Pain's Rule

XII

Chapter 12

Dela Viego’s Girl

FLASHES of camera would be the ones greeting you, the moment you get out of your car. A long red carpet awaits heading to the uphill which is the way up to the castle-like venue that is probably the brightest place in the compound.

And when you reach the grand entrance, there are guards wearing black tux, assisting anyone to enter the grand doors.

A classical Italian music greets everyone. It goes along with the Venue’s inspired Italian Scenery. If you walk few more steps from the main hall, there is a grand doors opened, leading a way to the grand canal which is the main venue of this night’s party.

There boats strolling the long canal and on each sides are the buildings inspired from Italian town.

There is a huge screen in front of the canal that is probably meant for viewing.

Everyone is loving this Italian Vibe of the Venue.

Samantala, hindi maiwasan ni Rage ang mapangiti habang nakatingin sa mga bisita nilang mga may-ari din ng mga naglalakihang business dito sa bansa at maging sa ibang bansa. It’s his family’s pride to be this known in the business industry.

“Engineer!” napahinto siya nang tinawag siya ni Mario at nakasunod naman si Andrea sa kanya.

“…The man of the hour, my son who is behind the success of this company for this year.”

Inayos namanni Rage ang kanyang tindig nang mamukhaan niya ang mga founders ng Prieto—Sina Mr. Alberto Prieto at Angelo Prieto na siyang bago nilang ka-sosyo sa negosyo ngayon.

“Mr. Rage, it’s nice to see you again…” nakipagkamayan si Rage sa dalawang italianong lalaki na kausap ni Mario kanina.

“Our boss liked your idea,” aniya ni Angelo

“Thank you,” Rage humbly said.

“You are lucky, you have such brave sons. I have you have three?” napatanong naman si Alberto.

“Yes. Rage is my youngest son, he’s an engineer and a businessman. He’s so much like me,” natutuwang saad naman ni Mario. “I also have a son who is a doctor, his name is Wrath, o the man over there…” napaturo si Mario sa gawi kung saan niya nakita si Wrath na nakasuot ng creamy tuxedo at nakasalamin pa. “He’s probably the one I can call genius one among them but he chose a different career. But I am proud of him…”

“And the other one?” sumunod na tanong ni Alberto.

Hindi pa man din naitatangka ni Mario ang sumagot nang biglaan silang nabulabog ng music na pagkaingay-ingay at sumisigaw pa.

From Italian Classical Music to a Death Metal Music, the sound system just changed swiftly.

Nabaliang ang atensyon ng mga tao nang namkakita siya ng lalaking nakatayo sa banka habang ito ay naglalayag sa canal.

Saktong palapit naman na ang banka sa harapan nina Mario at tumigil pa nga ito.

“What’s up Mother f—ckers!” he greeted them so loud.

“Rock and Roll every one!” sigaw pa nito na dahilan kung bakit na-hype ang mga bisita. Some of the crowd loved the music of his entrance, some people didn’t like it like Rage whose mood is now ruined.

Napapikit mata na lamang si Mario at nilagok lama ng champagne sa kanyang wine glass.

“He’s cool!” natutuwang sabi pa nina Angelo.

Pagkababa naman ni Pain sa Bangka ay kaagad siyang kumuha ng champagne sa waiter na dumaan sa harapan niya.

“Pain!” napahinto siya nang tinawag siya ng pamilyar na boses na iyon.

“Oh, Emilia, ang ganda mo naman…” bati naman nito sa kanya. Hindi naman mapigilan ni Emila ang mapangiti sa bungad nito.

This is Emilia, a smart and business minded girl. She belongs to the same league where Pain is.

Emilia has been Pain’s friend ever since they were kids. Bukod sa myembro ng board member ang mga magulang ni Emilia ay malapit na kaibigan ng Mommy ni Pain ang kanyang Mommy.

And all these years, Emilia had feelings with Pain.

Kung good qualities ang usapan, marahil na kay Emilia na lahat. Despite of her being an elite one, she’s humble and she’s so simple and that everyone admires her. She’s an independent and a very beautiful woman.

