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Chapter 27 Alone on the road
On the same day, when the sun dipped to a close, they started their journey in different directions. Tommy headed back to the city while JC drove south.
JC was relieved to have found a way out, still, he was in a quandary. His mind was hard in recalling one important thing he had left at the condo. The tape was with him, his wallet, identification, and credit cards. What was it that he forgot?
JC had gone for miles. The humming of the motor would have made him sleepy, but his adrenalin won’t let him. It kept pumping on to keep him awake, giving him the boost to keep going. At the same time, he was ever on the lookout for his pursuers.
With only a map to guide him, the world seemed an interminable vastness. He did not pray for deliverance for he believed in no miracles. Instead, he prayed for Tommy’s safety.
JC knew something was missing without which it wo
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BUNGLED Chapter 28 His passport
He suddenly screeched the car to a halt. He made a c-turn, hoping it wasn’t too late. He stepped on the accelerator. He decided to take the risks and directed the car back to his apartment. They only knew Tommy’s Ford Escort, not the Beetle he was driving. Cruising on it at night was still safe. Finally, he was back in Makati, and now was hovering in the vicinity of his apartment. The car sputtered to a stop. He waited for any unusual movements. Left and right he scanned the streets. Not a soul to suspect. He opened the door of the Beetle, stepped onto the pavement, and crossed the street. Darkness became his faithful ally. The hallway was eerily empty and silent. The peculiarity of silence bothered him, but this barely deterred him from pursuing what he returned for. Almost on tiptoe, JC dashed for his condo, pushed open the door, and got inside. He knew it. Papers were all over the floor, the chairs
BUNGLED Chapter 29 Tessa Lopez
The rain got stronger, the waiting was never-ending and the minutes seemed long. Twenty minutes passed and he was still waiting. The barking of dogs in the distance told him he was still alive. What brought me here? It’s my job. There must still be other reasons. He was sure. Then he heard a car approaching. It was Tessa. She came from the corner, rounded the curb then stopped below the neon sign. He checked to make doubly sure it was her and ran as fast as he could limping, got inside shivering with cold, then passed out. After ten minutes he woke up to the sound of Tessa’s car. “I’m bringing you to the hospital,” she said. He pleaded. “Please, no Tessa. That would not be smart. It would expose you to danger. If they caught up with me, they would start questioning. Eventually, this would lead them to you.” He was struggling
BUNGLED Chapter 30 The long trip to safety
THE Toyota revved then chugged when it hit rocky roads. JC was thankful it had a tight suspension, the bumps felt bearable under his butt, giving him little discomforts with his aching shoulder, even on potholed roads. He forced himself to get rest but the droning of the engine kept him awake all the time. This reminded him of the dull sound of the airplane, which was familiar. He was a patient lot but miles and miles on the road made Tommy notice that he was hurting. The way was paradise under the sun, with infinite lines of coconut trees along the way. Sea breeze came through the open window. It was a perfect combination of climate and scenery. On the right were the green mountains. On their left was the warm Pacific current. In spite of all the splendid view, JC found no time to appreciate all of them. Weakness and pain were making him delirious and hallucinations came in in
BUNGLED Chapter 31 Love deepens
Tessa cut the cantaloupe into squares and rectangles, and then served herself. She sipped her coffee. After three days of having breakfast with JC, an empty longing had crept up into her being. She was lonely. She asked herself what falling in love meant. She realized little why it was happening to her, gradually, in a wonderful way. Day after day, her feelings for him grew deeper and deeper. Then she started recalling the whys and wherefores. First, was how he reminded her every day how special she was. It was how he said it that she was enthralled, mesmerized by his words. Nobody could have done it better than the way he penetrated into her being. Second, was the way he delighted her with his stories, remembering how she laughed and laughed at some simple human frailties that he skillfully wove and crafted into interesting anecdotes.
BUNGLED Chapter 32 Under Tessa´s care
As soon as Tommy reached the Time’s office, he called New York. He had been expecting JC to be in touch with him. The following day, lunchtime, he still heard nothing from him. It was not likely of him to be silent for a long time. It was understandable though, considering that along the way in the provinces there weren’t many telephones available, even private ones. That was the reason he failed to call. But they had agreed that as often as he could, he would tell him where he was. What was taking him so long? Not after lunch and into the dusk of the first day, for in any restaurants or stores along the way, he should be able to call. He was already starting to suspect something had happened. He called New York for the second time to inform them of his disappearance. When Tommy came out of the Time’s bureau after office work, two military men picked
BUNGLED Chapter 33 Reminiscing the past
Viewed from a different angle, the idea of traveling was a complete waste of time. This was how he saw it now that he was nursing an injured shoulder. If there was a way to get home without the interminable way of waiting, he would have chosen it. But it´s a perfect opportunity, however, to recall the past, and to find time to put some order in his life. Clarity of mind was what he needed. On his way back to New York, JC used all the waiting time rebuilding his past to find answers to his questions. He was transported back to the time when he was going to school with his mother by crossing the park on foot. It was a five-minute walk daily from home and she took pains in teaching him the four mathematical operations. She was indefatigable. First, she taught him simple addition. Then as time rolled on, they slowly progressed into the more complicated ones like divisi
BUNGLED Chapter 34 JC´s exit
Time to go. JC would have to travel to the farthest point in the south next to Borneo. From there he would have to cross the big sea to be on the mainland. The American Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had already been advised of his coming. Jerry, his friend at the Office in New York will meet him in Kuala, Lumpur. From there they would take him back to New York. Freedom and Father Sin went with him, making sure that he would arrive safely. They gave JC a habit to wear so that he would also look like a priest. The three of them traveled in this way. And nobody suspected. After delivering him to Jerry, both of them went back to where they came from. Back in New York, JC felt relieved he was back. He stretched in his favorite bed, lying there the whole time as if he had not been there for a long period and reminiscing the dangers he encountered in those few days. The buzzing of the car engine and the droning of the airplane was
BUNGLED Chapter 35 Astral travel
On his first day at work, JC was quite energized. He got up early and geared himself up, coat and tie and all of those rituals an office worker needs to accomplish before going to work. He had toasted bread topped with butter and marmalade and hot cappuccino sweetened with honey for breakfast. Thankful for a new day, he went out of his apartment blissfully joyful. He took the same route to his office on his 4x4. He parked at a space reserved for The Times, then took the elevator up to his office. When he strode in the hallway, he didn’t expect the unexpected. He saw heads popping up one by one from their workstations. He couldn’t believe his eyes when everybody cheered. He knew what it was and the gesture buoyed his spirit up. Jerry congratulated him with a wink. Mr. McMillan was at the door of his office standing to greet him. Kate was behind smiling from ear to ear. An overnight celebrity, he became. &n
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