Old Clothes and Stale Coffee

Chapter 64

Chapter 64 

I flipped throught the professor's journal ang found an entry on his birthday.

June 18, 20XX

Maganda ang araw na `to. Nagulat ako paggising ko, amoy sunog, kaya nagmamadali ko’ng ginising ang mga bata at bumaba sa kusina kung saan namin nakita si Louie na nagsasayang ng tinapay. May isang tambak ng inuling na tasty sa tabi n’ya.

Well, at least he tried.

Binati n’ya `ko ng ‘happy 18th birthday’ at nag-sorry sa pagiging pabigat n’ya sa buhay namin ng mga pamangkin ko. Nagyakapan pa kami na parang mga tauhan sa isang tele-serye.

Honestly, kung `di lang s’ya kasama sa habilin sa `kin ni kuya, matagal ko na s’yang nilason.

And I wouldn’t be caught either, magiging legal guardian pa `ko ng mga pamangkin ko, lalo na nang napaka cute ko’ng bebe Meme na habang tumatagal, eh, lalong nakakamukha ni kuya. 

Sa sementeryo kami nag-celebrate para sa unang anibersaryo ni kuya.

I stared at the entry.

It seems, his brother died on the day of his birthday.

I skipped a page glorifying his 2 year old niece and a story about how his niece and nephew baked him a cake. 

Sa trabaho naman, for the first time in 3 months, kinausap din ako ni Dome! Nagustuhan n’ya ata ang regalo sa `kin nina Blessing na cologne, at humingi pa ng baon ko’ng cake na gawa ng mga bata. He seems to like sweets, particularly chocolates. Sa susunod dadalhan ko s’ya ng pasalubong.

Maganda talaga ang araw na ito. Kahit pa ngayon ang kamatayan ni kuya.

I went on reading. The professor described how he and his DOME got closer. He wrote how he slowly taught Dome how to use his pheromones as a weapon, as well as a way to charm the other researchers.

‘May natuklasan ako kay Dome. May calming pheromones s’ya, at pati ako, naaapektuhan nito, although kaunti lang. Tinuruan ko s’yang gamitin `to, using the alpha staff as our test subjects. Nakakatuwa kung paano n’ya napapaikot ang mga loko sa pamamagitan lang ng amoy. We could use this to our advantage to make them treat Dome better. He just needs to learn to control his main pheromones with deadly precision para magpabagsak ng alpha. `Yun ang gusto nila, isang omega weapon against alphas, and they will get what they want, as well as what they deserve.’

Yes, he was even the one who the DOME him how to kill.

It was one of the instructions from some general in the military which wanted to use the DOME as a weapon.

But he didn’t simply teach him how to use his omega pheromones.

He manipulated him, put things into his head, telling him that a dominant omega is far greater than an alpha can ever be. That no one has the right to hold him against his will in that accursed facility.

In short, he turned the weapon against those who wanted to use it.

I was starting to understand why Prof. Antonio felt so guilty when his DOME actually killed all the people in that place, no matter how much he despised them all.

He was the only person Dome trusted, after all. The DOME only listened to his instructions, and from the professor’s notes, I would even surmise that the whole project was run by him alone.

The head of the facility, the one called Dr. Webb or 'Gagamba', was out of the country most of the time. He only stayed in the facility for a year before leaving everything to Prof. Antonio who was his  protégé, and simply coordinated with the professor through the internet to get updated about the project.

All the while, the professor bided his time, feeding his DOME bits of information on how to esacape the facility and where to go once he sets himself free.

Until his DOME actually made his move 5 years later.

Aug 25, 20XX

All hell broke loose.

Birthday ni Dome. May importante raw na darating sa araw na `yun, and since pang gabi ako, eh, ni `di ko alam kung sino ang lokong bisita.

May dala pa ako’ng triple chocolate cake with matching 21 candles para makapagcelebrate kami sa glass room niya, pero pagdating ko sa facility, nagulat ako nang makita na walang kailaw-ilaw ang lugar. Lalo akong nagulat nang lumabas si Dome mula sa anino ng gusali.

“Professor, I’m finally free.”

`Yun ang unang sinabi n’ya sa `kin.

May mantsa ng dugo ang suot n’yang puting hospital gown at nanginginig ang katawan n’ya. Agad ko s’yang nilapitan at tinanong kung ano ang nangyari.

Kinausap daw s’ya ng demonyong heneral, sinabi n’ya rito na gusto na n’yang umalis sa facility dahil 21 na s’ya, of legal age, at illegal detention ang ginagawa nila – this was something I taught him matapos makausap ang bayaw kong abogado.

Ayaw daw pumayag ng heneral, kaya pinabagsak n’ya ito, pati na rin ang mga kasama nitong mga sundalo.

Tapos noon ay kinuha daw n’ya ang baril ng isa sa mga sundalo at isa-isang pinagbabaril ang mga walang hiyang researchers na limang taong bumaboy sa kanya sa loob ng facility na `yon.

