Behind the shadows
By: Sanilyn Grace T. Zamora
“Kill the baby! Kill the baby! Do it now!”
The words seemed to reverberate on Jaime’s ears. He was trembling as he held the boy at gunpoint. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard…
“Bowrf…arf…arf…arf…”
The dog’s barkings yanked him from the clutches of his recurrent nightmare. This nightmare continued to hunt him even at this untimely hour of his siesta. Big droplets of sweat imparted a wet sheen on his face as his nose flared for a deep intake of breath.
It has been a decade since Jaime joined Diego’s group out of desperation. It is because Lucia, his wife was locked behind the bars of insanity after losing their only child. He had no money to pay for Lucia’s medication so he worked double time. He worked as a clerk, janitor, laborer, even being a vendor at the outskirts of the town.
“Lucia’s condition is getting worse. To tell you honestly,” Dr. Guerero said.
“But, doc, is there anything else that I can do help her plight?” Jaime said.
“Unless you could provide 150,000.00 pesos for her medication and confinement to the mental institution then, that’s the only solution you have,” the doctor replied.
“Thank you doc,” he replied with an air of hopelessness.
“One… two…three…thousand pesos, only,” sighed Jaime as he counted his money for his wife’s medication. In the hidden gloom of his room he poured out his emotions, for failing to see a pinpoint of light in his tunnel of problems, until he met Diego.
“Come on, Jaime, join us, you won’t get caught. We have connections. The policies won’t harm us. Come on just one time,” Diego beckoned Jaime to join his group with his eyes glinting with mischief.
“The Black Mask”
“Some other time perhaps,” Jaime yelled.
“Oh, come on 50,000.00 pesos in just one night, that’s not bad,” Diego teased.
“50,000.00 pesos? Really? I would be able to get my wife to the mental institution,” he thought for a moment.
“No, it’s okay. Some time maybe,” he answered.
“Four…five…thousand pesos,” Jaime counted his savings again.
“We have many connections…50,000.00 pesos in just one night…”
These words seemed to pave the way for a sudden upheaval of shock in frenzy state of quivers, felt in every corners of his body. Catching even a miniscule scintilla of the word sends erratic shivers to his spine, creates a lump at the pit of his stomach, and even bristle the hair at the back of his neck.
“50,000.00 pesos, not bad, what if I’ll go to jail, what if I’ll get shot and die, what will happen to Lucia?” he thought.
The next day he went to see Diego who, at that time was away for vacation.
“He probably spent his money out there, and enjoying his life,” Jaime thought.
“Well, if I have that money I would do the same. “
“When will he come back?” he asked.
“Next week.”
“So by then, I’ll just wait until he comes and I’ll join his group—The Black Mask.”
A week later…
Jaime worked as hard as he could. But every time he counted his savings it still is not enough.
“I have to conspire with Diego, “he thought to himself.
“Hey, buddy,” Diego called.
“Man, you’re back? When?” Jaime asked.
“Just yesterday,” he replied.
“I heard that you wanted to see me? What is it? Is there something that I can help you with? Have you thought about my offer?” Diego said.
“Well, for first time 10,000.00 pesos, but if you become a regular it will increase into 100,000.00 pesos even up to millions every night.” Diego said.
“Sounds very enticing and I can pay all my debts and I could send Lucia to the mental institute,” he thought.
“All right.” He finally said.
“Great!” so, tonight we’ll meet here at 9 pm sharp.
“9 pm it is! I’ll be there.” Jaime said.
As the night loomed closer, Jaime can’t help but look at his watch. “Tonight is the night.” He thought. He went to Lucia’s bed and kissed her for the last time.
“So, guys, are you ready? Jaime, hold this.”
“A gun? What for? You told me we were just going to rob? What’s with the gun?” Jaime asked in a swerve of confusion.
“For self defense,” exclaimed one of his fellow. Everyone murmured and laughed.
“Yeah, just bring it in case of…” Diego stopped.
“Just carry it with you. Do you want this or not?”
“Definitely,” Jaime said.
“All right, vamos amigos,” Diego yelled.
“Hey, you forgot this—the mask after all our gang is ‘The Black Mask’,” he added.
“I love you hon. “said Teressa.
“I love you too hon.” Replied Miguel.
“So, what are we going to do with Juan’s first birthday?”Teressa asked.
“I’m thinking maybe we could have a big celebration and introduce our little Juan to the company. The time is quite ripe for Una Vita Ltd., to meet its future President.”
“One proud papa huh?”
“Of course, huh? What’s that? Can you hear that?”
“Stop it you’re scaring me.”
Then the work of The Black Mask began. It is positioned on the launch pad awaiting its final countdown for a final blast-off. In the spur of the moment, gunshots were heard. All jewelries, paintings, money and expensive things were taken. Jaime was taken aback of the scene he saw. He could not believe his eyes. He never thought, that the plan would come this far.
“So, that’s why there’s a gun and a mask involved.”
“Now, Jaime, it’s your time,” Diego said.
“What?” Jaime was dumfounded.
“Kill the baby! Kill him now!” Diego demanded.
“Are you insane? He’s only a child. He can’t stand on a witness jury.” Jaime replied.
“Oh, of course I know! But in case you don’t know ‘The Black Mask’ never leaves anything behind.”
Jaime slowly aimed the gun towards the little boy. With trembling hands, he pulled the trigger. It was the biggest mistake he had ever done. Upon his return home Lucia died. When the morning came the headline read, “Billionaire’s Family Massacred and Robbed !” Suspect: Diego and the Black Mask. The next week Diego and his gang were caught and sentenced for life imprisonment. Jaime was left alone with nobody, not even a single penny.
Echoes of what he did in the past still resonated in his heart prompting nightmares that kept on tormenting his conscience.
After having sleeplessness nights for the past decade Jaime finally surrendered to the police wherein he was sentenced life imprisonment. In the jail he met his old friend Diego and the rest of the gang. After a week’s stay his body was found in the C.R. with the body mutilated into pieces and the internal organs scattered everywhere. The gang blamed him for the fiasco of their mission.
Behind the shadows hid a secret which protruded into the horizon creating silhouettes of guilt and fear continually blocking a glimmer of hope in the life of Jaime. This braced him for a roller-coaster ride bound to the twilight zone of his life: getting himself inside the prison. It unwittingly unleashed a light of justice of the family he took part in killing, brightening every corners of the whole scenario.
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