Chapter One

Chapter 1

I scanned the overcrowded place looking for suspicious-looking people, but so far, I’ve seen none. All were just familiar faces from the neighborhood or those vendors from the local market.

Sa dalawang taon na paninirahan ko sa maliit na bayan na ‘to ay halos kilala ko na ang lahat ng residenteng nakatira dito. With a population of 536, new faces are easily spotted and talked about. A typical small-town talk.

It’s Saturday night and as expected every weekend, people swarmed the place and it was not even midnight yet. Naghalo ang amoy ng alak, sigarilyo at inihaw sa buong lugar. People were busy with their conversation and never gave the television situated above the right side of the counter any attention. The television was muted but my whole attention was directed at it. This has been my routine for two years. Get some booze to aid me in my sleep while watching the muted television, waiting for some news. News I’ve been dying to hear again for the last two years.

I downed my second drink for the night. A strong one that I needed for my peaceful sleep since it has done a very good work on avoiding me for the last four years. It may sound childish and immature but alcohol has been my ever-loyal companion ever since. Why, it has never let me down, not even once. My family and friends seem to understand what I’ve been through, but they never really knew the pain I was enduring for years. The guilt that was eating my whole being. Regret that always reminded me of the things that never should have happened if circumstances were just a little different.

The painful truth that there was no f*cking way to get things right, no way to bring them back, alive. Like a fucking scar forever carved in the deepest recesses of my heart. I bet it’s not a scar but still a wound, a wound that forever will bleed. And one other is rage, a burning rage I can’t seem to put down. The kind of rage that changed all my beliefs and views of life and humanity. I don’t think I can ever go back to the way I was before. Nothing and no one can ever redeem me. Salvation is out of the question.

Piktoy, my co-worker blabbered something that kicked me out of my thoughts of the past. Isa ito sa mga madalang na pagkakataon na sumasama ako sa kanila tuwing magiinum. I like to have myself as a company but I granted their invitations tonight. Just for tonight.

“ Oi, nakita niyo ba iyong bagong nangupahan sa bahay ni Aling Ida? Grabe pare ang ganda at ang kinis,“ ani Piktoy. Tila nag-ningning pa ang nga mata nito sa pagbanggit sa babae.

That caught my attention. It alarmed me. The idea of a newcomer in this town doesn’t sit well with me. Maliit lang ang bayan na ito at malayo sa kabihasnan kaya palaging iba ang kutob ko tuwing may bagong salta sa lugar. Unang tapak ko sa lugar na ‘to alam kong ito ang kadalasang lugar na hinahanap ng mga taong may pinagtataguan, sa tao man o sa batas.

“Gago ‘to, may asawa ka ng tao naglalaway ka pa rin sa ibang babae. At saka ‘di ka papatulan no’n kung maganda nga ‘yon,“ bulyaw ni Amboy, Isang kasamahan ko sa trabaho. Halata na ang kalasingan. These two were the only ones who have the guts to bother from the very beginning. They were so annoying, but they were good people.

“P’re, nag-aprisyet lng ako ng magandang nilalang. Syempre si misis pa rin the number 1 ko,” depensa ni  Piktoy.

“‘Di mo nga nilulubayan ng tingin si Meredith tuwing bibisita ‘yon kay pareng JD. Doon ka pa talaga sa  mala-papayang hinaharap timititig,“ sabi ni Amboy habang hinuhulma ng kamay nito ang isang malaking dibdib.

Si Meredith ay anak ng Mayor ng bayang ‘to. Si Mayor Almaric Delos Santos. She’s a very attractive woman and was so vocal on declaring her interest in me. But that’s just it, I don’t have any plans on hitting on her.

Tumawa ng malakas si Piktoy. Namumula na ang mukha nito sa kalasigan. Maybe we’ll call it a night. Wala akong balak na naghatid ng dalawang lasenggo. We can separate ways after this.

“Eh, ang laki kasi ng boobs niyang si Meredith. Nakakalunod ‘yon sigurado. Buti ‘tong si JD hindi natukso.“ani Piktoy.

