AZHRIA
Parcel of Death

While only little is known about the youngest Balzuari, I had learned that there was a certain orphanage which Yuzeyo regularly visits every weekend.

Hospicio del Vierro.

Some would probably exact it as an ordinary facility providing space to homeless children. But on my end, I would describe it as a life-giving institution that had once opened its doors to foster one beautiful soul.

It was Zorya's former home.

"So why would he visit it?" I mooted.

Could it be to cover up something? To wash some dirty linens? To bribe potential witnesses? To bury the truth?

Ignited by those queries, I spent two days perfecting my next scheme. Well, Rosh was an easy target but I doubt that it'll be the case with his brother.

Aside from being aloof and mysterious, Yuzeyo gives me more than just being their family's black sheep. I knew that there's something darker in him.

For some reason, I see him as a time bomb that's waiting to spread chaos.

Well, he's the only Balzuari who's not residing in their mansion. There must be an interesting reason about that.

Determined to seek answers, I listed several plans on how I can infiltrate his self-made walls. And when the end of the week came, I rented a car then drove my way to that orphanage.

It's time to seduce another monster.

"I'm here," I told Sachiko over the phone after parking in a vacant lot, "just in time for the target's arrival."

I watched as Yuzeyo, in his all-black outfit, dismounted his motorbike. He took off his helmet and grasped some goods as he went inside the institution.

I noticed some nuns waved their hands as though they were waiting for him.

[Do not be fooled,] Sachiko reminded me. If I have not seen her before, I'd believe she's taller. [The silent types are oftentimes the most dangerous ones.]

In my profession, that's actually one thing that I had to learn the hard way. Oh, how I miss those good old days.

"Copy that," I said, then ended the call.

Unlike the sexy outfits I wore during the time I spent with Rosh, I am now clad in an ivory tank top covered by a leather jacket which I then paired with dark ripped jeans and white sneakers.

I even had to lighten my make-up. Base sa personalidad ni Yuzeyo, tiyak kong hindi ang mga tipo ni Rosh ang pupukaw sa atensiyon niya. So I had to take good effort and fit his type.

"Hopefully, this look would work on him," I prayed before getting off my car. Kaagad akong tumuloy sa loob ng ampunan. The nuns were euphoric when I told them that I'll be donating a good amount of money to support their charity. They even led me to whom they call their principal sponsor.

And there, in the middle of the hall flooded with boxes, I saw Yuzeyo with a smile plastered on his lips while gently handing children some gifts.

Para siyang isang mayamang ninong na nakorner ng mga inaanak niya.

"Oh, hindi ba't kay g'wapo niyang pagmasdan?" Bahagya akong tumango saka naglakad na kasabay ng madre.

"But he does not only have a good face but also a heart of gold. Halika!"

Well, I couldn't argue about Yuzeyo's anatomy. The man literally looked like he was a real-life webtoon character.

Raven hair. Bushy brows. Mysterious eyes. High-bridged nose and thin lips.

His complexion is neither fair nor tan. It's just a balanced mix of both. Albeit, his towering height intrigued me most.

Sure, he's huge. And sinfully rugged.

But I'm positive I can take him down.

"Yuzeyo," Sister Florensina called him as we reached his locus. Natigil siya sa pag-abot ng regalo saka mabilis akong pinasadahan nang mapanuring tingin.

"Ito si Azh, mamamahayag na tubong Maynila. Narito siya upang magbigay ng ilang donasyon para sa mga bata."

There's a part of me that longed for Yuzeyo's smile when it faded. Looks like he was not pleased to meet me.

"Kulang pa po ba ang mga ibinibigay ko?" malumanay niyang tanong.

Kaagad namang naalarma ang madre saka mabilis na umiling. "Naku, hijo, sa katunaya'y sobra pa sa sobra ang lahat ng mga naitulong mo. Kung hindi dahil sa buwanang sustentong nagmumula sa 'yo, marahil nga ay matagal nang naipasara ang bahay-ampunang ito."

"Then tell her to leave," Yuzeyo quickly replied. "I can fund this house alone."

