CHAPTER 45-3-SA MALAKING ektaryang lupain, makikita ang isang binatang nagpapakain ng kanilang alagang mga hayop. Makikita palagi sa kaniyang mukha na masaya siya sa kaniyang ginagawa. Na kahit na araw-araw niya itong ginagawa ay hindi siya nagsasawa."Kage, hali ka muna... Kakain na tayo!" the middle-aged woman called. May bitbit itong basket na naglalaman ng sariwang mga prutas.The young man put the tall grasses on the field first before he turned to face the woman. "Yes, mama! Tapusin ko lang ito. Isang baka na lamang ang papakainin ko." Sabi niya."Sumunod ka kaagad, ha? Inihanda na ng papa mo ang mga pagkain sa hapag." Saad naman ng babae. Pagkatapos tumango ng binata ay umalis na ito.Masayang naninirahan ang pamilyang Cortes sa isang probinsiya. Ang probinsiyang Saka. Hindi ito sobrang layo sa kabihasnan at sobrang yaman nito sa mga natural resources. Pagsasaka ang pamumuhay ng mga tao dito at isa ang pamilyang Cortes sa may mayayaman na sakahan."Pupunta pala ako mamaya sa
CHAPTER 46-3-IN THE sunny morning, a three-hectare field filled with grains waving as the wind hits. As well as, barn containing a farm animals such as chickens and pigs. The cows and horses are already outside in an inclinded grass field, dipping their heads on the greens as they eat. And that is on the north. Whilst on the south, is where a two-storey wooden house sitting, and two old couple is living, with their known son, Kage Cortes."Kag, sinabihan na kitang bata ka, hindi na nila tayo pahihiramin ulit. Ang taas-taas na ng utang natin sa kanila, dyosko!" the old woman ran after her son na tinawag niyang Kag.Kage is already 21 years old. And the woman who called is already in her 60s. With her braided hair and face full of wrinkles, she still has this lovely face of an old lady. She is wearing an apron, probably just got out from the kitchen after baking a peach pie. She figured out that his son is about to go out to the market again where he could borrow six sacks of pig feed
CHAPTER 47-3-"MATANONG KO lang, saan itong site na sinasabi n'yo na isinasailalim sa imbestigasyon? Ano yun?" Puferto asked the two men.They are now having their dinner sa bilog na dining table pagkatapos dumating ng dalawang lalaki mga isang oras na ang nakalilipas. Katulad ng sinabi nila, dala-dala nila ang mga iba't ibang kagamitan katulad ng mga personal na gamit at ibang kagamitan kaugnay sa pagmimina.Sumubo pa muna ng isang punong kutsarang pagkain bago sinagot ni Marco, the one with army cut, ang tanong ng matanda. "Barangay Tudlan yata ang tawag doon." maikling sagot niya habang nginunguya ang karneng baboy saka uminom ng tubig."Baka Sudlan ang ibig mong sabihin." sabat ni Teresa."Ah, opo, iyan nga. Barangay Sudlan. Maganda daw ang lupain sa lugar na iyon kaya doon ang una naming naisipang magsagawa ng imbestigasyon." Sagot muli ni Marco kasabay ng kaniyang napakainosenteng mukha."Aba'y malapit lang pala dito, isang sakayan lang ng jeep. Pwede nga rin lakarin kung dito
CHAPTER 48-3-TWO KNIVES stuck in the chest. His blood has dried up around him. His eyes were wide open looking straight up to the sky. His legs were broken and weirdly position in 'L' form. That was the scene before the police investigators could finish examining the area and covered the lifeless body of an Indian collector with tarpaulin.Kage Cortes keenly observed everything before he started feeling a painful pinch striking to the side of his head."Ugh!" It was an abrupt and almost unbearable pain kaya naman mabilis siyang nanghina at natumba. Napapikit siya dahil dito and wrinkles appeared on his face as he squeezes it. Buti nalang at nasa gilid siya kung saan may dingding kaya nakasandal siya dito. Kage hastily used his both hands to push his head trying to hold the pain. But the more he think of the pain, the more it gets painful."Ughh!" He groaned again with a low voice and he continued crumpling to the side. Even though there are a lot of people around him, no one notic
