Tangled With The Devils (Devils #2)

Chapter 14

"MANONG, manong!" Hinihingal na tinakbo ko ang distansiya papunta sa driber namin na natutulog sa bubongan ng van namin. Aba may shades pa si manong, nag-sun bathing na under the roof of our van.

"Yes, ma'am." Chill na tanong nito. "What is it that you want me to do." Aba, kung maka-english kala mo ang galing-galing.

"Ipunta mo kami sa Saint Lousina." Hindi ko namalayan na bukas na pala ang deadline ng ire-report naming dalawa ni Elle.

Tutal at hindi makakapunta si Elle ay si Ynalee na lamang ang kasama ko. Agad naman na pinaharurot ng driver ko na chill lang ang sasakyan sa Saint Lousina. At ang hudyo mali ang pinuntahan noong una, Santa Lousina, barangay ang napuntahan namin!

"Ay, Saint Lousina bah? Sorry, relas Ma'am, chill lang."

Naku, sarap niyang ipalamig sa ref sa sobrang kachill-an niya diyan eh. Maya-maya ay huminto na kami sa isang barangay.

Pagkababa na pagkababa ko sa van ay wagas na ang lingon sa akin ng mga karapit-tao. Lahat ng mga ito ay nagsilingon sa akin sa kanya-kanyang ginagawa. I don't know why but I feel like I was unwelcome here. The look that they are giving me made me want to regret the decision to come here.

Pero ngayon pa ba ako ba-back out? Dito na ako dinala ng katigisan ng ulo ko. Dala na rin ng kuryosidad kaya't bigla akong napunta sa lugar na ito. Kaso ito na nga ba talaga ang tamang lugar?

Nilingon ko si manong na nagsisimula na namang makatulog. Sus, tulog mantika talaga.

"Manong, ito ba talaga ang sinabi ko sa iyong address?"

"Oo, ma'am. Why ma'am? Will you not believe this?" Napangiwi ako nang marinig na ma-english ang hudyo.

Tumango na lamang ako at sinarado ang pintuan para maiwan ko na siyang makatulog. Kawawa naman si marangal na bodyguard at mukhang hindi nakakakuha ng tamang tulog.

"Tama si Manong, Ric-Ric." Sabi ni Ynalee at tinuro ang isang street sign na  nakalagay kung nasaan daw patungo ang Saint Lousina.

We just followed the path while ignoring the eyes of those people. Nakakatunaw grabe, isabay pa na mainit and whether. Matagal-tagal rin ang lakad namin hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang naka-gate na malaking bahay-ampunan.

Halos magka-stiff neck na ako sa kakatingala sa naturang lugar. Hindi ako makapaniwala. Ibang-iba ang pagka-picture ko sa nakita namin sa internet. The place were decent and it looked like it didn't went through hell.

The outside is painted with purely white paint and has a simple designs on it. Simple lang, hindi na exxagerated, malaki din siya na siguradong kakasya ang ilang mga foster children. If you would look down, the floor of the main entrance were made of small marble stones that comes with various colors. Through the surrounding there were gardens, greeting whoever crosses the main entrance.

"Sa entrance pa lang bongga na!" I muttered that made Ynalee poke me at my side.

"Marinig ka nila." Saway niya sa akin na kinibit-balikat ko na lamang at tahimik na lamang na namangha sa lugar.

On the way on the entrance we came across with three chatting nuns, clad in gray clothes. Looking at them, they gave a face full of radiance and optimism. I would always thought of those words when I see one anyways, there's nothing to be shocked of now. But really, how do they emit that kind of energy.

"Ah, eh, excuse me po," Pigil ko sa kanila at magalang ko na pagbati. I pulled Ynalee against my side and reluctantly made my way in front of the three nuns.

All of them gave us smiles and greeted us back.

"Anong dinala dito ng ating mga dalagita?"

Napatingin ako bigla kay Ynalee na hindi yata alam kung anong gagawin. They were nuns, you should be respectful when your talking to them.

And with someone like us who were born in the late generations, there is no denying that we could say something that might hurt someone's feelings. Iba na kasi ang mga salita ngayon, nandyan ang balbal, pang-vaklush, ingles-kalabaw at kung ano pa. It may seem inappropriate to talk like that in that way.

"Gusto lang sana po namin malaman kung pwede po ba kami mag-interview ng isa po sa mga nuns niyo rito?"

HIndi nawala ang mga ngiti nila at masaya pang sinabi na, "Pwede naman mga dalagita. Huwag kayong matatakot sa amin."

Napabuntong-hininga ako sa sinabi ng nasa gitna. Ito ang maganda sa kanila, lahat okay lang. That's why I envy them, they can accept everything without having any second thoughts or anything.