Nasa harapan niya lang ako pero hindi niya magawang tapunan ako ng tingin.

"The last time I checked, this place wasn't yours to claim. So quit acting as though you hold orders here. Isa pa, hindi naman ikaw ang gusto kong tulungan kun'di 'yong mga bata. And I would appreciate it if you'll let me."

Eventually, he looked at me, so intently that I felt like his gaze pierced through.

Sa lalim nang pagkakatitig niya sa 'kin ay para bang may gusto siyang makita.

Whatever it is, I won't show him.

He will never see through me.

"Thanks, but we don't need it, Miss." Umabante siya't lumapit sa akin. "So we'll appreciate it if you'll leave now."

Yuzeyo then tried to push me but I swiftly paced backwards and striked his core with my knee. Kaagad siyang napaatras at halos mangamatis ang mukha niya sa labis na kapulahan.

"Dios mio, Yuzeyo!" Sister Florensina exclaimed, worry painted across her face. "Baka nabasag ang mga itlog mo!"

"What the f—" Upon noticing several children whose attention we robbed, Yuzeyo could only tone down his fury.

"You will pay for this," he whispered.

But I just smiled at his threat. I then upped my chin to level his frame.

"Oh, but I won't." I posed a playful smirk, which had his face darkened.

"As what you have told me, you don't need my money. And so I granted you a different treat. That's what you get for making a madwoman out of me, Sir."

His dark glare grew darker. Unlike his brother, Rosh, who was so pretentious of his gestures, Yuzeyo had explicitly shown me how disgruntled he was.

But it did not bother me. Not at all. Besides, one cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs. So I did.

To avoid anymore violence, Sister Florensina pulled me away and offered to tour me around, and I followed suit.

We left the glaring Balzuari and his damaged agent alongside the children who laughed at his mortified condition.

I heaved a deep sigh. I just hope that what I did was enough to reel him in.

"Pagpasensiyahan mo na sana si Yuzeyo, talagang marami lang iniisip ang batang 'yon kaya mainit ang ulo," saad ng madre habang inililibot ako sa iba't ibang pasilyo kung saan nagkalat ang mga batang naglalaro. "Pero maniwala ka, hija, isa si Yuzeyo sa pinakamabubuting taong kilala ko."

I tried not to laugh at her overt praises. Magkano kaya ang ibinayad ni Yuzeyo sa kan'ya para magbanggit ito nang ganitong klaseng papuri tungkol sa kan'ya? Pera-pera na lang ba talaga?

"If only his attitude is as good as his face," I told the nun, head slightly shaking. "Siya nga po pala, balita ko, dito lumaki si Zorya. She's actually a subject of one of the stories I am covering. Kilala ni'yo po ba siya?"

Panandaliang natigilan ang madre saka siya malamyos na ngumiti. "Kahit na gaano ko kagustong magkwento tungkol sa kan'ya, mas maigi nang si Yuzeyo ang kausapin mo tungkol kay Zorya. He knows her better than I do."

I have failed to contain my growing confusion. Well, of all the Balzuaris, Yuzeyo's age is the closest to Zorya's.

While Rosh had attended the similar university as them, Yuzeyo and Zorya were practically on same year level.

It only made me wonder . . . what role did they play in each other's lives?

"Oh, siya, maiwan na muna kita rito at maghahanda pa kami ng tanghalian ng mga bata," paalam sa akin ni Sister Florensina. "Pasensiya ka na ulit."

Before she left, I handed her a small envelope with some cash inside. "Maliit pong tulong para sa mga bata. Your kind services were all appreciated. Thank you for taking care of them."

The nun didn't speak and she instead embraced me to express her gratitude. Mahahalata ang labis na pagkagalak sa kan'yang mga mata. And I resonated with her. Bukod sa plano kong amuhin si Yuzeyo ay nagpunta talaga ako rito upang mag-abot ng kaunting donasyon para suportahan ang mga bata.

Well, if in some way I could help this institution while obtaining justice, then the job will be more satisfying. Isa pa, kung naririto si Zorya, alam kong ito rin ang gagawin niya para sa kanila.

