nagsisimula pa lamang ako noon. Hindi ako nagdalawang isip tulungan ang dalawang taong nagbigay sa akin ng pamilya. Nanatili sila Mama't Papa sa Pilipinas habang sinustentohan ko sila buwan-buwan.

Niyaya ko silang bumalik na lamang at tumira sa akin sa Nevada. Ngunit hindi sila pumayag bagkus ay nakiusap na tulongan ko raw ang pamangkin ni Mama Penny. Si Helena Cardenas bagong salta ito sa Las Vegas galing Pilipinas. Anak ito ng kapatid ni Mama at inaanak nila. Immigrante at hindi makahanap agad ng trabaho. So, I hired Helena to be my executive secretary.

Noong mga panahong iyon ay pabalik-balik ako sa iba’t ibang conventions. I also had an important meeting in Mexico, Alhambra, Spain, and Moscow.

Nagtagal ako ng ilang linggo na wala sa opisina. Kababalik ko lamang noon galing Barcelona nang magkita kaming muli ng aking ama.

# # #

Kendall-Kirby Law Firm and Associates

Las Vegas, Nevada

Eleven years earlier . . .

Kararating ko pa lamang galing sa convention. It was my first day back after my month-long business travel. Pagpasok ko sa firm nakita ko si Axel na abala sa kaniyang opisina kaya't hindi ko na ito ginambala.

"Good morning, Lance. How was your trip?"

Bati ng sekretarya ko na hindi ko naman tinapunan ng tingin. I ignored her matapos ay dumiretso ako sa aking opisina.

“Atty. Javier, you have a client waiting for you in your office," ani Helena.

I gazed at her with a quizzical face,” new client?”

“No. He said you met each other a few months ago. I think he said New Je— New York?”

"Oh, must be—“

Hind ko naituloy ang sasabihin ko when I flip through the documents on my table that Helena handed me, “—bring me black coffee and hand me over my schedule today."

"Coming right up, Lance," sagot nito. Wala man lang ‘please.’"

"How many times have I told you, Hele? Don't call me ‘Lance at work.’"

"Helen, Sir Lance. Helen hindi ‘Hele.’ Hindi ako lulabby eh hele hele,” my secretary mumbled. “Ang sungit mo talaga Lancelot. Mala-Adonis ka pa naman.”

"Are you saying something?"

"Ah, ang sabi ko mala-Greek god ka sana Sir Lance. Kaya lang ang sungit mo."

"What?"

"You understand Tagalog. And you speak Tagalog too. What did you not understand?"

"Bakit ba kita naging secretary? You are nosy."

"Because my ninang and ninong asked you to."

"I know and I owe them so much to say no to them. Sana ibinigay na lang kita kay Axel," wika ko.

"Alam mo Sir Lance, okay lang naman sa akin ilipat mo ako kay Sir Axel. Buti siya parating nakatawa hindi katulad mo parating nakasimangot. Salabong ang kilay at kunot ang noo."

"Wala akong oras para sa mga komentaryo mo. I need my coffee and give my schedule now. And yes, I can speak and understand Tagalog fluently. You should know that. Sa bahay pinsan kita. Sa opisina empleyado kita. So, keep your comments to yourself, Hele."

"I am at work so call me 'Helena' He-le-na!" paguulit nito sa akin. “If you can’t say that, then call me Helen, not Hele. He-len!”

Ako ang nag-hire kay Helena. Palibhasa nasanay sa open at straightforward communication kaya naging comfortable siya. It was hard to raise someone you only knew from her younger years. Siyam na taon pa lamang noon si Helena noong umuwi kami sa Pilipinas. Now, she's eighteen.

Then, I briefly read my clients' files.

‘Victorino Lee.’

'What a small world? His name is like my father's name —Victorino Lee?'

"Mr. Lee, it's good to see you again,” bati ko sa matanda na may itim na sombrero at gintong tungkod. Prominente ang mukha nito. Sa unang tingin pa lamang ramdam mo na ang aura nitong maawtoridad. His presence is too intimidating.

"It's my pleasure to see you again, son,” wika nito with a smile on his face.

"Son?" I was confused. Kapal naman niyang tawagin akong anak. We don’t formally know each other. So, I wondered kung paano niya nalaman anak niya ako. I never met my father. Binanggit lang sa akin ng ina ang pangalan niya.

‘Tatay ko nga ba siya? Why only now?’ Matapos ang mahabang panahon kung kailan hindi ko na kailangan ng ama. Ngayon lilitaw pa siya?

"Yes, I am your father. We met in New York a year ago. Your mother and I met in Las Vegas. I was part of a big-time syndicate, and I don't want your mother to be involved with my dirty job. The night I left her; I gave her a pair of keys. I told her to go back home and take everything in that deposit box.”

