JACE

ONE

PRIME ROYAL BAR.

It's the same night, boring.

Halos araw araw, no scratch that halos gabi-gabi nasa bar siya. And it bores him to death already.

But he can't complain, ito ang pinili niya. Since he graduated senior high school he takes over the family business.

Actually, hindi Lang naman ang pamilya niya ang may-ari ng bar. It was owned by four families. The Perez, Monteverde, De Larra and Miller. But no one in the other families like to handle this Bar except him.

So siya ang namamahala ng kanilang bar. After all his a party goer anyway, pero noong una Lang iyon. Ngayon inip na inip na siya.

His been handling the business for two years now. He didn't take collage seriously kasi reason niya may negosyo naman na siyang pinagkakaabalahan.

His mother doesn't like the idea of him dropping college. But later on natanggap na din ng Meme niya na hindi siya nag-aral ng college when he manage the business smoothly.

"Hey my men"ani Kimpy.

He met him when his still attending college, Kimpy is his frat brother. Actually nagkakilala Lang silang dalawa dahil naging classmate niya ito sa isang subject niya. Then he recruited him to join thier fraternity and he willingly joined them.

Hindi Pa siya nakakasagot sa pagbati nito ng matanaw niya ang kanyang iba pang mga kaibigan. Ivan, Blaze, Adam, and Ismael. Then Kimpy saw it too and the man just got away in instance.

"Why are you talking to that man?"Ivan Asked when they finally got near him.

Tinignan Lang ni Jace ang papalayong frat brother nagkibit balikat sa kaharap.

"Don't get too close with that guy. Hindi maganda ang reputation niya sa college"babala naman ni Adam.

No one knows that he's really close to Kimpy. No one knows that he's a member of their fraternity.

"How's the business?"Blaze asks later on to change the topic.

"It's good, doing good"bored na sagit niya.

"Kyle should be here and help you. But that man is unstoppable, he really is busy but not in any business but being a police officer"napapailing na turan ni Ivan.

Ivan and Kyle are siblings, but even though they're siblings and their parents are both success in business even Ivan himself is successful Kyle took the other way. Kyle now is a police officer, which is unusual to thier circle.

Sabagay unusual din naman ang bunso ng mga ito. Micah, their youngest become a nun.

"Hayaan niyo na siya. Doon siya masaya"sagot niya nalang.

Sa kanilang lahat siya at si Kyle ang pinakaclose, kahit na magkataliwas sila ng ugaling dalawa. Before they're're inseparable, magka-klase sila mula elementary up to senior high. Naghiwalay Lang sila ng college, Kyle took up criminology while he took business administration but later on drop out in college.

He considered Kyle as his best of friend.

The whole night bores him to death kahit kasama Pa niya ang mga kaibigan niya. Yeah he show them that his happy and bubble as usual as they know him. He cracks some jokes and funny things but deep inside him he feels like his broken inside.

Hindi niya alam bakit ganito ang nararamdaman niya. He had a loving family and a very lovable surroundings. His pampered all his life, pwede Pa nga siyang matawag na spoiled brat. His father spoiled them rotten even though thier mother was against it. Everything he wants he got it, isang lambing Lang niya sa dada nila.

He had everything, but he still feels empty.

.....................

"BANTAY SARADO KA yata ng mga kaibigan mo ngayon, brod"ani Kimpy.

It's two o'clock in the afternoon, his should be still sleeping at the moment. Dahil mamayang gabi magdamag na naman siyang nasa Bar para magtrabaho.

He was called by Kimpy to go in Kimpy's condo dahil hindi sila nakapag usap kagabi, dahil hindi na siya iniwanan nila Ivan.

"They're not"tanggi Lang niya.

Tumungo siya para singhutin ang huling puting pubol sa lamesa. After that he held high his nose while closing his eyes.

Alam niyang nagsasalita si Kimpy sa tabi niya pero hindi niya maintindihan. His head is clouded as usual after taking up drugs. He feels light and that everything around him is good.

