We're all in the same game; Just different levels. Dealing with the same hell; just different devils

BREATHLESS

CHAPTER ONE | TOMBS

EZRA

"I'll be late for today. I just need to check on something."

Sabi ko iyon habang naglalakad at nagpipindot sa hawak kong telepono. Inayos ko pa ang nakakabit na air pods sa tainga ko para mas maayos kong makausap si Danny.

"Bakit na naman? I knew it. You woke up late because you brought home Russian women from the club," nang-aasar na sabi ni Danny.

"Gago," natatawang sagot ko. "Of course not. Hindi ako nag-uuwi ng babae. I just need to do some things."

"Like what kind of things?" Alam kong nambubuwisit lang 'tong si Danny. Alam kong alam naman niya kung ano ang pagkakaabalahan ko bukod sa pagma-manage ng sex club niya.

"You know what else I do. The family business. May pera ka din doon at ang pamilya mo."

Tumawa na siya. "I knew it. Sure may kasama kang babae diyan. Diyan mo yayariin."

Natawa din ako nang sumakay sa kotse at paandarin iyon paalis sa bahay namin. "Siguro ikaw ang may kink doon. Hindi mo pa try. Nahihiya ka lang sabihin sa akin. Come on, Danny. Alam mong isang sabi mo lang I can make it happen. Sex in the cemetery exclusively for you. I'll choose the best mausoleum."

"Ako pa ba? Alam mong lahat ng lugar na-try ko na. Sa sementeryo pa ba hindi? Remember in college? There was one time, sa sementeryo ginawa 'yong Halloween event ng Louis University? Nandoon ka kaya huwag kang magsinungaling. I saw you making out with someone."

"Kailan 'yon? Wala akong maalala." Natatawang sabi ko habang patuloy sa pagmamaneho.

"Ulol mo. Huwag kang sinungaling. I saw you making out on top of a tomb."

Ang lakas na ng tawa ko. "I was drunk. I was high."

"And no one is judging you. Lahat tayo sabog at lasing noon. I did fuck someone there. Kaya nagawa ko na rin ang makipag-sex sa sementeryo."

"Iba ka talaga, Danny Boy. Ibang-iba ka sa kuya mo. I remember I was telling Damien to come with me that time. Sabi ko para ma-try lang na lumabas man lang. Ayaw talaga. Hindi ko mapilit. Hindi ko nga alam bakit kami naging magkaibigan ng kuya mo." Naiiling pang sabi ko.

"Kasi magiging daan daw si Kuya para makilala mo ako." natatawa pang sabi niya. "Anyway, pupunta ka sa club today?"

"Oo. Ayusin ko lang 'to. I-check ko lang." Sa malayo ay nakikita ko na ang gate ng lugar na pupuntahan ko.

"Have fun with the ghouls," pang-aasar pa niya at busy tone na ang narinig ko pagkatapos.

Natatawa pa ako na inialis ang air pods sa tainga ko at ibinulsa iyon tapos ay ini-end ang call ni Danny. Ipinasok ko ang sasakyan sa sementeryo at kumaway pa sa akin ang guard na bantay doon. Habang umaandar ang sasakyan ay nakikita ko ang paligid na punong-puno ng mga museleo at malawak na paligid na berdeng-berde gawa ng mga sariwang damo. Halatang well-maintained ang mga ito dahil iyon ang utos ni Dad.

Ipinarada ko ang sasakyan sa designated parking spot na para sa akin. Bumaba ako at inayos ang sarili. Agad na lumapit ang caretaker ng sementeryo sa akin na may dalang Ipad.

"Whose mausoleum, Mr. Ferrelli?" Sige sa pag-i-scroll ng hawak na Ipad si Simon.

Ibang-iba si Simon sa mga cemetery keeper na laging ipinapakita sa mga TV or pelikula na nakakatakot. Simon was good looking. Young and Filipino-Italian who was managing our cemetery. Ampon siya ni Daddy at nagtatrabaho na sa pamilya. Hindi niya kilala ang pamilya niya kaya kinupkop na namin. And so far, Simon had been a good worker for us. Kahit kailan hindi pa sumasablay. Maaasahan sa lahat.

"Esposito. Smirnov and Cardenas." Sabi ko at lumakad na habang bitbit ang bag ko na may lamang laptop. Nakasunod naman sa akin si Simon na patuloy sa pagpipindot sa hawak na laptop. "Include the Rozovsky too."

Nang makarating kami sa isang museleo na nakasulat ang Esposito sa gate ay binuksan iyon ni Simon. Napahinga ako ng malalim at hindi agad tumuntong papasok. The feeling was still the same. Creepy. I had been doing this job for many years but I guess I would never get used to this kind of feeling.

"Are you okay, Mr. Ferrelli?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Simon.

