Chapter VI: Past and Present

                It was a lazy Sunday morning for the reunited couple. Marian, just in her night gown, was still asleep underneath the covers of the bed. A smile was etched on her face as she gripped the pillow beside her. The steady humming of the air-conditioner resonated inside the bedroom. Matt’s baggage laid carelessly by the foot of the bed.

                Outside the bedroom, the sound of the television reached all the corners of the house.  It was tuned in a channel broadcasting the Sunday mass. Other than that, the place was quiet. Matt stood by the window, overlooking the backyard where Marian planted her flowers. All sorts of things ran through his mind while he drank a dark blend of coffee from Marian’s mug. He wore nothing but his boxers.

                So many things I need to do… he thought. The time for taking it easy had passed. He was near completion of a five-year quest to turn his life around. The mob, the family business, all that bloodshed, finally, he could say good riddance to it all. He will return to his father as a new man. He will finally erase the bloody legend he left during the wars he fought in. Matthew Santino reborn as Matthew Cross.

               

  Cross isn’t just a name he came up with lightly. Matthew had a really complicated past. Cross was the surname of the late Colonel Nathan Cross of the United States army, his biological father. Matthew’s mother died during childbirth. And when Matthew was in the tender age of eight, his father died in a fire. His father, a retired army officer from a foreign land, no matter how much he tried to remember, he couldn’t come up with a face. The only thing reminding him of his childhood before everything else went to hell was the dog tags he wore on his neck. One with his name and the other was his father’s.

             

   It was difficult for him, trying to remember the happier times only to come up with a blank. Maybe it was his brain’s only way to cope. After all, how can he regret something he can’t remember?

         

       Matthew spent the rest of his childhood inside the orphanage. He could distinctly remember an old woman spanking him and his fellow orphans with a wooden ruler when they misbehaved. His friends often fantasizing about being adopted by some rich and loving couple. It was all they could do. Who would adopt them? They had nothing to offer. It was the harsh reality Matt kept telling himself when he was a kid. He never dealt with fantasies, always reality. But he never crushed his friends’ dreams. Maybe hope is what they needed to survive, Matthew could never comprehend it.

               

  It wasn’t long before he got tired of the sermons, the punishments and torments of their evil care-taker. Still, he was just a kid. All he could’ve done was run away and never look back. Now as an adult, he wonders about the old orphanage. Did his friends ever get adopted? Are they still alive? What about the old hag? He swore to himself he would never return to that place. It was a promise he intended to keep yet sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder.

              

  At the age of twelve, he ran to the streets. Reality became harsher and harsher as each second passed. It was with combined skill and luck, an enormous amount of luck, that he made it this far in life. The streets became a monster and a mentor to him. He learned the art of surviving the urban jungle. He learned how to prey on the careless and unsuspecting. His hands became quick and his feet quicker. He spent seven months of his life as a child thief, pickpocket and scoundrel. It was his first steps towards the life of crime.

               

  All of that changed when he met Alphonse. Matthew closed his eyes, the scenario played inside his mind like it was yesterday. The memory was like a fresh wound to him.

                It was late at night, probably around eleven. His stomach growled of hunger as he strode down the barely-lit ally-ways of Makati. He wore a black hoodie he stole from a garage sale and it had been days since he last had a shower. Alone and cold, all Matthew could think of that moment was getting something inside his belly.

             

   As fate would have it, there was small family-owned market across the street. Better yet, it was still open!  His feet moved on its own as he approached the glass window. Matt pressed his dirty hands on the glass, as if trying to reach for the apples and mangos displayed on the other side.

              

  From the counter, just a few meters away, the store owner, a middle-aged man with a big and bushy moustache glared at Matt. The young boy was already used to such looks and he knew what it meant. Matt continued his stroll, right up until he was out of sight.

              

  The streets had taught him to be nimble as he reminded himself of what he had learned. One, there’s always another door and two, there’s always a way out. Matt scanned the area, as if checking if the coast is clear. As soon as he was sure, he ran towards the stone wall, leaped in the air and grab hold of a reachable window sill. Using his strength and sheer willpower, he hoisted himself up like a monkey and reached for the drainage pipe leading upstairs, where an open window was located. As quietly as he could, he climbed up. The window led to a small and unlit bedroom. Matt could hear the electric fan humming as it blew on a large, snoring woman who was out cold on her bed. Matthew crept inside, opened the door ever so gently, trying not to make it creak, as he made his way downstairs where he tried to find a backdoor to the store.

                The noise of a couple having an argument gave enough cover for Matt to navigate the dark staircase unheard. With such skill, it was clear it wasn’t his first break-in. The past seven months had taught him a lot. At the bottom floor, there was only one door. It was a light screen door that led straight to the store. Matt tried to take a quick peek inside only to see stacked shelves blocking his view of the Cashier. A fortunate turn of events!

              

  Slowly, Matthew opened the door. But as he was about to enter, a bell rang that made him retreat. It was a sign that someone entered through the front door.

              

  “Al! What a surprise!”  the store-owner exclaimed. Matthew couldn’t see from where he was but a much younger Alphonse Santino had just walked in. “What’re you doin’ in this neck of the woods?”

              

  “I came here to visit an old friend,” Al replied.  He then paused, hearing the argument upstairs. “You have some noisy tenants, Jaime. Aren’t you going to do something about that?”

              

  Jaime, the store-owner, sighed. “It’s my son and daughter-in law. They’re having some sort of argument.”

             

   “This time of night?”

                “I suppose so. Overheard them talking about her being caught red-handed with another man. She then justifies it by saying my son doesn’t show his love for her anymore.”

