Prologue

"Please Al, don't leave me, hindi ko kakayanin." Pleaded by a woman with tears flowing from her eyes. Nasasaktan siya. She doesn't want him to leave. He can't. Hindi pwede. He have to choose her, he have to.

"Pede be, Xeria?" He then aggresively took away his arms from the woman. Ayaw man niyang iwan yung babae sa lagay na 'to pero he doesn't have any choice. As seconds pass by, the rain kept on pouring and pouring much more harder. "Pakawalan mo na ako. Hayaan mo na kami. From the very beginning alam mo sa sarili mo na walang tayo." The guy shouted. It's true. Walang sila and hindi naging sila. For him, she's just a friend.

"But Al, I love you!" At tuluyan nang tumayo yung babae leveling the guy in front of him. With that being said she once again took his hands holding it thinking that it might change his mind.

"And I don't." The guy defended. Masakit man din para sa kaniya na saktan yung isa sa mga kaibigan niya pero he can't choose her. May pamilya siya at mahal na mahal niya ang pamilya niyang iyon.

Kahit na umuulan nang napakalakas, the rain can't hide all the tears the woman was giving. It hurts. She doesn't want it to end this way. Mahal na mahal niya yung lalaki. Ever since ito na ang minahal nito. "Just this once, Al. Hindi mo ba talaga ako kayang piliin?"

He was taken aback. Yes, they were friends for so many years now pero he can't. Hindi niya kaya and it's making him guilty to the point where all he can just mutter is, "I'm sorry, Xeria." He took away her hands from him at tumalikod na. He can't face her like this.

They were friends for a very long time but that doesn't change the fact that they also used to be inlove with each other pero dati na yun. Iba na ngayon. Iba na yung tinitibok ng puso niya. He can't choose her kahit na siya yung unang babae niyang minahal, he can't.

Minsan kahit ikaw yung nauna, minsan sa dulo, ikaw din yung nagiging talunan. What's the point of the first to come when you can't be the last one that he will love? It was absurd. All the promises he said. Masakit man pero sa iba na niya tinupad, dun sa babaeng mahal niya talaga.

Every step he make was getting heavier and heavier. And when he knew it, he was also crying his way out. "Al, sabi mo kahit anong mangyari, ako lang," He then stopped from his tracks. He used to promised those. He used to. "Diba? tanda mo? Palagi? Ako lang palagi, kahit anong mangyari pero ba't naman ganto, Al?" The lady cried. She was walking towards him.

Ayaw niya sa ganto. Yung nagmumukha siyang tangang kakahabol. Ayaw niya. Pero that leaves her no choice. Hindi niya kayang tanggapin na, iba na ang taong minamahal nito. "Al, is it because of the baby? Al, you know the story of that!"

The guy sighed. Nagmumukha na siyang desperada and it was because of him. "Xeria, stop." The guy demanded but the woman cried and shouted once again defending herself.

"No! Ayoko! That baby was an accident, Al! You know it!"

"Tangina naman, Xeria! Stop putting all the blame onto your baby! You chose this! Oo, Xeria, I used to love you. I used to pero ginago mo ko. I'm sorry pero that was before, kung dati kaya kitang ipaglaban at piliin, pwes sa ngayon hindi na. I'm sorry, Xeria but I'm leaving. For good."

Upon hearing those words mas lalo siyang umiyak. Screaming he can't do this to her. She was lashing out on him and his family. The guy couldn't handle all of this to the point na umalis na lang siya.

And on that very night, something darker is bound to happen.

They were leaving to US for good. It's too dangerous for him and his family. Everyone's eye is on them, mostly on his kids. He can't afford to lose them. He can't. "Mitch, we're leaving, let's go." He commanded to his wife.

Ginawa naman niya yung sinabi nito. Kinuha din naman niya yung dalawa nilang anak na mahimbing na natutulog ngayon. Isinakay na nila lahat na pwedeng dalhin papuntang US.

They were in hiding for two days now. Kailangan na nilang umalis. Using their private jet is way too risky for them. But going on an airplane is also risky. Kaso their best option as of now is to blend in the crowd. The more na madaming tao, the more na hindi sila aakto.

They were on their way to the airport. The guy looked at his family. They're way too precious for him. Magiging maayos din ang lahat, kaunting tiis na lang. Tinignan niya ang mag-ina sa likod at ngumiti. "I'm sorry for all the trouble we have to go to." But the woman behind her just held his shoulders and said, "You don't have to be sorry, it's alright. As soon as na makapunta tayong US, we'll keep a low profile. Kaunting tiis na lang." He squeezed her hand and kissed it before giving it back to her.

Moments later they suddenly heard a loud bang. It was gunshots aiming for their car. "Bullshit!" The guy cursed.

Tangina, they found us. He thought. Hindi pwede to. Malapit na sila sa airport. He have to lose them. His heart was pounding very hard. He can't lose them. Tangina. His wife was crying trying to shush their crying kids. They were scared.

Hindi niya kayang patakbuhin nang mabilis yung sasakyan. It's way too much of a risk. Lalo na at madulas yung kalsada dahil sa lakas ng ulan na pumapatak. He was trying to avoid all the bullets and the cars.

Pero it was no use. While trying to avoid the all of those may biglang lumitaw na truck. He tried avoiding it pero the brake isn't working. His wife was screaming and the kids were trying. He tried shifting it to the right pero on that very moment. His life flashed before his eyes. He can't do anything.

The wife tried protecting their kids and seconds later their crashed onto the truck at kasabay nun ang mabilis na pagsabog ng kanilang kotse. The gunshots stopped. It was pure black. Wala siyang makita at wala ring marinig. He tried fighting pero in the end, he couldn't.

"As of 10:30 pm of the 5th of September, it was reported that a car crash happened near Ninoy Aquino Airport. Witnesses also reported that there were multiple gunshots aiming for the car. The car tried avoiding it but unfortunately, it crashed onto the truck and caused an explosion. A family of four is said to be either missing or dead. We'll keep you updated with more further reports. This is Atasha Minedez of CNN News Philippines."