"Just give me a minute." Sagot ko at nanatiling nakatayo doon. Ilang beses akong bumuga ng hangin bago ako humakbang para makapasok sa loob ng museleo.

I was not breathing. I was not moving when I was inside. I felt everything around me was getting heavy. The feeling of being confined in a small space. But I had to fight for this. I did this so many times and this was just the beginning. I would get over this.

"I can get you water, Mr. Ferrelli," sabi sa akin ni Simon.

Umiling ako. "I am really okay. I'll be okay. Just a minute," sagot ko at pumikit tapos ay ilang beses na bumuga ng hangin.

Alam na ni Simon na ganito ako kapag pumupunta ako dito. My father first brought me in this cemetery that our family owns when I was seven years old. He said that we were just going to visit a tomb of a dead relative. I was excited. Cemetery fascinates me ever since. Maybe because I was just seeing the green grass, the vast place. The clean surrounding although there was still the eerie feeling. But then, when my father brought me here and he locked me up in one of the mausoleums, that gave me the fear of this place. Sure, I can go to different cemeteries but not here. My father did that for so many times until he saw that I was getting used to it. Well, I was just showing it to him so he would stop. He said that it was a training of what would I need to do in the future.

I thought we just owned a cemetery. Magandang negosyo. Kumikita sa patay. Dahil lahat naman namamatay. Laging may burol. Laging may libing. Well-known people always sought the service of our funeral. We give the best funeral service around. Ang iba, walang kuwenta kung magtapon ng pera para mga namamatay na kaanak. Kabaligtaran ng ibang mga taong walang-wala na hindi na magawang iburol o ipalibing ang mga namamatay na kaanak. I had so many experiences about it. I saw people's desperation just to give their loved one a better funeral service. But my father was tough. Sabi niya, hindi kami yayaman kung awa ang paiiralin sa dibdib. Oo nga at naililibing din naman ang mga ordinaryong tao dito sa sementeryo namin pero kitang-kita ang pagkakaiba noon. Nakakalungkot lang dahil hanggang sa pagkamatay, damang-dama ang napakalaking pagkakaiba ng mahirap at mayaman.

Unfortunately, I couldn't argue about it. My father's words were power. Hindi puwedeng suwayin. That was the reason I was not working here. I chose to work with the Rozovskys. Mas gusto ko pang mangamuhan kaysa intindihin itong sarili naming negosyo. But when Mr. Stas Rozovsky talked to me and told me that he needed some place to safe keep his cash, that was when I learned the real business behind our cemetery business.

My father was working with different people. Very bad people. Illegal organizations, mafias, triads, cartels, name it. These people earn so much money that even the bank couldn't accommodate and they would be questioned where the money came from. Money kept on coming illegally and these people needed some place to hide it. A place where no one would think that there would be money in it. My father thought about using the crypts and tombs of the dead to hide the money. And for years, it evolved and now these dangerous mobsters were keeping their illegal money in here.

And I was one of the people who were safe guarding it.

The moment my father started to lock me in the mausoleums, I had a hard time coming here but one time that there was a deal that gone awry between my father and the Mexican cartel Cardenas family, I had to step in to save my family.

The Cardenas family didn't want my father to handle their money. I didn't know why but they were so firm that they wanted someone else to handle it and they chose me. I couldn't say no, my father couldn't disagree because once we did, the cartel would kill my whole family.

Dad asked them once again if he could handle their accounts and money instead of me and he paid it with his knees. The cartel broke both of his knees that made him crippled ever since. That was why I knew we were dealing with deadly people and we didn't have any way out.

"May nadagdag ba?" Tanong ko nang tuluyang pumasok sa museleo ng mga Cardenas. Napatikhim ako habang sa harap ko ay naroon ang patong-patong na mga pera na nakabalot ng plastic. Sa paligid ay naroon ang ilang mga nitso na nakalibing ang ilang mga kaanak ng mga Cardenas. Those bad guys that wasn't lucky enough. They were buried together with their money.

"Fifteen million as of last week, Mr. Ferrelli." Sagot ni Simon. "And another ten million coming in next week."

"How much all in all?" Nakatingin pa rin ako sa patong-patong na bulto ng pera.

"Five hundred million, Mr. Ferrelli. All of the account are connected to the reports that I sent to your email. Katulad po ng utos n'yo, one hundred million is scattered to three different banks under your name." paliwanag pa ni Simon.

"And those banks? Did they ask about it?"

"No, Sir. Na-cover na po iyon. The managers are paid at hindi sila magsasalita."

"Good. I'll send the reports to Mr. Cardenas too. Send an email that I will call him eight PM tonight."

"Yes, Mr. Ferrelli." Agad na nagpipindot sa hawak na tablet si Simon habang ako ay patuloy na nakatingin sa pera na nasa harap ko.