                “How long has your kid been married?”

                “Three months.”

                “Three fuckin’ months…” Alphonse repeated. “Kids these days… nothin’s sacred anymore.”

                As the two old men talk, Matt had already entered the back of the store and stuffed his pockets with canned goods. He was ready to make a speedy retreat until-

                Ding-dong!

                The front door flew open as two masked men entered the store.

                “Alright, nobody move! Anyone moves a fuckin’ muscle, Imma’ blow their brains out!” A masked man threatened.

                Matt was scared. Never had he thought such simple theft would result to this dilemma. Now, two armed thugs threatened the two old men as Matt, fearful and hungry, clenched on the stolen cans in his hands.

                “Easy there, fella’. No need to point that thing on us,” Jaime tried to reason. “If it’s money you want, you can have it.”

                “Money?” the thug laughed. “This ain’t about money.” He pointed his rusty Gloc at Alphonse who despite everything, remained unfazed. “We want power. The power to rule the streets like it’s your own. The kind of power an emperor, a king, a president possess. We figured the best way to do it is usurp your throne, Don.”

                Al sighed. A mocking grin etched on his lips. “With just the two of you? Don’t insult me.”

                “Ha, people think you’re some immortal, hiding inside your dastardly reputation. The way I see it, you’re just a man. A bullet will end you just like any other!”

                As things heated up at the counter, Matt tried his best to remain still and undetected.  His palms were drenched in sweat and his body burned under his black jacket. And at the worst possible moment, a can of tuna rolled out his pocket, making a sound. The aluminum can bounced on the tiled floor, clanking louder and louder until it rolled towards the older men. Everyone turned their heads towards where the noise came from.

                “Probably just some cats.” said Jaime.

                “Who do you have back there?!” the other thug demanded an answer as he pressed his pistol on the temple of Jaime.

                “Nobody, I swear!” Jaime shook his head.

                The two thugs looked at each other. Then the bigger one started making his way towards where Matthew was hiding. Slowly, he crept with his gun at the ready. Behind the shelf, Matt could hear the footsteps. He had never been more afraid in his life. Yet he knew it was not the time to lose his cool. Still, he shook as he braced himself for whatever that may peek beyond the corner.

                He could hear someone, he was very near now. The silhouette of the gunman grew bigger. If he turned his head, it was all over.

                What happened after that was something Matt still couldn’t comprehend. Maybe it was the basic instinct to survive. Instead of flight, he fought. Gripping a can of sardines to the point o denting it, Matt prepared. And as the bald gunman turned his head, all he saw was a can headed straight to his face. The impact made him stagger; already Matt was on the move. He ran towards the much bigger fellow and punched him right in the nuts. And just like Goliath, he fell under David.

                In a brief split-second of confusion, Alphonse pulled out a .45 caliber from his coat and popped two rounds at the gunman in front of him.

                “Should’ve pulled the trigger, boy.” Al said with a smirk of victory.

                The noise left Jaime disoriented but Alphonse seemed accustomed to it. The other thug was too busy dealing with the pain of getting punched in the loins to bother with the noise and Matt was in his own little world of reaction. He was breathing heavily as he took the gun and pointed it at the downed gunman. His frail arms shook as he tried his best to keep his aim still. The feeling of cold steel under his fingertips was still new to him.

                Right there, the gunman flashed Matt with a glare of utter hate and intolerance. He groaned and tried to reach for the boy. A gunshot followed.

                Matt was taken aback. The memory of his first kill flooded his mind. After that, it never did get any better. Sure, it can be considered self-defense but a kill is a kill. The adrenaline, fear and excitement he felt joined together in a twisted cocktail of instinct was a unique feeling. After that, he found no joy in it anymore. He became callous to the rest of the murders. One of the reasons he was such an efficient killing machine.

                “Hey babe.” a woman’s morning voice snapped him back to reality. Her silky arms folded on his bare chest.

                “Hey.” Matt responded.

                “What’chu thinkin’ about?” Marian had this way of talking childish that Matt found irresistible.

                “Just stuff,” Matt turned around and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Go back to bed.” he broke away and headed towards the living room.

                “Where are you going?” she asked.

                “Just turning off the television. I’ll be with you in a minute, sweetheart,” Matt grabbed the remote and turned off the device. He placed his empty cup of coffee at the table.  “By the way, I’m going to the Santino Charity Ball later. You want to join me?”

                “I thought you were done with the gangster stuff, babe,” Marian shouted from across the room.

                “I am. It’s just… I have to see my old man. I keep hearing he’s sick.” A note of concern was 

head from Matthew’s voice.

                “Does he know you’re back already?”

                “I guess. I don’t know, probably? He has eyes and ears all over the city. Still, I want to surprise him.”

                “How can you surprise him if he already knows?” Marian strode towards Matthew. “Ah! I’ve got it!” she raised her finger as if she figured out a great mystery.

                “What is it?”

                “Surprise him with the news of having a future Daughter-in-law.” Marian winked.

                “You mean tell him I’m getting married? I don’t even-“

                Marian crept closer to her lover and just kept winking.

                “Is this a p-proposal?!” surprised, Matt stammered. “God, shouldn’t I be doing this?!”

                “Oh, but you’re taking too long!” Marian groaned. She then got down to one knee and put on his best impression of Matt. “Will you marry me, babe?”

                “Get up ya crazy-“ Matt pulled her up and she jumped at his chest. He held her as he looked up to see Marian was snickering. They laughed. “Of course I will, you big dummy!” and kissed.              

                A happy beginning. Maybe Matt’s future won’t be so bad after all.

                TO BE CONTINUED