Maingat kong sinara ang pinto ng kwarto ni Hurri. It took me two hours to put her to sleep dahil panay ang iyak nito. Hindi daw kasi sya pinapansin ni Ja. Hindi rin sya tinuruan nito ng assignment. Buti nalang at maagang umuwi si Pamela from his therapy kaya naman ito na ang tumulong kay Hurri.

Ja is not in the good since yesterday. And it's all because of me, na ayaw paniwalaan ni Hurri. Kahapon pa mainit ang ulo ni Ja and he can't control his temper at all kaya hindi sya lumalapit kahit kay Hurri. Thunder, on the other hand, know Ja's temper, kaya ito na ang kusang lumalayo. Hindi rin ako kinakausap ni Ja. Hindi nga sya lumalabas sa kanyang kwarto. From school, diretso na sya sa room nya at lalabas nalang pag papasok na. All his food was delivered to his room.

He is mad at me. He is mad dahil nakipag usap ako kay Max, nakipagpalitan ng contact information at nakipag kwentohan saglit. He don't like it because for him, Max is dangerous person.

Hindi ko naman masisisi si Ja. Even Pamela got mad at me ng malaman iyon. She asked me not to do it again but I explain to her that I have my own plan, pero, hindi ko iyon sasabihin sa kanila. Pamela understands me, thankfully. Si Ja nalang ang hindi ko pa nakakausap ng maayos. Ayaw ko syang piliting kausapin at piliting ipaintindi ang mga bagay- bagay sa lagay ng mood nya. He will never understand it, kaya naman hinahayaan ko nalang. I let him calm down first, tsaka kami mag uusap na dalawa.

"Kumalma na ba?" Agad na tanong sa akin ni Anuson pakapasok ko sa library na nagsisilbi na din opisina ko. He fly here from Pennsylvania just to give me what I asked to him. Kahit si Boun na nasa Japan at nagbabakasyon with Prem and their children ay nandito ngayon.

"Tulog na." Umupo ako sa couch at nagpakawala ng isang malalim na buntong-hininga.

"Dealing with the kids is hard. But Hurri is on different level. Para syang times three ni Pamela pag bad mood." Usal ni Boun.

"It's all my fault."

"We will not asked why. Naiintindihan ka namin. Mag ingat ka lang, lalo na ngayon at may mga batang maaring madamay." Ani Anuson sabay lapag ng itim ng folder sa lamesang nakapagitan namin.

"No one can touch them. Ja and I will surely turn the hell upside down oras na may manakit sa kanila."

I pick up the folder and open it. I read what's inside.

"This is a dangerous game, Gulf. Makikipaglaro ka ba talaga?" Seryosong tanong ni Boun. Inabot nya sa akin ang maliit na usb. I grab it and insert it on the port of my laptop.

"Laro ang kanilang nais. Ibibigay ko lang kung ano ang kanilang gusto."

"When will you start?"

Tumingin ako kay Boun at ngumiti. "Ngayon. Buy all the shares of Tienan Incorporated. Put it under your eldest daughters name. That's my advance and partial wedding gift to her. I want to see a news of bankruptcy first day in the morning tomorrow."

"That's a big step, Gulf. Hindi sila tatahimik nalang basta. Costavien family will not just watch on the side."

"That's my plan. Gusto ko magulantang at maging aligaga sila. Tienan is one of their huge business. Losing it will shake the ocean, crack their foundation and crumble some part of them. I am looking forward for a huge tidal wave in front of me. I want them to know that I am not just Gulf. I want them to know that they should bow down before me and fear my name."

"Okay. Considered it done." Nginitan ko si Boun. Napailing nalang sya sa akin bago nya binuksan ang kanyang laptop and inupisahang gawin ang utos ko.

"I think I need to bring my family here right now." Ani Anuson habang seryosong nakatingin sa akin.

"First is the only person who can control Ja. But I don't want to put him also in danger."

"Ja will not allow that to happened and so I am
. Controlling Ja's temper is one of the emergency right now. Baka bigla nyang mapatay si Max."

"I don't think he will do that."

"How sure are you?"

"Max has Mew's face. Do you think, kakayanin ni Ja patayin si Max ng ganun-ganun nalang?"

"Hindi natin masasabi. Hindi pa natin nakikita ang sukdulan ng galit ni Ja."

"I'm sure, hindi nya magagawang saktan si Max."

"Why?"

Tumingin ako kay Anuson at tumango. His facial expression immediately change. He was shocked. Who will not?  Kahit naman ako ay nagulat ng malaman ko iyon.

"How did you know?

"I have my own ways, Anuson."

"I'll book a flight. I'll bring my family here. You need us here. Ja need First to be here with him."

Hindi nalang ako sumagot. Tumayo ako at nagtungo sa bintana. Tumingala ako at pinagmasdan ang mga bituin.

What a small world.

------

"Kuya Ja, please talk to me."

I picked up Hurri and kiss her on her cheek.

"Hayaan mo muna si kuya Ja. He will talk to you soon, okay."

"When? It's been four days dad. Si kuya First at kuya Cloud lang kinakausap nya."

"Soon baby. Hayaan na muna natin sya, okay."

"Okay."

Naawa ako kay Hurri ng tapunan nya ng tingin ang pinto ng kwarto ni Ja. It's been a week, pero hindi pa din kinakausap ni Ja si Hurri. Lumalabas na ito ng kwarto, thanks to First, but he is still cold and quite.

