WMS7: Chapter 5

Muli akong namangha sa ayos ng santuwaryo ni lolo. Even the hallway displayed a grandeur design. It's so good to walk on it's  carpeted floor. The paintings from several famous artists were displayed on the wall. Napapaisip tuloy ako kung gaano ba kayaman ang lolo ko pero napaismid din nang maisip ko kung anong grupo mayroon siya. Baka pangungutong lang sa mga miyembro ang pinagmulan niya. Kung tama ang iniisip ko maaring ang perang ibinigay niya na ginamit ko para ipatayo ang resto bar ay baka doon din nanggaling. Kung totoo man ang hinala ko, isasara ko iyon pag-uwi.

We arrived at the huge dining area. There is a long table in the middle na sa tingin ko ay mahigit sampu ang makakaupo dahil sa dami ng upuang nakapaligid dito.

Grandpa is waiting like a king sitting powerfully on his throne. I sneered. Looking at him made me only think of his cult, whatever his group is.

"Come, sit on that chair, Atlas," he called me, gesturing to sit on the seat at the other end of the table facing back the entrance.

'What the heck!' I cursed silently. Paano ba naman kami mag-uusap kung sa magkabilang dulo kami parehong nakaupo?

"This doesn't make sense. Sitting far from each other, how can we talk? Or you don't want to talk to me?" angil ko sa kanya.

Tumawa ito ng bahagya na lalo kong ikinainis.

"Atlas, you didn't change. Calm down. We are here to eat. Besides, mahaba pa ang panahon for us to talk," wika niya.

Padabog akong lumapit at naupo sa itinuro niyang upuan. Agad namang lumapit ang mga katiwala para pagsilbihan ako.

"Thanks, but I can manage," I told them. I'm not used to this kind of treatment. Masyadong pang-royalty. I'm not a king!

"You will get used to it. In the future, you cannot refuse this kind of treatment," puna ni lolo.

"I'm not a disabled person. I grew up doing everything for myself so stop this people to serve me like a king," angil ko ulit sa kanya. Kung hindi lang siguro matibay ang kutsara at tinidor na hawak ko baka durog na sa higpit ng hawak ko sa mga ito.

Grandpa gestured to the servants to stay away from me. Agad namang tumalima ang mga ito pagkatapos iwan ang mga kailangan ko sa aking harapan.

"Now, let's eat!"

"Of course, I'm starving!"

Grandpa chuckled.

"You're nineteen but still acting like a kid. I remember the—

"Enough, Grandpa. I'm eating!"

I don't care if I'm rude to him. Naiinis ako! Kaya ibunton ko na lang sa pagkain and I don't want him to ruin my appetite by reminiscing my childhood because ever since hindi ako naging masaya. I didn't enjoy my childhood and that's because of my father. His nonchalant denunciation that I'm to blame for why our mother died made me sick, but I can't leave Devon.

Luckily, there was Elliot, who is always there to understand me. Hanging out with him sometimes is my escape to an atmosphere away from my Dad. Even so, there is missing deep within me. May kulang sa pagkatao ko and hopefully, I can find that missing piece here in France.

"A penny for your thoughts, Atlas?"

Nagulat ako nang tanungin ako ni Lolo. I looked at him momentarily then look at my plate. Doon ko nakitang tadtad ko na pala ang steak na nasa plato ko. I held a deep sigh.

"Give him another one," wika ni Lolo sa isang servant para palitan ang steak na nasa aking plato.

"No! It's fine. It's still edible." Itinaas ko ang aking kamay para pigilan ang  katulong bago pa man makalapit.

"I can still eat it. There is nothing wrong with it? Why do you asked her to change?" baling ko kay lolo.

"It's not fresh anymore," tugon niya.

"It's better than the streetfoods that I've eaten countless times."

"Okay! It's up to you!" wika niyang may pagsuko sabay kumpas sa katiwala na huwag ng palitan ang aking pagkain.

Sandaling katahimikan ang namayani sa aming dalawa. Tanging tunog ng mga kubyertos ang maririnig sa buong silid.

"How is Devon?"

Bigla'y basag ni Lolo ng katahimikan.

"She's fine!" maikli kong tugon.