“What keys and deposit box?”

“It’s a pair key. A pendant key. The deposit box was a secret. However, little did I know my friend Sergei Terrakova found out about the safety deposit box. He abducted your mother. We found your mother's lifeless body tortured in a vacation cabin in San Francisco. I thought she was dead.”

Natatandaan ko pa ang araw na iyon. Mom told me she had an urgent matter to attend to sa California. Nagmamadali itong umalis ng bahay but she did not return home. A few days later, her lifeless body was found almost decaying in a motel in San Franciso near Time Square.

“Your mother told me Sergei had taken the key. A year after you were born, the FBI caught me while closing a deal with Terrakova. They took me into custody, and I was behind bars for ten years while Terrakova got away and fled to Singapore."

"So, it was not a one-night stand?"

"No, son. We are married. I loved your mother, and I never loved anyone other than her"

"You are telling me it was not an accident? Did you have something to do with my mother's death?”

“You were fourteen when your mother was murdered. I have nothing to do with her death.”

“You are aware I am alive but you never dare check on me?"

"Terrakova killed your mother because she befriended Ella Evanovich."

"Who the hell is Ella Evanovich?"

"Ella is Sergei Terrakova Schneider’s wife."

"And where is this, Ella Evanovich?"

"I don't know where she is now but I know where her daughter is."

"What do I have to do with her daughter, Mr. Lee?"

"Her daughter had the other pair of keys. You need to get revenge for your mother's life, Lancelot. You must have Ella and Sergie’s daughter in your hands, so they come out where they are hiding now. Do you understand? Do you want justice for your mother's death? It's payback time. Take their daughter, Lancelot!" Tiim bagang na utos nito sa akin.

"Who are you to tell me what to do? You were never around when I was growing up. I had nobody when my mother died. I was passed on to different foster homes. This life is mine, and you don't tell me what to do. If you want revenge, do it yourself, Mr. Lee! I got nothing to do with your dirty jobs!”

"Dirty Jobs?” Nagpakawal ito ng malademonyong tawa. Then, he smirked and said,” I know what you do, son. You are not just a lawyer. You are an underground assassin. You think I don't know?"

Natahimik ako sa kototohang matagal ko ng itinatago. Napasok ako sa madilim na mundo upang makamit ko kung ano man ang mayro'n ako ngayon. Yes, I am an assassin ng isang underground mafia group. Noong una isa lamang ako sa mga tauhan. Isang tauhan na pakawala ng gobyerno. I am one of those they called a ‘snitch.’ Inaral ko ang palagad ni Gambino. Upang makamit ko ang tiwala niya. I served as the mule. Ako mismo ang nagdadala ng mga kontrabado. Di nagtagal nakuha ako ang tiwala ni Supremo. Kinalaunan naging mataas ang rango ko sa grupo. Hanggang sa ipinasa sa aking ang pamamahala ng grupo.

Bago pa man nagapi ng awtoridad si Supremo.. Naipasa niya na sa akin ang pamamahala ng Black Hunter. Inakala kong kay Leandro niya ipapamahala ang organisasyon. Subalit sa huli nilaglag niya rin ito sa mga awtoridad.

Tinalikuran si Gambino ng kaniyang mga anak. Matapos masapote ng FBI ang lahat na pag-aari nito. Binura ng mga anak niya ang Black Hunter sa mapa.

Lingid sa kaalaman nila na sa akin na ang katapatan ng mga tauhan ni Gambino. Makalipas ang isang taon na pagkakakulong ni Gambino. Binuo ko ang Monreal. Isang sekretong ahensiya na nagbibigay serbisyo sa mga politiko at mga kilalang tao sa Pilipinas at Asia. Monreal Shipping Industry is the front business of my group.

Binago ko ang pamumuno ni Gambino sa Black Hunter na ngayon ay kilala na bilang Monreal sa underground world. Pinutol ko ang direktang pagkakasangot ng grupo sa droga at human trafficking. Naging sentro ng grupo ang pagbibigay proteksyon kapalit ng malaking halaga.

Isang protektakdong underground organization ang Monreal. Katulad ng Red Phoenix at Astoria ay sekretong kawani rin ito ng bureau sa Amerika. I served as the kinder surprise on each classified transactions of the bureau gamit ang Monreal Shipping.

My father only knows about the organization na kinasasapian ko. But he doesn’t actually know who I am connected to and who I work for. Hindi ako basta-basta magagalaw nino man dahil may proteksyon ako sa gobyerno ng Estados Unidos. I am not only a lawyer or a business man dahil isa rin akong secret service agent.

"Are you threatening me?"