"At kung naghahanap kayo ng makakausap, si Sister Mia na lamang ang kausapin niyo. Dahil sa aming lahat ay siya ang may pinaka-mahabang taon na namalagi rito."

Napakamot ako ng ulo sa sinabi ng madre. "U-uhm, pwede niyo po ba kaming iupunta sa kinalalagyan niya?"

Nagsi-tanguan ang mga ito at nauna sa pupuntahan namin. Sumunod naman kaming dalawa ni Ynalee sa likod ng talong madre. Then I took that as a chance to browse for the questions that Elle made for me. Ito na lamang ang kinontribute niya sa grupo naming dalawa dahil hindi siya makakapunta ngayon at may pupuntahan pa siya.

'Kailan pinatayo itong bahay-ampunan' 

'Ano ang layunin ng bahay-ampunan'

'Ano sa tingin mo ang dahilan kung bakit madaming bata ang inaabandona ng mga ina'

At iba pang tanong na hindi na yata pinagisipan pa. Pero gogora nalang ako. Baka makaisip din ako ng tanong.

I scanned the inside of the house and I realized that everything was white except for the catholic window placed everywhere. There were religious portrait in every corners, beside every doors. There were also cross and I feel so inappropriate while walking in front of those holy pictures and figures. Ynalee and I had to stop for a while to pay our respects.

On our to Sister Mia's whereabouts, we saw a bunch of kids playing on the long hallway, all of them dress in white clothes. Long-sleeve shirt and white pants. I noticed that all of them weren't holding any gadgets and were only playing and laughing with each other like innocent children.

Ynalee and I were busy watching them in amazement when suddenly,  something bumped my legs. I stared down to realize that it was a girl around three.

"Aw, aw, aw." Napangiti ako nang himas-himasin niya ang kanyang noo. "bad si ate!"

Ynalee and I both stared at the kid. Even Ynalee can not take her eyes off the kid. Sino pa ba ang hindi makyu-kyutan kung ang batang ito ay nakapig-tails at may dalawang bungi sa harapan ng ngipin. Mataba pa ang kanyang pisngi at ang sarap na kurutin!

Hindi na nga ako nakapagtiis at pinisil ang kanyang pisngi. And it was wrong move.

"Wahhh!" Napaatras kaming dalawa ni Ynalee nang marinig ang iyak nito na may kasamang sigaw. Kung cute ang itsura, mukha namang godzilla kung umiyak.

Nilapitan lang ito ng isang madre at buong pasensya na pinatahan habang pinapalakad na kami ng tatlong nun na nagli-lead the way sa amin.

"Ikaw kasi bakit mo kinurot?" Saway ni Ynalee sabay kurot din sa tagiliran ko.

"Nanngungurot ka rin naman ah." Sabi ko.

"At least hindi ako nangungurot ng bata, isip bata lang."

Sinimangutan ko siya. Galing din nito, eh!

Nanahimik lang kaming dalawa nang sa wakas ay tumigil na kami sa isang kwarto.

"Sister Mia! Mayroong gusto kang kausapin!" Pagkatok ng kasabay namin na madre.

Ilang segundo pa ay may sumagot na.

"Papasukin mo sila."

Nilingon ako ng tatlong madre at ningitian. Ang creepy lang kasi sabay-sabay sila sa pagngiti at pagtango sa aming dalawa. Nang iwan na nila kaming dalawa ni Ynalee ay nagkatiginan muna kaming dalawa. Nagtatanong kung sino ang unang papasok. Pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata at nauna nang pumasok, walang mangyayari kung parehas kaming mahihiya na pumasok man lang.

Hindi pa namin nililibot ang paningin sa paligid ay nakita na namin ang isang madre na nakatayo sa harapan namin. She also has the radiance that all the nun posses. Pero sa lahat parang siya ang may kakaiba ang aura.

I greeted, Ynalee followed afterwards and we all sat in a couch face to face with each other.

"Ano pala ang pinunta ninyo rito?" Tanong nito habang binibigyan kami ng ngiti.

"Ah, eh. Kami po pala ay estudyante ng Mill International College. Magko-conduct po kami ng interview tungkol sa mga napili naming bahay-ampunan."

"Mabuti naman ay napili ninyo ang Saint Louisana."

"Oo nga po, eh." At awkward kaming tumawa. I gave Yna a look when she didn't even laugh.

 Pinanlakihan niya ako ng mata na parang sinasabi na 'why would I laugh when I don't feel like laughing?'.

Pinabayaan ko na lamang siya at nag get down to business na para naman maka-survive itong si Yna. Hindi pa naman siya ganoon ka friendly.

