JC went out of the café to breathe fresh air. He paused and stood at the door thinking. Then he went back inside. With no place to go, he used the remaining coin to dial another number.
“Hello,” Kate answered in her classic soft voice.
“Hello, Kate. It’s JC here. I’m outside in a café. Can you meet me here?”
“Are you ok? You sound weird, JC. Am I wrong?”
“You’re right. I am worried as hell.”
“Worried about what?”
“I can’t go into my apartment.”
“Why so?
“The policemen found a dead body in my apartment and I don’t have any clues as to why. I couldn’t stay until they’re done with the investigation, at least for the night”
“Which café are you in?”
“It’s one alon
Rudy Rude went into a gaudy shop where colorful hats hang on display, at the corner of Times Square. It's one where they sold masks, beards, wigs, and the like aside from hats. He scoured the shop, looking for something that could make a perfect disguise. After finding nothing to his liking he discarded the idea and left. He didn't need any disguise as of yet. But if the time comes when he would need one, he knew where to find it. The assassin stood at five feet eight inches, about four inches shorter than JC. In a dark suit, he was cleverly disguised to blend himself with any of the ordinary office workers in the streets of Manhattan. Inside his breast pocket was the Beretta semi-automatic with a silencer. When the police had gone, he came back to stalk JC's apartment. He stationed himself on the other side of the road, looming like a fierce predator in the jungle. JC was hoping everything would be all right. Unmindful
JC kept running along Broadway Street towards the north. He aimed for Trinity Catholic Cemetery for that was the only direction on his mind. He stopped ten times but only to take a rest on one of the benches. Upon reaching the vicinity he was relieved to see the chapel was open. At the gate, there was an old woman who sold flowers and candles. He scanned the frontage towards the end of the wall that turned left. All was clear. Still panting he slipped inside after looking back to check if his pursuer was following. It was comforting to see that the light was subdued and no soul was in sight. It meant that the services had long been terminated. Before slipping in, he asked for a bunch of roses and one candle, and then gave the woman a bill which he removed from his wallet. After making his purchase, he proceeded directly to Mary's gravestone. Again, he heard the tapping of his footsteps, which he was familiar with. He needed this familiarity to fe
In high school, Tessa Lopez was not popular with boys at all. She was slender and flat-chested like a walking stick. Her movements were gawky and awkward, typical of a girl adjusting to changes in her body. The bullies said she walked like Ichabod Crane, which made her very conscious and pissed. She was not too particular on what she wore. She had a loose knitted yellow Burberry which was her favorite. She always wore it to make herself look more stuffed. She cared less about what her classmates said, but this pullover compensated for her skinny figure. If it were not for the criticisms of the bullies, she wouldn't have started to seriously look at herself in the mirror. This fueled her desire to take some actions to change her outlook. Her mom who was a former model corrected the defect with daily exercises. She listened to her advice. They did this together with regular work out
Back at the camp, General Ver received the news on Rudy Rude’s bungled mission lackadaisically. Not even a little sign of remorse had softened the impassive expression on his face. Rudy Rude was only an expendable pawn of little value. He could spare a thousand of his kind. Being the General, it was his privilege to play with his pawns, sacrificing them to gain an advantage over his opponents. Dull and gloomy his office reeked of tobacco. He even cared less to dispose of the butts in the ashtray. This made him cough continually. His physique had also suffered badly and his countenance had shrunk. After the fiasco at the airport, he had learned to smoke profusely. This made him look older than he used to be a month before. He had been anxiously waiting for the Colonel to report back to him. While in this restless state, he straightened his bush jacket and kept his head high. When the subordinate came, the General clear
The sky rained hard. Rivers rose and the banks overflowed on all sides. Muddy water rushed strongly downstream, drawing all the debris found on its track, and then dragged them towards the great seas until it finally subsided. Typhoons came and left, and so were the events that had unfolded over time. The headlines flashed with the president creating a fact-finding board composed of lawyers and members of the public. Consequently, a hearing was carried out, but as anticipated, it absolved those who were responsible. The drama was seen as a complete sham, only created to calm down the protests. It also created a reaction from all sectors. Intellectuals whispered. They were however powerless, and their only move was as unsuccessful as the rest of their efforts. They tried the noise campaign but this had neither worked out. Boycotting banks and establishments owned by the cronies were also ineffective as they h
Norwalk, Connecticut. Christmas was in full blast in 1984. Prairies and rooftops blanched with recently fallen knee-deep snow. Despite the cold, children played snowballs while two squirrels frolicked joyfully on a sagging oak tree branch. Yuletide carols resounded all over the land. Inside their home, the Martin family exchanged gifts. JC got a tie from his father and a watch from Joan, his stepmother. His father received a Cuban pipe from him and two shirts from Joan. She, on the other hand, received more: a ring from his father and a golden locket from JC aside from books and chocolates. His sister Jacky had the most gifts. Then they had dinner with grilled turkey. After having dinner and the champagne Joan and Jacky took all the dishes to the kitchen, leaving both of the men at the dining table. Father and son walked toward the window, warmed up against the cold with the fireplace blazing nearby. The previous night they wer