I then smiled as I watched the nun disappear from my sight. Taking my phone from my pocket, I was about to make a call when some lad walked towards me, his eyes were as dark as his clothes. He looked so damn mad.

Funny how this Yuzeyo Balzuari must have been the blackest sheep I've seen.

If not for the odd bracelet on his wrist, beaded in varied colors, Yuzeyo would have passed as a breathing shadow.

"So, how's your eggs, Sir?" I started, unperturbed by his glare. "I bet good."

Sinabi ko 'yon para inisin siya lalo pero ako lang din ang naasar nang wala akong kahit na anong tugon na nakuha mula sa kan'ya. Weirdo talaga siya!

While we were both standing in the middle of an empty corridor, facing each other straight in the eye, Yuzeyo did surge forward, forcing me to take a step back. And then I hit something.

"Aray!" Kaagad akong napalingon nang tila may batang natumba sa likuran ko.

He tripped because of my involuntary movement. Nagkasalubungan yata kami. Kasalanan ni Yuzeyo lahat 'yan!

"Ang tigas naman ng puwet mo, Ate!"

A male kid with faded haircut then helped himself and stared up at me.

"Jowa mo ba 'to, Kuya?"

Nang tumagos ang tingin niya sa akin ay awtomatiko akong napalingon kay Yuzeyo. Hindi siya nagsalita. Tinitigan niya lang kami. Grabe. Ganito ba siya makipag-usap? Parang gago lang.

"Hindi," ako na ang sumagot. "Mukha bang papatulan ko 'yang lalaking mukhang angry emoji na 'yan? Baka basagin ko pa ulit itlog niyan, eh."

Ang tipid na ngiti ng bata'y unti-unting lumapad hanggang sa tuluyan na nga siyang humagalpak nang malakas.

"Kuya Yuzeyo, basag itlog era!"

May pahawak-hawak pa nga siya sa tiyan niya habang pinapalo 'yon, at makailang beses pang naubo sa labis na pagtawa. He looked so . . . happy.

For some reason, I envied this boy.

I couldn't recall the last time I laughed like that. Or did I ever had the chance of feeling such kind of jouissance as if my reality was not tormenting me?

I couldn't exactly remember.

"Multohin ka sana ni Zorya mamayang gabi," biro ko na ikinatahimik niya.

Nang mabakas ko ang takot sa mukha niya ay mas lalo ko lang siyang inasar.

"H'wag kang lalabas mamayang gabi, ha? Sige ka, baka sapian ka ni Zorya!"

Kinilabutan ang paslit saka ngumuso.

"Aish! Basag trip ka naman, Ate," nakasimangot na sambit nito, bahagya pang napakamot sa kan'yang ulo.

"Ekis ka! Sibat na nga ako! Po!"

The little boy then ran past my locus and when I turned about to follow his tracks, I caught Yuzeyo's even darker frame. Unlike his former, the youngest Balzuari looked way more dangerous now. I felt like if I pushed it a little, he would oblige to slaughter me alive.

"Gaano ka kalungkot para pagpiyestahan ang nananahimik niyang kaluluwa?" Yuzeyo muttered in displeasure, both eyes were on fire.

His sudden outburst caught me off guard. His voice was so emotional I could even hear pain from its sound.

"It's just a joke," I nonchalantly mused. "No need to be all dramatic about it."

Nagtangka akong lagpasan siya pero mabilis niyang nahawakan ang braso ko't agresibo akong iniharap sa kan'ya.

"You have no right to dirty her name like that! Ni wala siyang masamang ginawa sa 'yo, sa inyo! So spare the woman some peace. Stop tainting her name with your comedic advances. You don't realize how low you're all getting. Zorya might have been dead, but because of your insensitivity, you just seem to kill her all over again!"

Para akong binuhusan nang malamig na tubig. Nanliit ako sa sarili ko. I never meant it like that. But I guess, Yuzeyo just slapped me without raising a hand.

His words kicked me so hard that I fell.

I didn't intend to murder Zorya's name.