If only I could have this money on my own. Pero hindi. Hindi ko rin papangarapin na magkaroon ng ganito karaming pera kung ang kapalit naman ay pagkasira ng buhay ng iba. These money came from dirty works. Drugs. Selling of illegal ammos. Killing people.

Tumunog ang telepono ko at kinuha ko iyon sa bulsa. Nang makita ko ay initial na EC ang nakaregister doon.

Stands for Ezequiel Cardenas.

The head of Mexican cartel Los Muertas that operates in Mexico and here in the Philippines. But luckily, Mr. Cardenas was staying in Mexico. Hindi kami nagkikita personally.

"Shit." mahinang bulalas ko at napapailing na sinagot ang tawag nito. "Good day, Mr. Cardenas."

"Ezra." Masayang bati nito sa akin. Damang-dama ko naman na walang halong pagka-plastic iyon.

"Sir, I guess you already received my email. My reports."

"Yes, Ezra and I am happy with the figures." Sagot niya.

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag sa sinabi niya.

"I am going to give another set of reports for the money that we put in the bank. The bank won't be asking about it because there are foundations that was set up for those accounts." Paliwanag ko pa.

"I know you can do it, Ezra. Malaki ang tiwala ko sa iyo."

Mr. Cardenas was a full blooded Mexican guy who married a Filipina that was why he already knew how to speak the Filipino language. Sabi nga niya, hinding-hindi daw siya maloloko ng mga pinoy. And true enough, I saw how he dealt with those pinoys that double crossed him.

And it was not a gruesome sight.

Hindi palatawag na tao si Mr. Cardenas. Madalas ang mga assistant lang niya ang nakakausap ko. Mabibilang sa daliri na siya ang tumatawag sa akin. At alam ko na kapag tumawag siya, importante ito.

"I have a favor to ask from you."

Napapikit ako. Ito ang pinakaayaw ko sa mga kliyente. Oo nga at malaki silang magbayad sa trabaho naming ginagawa na ganito. The percentage that we got from them was way beyond anyone's paygrade but once they asked for favors, this was where the problem always starts.

Because we cannot say no.

"What is it, Mr. Cardenas?"

"My daughter Renata will be coming with my wife visiting Philippines this coming month."

"That is good to hear, Sir. They will enjoy here."

"I want you to stay with my daughter. Make her visit memorable. It will be her first time in ten years to visit her mom's hometown."

Shit. No. Problema 'to malala. Kilalang maraming kaaway si Mr. Cardenas at kapag may nangyaring masama sa anak niya, malaking problema talaga.

"M-me?" Paniniguro ko. Bakit ako pa? Ayoko ng ganito. Magiging mitsa pa ito ng buhay ko.

"I'll increase your percentage to five percent plus bonuses, Ezra. Five percent every week. I just want to give the best vacation my daughter wants. And she requested it from me. She said she wanted you to accompany him."

"Does she know me?" Dahil hindi ko naman kilala ang anak niya. Pero may magagawa ba ako para tumanggi?

"Does it matter if she knows you or not? She wanted you then I am going to give what she wants." Seryoso na ngayon ang boses ni Mr. Cardenas. "I want to hear good stories from my daughter after her vacation."

Hindi man direkta pero alam kong may ibang sabihin ang sinabing iyon ni Mr. Cardenas. I knew once his daughter told him that she was not satisfied with me, I am going to pay it with my life.

"All right," gumanda na ang mood ni Mr. Cardenas nang hindi na ako sumagot. "I know my money is in good hands with you, Ezra. Until our next transaction."

Wala na akong nasabi at busy tone na lang ang narinig ko. Napatiim bagang na lang ako at lumabas sa museleo na 'yon.

"All good, Mr. Ferrelli?" Tanong ni Simon sa akin.

Marahan akong tumango at mapaklang tumingin sa kanya. "I'll be checking the other tombs some other day. Ikaw na ang bahala dito."

"Yes, Mr. Ferrelli." Pagkasabi noon ay agad na isinara ni Simon ang pinto ng museleo. Nagpipindot doon at idinikit ko ang hinlalaki ko para sa thumb print na kasama sa lock combination nito.

Bagsak na bagsak ang balikat ko pagbalik sa sasakyan. Hindi agad ako nag-drive paalis at tumingin lang sa malawak naming sementeryo.

I envy these dead people who witnessed what was going on here. The dead cannot talk. The dead cannot rise.

But the dead cannot save me once I fucked up. No one can.

Because if that would happened, immediately, I'll be one of them buried six feet underground. 

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Note: BREATHLESS is a stand alone novel and the characters (Ezra and Cora) came from ROZOVSKY HEIRS 9 Danny Rozovsky. This is on-going on VIP and Patreon with twenty advance chapters already and daily update. 

To know how to join Patreon and VIP (to read Helene Mendoza's exclusive stories) slide a DM to Helene Mendoza's official FB page.