Epilogue
"You were so little the last time I saw you." Patricio smiled, looking at Riel. "You look more like Sita than Philip."
"Ano ba talagang nangyari sa magulang namin?" Riel asked. He was young when both their parents died. He remembered his brother telling him that their parents died, he remembered crying, he remembered Rigor comforting him but it was never explained to him how they died. Basta ang alam niya, ang palaging sinasabi sa kanya ng kapatid niya, na si Patricio ang pumatay sa mga magulang nila.
"It's a long and tragic story." Bakas sa mukha ng ginoo ang labis ng pagkalungkot. "I was a good friend of your father. He was my mentor when I was just starting my business. I really looked up to him. He was a very intelligent man."
Nagdilim ang mukha ng matandang lalaki. Humugot ito ng malalim na hininga bago muling nagsalita. "Then he got involved in a huge pump and dump stock scam. Nakulong siya at ako ang sinisisisi niya. Bilang kanang kamay ng daddy mo, alam ko lahat ng ginagawa niya. I knew all about his business ventures. Pinagbintangan niya ako na ako ang nagtip sa mga pulis tungkol doon. And then one day, I got a call from Sita, your mother, telling me that Philip hanged himself in his cell. I went and comforted her and that's when she told me everything. Sinabi niya sa akin na siya ang nag report sa pulis. She did that as a revenge because your father wanted to divorce her. Gusto siyang iwan nito para sa ibang babae."
Riel's head throbbed painfully. He got overwhelmed by everything he'd heard. Everything he believed in since he was a kid was all a lie. "And what happened to my mother?"
"She couldn't take the guilt. Paulit-ulit niyang sinabi na siya ang may kasalanan kung bakit namatay si Philip. She overdosed. I don't know if the guilt drove her to suicide or if it was an accidental overdose."
"I didn't know about that." With his finger tips, Riel massaged his temple. He let out a tired sigh. It felt as if weight had been dropped onto his shoulders hearling all that. It wasn't anybody's fault that their parents died. They both killed themselves and Rigor couldn't handle that fact so he blamed someone else for the death of their parents.
"I didn't kill your parents and I never took anything from you. Lahat ng pera ng daddy mo ay naibalik sa mga may-ari nito na naloko niya sa scam. I tried to reach out to you. Sinubukan kong tulungan kayo noon pero matigas si Leonardo. He hated me, he didn't want any help from me." Patricio explained. "Now I don't want you to think that your mom and your dad were bad people. They were good, wonderful people. Nagkamali lang sila."
He nodded his head, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"Kamusta si Lux?" Riel asked.
"Na trauma siya sa nangyari but she's slowly recovering from it. Kung may kailangan ka, financially or anything, you can call me." Patricio slid a card in front of him. "Ikaw na ang bahala sa kapatid mo. He needs you now more than ever."
"Thank you, sir." Mahinang sabi ko.
"I have to go now." Tumayo ito sa kinauupuan niya at umalis.
He was left alone, trying to take in all the things he found out today. He brushed his fingers through his pounding head.He had a lot he didn't know about his own family. Lahat nang akala niyang alam niya ay kasinungalingan lang pala. He wanted to hate his brother but he couldn't. Hindi ngayon na kailangan na kailangan siya ni Rigor.
Makaraan ang ilang saglit, tumayo na siya sa kinauupuan niya at lumabas sa restaurant na iyon. He went to the hospital where his brother was at.
Pumunta siya sa silid kung nasaan si Rigor. Sumilip siya sa maliit na bintana sa may pinto na nahaharangan ng salamin. He was lying on the bed in the corner of the white room. Nakastrap siya sa hinihigaan niyang kama. He swallowed, feeling a lump rising from his throat. It hurted him to see his brother like that.
Pagkatapos magamot ang sugat ni Rigor ay umattend siya ng court hearing sa kasong pagkidnap kay Lux Castellano. He was found not guilty due to insanity and was admitted to a mental institution.
"Mr. Miramontes." Napalingon siya sa nagmamay-ari ng boses na iyon. The guy wearing a white lab coat held his hand out to him. "I am Doctor Lee."
Tinanggap niya ang kamay nito.
"You're Leonardo Miramontes' brother?" He cocked a brow after their hands seperated.
"Yes, doc." Sagot niya. "Kamusta ang kapatid ko? Bakit siya nakatali sa kama?"
"I'm sorry, we had to strap him in his bed. Sinasaktan niya ang kahit sinong lumapit sa kanya." The doctor sighed, shaking his head.
"Ano ba talagang sakit niya?" He frustratedly asked.
"He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia." Sabi ng doktor.
"I'm sorry, doc. Ano'ng ibig sabihin nun?"
"Paranoid schizophrenia is a mental illness in which a person loses touch with reality. In your brother's case, he thinks we're here to torture and kill him." Sabi niya. "He kept mentioning Patricio Castellano. Akala niya mga tauhan kami ng nasabing taong iyon."
"Gagaling pa ba siya?" Riel asked, his eyes averting back to his brother in the white room.
"We'd proper medication and therapy gagaling siya. We'll help him distinguish reality from his delusions. Sa ngayon kailangan niyang manatili dito sa ospital." The doctor said.
"Pwede ko ba siyang makausap?"
The doctor nodded his head. "Why don't you go to the visitation room while we get him ready?"