Tinanong ko ang first question na obvious naman na pwedeng i-search sa internet pero tinanong ko pa rin para may recorded na kami na ipa-pass sa professor namin. Nage-english lang din naman pala siya kay nagenglish-tagalog na lamang ako.

Ganoon naman ako, I can't speak pure tagalog ang pure english.

"Okay, so that's it?" Tanong nito habang pinapagpag ang lap.

"Uhh," Nag-isip pa ako ng pwedeng itanong sa kanya. Hanggang sa mapatingin ako sa kanya. "If you don't mind me aking po, but why did you decide to be a nun and look for these children?"

Ngumiti siya. "I know that you already know about the incident that happened here." Tumango ako sa sinabi niya. "Well, isa ako sa biktima noon."

Kumunot ang noo ko pero hindi nalang muna ako nagsalita at hinintay siya na magpatuloy. Parang bastos naman yata kung uunahan ko ang nangyari dati.

"Isa ako sa mga batang ulila n'on." Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya. So she's a foster child.

She chose to be a nun instead of becoming a part of a family that every foster children dreamed of.

"Bagong panganak palang ako nang nangyari iyon. I would have been swallowed by the flames when someone saved me from that fire. He was also a foster kid like me." Tumayo siya mula sa kanyang kinauupuan at may kung anong kinuha sa ilanng kabinet na nakalagay sa kanyang kwarto.

Saka siya tumabi sa akin at pinakita sa akin ang bagay na kinuha niya na walang iba ay libro ng history ng Saint Lousina. Ang laki niyo at hard bound pa.

Ang laki ng binuklat niya hanggang sa makapunta na kami sa year na hinahanap niya.

She went to the list of the foster children present there.

"This is me."

Tinuro niya ang babaeng maiksi ang buhok na nasa unahan. She was like four years old at that time and was completely different from the woman in front of me and at the picture. I read the name and it only read 'Mia'.

"That's what my sister always calls me when we first came here."

Nilingon ko siya. "May ate ka po? Nasan na po ba siya ngayon?"

Lumungkot ang mukha nito. "Sa totoo lang nga hindi ko alam. Sabi nila na sinusubukan niyang umalis dito and they think that, that what causes the fire."

Tumango-tango ako. "So sino pong nagligtas sa inyo?"

"Ah, isa rin siyang foster children na tulad ko." masayang sabi niya saka binuklat pa-backwards ang libro at pinakita sa akin ang isang mahabang list ng mga bata, kasama ang mga picture nito. Hanggang sa may tinuro siya sa picture.

Yung lalaking nakita ko sa internet!

"Hades."

Nanliit ang aking mata at pinakatitigan ang dalawa niyang mata. Hindi nga nagkamali ang picture sa net, akala ko nga na in-edit lang ng kung sinong nag-publish n'on sa net.

"Tanong ko lang po." Sabi ko saka tinuro yung bata. "Nandito pa po ba siya?"

Umiling siya. "Wala na, he disappeared after the fire. Some says he died already with the fire. But the nuns who was here first said that he was adopted at that same day when the accident took place. Pero kung nabuhay pa siya, gusto kong magpasalamat sa pagligtas niya sa akin."

Tumango ako saka tinignan ang batang lalaki. It's really weird, why do I feel like I've seen him from somewhere. And I think he caught my curiosity.

The fact that Hades disappeared when the accident happen makes me think that he has a connection with it. That what happened is not just an accident.

"Uhm, is there any detailed report about your foster children here?"

Tumango ito. "But that was confidential. it is not allowed to be looked at."

"Ay, sige huwag nalang po." Sabi ko. Ano ba iyan? I have gotten off limits!

Pero nagtataka rin ako sa bahay-ampunan na ito. Sa laki ng lugar na ito, bakit kaunti lang sila? At masyado silang tight, hindi nila kami hinahayaan na mag-roam ng magisa. At ang napuntahan lang yata namin ay ang 1/4 lang ng lugar.

Ang hina naman ng mga rason ko. Maybe I was imaginning it. Lakas kasi ng imagination ko ngayon.

"Ano, samahan mo naman ako sa pupuntahan ko?" Yaya sa akin ni Ynalee.

Tumango na lamang ako. Sinamahan niya naman ako. Alangan naman na hindi ko siya sasamahan.

__Chauslte's POV__

THREE of them were already doing their all to entertain me. Still, something is missing. I can't wait for that something to come to me so I gestured for the prostitute in the middle to come near me. She obliged and swayed her way towards from where I am sitting. She sat on my lap and I stared at her whole figure.

A shape of an hour glass. A shape that every man would root for, but why doesn't it effect me anymore?