”Ikaw lang ang tinira ko, professor.”

Kinilabutan ako sa sinabi n’ya.

Naisip ko, anong klaseng halimaw ito’ng ginawa ko?

Ang tanga ko lang. `Di ko naisip na isang weapon si Dome, and that we were making him even more dangerous than he already is.

Ba’t `di ko naisip na maari n’yang gawin ang mga binulong ko sa kan’ya?

Pero hindi ko talaga inakala na magagawa n’yang pumatay ng tao, pati na ang mga personnel sa facility na hindi alpha. Inisip ko na patutulugin n’ya lang ang mga ito o pababagsakin.

“Since ikaw lang ang may alam sa DOME research, hindi ka nila p’wedeng itumba. And since wala nang haharang sa `kin, p’wede na akong pumunta kahit saan ko gusto.”

`Yun ang inakala niya.

“Sa tingin mo ba matatakasan mo ang Universal Laboratories? Pati na rin ang gobyerno? Sigurado hahantingin ka ng mga pulis at sundalo, dahil pumatay ka ng kabaro nila!”

“Subukan lang nila ako’ng lapitan!” pagyayabang pa n’ya.

Binatukan ko nga ang loko.

”Hindi lang alpha ang hahabol sa `yo! Mag-isip kang mabuti, gusto mo bang tumakbo habang buhay? Kaya mo ba?”

Buti nga at natauhan ang loko. Nag-isip na lang kami ng paraan para makalusot s’ya sa ginawa n’yang m******e.

Tinawagan ko agad si Gagamba. Nakipag-deal kami sa militar. Nag-iisa s’yang DOME sa Pilipinas, maybe even in the whole of South East Asia. Marami pa silang balak sa kan’ya. Kailangan lang n’yang mag-compromise ng kaunti.

Nagalit s’ya sa `kin nang sabihin ko `yun.

”Ayoko nang magpakulong sa kanila!” sabi n’ya.

Buti na lang at napilit ko pa s’yang pumayag, pero `di ko s’ya napigilan nang bumalik s’ya sa loob ng facility para sirain at sunugil ang lahat ng research na pinaghirapan ng team namin for the past 5 years. But not before I took some samples and specimens for my own use.

Sana lang ay kumagat ang mga heneral at pumayag sa mga kundisyon ni Dome.

Obviously, the professor and his DOME succeeded in making a deal with the government. It seems the army really had high expectations for their DOME, or rather, the United States Army.

They sent the DOME to the US to go against radical alpha groups and to work directly under Dr. Webb  who conducted more DOME experiments, but this time, with the DOME’s consent.

This was also the time when the professor got a Neuro chip implanted in his skull and was forced to follow their conditions in exchange for the welfare of his brother’s family.

He was strictly prohibited to contact his DOME in any way, conduct any more experiments concerning Dominant Omegas, and leave Universal Laboratories for the rest of his life.

‘Wala na ako’ng kawala ngayon. Mabubulok na lang ako sa putangingnang kumpanya na `to hanggang sa mamatay ako. Pero mas mabuti na `yun. At least alam ko’ng malaya na si Dome. Hindi na s’ya magpapakulong, o magpapagamit na lang basta-basta. Tutulong na rin s’ya sa ibang mga omega, tulad ng tinuro ko sa kan’ya.

Ako naman ay mananatili rito, sa kulungan ko’ng walang rehas, para pagbayaran ang mga kasalanan ko.

Twenty two people. 14 researchers and 8 guards and staff. Mga demonyo sila, oo, pero mga tao pa rin na may sari-sariling mga pamilya. Nasa balikat ko ang pagkamatay nila dahil sa mga kalokohang pinasok ko sa kokote ni Dome.

Hindi ko na sasabihing `hindi ko akalaing gagawin n’ya iyon’.

Alam kong kaya n’yang gawin iyon, and deep inside, I confess, I wanted him to kill them all.

None of that would have happened if it wasn’t for me.

Then again, he never would have been given his freedom if not for that incident, and for that alone, I regret nothing.

Just let me pay for my sins for the rest of my life, and for his, as well.

This is enough for me.

That was the last entry in the journal which lasted for almost 5 years.

It looked as if it came from different notebooks which were binded together into one, judging from the different design of the lined pages.

After reading the journal, I went back to the professor’s secret room and dropped it at the back of his DOME’s  refrigetator where it was once again, lodged between the fridge and the wall.

I went back to the laboratory to continue the experiment I left and waited for my professor to return.

Now, at least, I know more about him.

His passion, his struggles, his hopes and his helplessness; they only made me respect the professor even more.

If staying here in the Philippines is what he thinks he deserves, then I shall stay here with him.

I will not, could not leave him any longer. I will stay by his side for as long as I live.

This is enough for me.