And it's truly disappointing how I shifted into one that I despised the most. A callous, insensitive monster.

"Sana nga hindi siya magpakita sa 'yo," Yuzeyo added so blankly that I almost quiver. "Baka mapatunayan mo kung sino ang mas katawa-tawa sa inyo."

He then left me with a heavy heart.

After minutes of just standing in that corridor, I wanted to smack myself upon realizing how gullible I came out to be. I should have known better.

That Balzuari didn't mean those words.

I had no idea what kind of spell he put me under, but I must admit that he has such a silver tongue, a poisonous one.

I almost believed Yuzeyo's goody act.

***

When Sister Florensina told me that Yuzeyo had already left Hospicio del Vierro, I immediately went up to the car I rented and followed my target.

I then caught him in a narrow subway, expertly riding his dark motorcycle.

Carefully, I maintained a good distance away from him just so I could tail his whereabouts without him noticing.

Hours have passed and we reached a much more secluded area. I failed to spot any household around here, instead, the place where he stalled was rooted with trees and uneven roadway.

I then parked my car and followed Yuzeyo as he trailed the forest on foot. Sa bawat hakbang ay bumibigat ang dibdib ko. But I didn't stop. Not yet.

Eventually, Yuzeyo halted in his treks and entered a native hut in the middle of the woods. I then hid myself behind a huge tree trunk as I tried to peek through the interior of the hut, but I couldn't see anything from here.

It didn't seem like a habitable space. And Yuzeyo was not one to have a green thumb! Kaya bakit naman siya magtatayo ng kubo sa ganitong klaseng lugar? Could it be a hiding place? A storage of secrets? A graveyard?

This Balzuari . . . He's such a walking puzzle. An indecipherable code.

I had to wait for a few more minutes until Yuzeyo finally came out of it, carrying some bags. He then lit a cigar and swiftly skimmed the surrounding before he headed back to the roadway.

Determined to find out what's lying in there, I didn't let a second go by and I invited myself inside the hut. Halos malaglag naman ang panga ko nang igala ko ang paningin sa loob ng kubo.

Hanged on its wooden walls were charcoal portraits of a single woman in different clothing, expressions, and angles. It's like I entered an art exhibit where she was the focal subject.

"Who the fuck invited you here?"

My knees wobbled as I heard that dark voice once more. It was so commanding that my tongue almost rolled backwards and permanently hid itself. I was severely shocked by him.

"How did you find this place?"

Slowly, I turned about and faced Yuzeyo's furious state. "I . . ."

"Did you follow me?" he asked, this time, with a deeper and fuller voice.

"What? I am asking you. Answer me!"

Unable to think of better reasons, I then swallowed hard and preached.

"Rosh entreated me to go," I said.

Of course, it was a lie. That bastard didn't even accept my proposal. He was tight-lipped after I asked him to marry me. But I didn't mind. I actually expected his reaction to be like that.

Kaya minabuti kong umpisahan na ang plano kay Yuzeyo. In this game, I should know how to think not just twice but wise. I would not let a single error destroy my supposed schemes.

"He's got important things to discuss with you," I added, and breathed.

Yuzeyo was obviously hesitant at first. He's probably contemplating whether I was lying or not, but fortunately in the end, I think I convinced him still.

"Didn't I tell you to . . ."

His voice faded, restraining himself to further his thoughts. "However important those matters are, tell your boyfriend that I am not interested."

"Fiancé actually," I told him. Gusto kong makita kung may epekto ba 'yon sa kan'ya pero wala akong kahit na anumang natanggap na reaksiyon.

"Leave my premise now," he said after a while. "This is a private property, and regardless if you're my brother's fiancée, you are still not allowed to enter this place. Now leave, Miss."

But I'm still not done here, Balzuari.

"Sino siya?" tukoy ko sa babaeng nakapinta sa mga larawan. I wanted to know if Yuzeyo would lie, which I'm sure he will. He's a Balzuari after all.

Yuzeyo stared at my eyes as though he was so done with me. "The one you used as a comedic material earlier."