The woman sitting on my lap snickered as I skimmed her bare waist, I kept going. Was desperate to find that certain feeling with this woman, but didn't. I withdrew my hand away from her and pushed the woman away from my lap that causes her to fell. I heard her high-pitched scream as she hit the ground and I just ignored that.

I don't care what happens to someone who could not satisfy me. I don't care about everyone anyway.

"Master, what's wrong? Do you not want to have fun with me?" Tanong nito na naghubad pa sa harapan ko.

And I hated the way how my body reacts emotionless. Did I just developed immunity towards woman's body since I f*cked her?! This is so irritating!

The girl danced in front of me naked and sat on my lap, exposing her bare chest near me. I gaze at it and grabbed her by the waist roughly and sucked one n****e. I heard her moan, but it wasn't the moan I was looking for, so I sucked deeply.

"Suck me more!" Her hands clutched my shoulders and rotated her hips to crushed her lower body against my jean-clad manhood.

And that's it. I stopped sucking her and got from my seat and shoved her away from me. F*ck them if they can not even satisfy me!

Without knowing, I already pulled my gun out shoot the woman on her head. The remaining three woman dancing on the pole screamed annoyingly so I shot them both to silence them.

My heart pounds inside my chest as my heart rate increased with overwhelming anxiety and rage. I just took my medicine and I think that the illness is pushing inside my system earlier than I thought.

Muli kong kinuha ang baril at patuloy na binaril ang katawan ng mga babae hanggang sa mawalan ako ng bala.

I sighed deeply and let go of the gun.

I walked my way through the door with the lights flashed around me. Feeling like a beaten up man wasn't the next thing I thought i would feel when I deserted that d*mn place! Nanginginig ang aking kamay habang inaabot ang sigarilyo sa bar stool na katapat ko. I put it on my mouth the end of it.

My head were throbbing and my hands are throbbing for something. My veins are pulsing hard, but I knew it wasn't because I was reaching for another attack, it was something new and I knew I can not handle. But it was close when my illness is beginning act up.

I clenched my teeth when I remembered what it felt like...

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and tap the screen for the gallery. I lay back from my seat and stared at the photo I have on my screen. I want her...

I still remembered how tight it was inside her. I still remembered biting her flesh, kissing her roughly and everything...I remember everything that I could not touch anyone anymore. Maybe because it was my first time f*ck*ng a virgin, maybe because I didn't use any condoms but f*ck every second I spend without even touching here is maddening!

I stared at her naked photos, the one I took when she was sleeping. I don't even know why I took it...

Then an idea popped inside my head.

I smiled at the thought. That would be great--

"Napansin ko lang."

"F*ck!" What the hell! Where in the world did he come from! "Bloody hell, Konradimere!"

He took a step back and made a stupid face. I hid my phone and put it back inside my pocket. His eyes followed my phone with curiosity but he shakes his head.

"Sorrey, bakit kasi gulat na gulat ka. Nakow! May tinatago ka nohw!?" He exclaimed. "At saka hindi mo akow pinatapows!"

"Tsk!" Why does he make my headache worse? "What?"

He took a seat beside me but before he could even touch his freaking us on it I already pointed my gun on him.

"Woah! Okay, I'll just sit far away from you!" He snickered and did exactly what he said. Just two chairs away from me. He sat down and lit a tabacco. "Ang arte-arte." He muttered and ignored what he said.

We stared for a while in silence. Just inhaling and exhaling on my cigarette and drinking some liquor. I was struggling to keep my thoughts silent for a while, as much as possible, I don't wanna have any thoughts about that thought or I'll be in dangerous situation once again.

"So, pansin ko nga...," I almost jumped when I heard him talk out of nowhere once again, "...you are not touching the prostitute since...you came back from the party."

I took a deep breath and squeezed the cigarette against the table to turn of the light.

"Why is that?"

"That's what I was trying to figure out."

"Ang bobo mo naman at hindi mo pa nalalaman."

Tinignan ko siya ng masama. F*ck him! He doesn't know how hard it is to figure out my problem when I don't really know the problem at the first place. I even doubt if he knew anything.

"You did not know how hard to solve my problem. So shut up."

He laughed softly, then he got from his chair as he put out the fire of his tabacco.

"You're hard-headed, you won't listen to me if I solved it for you." He commented and walked in front of me and to my surprise he rubbed my hair roughly and I need to back away to get free.

"F*ck*ng stop it! I'm not a kid anymore!" I angrily shoved his hand away from my head.

"Knowing that you don't even know a thing about crushes makes you a kid." He laughed at his statement and suddenly he punched me by my chest. "There's already a crack, Chauslte. You let your guard down."

He walked away from me, leaving me confused.

Now what the heck is that old man saying?