“What a cool way for you entrance this year,” she commented.

“Well, you know me, I have a lot of surprises!” he proudly said.

“Oh, here goes my darling…” bigla namang nilagpasan ni Pain si Emilia at naglakad upang lapitan ang isang babaeng palakad sa kanilang gawi.

Hindi naman kagulat-gulat kay Emilia na makita si Pain na may kasamang babae. In fact, she’s used to it. Hindi na rin siya nagugulat na paiba-iba ng babaeng kasama ito.

She’s already aware of his rule that once a girl kisses him back, they will become his girl.

If only Pain would kiss her, then she would definitely kiss back.

But Pain has never attempted to do that.

***

“ARE you okay?” Napkunot-noo nalang si Pain nang mapansin niyang pangalawang beses na ni Juvia ang kamuntikan nang matapilok.

“Hindi nga ako sanay!” reklamo naman ni Juvia.

“Hindi ka pa lasing niyan, pagewang-gewang ka na…”

“Mauna ka na nga kasi maglakad,” aniya Juvia.

“Hindi nga puwede kasi girlfriend kita, dapat sabay…” nilahad naman ni Pain ang kanyang braso. “I’ll lend you my expensive arms…”

Napatingin pa si Pain sa kanya dahil hindi ito kumibo kaya naman napilitan siyang kunin ang nanlalamig na kamay at ipakapit ito sa kanyang braso nang sila ay magkalakad.

“Your hands are cold, are you dead? Did I bring a zombie?”

“Ikaw ba naman humarap sa mga taong ‘to? Parang pumasok ako sa vault ng ginto.”

“Really?” he smirked. “These people aren’t gold, they are trash…”

“Ha?” hindi naman naintindihan kaagad ni Juvia ang sinabi ni Pain. Huminto sila sa isang high tables na may nakahandang bottled wine at dalawang wine glass. They found a good position near the canal.

“My family is the dirtiest trash here,” dagdag pa nito. “So I wanted to clean them up.”

“May galit ka ba sa mga magulang mo?”

“Meron? Pero mas malaki pa sa inaakala mo,” ngumisi siya. “By the way, I don’t think that I still have a family. My Mom was my only family. My father belongs to a different family so basically, I’m alone,” he shrugged his shoulders as if those words were nothing.

Sa hindi malamang dahilan ay natahimik si Juvia. With all his naughtiness and his tricks, she didn’t see this coming—a painful past from someone whose name is Pain.

“My happiness is the pain of others,” mahinang saad pa nito.

She was caught off guard staring at him when Pain suddenly gazed back as he caressed her cheeks that was enough to make her froze.

“…and this family will know…pain” those words were terrifying but he is smiling.

“What the hell are you thinking!?” bigla silang binulabog ng isang boses.

“I’m having a sweet talk with my girl, what are you doing?” binaling naman ni Pain ang kanyang titig kay Rage na parang naguusok na sa galit.

“I spared Dad of his anger from coming and talking to you…” he said.

“Okay then be angry to me, come on, bro…” Pain spreads his arms as if he’s inviting Rage for a fight.

“You know what? You’re the most immature person I’ve ever met in my entire life!” lumapit si Rage na nakaigting ang panga kay Pain.

Parang gusto nang magpakalayo ni Juvia dahil nararamdaman na niya ang tension sa dalawa. He never heard of this cold relationship among the brothers, well she didn’t know much about this family after all.

“I don’t see why I am immature,” nakangiti pa rin si Pain na parang hindi nasisindak sa mga sinasabi sa kanya ni Rage.

“Is bringing my girlfriend bothers you? Why? Do you like her? I saw you talking to her at the site—”

Napatakip sa bibig si Juvia nang bigla nalang siyang suntokin ni Rage at nabagsak ito sa sahig.

Agad na nilapitan ni Juvia si Pain pero napahinto ito nang masilayan niya ang ngiti nito kahit may kaunting dugo na sa gilid ng kanyang labi.