Ayun kay First, medyo kumakalma na daw si Ja. Hindi na ito galit pero ayaw pa din nito makipag usap sa akin at hindi pa daw nito kayang ihandle ang kakulitan ni Hurri. Sinubukan ko naman kausapin si Ja, ngunit wala akong makuhang anumang sagot at emosyon mula sa kanya.

"Is he jealous dad?" Tanong ni Hurri pakapasok namin sa kanyang kwarto.

"Jealous?"

"Yes. Kasi lagi ka nakikipag usap kay tito Max. You know, he don't like him."

I carefully caress her head at ngumiti. Kung alam lang ni Hurri na hindi nagseselos si Ja, kundi galit ito, baka isa pa sya sa problema ko ngayon.

"Siguro." A white lie.

"Hindi mo naman papalitan daddy namin diba? Friends lang naman kayo ni tito Max. Besides, we like tito Wayo."

"No worries. If dad will get married again, tito Max is not in the list."

"Yey!"

"You don't like Max also?"

"He's kind pero malandi sya."

Kusang nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Hurri. Where did she get that word?

"You know dad? He has a lot of girls. She's with different woman every week. I think she has a collection of girls in his house."

So, he's really a playboy? How come? And how dare he is?

"Let him baby. That's what makes him happy."

"Okay. But I don't like him. And if he is our dad, I will torture him once he remember us."

Napakamot-batok nalang ako. Hurri is literally a sweet poison. She's sweet as candy but as more brutal than Pamela.

Napabuntong-hininga ako habang nakatingin kay Hurri na naglalaro na sa kanyang tablet.

I enter a dangerous game kahit na alam kung manganganib sila.  I took a risk and put them in danger. Kung buhay lang si Mew, magagalit ito for sure sa akin.

But, they asked for it. Binigay ko lang naman ang gusto nila. Kung hindi ko sila pagbibigyan, mas lalong delikado. I don't have a choice at all.

To be honest, hindi ako natatakot. Sino ba sila para katakutan ko? I know, I can protect my kids. Ang kinakatakot ko ay ang makita ang ng maaga ang bad side ng mga anak ko.

Cloud is silent but he is definitely a deadly one. Si Thunder, pasaway man, but he is smart. Sabi nga ng mga tauhan ko, Thunder stand for it's name. Si Hurri, as I said, he is a sweet poison. Ja, is bomb. He is silent but once he explode, he can destroy a clan or even more than that.

I don't want to see it and I don't want the entire mafia to see what they really are as early as this. I also want them to have a normal life. Pero, malabo na iyon mangyari

--------

"They are on the move." Ani Anuson pakapasok na pakapasok nya sa library. "They are eyeing on you. They are digging your past."

"Digging my past? Hindi pa ba sila nagsawa? Or did they miss something."

"Maybe, the latter."

"Let them. They can dig as deeper as they want. While they are digging my past, I am digging their grave."

Inabot ko kay Anuson ang financial statement ng Houdian Resort. It's a chain resort and the main is in China. It's doing great but it's hiding something. Something that has connection to us, to the mafia.

"Anong balak mo?"

"Buy it. Give it to First."

"Wedding gift ulit? Ang babata pa ng mga anak namin First. Si Bria naloka sa regalo mo. Aanhin daw nya un eh wala naman daw syang balak mag-asawa.

Bria is Boun and Prem eldest daughter.

"Eh di birthday gift nalang. Madami na akong utang kay First mula nung lumipat kayo ng Pennsylvania."

"Baliw ka talaga."

"Ang dami ko nang negosyong hawak, Anuson. Kesa naman masayang yan. It's a big waste kung kukunin ko lang at pababayaan. Malaki ang inaangkat nyan na pera."

"Points taken. I'll call Boun."

"One more thing pala. Medyo nababagot si Pamela kanina. Can you come with me to check on her?"

"Nabagot ang prinsesa? Nagpapasama ka? Si Pamela ang nabagot o ikaw ang sinumpong?"

"Both, I think."

Natawa ako ng mapabuntong-hininga nalang si Anuson.

"Pag nakita ko si Mew mamaya, hindi na ako magtataka."

Natawa nalang ako ng malakas. "You will see him later, sa katauhan ni Max."

"Tara na."

Madilim at tahimik ang aming nilalakaran. All I can hear is our breathing, our step and the chimes of the chains indicating that the person inside is slowly moving.

"This is very Pamela." Usal ni Anuson na nasa unahan ko.

"I know. Kaya hindi na ako nagtataka."

"Actually, ako ang nagtataka. Nagpapagamot na si Pamela, pero pinagawa mo ito."

"I just want to send someone a warning. A bloody one." Kibit-balikat ko na sagot.

"Nauna na ang acceptance and declaration of war kesa sa warning. Kakaiba ka din."

"I didn't declared a war yet, Anuson. I just accept the game. Now, I am sending them a warning."

"Hindi pa ba? Dalawang negosyo na nila ang kinuha mo. Isn't that a declaration yet?"

"Pag may namatay na sa kanila, that's a declaration."

"I can smell blood already."

"And I can see a blood rain."

Hindi na sumagot si Anuson dahil nakarating na kami sa kwarto kung nasaan nakali ng kadena ang taong pinakidnap ko kanina lang.

"Nice too see you again, Nu. Or should I can you, Al Francis Costavien. The long lost heir of Costavien Family."