He told the truth. Zorya was indeed the woman painted on those portraits.

So he's using a different technique.

I was about to broach further queries when Yuzeyo pushed me out of the hut.

"Leave me alone, please," he told me.

My face then softened as I acted in pain. I now know the exact words that would bring me under his sleeves.

No matter what, I will tame this beast.

"You know what's weird? I woke up feeling really good this morning, but when I met you in that orphanage, I somehow felt strange qualms swirled in my chest. Para bang bigla akong nalungkot, nangulila, at natakot. For some reason, I connected with you in an instant. Akala ko nga stressed na 'ko, pero nanliit ako nang makita ko 'yong emosyon sa mukha mo. When I stared at your eyes, I realized that I wasn't alone in vain. And I want you to know that you are also far from that."

I patted his arm. "Whatever it is that's left in you, it's still beautiful, Yuzeyo."

Nang mapansin ko naman ang saglit na paglambot ng ekspresiyon niya ay lihim akong napangiti at tumalikod na.

I was dramatically walking away when the rain started pouring from above.

Even so, I was fazed upon noticing that not even a drop grazed my skin. Sa pagkalito ay napilitan akong tumingala. That's when I saw a black jacket protecting me from the rain.

"Your fiancé would kill me if you get sick under my watch," Yuzeyo said from behind, his hot breath touched my nape. "We better head inside, Miss."

Yuzeyo continued covering me until we entered his hut. Doon din ay mas lumakas ang paniniwala ko na kaunti na lang ay maaamo ko na ang lalaking 'to. I just needed to push it a little more.

"Tama nga si Sister Florensina," agap ko saka tinanggap ang panyong inabot niya sa akin. "Mabait ka nga talaga."

I then used the handkerchief to wipe myself. Sa katunayan nga ay hindi ko naman talaga kailangan. Yuzeyo was so keen in making sure that I won't get wet that not even a drop landed on me.

"You can't measure kindness through mere extension of hand, Miss," he told me. "Everyone can be kind, then be cruel afterward. So always be smart."

"While all that is true," I treaded closer and softly dampened the handkerchief against his face, drying his wet temple, "I still feel like . . . I can trust you."

Hindi niya man sabihin, alam kong malungkot siya. His eyes could speak for themselves. And I would use that sadness to infiltrate his lonely world.

I knew he needed comfort, and I'm here to give him that and more. I will make this Balzuari rethink his romantic principles and prepare him for the battle that he's yet to fight.

Should a connivance between Yuzeyo and Rosh took place in this murder, I would have to offer them both a taste of that hell they had put Zorya under.

How I love to see these Balzuaris wreck, torture, and kill each other.

"No," Yuzeyo took the handkerchief from my grasp, "don't trust me, Miss."

He was about to get out of the hut when I urged him to stay inside.

"Funny how you didn't recognize me."

Yuzeyo's eyes widened as I pulled him by the collar. After that, I slapped him.

"So how does it feel," I bitterly asked, "to see the woman you killed in flesh?"

His face went pale as his breathing deepened. I knew this tactic would work on him. Guwapo pero uto-uto.

"Zorya?" He tried to hold my cheeks, but in the end, he withdrew his hand.

"It's Azh," I told him, smiling softly.

I obliged to do what he was unable to.

Psychologically, strong-willed men are more likely to fall for women who did something they are terrified of doing.

So, I gently tapped his right cheek as I surged closer to his now reddened ear. I then noticed his dark ear piercing.

"Remember that name," I whispered.

Lumabas na ako't iniwan siya sa loob ng kubo. Kung inaakala niyang dito na nagtatapos ang lahat nang ito, simulan na niyang magdasal. Lalo't sa oras na mapatunayan ko ang krimeng ginawa nila laban kay Zorya, uubusin ko sila.

No one will be spared from the storm I am brewing. I'll hit them with thunder.

They must've thought that justice is too expensive, but I am here to pay for it.

Bone by bone. Blood by blood.

An eye for an eye. A life for a life.

The parcel of death, that's me.

And whether prepared or not, they have no choice . . . but to claim me.

***