1985 Becky Roberts. The girl with the tape walked the miles, crossed rivers, and penetrated thick cropped trees into the forest. On horseback or water buffaloes were the only transportation available. On the way, she could sense eyes watching but she was advised reassuringly of their presence by her guide. It was creepy. But time and time she saw they were only sentinels guarding the way. The Cordillera guerrilla hideout was not easy to find, whether on land or by air and was ever safe from any outside harassments. It was completely hidden in a vast valley and would require miles and miles of traveling on foot over rugged mountain ranges, through a secret passage. The means of access was a concealed opening on the mountainside. Safety was relatively exceptional. All those years, there were occasional encounters and skirmishes with the monster but f
Celia and Rosemarie went down to the city, on horseback with the sick child. They exited through the secret passage, traveled over hills and mountains, and crossed rivers. They stopped and rested at several points, to see how Jeanie was doing. Her temperature remained high and her shivering never stopped. It pained Rosemarie to see her daughter in this situation. Finally, they reached the highway. They waited for the bus which took them to the city, then transferred to another bus to the hospital. It was an arduous trip with a sick child, oftentimes going slow to check and give her fluids. The horse went back to the Cordilleras with the caretaker. Not very long, they reached their destination. The hospital loomed as a magnificent structure. They entered with hesitation. At the admission section, they talked and haggled with registration. Relentlessly, the
The ambulance in the street was blaring. It was midnight and Gen Ver had no notion as to how this was coming to him. He sat alone in the shadows of his lonely apartment, in exile. No more men to order, no more leaders to follow. You were a loyal soldier . . . a great survivor. A voice came from somewhere inside his mind. Yes, he mused with a cynical smile. I've been a loyal one through and through - but loyalty turned zilch once I lost everything including the honor that I guarded so much. I'd rather die now with honor than to live in the shadow of disgrace. And disgrace hung over his head. He had bungled the plan to eliminate the senator in a very disgraceful way. There was no doubt he deserved to be hanged, to be ridiculed. His intentions had been patriotic, but nothing had gone as he had planned. There had been trials, accusations, and public outrage. He had served the strong man with honor
Hindu hermitage, Himalayas, Nepal. After the wedding celebration, when relatives and friends were preparing to return to their respective homes, JC found time to swing back to the Ashram. He hardly had the chance to talk with the raj guru when there were so many people around during the celebration. He thought that it would not only be a simple parting and saying goodbyes but to be alone with him for the last time. He went there the day following the party. Tessa wanted to be with him and he didn't want to leave her behind. When they stepped into the temple, a certain kind of awe struck him anew. There was a fresh and deafening stillness around. It was unusually strange to be in a place that had amazingly reverted to its usual silence and stillness after the raucous celebration. Suddenly he heard the murmuring of the waters in the river and the sound of silence. All memorie
Himalayas, Nepal. Having the civil wedding in the States was practically out of the question due to the paperwork involved and the visa processing which would have extended it longer. So, they went back to Makati to do it there in one of the courts, in a simple civil ceremony, witnessed by only two required relatives or friends. Then the religious imbroglio came to the scene. There was so much fuss over which religion they should celebrate their wedding ceremony in. Finding a common ground was contentious if not difficult. Tessa Lopez was Roman Catholic and JC's family went to the Evangelical church. To top it all, JC was agnostic. It was tough trying to meet in the middle. After several discussions and deliberations, they ended up having it on neutral ground. And that was to celebrate it in a simple rite in the Himalayas, Nepal. Tessa's parents had eventually given in to
His father's house was a two-story modern building in a classy part of Norwalk. On the ground floor was Doctor Martin's clinic, where he practiced his medicine. They lived on the first floor. The open concept living room was wide and painted white with Renaissance paintings on the wall. The armchairs and the sofa were expensively furnished with upholstery from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Protruding at the back was an elegant glass-covered veranda where the family could frolic in summer. They had dinner in the open air with French wine. Doctor Martin prepared barbecue while Joan was in the kitchen with the salad and dessert. Marinated meat had been taken out and laid for barbecuing. Jacky, Tessa, and JC were seated around the table, chatting and drinking red wine, waiting to be served their first plate. There was Dionne Warwick music from a stereo inside the house that accompanied their celebration.  