CHAPTER 49-3-EVERYTHING HAPPENED was so sudden and all rush. All Kage could ever imagine is that he was just standing there doing nothing where everyone considered him as nobody - someone who never get the attention of anyone. But in a snap of a finger, he become the center of the spotlight where everyone credited him as the savior of the day. Though exaggerated, everyone called his action as the rise of human rights.As of for Lou Yin, he could not believe what he just witnessed with his two eyes. One minute, he was just there to the side enduring such strange pain and stood up where he suddenly acted paranoid. And now, everything made sense to him. Kage was not acting paranoid, he actually was studying the case. Graciously for his sake, Kage saved his father from getting into jail. And if there is someone who won the happiest man award on that time, it was him and, of course, his father.The latter could not believe what just Kage did to him either. The young man who he wishe
CHAPTER 50-3-"SO WHERE should we start?" The best detective in town, Rudolf Magindugon, very compose as he stood in front of shivering Teresa with Puferto beside her. In a gloomy interrogation room is where the police took the two old couple at tanging mesa ang pagitan nila. "Let me inform you about the complaint first... not just one... apat na residente ng inyong barangay ay nagpasa ng complaint about the Corteses kidnapping this young man. You can say that your neighbors are terrified now with what you did... as you can see, this really cause an alarming matter in once a peaceful town, Saka." he then started.Teresa looked at the detective's eyes with a distress expression; honestly if looks are not defined as deceiving. "Detective, maniwala kayo... wala kaming masamang ginagawa, kung sino mang nagreklamo ay nagsasabi po sila ng kasinungalingan." The detective could sense how frightening the situation are for them two. "Kaya nga po kayo pinatawag dito... l we want to hear your
CHAPTER 51KAGE CORTESWHAT'S RUNNING in my head right now is why that situation needed to happen. Bakit pa kailangang masunog ang mga sakahan naming ilang taon naming pinaghirapang palakihin. Ilang pera at utang ang nasayang dahil dito. I constantly blamed myself sa pagsaway sa utos ng aking mga magulang na dumito lang sa bahay.I agree to what the police said that this is not an accident. This is arson! At dapat mapanagot kung sino man ang gumawa nito sa amin. And I know for sure na ang mga taong nakapalibot lang sa amin ang may gawa nito. I should do something. Somehow, kasalanan ko naman rin ito.For the past days, maraming nangyari. Marami akong narinig at nakakapagpabagabag sa aking isipan. Ewan ko. Sabi nila, I was not the type of person na mahilig magtanong-tanong sa mga maliliit na detalye. Nagbago raw lahat nung pag-uwi ko galing sa ospital.Honestly, I could not remember kung bakit ako naospital three years ago. Ang sabi sa akin ng mga magulang ko ay nadisgrasya raw ako
CHAPTER 52-3-"MAY NAKAAWAY ba kayong hindi taga-rito? For us to know if may possibility na outsider ang gumawa nito sa inyo."It's already 11 in the morning when the Police-Detective, Rudolf Magindugon, went back to the Corteses to ask some details that would help the case. They were talking just in front of their house. The police- detective was holding a small notebook and pen to take some notes."Mayroong naging competitor dati, pero hindi naman namin masasabi na aabot sila sa ganitong punto." sagot ni Puferto. Siya ang mas nakakaalam nito kasi siya palagi yung lumalabas sa probinsiya para sa pag-import at export."During our investigation outside, we could reconsider na ito pala ay isang aksidente. May nakita kaming empty lamp sa tabi ng kulungan n'yo ng mga hayop. Baka ito ang pinagmulan ng sunog. However, still, we are convinced na ito ay sinadya. Either way, we will find more evidence to support which is which." The detective stated. The couple slightly glanced at each othe