Isa sa mga nurse ang lumapit kay Riel at sumunod siya dito papunta sa isang kwarto kung saan may ilang mga mesa at upuan. There was a couch and a flat screen tv in one corner of the room. The placed looked nice and comfy. They had nice facilities here and the best doctors.
He sat on one of the chairs and waited for his brother. A couple of minutes later, the door to the room opened.
"BItiwan niyo ako! Mga putangina kayo!" Two guys in white scrubs were holding him while he was in a straight jacket. "Akala niyo hindi ko alam, mga tauhan kayo ni Patricio! Hindi ako tanga!"
Nahagip ng paningin ni Rigor ang kapatid niyang nakaupo sa isa sa mga mesa. He paused for a second and looked at his brother. And then anxiety took over his face.
"Riel! Riel, ano'ng ginagawa mo dito?" Puno nang pag-aalalang tanong nito. The two men brought him to Riel's table and sat him on the chair in front of him. "You're not supposed to be here! May ginawa ba nila sa'yo? Sinaktan ka ba nila? Sabihin mo sa akin... Papatayin ko sila..."
"Kuya..." Riel's voice quivered as he talked. Parang pinipiga ang puso niyang makita ang kalagayan ng kuya niya. The one man he'd always looked up to was in a straight jacket. Pinigil niya ang luha niya. He didn't want to cry in front of him. Kailangan niyang magpakatatag, kailangan ng kuya niya nang masasandalan. "Kamusta ka na?"
"They're slowly killing me, Riel. Kung anu-anong isinasaksak nila sakin. Ayaw akong ipapatay ni Patricio dahil gusto niya muna akong pahirapan." Tiim-bagang na sabi ni Rigor. "Riel, umalis ka na. I don't want them to hurt you."
"They're not going to hurt me." Humugot siya ng malalim na hininga. Siya pa rin ang inaalala ng kapatid niya. "They're here to help you, kuya. You're sick."
"Naniniwala ka sa mga sinasabi nang mga yan?" Rigor looked at him with disbelief. "Alam mong hindi totoo iyon. They're going to kill me and if you don't get out of here, they'll kill you too."
"Hindi masamang tao si Patricio, kuya." Mahinang sabi niya.
"They've brainwashed you!" He tried to stand up from his seat but the man behind him held him down.
"It's all in your mind." Naramdaman na ni Riel ang mainit na luhang namumuo sa gilid ng mga mata niya. "Yung sinasabi mo sa mga doktor na pagligtas mo kay Lux, it never happened. Ibinangga mo ang kotse mo sa poste kaya ka naospital noon, you weren't shot. You dislocated your shoulder. You've never worked for the Castellanos. You've never had a relationship with Lux."
Namimilog ang mga matang tumingin sa kapatid niya. "Ako ang kapatid mo... Huwag kang maniniwala sa mga sinasabi nila. Tauhan sila ni Patricio. They're brainwashing you."
"Pumunta ako sa dating bahay natin kung saan sinasabi mo sa kanilang nakatira ang mga Castellano. Matagal nang abandonado ang bahay na iyon. Walang nakatira doon. It's already deteriorating, the tiles were crumbling and the roof was leaking." Riel was ready to burst into tears but tried his hardest not to. No, not in front of his brother.
Sunod sunod na napailing si Rigor.
"At ang file na sinasabi mong nakuha mo mula kay Patricio..." Ibinaba niya ang hawak niya folder sa mesa at binuksan iyon. "Nakita ko ito. It's all just scribbles.
Bumaba ang tingin ni Rigor sa papel na iyon. Bumaba ang mga balikat nito at napasandal sa kinauupuan. "No..."
"Nasa isip mo lang ang lahat ng iyon, kuya. Noong naaksidente ka sinabi sa akin ng doktor mo na nagsasalita ka mag-isa pero di ko masyadong inisip iyon dahil inisip ko epekto lang nang gamot iyon. May nagreport din sa'yo sa isang restaurant na may kinakausap ka raw kahit wala ka naman kasama."
Muling nag-angat ng tingin si Rigor sa kapatid niya. This time his eyes were sharp with a fury. "Sinungaling... Traydor ka... You're working for the Castellanos, aren't you? Magkano ba ang ibinayad sa'yo ni Patricio para magawa mong traydurin ako? Or maybe you want the money all to yourself that's why you're turning against me."
"Kuya..." Riel buried his face into his palm and began broke down. Awang-awa siya sa kapatid niya. He wished he could do something but only he could help himself.
"Walanghiya ka! Traydor ka!" Tumayo si Rigor. He was ready to charge at Riel when the two men behind him held him back. "Hindi ko akalain na sarili kong kapatid ang tatraydor sa akin! Wala kang pinagkaiba sa mga Castellano!!! Mukha kang pera!"
Riel watched as his brother was being dragged away from him. His own anger drove him insane. He felt helpless, he couldn't do anything to help him. He needed to stay here. He needed professional help.
In life, people are taught that there are seven deadly sins. You all know the big ones... pride, lust, gluttony. But the sin you don't hear much about is anger. Maybe it's because people think anger is not dangerous, that you can control it.
Anger is like a wildfire. It starts with a single ember but with time, it becomes deadly. Spreading and spreading. It will spread and consume everything on its path. It will burn everything around you. Including yourself.
Maybe we don't give anger enough credit.
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