JC was triumphant when Tessa agreed to go out with him again. They had dinner and a little stroll. Without fear of any ramifications or punishments from the palace, now she was more confident that nobody would stand in their way when the reason for her rejection existed no more. After dinner, they promenaded along the bay freely. It was a beautiful evening; The sky was cloudless and the full moon shone brightly. The beach was calm and they were walking hand in hand as if they alone existed in the world. The bay was uniquely enchanting. “I used to come here with my dad and mom. We used to have picnics and they'd tell me stories. They called this place the 'Riviera of Broken Dreams'. They had secret names for every place we used to go. “Why the 'Riviera of Broken Dreams'?” he asked. “They said many disappointments in love are poured out here.
Most of the guerrillas in the Cordilleras laid down their arms and started moving back to the city. A handful of them was transformed by the episode, their lives redirected. The change had come and it was time for them to move on with their own lives. The monster had gone. Becky Roberts went back to her province. She might go back to the university and take up Political Science or try to apply for vacancies in the pharmaceutical sector. Celia decided that she too should come back. With Rosemarie gone, she lost hope of staying in the Cordilleras. Jeanie was the reason for her to continue. Tucked by her side, she appeared on Rosemarie's mother's doorsteps for the first time. Shy as she was to show herself, she gathered all her strength for Jeanie. She knew beforehand that there will be an emotional encounter in the beginning. “I am Celia, Rosemarie's sister-in-law and this is
At the hospital, they were all huddled around the bed, JC, Tommy, Carlo, Enlightened, Freedom, and Eloisa´s husband. They congratulated her for having a successful delivery. JC brought a bunch of roses, Carlo some chocolates, and Tommy a box of pizza. Then the nurse came in holding the baby in her hand. “She´s a baby girl,” exclaimed Carlo. “Then, what are we going to name her?” asked Tommy. “How about Voice?” retorted Freedom. “Let´s just make it simple and common, like Maria,” smiled Eloisa´s husband. All of them agreed to simplicity. They said that the child would probably have difficulties in writing it down. And her friends might have some difficulties in remembering it. Then, after a while another nurse came in, she announced, “Doctor Lopez gave this to me. It´s for Mr.
JC left at once, not knowing what would come next. He took the left-wing of the building and out onto the parking space. On turning the aisle to the left, his heart jumped when he sees her face. He asked himself, is this Tessa? Is she real? Yes, it was her. She was wearing a white uniform with a stethoscope hanging on her neck coming his way. She looked the same and was ever lovely. He stopped in his tracks. He was unable to take away his eyes from her demure face, wanting to watch her eternally, his joy matching his desire. She slowed her walking on seeing him and her face lit up. She stood there unmoving, not knowing what to do. As he gazed at her his longing shot through him in the same way as it always did when she was near. Three years had passed and he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her. It seemed she was even more beautiful than ever. In that instant, she was all he had desired.  
The chief editor’s door was closed. Outside, the other workers were wondering about what was going on inside the office. Through the glass window, they could only guess what the fracas was about. JC jumped to his feet, paced then sat down again. He was firm in his stand. What they saw was his hand jabbing in the air to explain something. Even Kate couldn’t make out what it was all about. “It’s me who should go, Mr. McMillan,” he said, insisting. Mr. McMillan remained seated, calm, and cradling a pipe in his hand. “Look JC. There’s a group there who’s after you. And I don’t want you to be harmed.” “I assure you nothing will happen to me, besides the reason has already disappeared. More than two years had passed. Despite the evidence, all those responsible got an acquittal. What is there for them now to go after me?” He blew smoke