Napatingin naman ang mga bisita sa kanila. Juvia saw a worried woman rushing here.

“Ano’ng nangyayari?” agad na hinawakan ng babae si Rage pero hindi ito sumagot at sunod-sunod ang paghinga nito.

“What is this, Rage?” lalong kinabahan si Juvia at nanatiling nakayuko nang sumunod na lumapit ang pinaghihinalaan niyang Ama nila.

“He said that I do not deserve to be your son and my Mom is just a mistress…” hindi makapaniwalang nag-angat ng tingin si Juvia nang biglang naiyak si Rage sa harapan ng matandang lalaking bagong dating lang.

“So I lost my temper and punched him…Sorry, Dad.”

“It’s okay, Rage…just cool down for a while.” Anito sabay tinapik pa ang balikat ni Rage. Unti-unti namang nanumbalik sa party ang atensyon ng iba na para bang wala lang nangyari.

Napatayo na rin si Juvia nang bigla namang tumayo si Pain.

“You’re lucky enough to do this in a party,” may halong pagbabanta ang boses ng matandang lalaki na lumapit kay Pain na nakangiti pa rin hanggang ngayon.

“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Juvia…” hinatak pa ni Pain si Juvia upang ipaharap sa mag-asawa.

“You bastard!” nagawa naman nitong hinaan ang boses niya pero natatakot ang babae na kumapit sa braso nito upang pakalmahin.

“Mario, tama na ‘yan…huwag dito…”

“Thank you…” Pain said.

“Let’s go, darling…” hinigit ni Pain ang kamay ni Juvia at naglakad palayo sa kanila.

“Ano bang naiisip ni Pain at nagdadala siya ng kung sino-sino sa party na ito!” inis pa ring saad ni Mario kahit nakalayo na si Pain.

“I will definitely punish him for embarrassing Rage. Ano nalang ang iisipin ng mga bisita natin? Na basagulero ang anak ko!?”

“Tanongin muna natin si Rage kung ano nga ang nangyari. Hindi naman natin nakita ang lahat,” ang sabi naman ni Andrea.

“Bakit ba kinakampihan mo nalang lagi si Pain? He is not your own son…”

Tila natahimik naman si Andrea sa sinabi ni Mario sa kanya. “I’ve always wanted to send Pain away from here if he’s not interested in the business because I have a feeling that he will ruin everything. Pero lagi mo nalang akong pinipigilan.”

“Dahil anak mo siya at hindi gawain ng isang magulang na palayasin ang anak nila.”

***

“SIR Pain…” Alfred’s voice was Pain’s cue to wipe his tears. He sniffed and cleared his throat before facing Alfred. “What is it, Alfred?” he asked in a formal tone.

“Kanina ko pa po kayo hinahanap. Hindi po dapat kayo bigla-biglang naglalayas nang gano’n.”

“I know you will find me, Alfred…its fine,” he faked a smile.

But Alfred knows Pain’s just faking everything because the day that his mother died, all he saw from his eyes…is pain.

While Pain might still be suffering from his Mother’s death, his dad is busy rebuilding a new family for himself. It was just a year after his mother died his dad brought a kid who is younger than him. But they didn’t get along. Few more years later, he flirted with one of his maids and married her after knowing he got her pregnant.

Napatingala si Pain sa matayog na building ng Fiore. “It is my desire to watch this building in ruins…”

Napaawang ang bibig ni Alfred sa narinig niya kay Pain.

“I’m tired of crying while they are all laughing because Rage is born…”

“You know, your mother never taught that to you…” saad naman ni Alfred.

“Mom taught me how to be happy and love…she only taught me the good things, Alfred. But these people taught me pain.”

Umupo si Alfred sa tabi ni Pain at pinunasan ang luha nito. It hurts him to see a fourteen year old kid who is a motherless and is hurting by his own family.

“Pain…is something found in everything in this world, Sir…” he smiled. “But pain sometimes brings something more worth it…”

“Pains aren’t always awful, there are good pains and precious pains like yours…” he pointed his heart. “This heart might be in Pain…but you will rise from it.”

***