Chapter 5
1370 Words
MATT JUST DISMISSED and wiggled his head, he reached out for his phone in his pocket and dialed a number. “Hey, yeah, uncle?” then there was a bit of a silence and he can see those two guys mouths beginning to drop. “Yeah, I know there is what we called patient privacy, and so I’m actually the patient and I want to let my brothers know about my situation, so they can be a little bit of responsible for the future. Will that be possible?”
Then there’s another pause. “Yeah, can you talk to them? Can you explain to them how extremely serious this is?”
Another pause. “Okay, okay, here,” Matt handed his cellphone to the both. It was Logan who grabbed the phone first.
“What’s happening to Matt, uncle?”
And then another pause.
“Are you joking?” saad ng kapatid sa kausap. Another long pause.
“What’s happening?” it was Carter whose curiosity now got aroused. Logan briefly handed the cellphone to him. Logan’s eyes now grew more shrewd, more focused, it was directly looking at him.
“What he is telling us, when did this happen?”
“It doesn’t matter,” iling ni Matt, and his jaw tightened, “but I don’t have so much time anymore.”
“You can have a treatment?”
“And what if it doesn’t work for me, it will get worse. I’m already in the worse stage by the way.”
“But you don’t look like it,” iling ni Logan, “there must be signs!”
“Last time I checked Logan, you’re a professor, not a doctor,” pagtiim lang ni Matt.
“But how about mom?” Carter’s eyes were bleak, still processing, “Bro, this is f*cking real, then-“
“In anyway, in any chance, by any circumstance, I believe it’s not best to tell mom. This should have been a secret by the way, but I’m thinking about our family’s future. The Vallejo’s future.”
Napatahimik ang dalawa. “So you plan on dying on your own?” himig ni Logan.
“I’ll die in Switzerland, in a few months time. I’m planning so. When that happens, you’ll receive a note in your phones, and then you’ll proceed with your life.”
Napanganga ang dalawa, Carter’s jaw clenched, in a hushed tone, “You can’t do this.”
“That’s why the two of you are here, I need to set a few things.”
Nagkatinginan si Logan at Carter, and then to him.
“What do you want us to do?”
Matt’s jaw relaxed. “First of all, I don’t want our mom to know about this. I’ll tell her in time, when the season is right. Second, I’ll create a will, that whoever can bring between the two of you, a child, will receive a billion and sixty percent of the company shares. The other brother will cater to the forty, aside from the allowances and bonuses you’ll be receiving.”
“What?!” sabay ni Carter at Logan.
Napailing ulit si Matt. “Kung sinong makapagbibigay ng anak sa inyong dalawa sa pinakamabilis na panahon, ay siyang mag mamay-ari ng malaking porsiyento ng kompanyang itinatag ng ama natin. That’s the most fairest I can think.”
“Fair?” usal ni Logan. “You want us to, what…breed ourselves, for what?”
“Well, Logan, the Vallejo needs an heir. Mamamatay na ang isa sa atin, and the two of you,” napailing siya, “I don’t know what you’re doing with your life, but unless you create a family then you’ll become responsible. Plus, it continues our lineage.”
“Whoever gets to give the heir, doesn’t have to run the company, I mean, if you think you can’t. May ite-train ako para maging advisor niyo, a good one. You’ll be in good hands. But what I want you to do, the both of you, is to stop acting soon like what you’re doing with your lives now.”
“But where doing nothing wrong with our lives now,” mapait na tono ni Carter, magkadikit ang kilay. “Hindi ko alam na nakakabaliw na pala ang cancer-“
“You think nothing’s wrong with your life, Carter?” himig ni Matt.
“Oh, don’t get me started-“ hapyaw nito.
“You should start seeing someone good now, Carter,” ani Matt, “unless you want to bear an heir with a, you know, like the recent scandal actress you’ve been with.”
“Stop, Matt-“ pigil ni Logan ng makita nilang napatayo si Carter, nakakuyumos ang palad-
“Bakit hindi ka manalamin, Matt? You think you’re the greatest? Huh! Eh ikaw din naman, what have you been doing with women?!”
Medyo napapalingon na sa kanila ang mga tao, dahilan para hilahin ni Logan pababa si Matt.
“Why are we even talking here, we should be somewhere more private-“ Logan muttered.
“Just think about it Logan, you can do a good job. Or maybe Matt can outrun you?” ani Matt.
It was Logan’s face now to turn disgusted. “You’re getting this whole thing messed up, bro. Matt, remember, this is not about just money or the company or anything, this is about your life. And just because this is happening, doesn’t mean you can pull it up on us-“
“Just think about mom, you living your lives like this? After this, I’m sure she will grieve if I’m gone. So I’m thinking, maybe one of you could make her happy, even once, right? Tutal yun naman yung minsan ay pinapahapyaw niya sa atin. An heir.”
“Just think about it,” ani Matt. He ushered the waiter to pay the bill, he just saw his brothers staring at him like an apparition.
“No, Matt,” iling ni Logan. “You’re getting crazy.”
“You know how to reach me,” Matt nodded, standing swiftly. Carter is left in the corner, still clenching his fist.
“What happens?” pahabol ni Carter. “What happens if we don’t do anything? If we just, just go with our lives-“
“Then everything that I’ve worked for, will go in someone else’s hands, and that will be the most unfortunate of all. Do you really want that to happen?” ani Matt. “And do you really want me to hand you guys everything all over for free? You should work hard for it.”
“So you want us to just impregnate any woman?” Logan was ashen, “that’s what you call working hard, brother?”
“No,” iling ni Matt, “I want you to experience life, Logan. If I don’t instruct you both, then God knows when or the devil, kung kelan pa kayo bubuo ng pamilya? Maybe when you’re fifties, and that’s what, like twenty plus years more? This is a critical time. Hindi ako nagbibiro, I can’t continue this lineage anymore, someone else should step up and preserve what’s ours. I’ve built the Vallejo industries from the ashes, and I don’t want to lose it by a blink of an eye, just because I have two brothers who will just continue their ways of life.”
“Fair enough,” ani Carter.
“So when I say bring me an heir, bring me the best. This is blood in our line, Carter, Logan, I’m not even joking.”
“Why don’t you impregnate anyone, and then you bear an heir yourself?” Logan mused.
“And leave the child fatherless?” himig ni Matt. “Pano kung mag-asawa ng iba bigla yung babae, eh sa iba pa napunta ang bata?”
The two bobbed their heads again, like being defeated in acceptance that they can’t win against him.
“Fair enough,” it was Logan’s turn now. “What can I say, you’re the great Matt Vallejo.”
“The Matt Vallejo, whose dying…” himig niya.
And in an uncanny moment, their glasses clinked in a cheers, like it was a news that could change their lives.
- Writer
