Kasalanan ba na ang isang sundalo ay kasal sa dalawa – isang babae at ang Inang Bayan???
Sadyang mapait ang buhay ng isang sundalo. Walang pinipiling oras ang Diyos kung kailan nya kukunin ang buhay na hiram, mas mabilis matapos ang buhay nila kaysa ordinaryong mamamayan. Ilang beses nyang tinanong ang maybahay kung okay lang ba dito ang maging kawal sya ng bansa. Ilang beses itong nangako, nangako na hinding hindi magsasawa at hinding hindi mapapagod na maghintay hanggang sa kumatok ang kawal sa pintuan ng kanilang tahanan. Napakapait na pangako.
Matapos ang pagmumuni muni ay itinuloy nya ito sa isang liblib na bar sa The Fort. Hawak hawak ni Bong ang CD na iniwan ni Gomez. CD na wawasak sa buhay ng asawa at ng kalaguyo nito sa oras na kumalat ito sa publiko. Dahil sya ay isang secret agent ng pamahalaan ay maaari nyang itakwil ang asawa sa ngalan ng pambansang seguridad sa oras na kumalat ang sex scandal nito. Hinding hindi malalaman ng madla na isang PSG ang asawa ng magandang babae na nasa video. Napabuntong hininga na lang si Bong.
“Manager Skye, Manager Skye!” sigaw ng isang waiter.
“What’s with all the commotion?” usisa ng Bar Manager.
“Si President Gonzales, nandito!” bulong ng waiter.
“Ano?!? Are you sure?”
“Yes po nasa labas po sya.”
Sinalubong ng manager ang Pangulo na abot tenga ang ngiti. Isang malaking karangalan na pumunta ito sa maliit ngunit cozy na bar. Kakaunti lang ang tao sa loob. Binarikadahan ng mga PSG ang entrada ng bar upang walang ibang makapasok. Magalang na pinalabas ang ilan sa mga natitirang panauhin. Ngunit may isang kaluluwa na walang pakialam.
“Sir? Sir? Pasensya na po but you have to go po kasi mayroon po kaming special guest.” sabay turo ng waiter sa kinaroroonan ng Pangulo. Napatingin si Bong at nagulat. Nagkatinginan sila nito. Napangiti ang Pangulo.
“No my boy, it’s okay. I know that guy. Actually, we will have something to talk about.” wika ng Pangulo sa waiter.
Pinaalis ng VIP ang mga nakapaligid na PSG, na tila nagtataka din kung bakit naroroon si Bong. Kinawayan sya ni Ben at ni Dong. Ngumiti ito sa kanila bago sila tuluyang lumabas ng bar. Tanging sila na lamang dalawa ni Bong ang natira. “Follow me.” wika nito sa kanya.
Umakyat sa 2nd floor ang Pangulo at pagkatapos ay sumunod si Bong. Nakatanaw sa terrace ng bar si Gonzales, nakatingin sa mga nagtataasang gusali ng BGC.
“How are you my boy?” tanong ng VIP.
“I’m alright sir.” matamlay na tugon ni Bong.
“Really? I don’t think so. Well, let me get straight to the point.”
“I have a very special assignment for you in the next few days. I think we have a mutual…problem.”
“Problem, sir?” tugon ni Bong.
“Geez this idiot. Don’t pretend. I know everything that is going in this country, and yours is no exception.”
“However, I want to make sure that you are all rested and your mind clear once I gave you this assignment. This is actually an opportunity. An opportunity for you and me.”
“But if you fail. It will be the end of me and the end of you. I might be breathing after that, but you won’t.”
“I will extend your day off for another day. You don’t have to report tomorrow. Go to your home. Don’t waste it here. But it’s up to you.”
“Do you need your wife, or does your wife needs you?” pilyong tugon ng Pangulo.
“Uhmm sir I.. I don’t…”
“You don’t have to explain my boy. You can go now. Rest and clear your mind. It’s gonna be beneficial for you.” putol ng VIP sa kanya.