"What made you decide to come here?"

"To know the truth."

Sinalubong ko ang kanyang mga titig. Maybe for others, my grandpa is intimidating but for me, he doesn't affect me. Matapang kong tinatapatan ang matiim niyang mga tingin.

"About what?"

"Your group. The mother's slayer. And revenge."

Grandpa took his glass of red wine and drank it but his eyes were still on me.

"I'm impressed. At nineteen, you already have goals like that."

I don't know but I saw amusement on his face.

"I don't want to, but to give Adam Walker the peace he wanted for his whole life," sagot kong matalim ang pagkakatitig sa kanya.

"Then, go for training. I can help you with that. And when the time you're ready, I will introduce you to someone who have the same goal as yours. I think you two will go along together."

Napatigil ako sa balak na pag-inom when I heard what he said.

"How can you say that?"

"Well, both of you are grim, vicious, and unstoppable." malawak ang ngiting tugon ni lolo.

Why he is happy that I have that kind of personality? And that person he said he wanted me to meet. And who that can be?

Aaahh...whoever that is wala akong pakialam. Dagdag palaisipan pa siya sa 'kin. My mind is suddenly in chaos. I feel like there is a lot of secrets to unravel from coming here.

Inilapag ko ang mga kubyertos.

"I'm done!"

I am about to stand up when Lolo's voice echoed in the four corners of this luxurious dining room.

"Manners, Atlas! I'm still eating and you wanted to leave?"

Parang batang bigla akong umayos ng upo dahil sa pagkabigla pero agad nagsalubong ang aking mga kilay na sinalubong ang mga tingin ni lolo.

I smirked at him. "Grandpa, where do you think I got these manners? Isn't it from Adam Walker? Your precious, manipulative son na nagmana sa 'yo."

Grandpa laughed boisterously. Lalo akong nainis.

"After we talk, I'm going to leave. I'll go back to the Philippines," wika ko.

"I don't think you will say that after you'll talk to me. Be mature, Atlas! You are nineteen and at your age, you are supposed to have a concrete plan for your life and Devon," tugon ni Grandpa, but his eyes are on his food.

"Oh, am I not mature enough to condone all the blame that Adam has thrown at me?"

Hindi ko na magawa pang sundin ang 'manners' na sinasabi niya. I don't fucking care if I am rude towards him. All my hatred and resentment toward my Dad slowly escalated. He is a part of it. He tolerated it. All my life, Adam never missed a day to tell me that I was to blame for Mom's death.

"Sa buong buhay ko since Mom died, hindi ko na naranasan i-enjoy ang buhay ko. I felt like I was alone the whole time because I didn't feel someone on my side!"

Grandpa was startled when I slammed my hand against the table. Napaangat naman ang mga kubyertos mula sa mesa at naglikha ng ingay.

"What are you doing, Atlas!"

Tumaas ang boses nito dahilan para patakbong pumasok ang kanyang mga tauhan na may bitbit na mga baril.

Sinalubong ko ang kanyang mga matang nanlilisik sa galit pero agad ding humupa nang walang takot ko itong sinalubong.

"Leave us alone! It's nothing!"

He gestured for his men to leave and slowly sat down in his chair.

"I'm done!" he said gesturing to the servants to clear the table.

"Don't do that again otherwise I will put you in seclusion," he said authoritatively.

I clenched my teeth in annoyance. "Wow! Is that so?"

"Don't take it as a joke, Atlas! If it came to the point that I need to use my people's strength to get you on track, I will do it!"

"Are you challenging me, Louise Diudonne?"

I called him by name para lalo siyang inisin. Napangisi ako!

"If you think that I'm challenging you, will you take the challenge?"

Naglalakad na kami palabas ng magarang kainan. Nakasunod ako sa kanya sa direksyong hindi ko alam.

"We'll talk first, then let's see if you will still take to challenge me," wila nito sabay lakad ng mabilis.

Sa aming likuran nakasunod naman ang ilan sa kanyang mga tauhan. Parang mga bato ang mga mukha at katawan ng mga ito na walang kangiti-ngiti, pati yata pagkurap ng mga mata ay hindi magawa.

'Tsk! I think, I made a wrong decision.'