"Happy now brother?"ani Kimpy na nginisihan Lang niya habang tumatango.

His taking up drugs every kind of drugs since he was nineteen. And now that his already twenty two his getting used to it. Nakadepende na nga siya dito madalas.

If he feels lonely or weaken he just call his brothers to help him.

Muling nag pot session silang dalawa ni Kimpy, but this time some of thier fraternity brothers came along and joined them. They got wasted in no time, sinabayan Pa kasi nila ng alak.

They're all laughing, dancing and doing nasty things. They even call girls to add nasty in their little world.

Paggising niya kinaumagahan problem arises. Hindi niya alam kung paano niya ngayon ipapaliwanag sa mga magulang kung anong ginagawa niya sa buong magdamag.

His at the police station by the way.

And Kyle, his best of friend was standing outside the prison cell while looking at him.

"Why Jace? Why did you do this s**t?"anito habang nakatitig sa kanya ng masama but at the same time his looking at him with pity and concern.

He can't answer him, nor look at him.

But what makes his situation worse, his parents are just at the back of Kyle. His mother is crying while his father is just looking at him intently.

Inilabas din siya ng kulungan ng mga magulang. Pero hindi ibig sabihin noon wala na siyang kaso.

Last night was the worse of the worse. Bukod sa natuklasan na ng mga magulang niya na gumagamit siya ng pinagbabawal na gamot nasangkot Pa siya sa isang gulo.

Nambugbog sila ng isang kawawang lalaki, reason napagtripan nila. Not only that they raped the girlfriend of that guy. Good thing hindi siya tinuro na nakirape sa babae. Pero guilty siya sa pambubugbog sa lalaki na ngayon Ay agaw buhay sa hospital. Not to mention that his under the prohibited drugs last night.

"I'm so disappointed with you Jace. But this never lessen the fact that I still love you as my son. Sana maging aral mo ito"ani ng kanyang ama ng makalabas na siya ng kulungan.

........................................

"WHAT gotten into your mind Jace? Why did you do that?"sermon sa kanya ng kapatid.

Nakakulong siya ngayon sa loob ng kwarto niya. He doesn't like to talk to anyone right now, but Eunice isn't his big sister if she didn't barge in to his room.

"Just get lost Ate"

Nagtalukbong siya ng kumot para iwasan ito.

"Get lost? Sa ating dalawa ikaw ang nawawala at naliligaw ng landas"sigaw nito na hindi niya pinakinggin.

No one will understands him, no one will listen to his agony. That's what he feels in his life.

"Tumayo ka dyan at ayusin mo ang gulong ginawa mo"hinatak nito ang kumot niya.

Masamang tinignan niya ito.

"I said get out!"

Natigilan ito at nahihindik na nakatitig siya sakin. I don't care if he hurt his sistercs feeling. Masyado na kasi siyang pakialamera. His gotten into his nerves already and his fist of it.

"Your not my brother anymore. Kace wouldn't Dare to shout at me like that"anito na lumuluha bago siya iwanan.

Naiinis na nahiga at nagtalukbong siya ng kumot. Why don't they understand him, all he wants is to be alone. Iyon Lang pero hindi Pa nila maintindihan.

Then bumukas ang Pinto ng kwarto niya. Maharas siyang bumangon at sinigawan ang bagong pasok. But he froze when he learned that it's his mother who open tge door of his room.

"I just want to see if your okay and I want to bring you food anak"mahinahon na sagot ng kanyang ina.

Ipinatong Lang nito ang dalang tray na may pagkain sa side table niya at tinalikuran na siya. He heard his mother silently sobbing while walking towards the door.

Kahit masungit ang meme niya, mahal niya ito. And he can't take to see his mother crying.

In that he get up and run towards his mother and hug her.

"Sorry meme, I'm really sorry"

They both sobbing, but his mother never speak to him after that.

....................