Nangilabot ang buong katawan ni Bong, sagad hanggang sa kaluluwa nito. Alam ng Pangulo ang lahat. Hindi lang pala ito likas na magaling sa pagpapalakad at pagsasalita, marunong din itong makiramdam sa emosyon ng ibang tao. Tila pakiramdam nya ay pinaglalaruan ng VIP ang kanyang emosyon. Nakakatakot pala ito. Ngunit ang mas nakakapaisip sa kanya ay ang life-or-death assignment na ibibigay nito sa kanya. Isa itong Presidential Order. Hindi nya ito maaaring tanggihan. Paano kung mamatay sya sakaling hindi maging successful ang assignment? Hindi na nya maitutuloy ang paghihiganti. Ang kunin ang buhay ng lalaking umahas sa kanya. At tuluyan nang mapapasakamay ng Michael na iyon ang pagmamahal at ang katawan ng magandang asawa nito. Umalis na ng bar at umuwi ito sa kanilang bahay sa Sampaloc.
Samatala, sa Bahay Pangarap, Palasyo ng Malakanyang…
“Sir, are you sure about this??? I strongly advise that you think twice about it prior to giving him this assignment. This will definitely kill him inside and out!” pagalit na tugon ni Cmdr. Gomez.
“Ahhhhh… yes I am sure. Just convey my orders to him once he report back to work.” pabuntong hiningang sagot ng VIP.
“You are asking now…Why? Why of all the agents, why him?”
“Yes sir, I may be stepping out of line here, but I demand to know why.”
“You should never dare demand something out of your Commander-in-Chief, you know that Victor right? I am the only one who is making demands here. If I am to demand for your life, and for the life of Commander Sanchez, both of you should not think twice. That is Loyalty for the Republic.”
“I apologize from the bottom of my heart sir. Please forget what I said. I should have never said that.” tugon ni Gomez.
“But since you are audacious enough to ask. Well I will grant your request for the sake of our friendship Victor.”
“You know, you are my only friend here in this lonely path of mine in the Presidency. Vultures are circling around me, waiting for the right time to find fault in me and then strike for my worthless corpse. Di naman talaga tao ang turing sa akin ng mga iyan eh. Tingin nila isa lang akong robot, that they can use anytime then dispose when useless. Michael is one of those vultures…”
“But you know what Victor…before I am an older brother to my younger brother, I am a Father. The Father of 100 Million Filipinos out there, struggling everyday to survive. They are my children, those vultures are my children as well, whom I have sworn to protect in accordance with the Constitution. Those vultures are also struggling to survive as well, pero kinakain nila ang katas ng mga mahihirap. And I want to punish them.”
“You know, Commander Sanchez and I, we share the same painful fate. Only I had the worse share of pain. All because of that son-of-a-bitch half brother of mine. It’s time that you know everything Victor, why am I doing this to Bong. Just think of it as hitting two birds in one stone. So that you can guide him well in his assignment. That assignment is not just any assignment. It is a revenge, crafted with many years of patience and pain. All it takes is a spark, to make it all happen.”
“And you are going to use Commander Sanchez as the spark?” tanong ni Gomez.
“Michael…he took everything from me. He took Bong’s wife, the love they share is now hanging by a thread. And do you know what is the most ridiculous of it all? Michael, he don’t care.”
“All he cares about are his pleasures and desires. Even if it destroys the life of others, he won’t care. Just to get what he wants. He caused my mother and sister to die. He took the very last thing that I should have given to my sister. The company that Father has left us.”
At idinetalye ni Pangulong Gonzales ang buhay nito kay Cmdr. Gomez.
Ang ama nila ay ang may-ari ng AsiaNickel Inc., ang pinakamalaking supplier ng Nickel ore (na ginagawang stainless steel). Ang kanyang ina naman ay isang sikat na pianist. Nang magsasampung taong gulang na si Arthur ay may dinalang bata ang ama sa kanilang bahay. Ito ay ang tatlong taong gulang na si Michael, anak ng kanyang ama mula sa kalaguyo nito. Maluwag na tinanggap ng kanyang ina si Michael. Ngunit kitang kita ni Arthur sa mata ng kanyang ina ang labis na hinagpis dulot ng kataksilang ito habang niyayakap ang bunga ng kataksilang iyon.
8 taon ang lumipas ay normal na lumaki si Arthur. Ngunit, kakaiba ang kay Michael. Isa itong spoiled brat, dahil na rin sa pinupukol na atensyon ng ama dito. Lahat ng gusto ay nakukuha ni Michael. Masakit man sa loob nya ay wala na rin syang magagawa sapagkat nagagalit ang ama sa tuwing pinap…