“Gago, syempre ‘di naman hayok sa laman itong kaibigan natin. Hindi katulad mo.” Si amboy.

Nagtawanan ang dalawa. Tinatamaan na talaga ng espiritu ng alak. Marami na ang nainum nila, total wala naman daw pusok bukas ayos lang na maglasing. 

Seryosong nakinig lang ako sa kanilang pinag-usapan habang ang utak ko ay lumilipad patungo doon sa sinasabing bagong boarder ni Manang ida, doon din ako nangupahan sa kanyang apartment.

Who is she?

Sa dalawang taon ko sa lugar na ito, ako lang ang nag-iisang renter ni Manang, ngayon lang nangyari na may bagong saltang dumating dito. Mas lalo pa lumakas ang mga duda ko sa babaeng ‘yon.

Nagyaya nang umuwi sa Amboy dahil pasado Alas-onse na ng gabi at lasing na si piktoy, medyo naging eskandaloso na ang boses nito. Nagpaalam ako na mauuna na sa kanila.

Pagdating ko sa bahay ni Manang Ida, dahan-dahan akong umakyat sa ikalawang palapag ng bahay kung saan nandoon ang silid ko. Tatlo lng ang silid sa bahay na ‘to, ‘yong isa ang inukopa ko at ang katabing silid ay bakante. Sigurado akong doon ang bagong boarder sa silid na katabi ng akin. Pagkatapat ko sa pinto ay tumigil ako at nakiramdam. That room have been empty ever since, not a single renter for my two years stay here. Walang liwanag ang siwang sa ilalim ng pinto ibig sabihin tulog na ang taong nasa loob ng silid. I still haven’t seen her and didn’t know the woman but I can feel she screamed danger and problems. Call me judgemental but I’d rather call it being cautious. That Lunatic was still after me.  I mentally took a note to find out who this new tenant is.

Deritso ako sa refrigirator pagkapasok ko sa silid, took a bottle of beer from my stash. I always have these buddies in my fridge for nigths like this.

Binuksan at pinagana ko ang laptop sa ibabaw ng kama ko. The room was not that spacious. It’s a single person room. I only had my fridge, bed and cabinet for my clothes. Just enough for me and my stuffs.

I logged in to several social media dummy accounts. Opened my email and a message from Jason, my former patrner, popped up. A message told me to call him since he can’t reach me. I wanted to call him now but it’s already past midnight so decided against it and mentally noted to call him first thing in the morning. I scanned through the latest news in the country and a particular report caught my attention.

Headless woman found in the woods of an isolated town. 

My body trembled as I read the news report. My hands shook uncontrollably as I focused on reading the contents of the news. The body was found 2 days ago. The police cannot identify the victim since its head was missing. The dead body of the woman was naked, with bruises all over the body, indications of torture. The police were being vague about its connection to the reports of the missing women. Investigations are being taken since this was the first case of a headless dead body of a woman found after 3 years.

New dead body. The decapitated body of a naked woman.

The signature of that f*cking lunatic.

After many years, he’s at it again. He’s out to play again.

My body shook as rage hidden from the cold pits of my heart resurfaced. Kinuyom ko ang nangingig na kamao. My body began to sweat as I reminisced the day my life went shattered. The day I died inside. I wanted to shout and let this pent-up anger be released. But I knew that would do nothing. I needed another kind of release, one that I’ve been planning for years. 

I’m going to get this son of a bitch. Justice will be in my hands sooner. I wouldn't care about being jailed or get killed as long as I could end this lunatic’s life. And I’m going to get it very soon. His blood will be splattered in my hands and I would gladly look at his face as he helplessly runs out of breath. As the light in his eyes fades.

I thought of my wonderful wife and innocent sweet daughter. My wonderful family, taken away from me. Grief enveloped my whole being. I cried so many nights for their deaths but still, I can’t cry enough. The pain was still so fresh it felt like acid being poured over and over again into my deeply wounded heart.

I took out the gun hidden under my pillow as I downed the last drop of my drink. Looked at the gun I’ve set to use on the sick killer.  I’m definitely going to bury some bullets into that sick brain of that lunatic.