JIEGO
The text came ten minutes after 5pm, which is when Sheila and I were closing the convenience store. She was mopping the floors while I was in charged with the trash cans. Good thing is that the garbage bags were thick and durable. I also wore plastic gloves. When I already disposed them at the vacant lot at the back of the shop (it was where the garbage truck takes them from), we made sure all the appliances were pulled out from the sockets and turned off the lights. Sheila was the one who locked the door and we walked towards the bus station.
“you go ahead, Shee. I have to be somewhere.”
She frowned.
“okay? you’re really up to something these days, aren’t you? You’re always up on your toes.”
“yeah. Will tell you soon, don’t worry.”
I said and waved goodbye. She smiled. Right then the bus arrived, stopping in front of them. It wasn’t long before Sheila was swallowed by a crowd of people trying to get into the bus. I’m sure she made it, though. I turned to the nearest corner and opened the message again. The address was Block 08, Roseburn Street, the new building in front of the small chapel. That was what was said in the message, exact words.
I don’t know the exact place he was referring to but I know where that street is. I walked two more blocks until I saw it, the building he was referring to. A steakhouse. I haven’t been in one before but I knew by the smell and the icon on the small arch-like structure on the front door. I checked the message again, making sure I was in the right place.
“hey, Jiego! Over here!”
I heard someone call from the parking lot of the steakhouse. When I looked, I easily spotted Atty. Sumayo waving his hands to the air. I walked towards his direction.
“oh, you look… nevermind.”
He eyed me up and down. Compared to his royal blue suit and a white button down shirt, I look like a homeless man. I was still on my convenience store uniform. When we both entered the door, it was pretty clear who between the two of us got the people’s attention. Me. Because I look pathetic.
A waiter came and greeted Atty. Sumayo. He only gave me a quick look and then dismissed. His attention was more focused on Atty. Sumayo, only disregarding me. We were guided to a private room with a sole table inside with a huge glass chandelier and a table setup for two.
“can you please vacate the table, then take away the red wine. We’ll be reading documents so they might get wet if this is the setup.”
The waiter nodded and was joined by another man. They took the wine from the table, the unnecessary flowers and some extra plates. Wow, even the utensils look too shiny and heavy. I’ve never been to anywhere like this before.
“thank you. please take a seat, Mr. S—I mean, Jiego. Please, Ken, you can tell the chef to start working on our order now. the one I texted you when I asked for the reservation.” – the lawyer instructed Ken, which I guessed was the name of the first waiter
The two waiters left us with a cleaner table. It was silent and the lawyer was looking at my face with a funny expression on his face.
“do you have the results with you?”
I nodded and gave it to him. He opened, took a quick look and then returned it to me. It didn’t even take a minute. As what he said before, he already knew it before I told him.
“now you know… as for the real story behind that, I think I will let your adoptive parents explain.”
“adoptive?”
“yes, you were only adopted when you were a baby. As what I said, let’s skip that story. I have something important to discuss.”
He cleared his throat and opened the brief case he was carrying with him. I hope I can move on that quickly but no. My mind was still stuck on the mention of “adoptive” parents. It was a revelation I didn’t imagine to be possible.
Yes, we’re poor. We even belong to the lowest part of the economic food chain. My mother and father are both farmers, we grow and sell vegetables like eggplants and string beans for a living. It was also by doing those that I was sent to basic education and high school. After high school graduation, I worked as a barker for jeepneys and bus stations so I can enroll in college. It was when graduation’s months away that I stopped because my father was admitted to the hospital and I had to utilize my graduation budget for his medicine. I have no regrets with that, though. I learned everything I needed in life, and for academics, hell, I almost graduated. To me, I see that my education was completed, I just didn’t attend the formal ceremony. Regardless of these experiences, I felt their genuine love for me. They didn’t have a lot but they provided my daily needs. How would that kind of love be fake all along? Which reminds me, I really need to ask them a lot of questions. Soon, now I have to deal with this first. Just one step at a time.
Atty. Sumayo laid out various documents on the table.
“now that your real family’s out in the open, you should know your life’s about to change too. and I mean… everything.”
He referred to the clothes I was wearing. I ignored that.
“what are these documents, attorney?”
“your life. as you know, Mr. Daniel Sy’s a billionaire. He’s named as one of the richest businessmen in the country. He has a lot of properties. The hotels, the convenience stores, and even the famous Sy Manor. Now that he’s no longer with us, he made sure those things will be inherited by his one and only son. The son that was kidnapped when he was still a baby by one of Mr. Sy’s opponents in the industry for spite. Now we both know who’s that.”
“m…me?”
The lawyer smirked.
“checkmate. Welcome to your new life, Mr. Billionaire.”