M ARIA Paz Cerna, Cecilia Gomez, Astrid Hagen, Nora Gooding, Ruth Norris, Rachel Smith, and so many others. Those were her names in passports. Kung minsan, naitatanong niya kung alin ba sa mga pangalang iyon ang totoong siya. She was always sure she was a nameless person; a person whose presence should not matter.
She preferred the name “Maria” although it was not her real name. Iyon ang pangalan niya nang makilala ang lalaking nagbigay sa kanya ng anak na nasa sinapupunan. Richard, Le Magicien, was the father of her baby. She was in love with him and he was in love with her.
Nakatira siya sa Tomatlan, sa isang pribadong espasyo sa stretch ng beach sa Mexico. Naisama na siya ni Richard sa bahay nito sa Amalfi Coast sa Italy. Sa nakalipas na isang taon, wala silang ginawa kundi ang maging masaya. She felt free, loved, treasured. Iyon ay sa kabila ng katotohanang hindi inamin sa kanya ni Richard kung ano ang totoo nitong trabaho, tulad ng hindi niya pag-amin dito kung sino siya talaga.
She found out that Richard had been planning to steal the Rembrandt. Sa araw na inalok siya nito ng trabaho, nalaman niya iyon nang lumabas ang lalaki at pakialaman niya ang mga gamit nito. Sa kung anong biro ng tadhana, matagal na ring proyekto ng lalaki ang Rembrandt. She guessed in many ways, they think alike.
Naroon ang lalaki nang nakawin niya ang painting. She was ahead of him. Hula niya, nakita siya nito sa drop-off. Sa mismong labas iyon ng mansiyong pinagnakawan niya naganap. Francine was there to take it. Malamang na hindi na siya sinundan ng lalaki at si Francine na lang ang sinundan. If he followed her, he would have discovered that the person in black overalls was a woman.
Si Francine na ang bahala sa painting at madalas na wala na siyang pakialam kung paano nito dadalhin sa nagkontrata ang item, basta masigurong makakarating iyon. Sa kasamaang-palad, may roadblocks ang pulis at mga tauhan ng cartel ang naroong pulis. May tinatambangan ang mga ito na kung sino. One greedy bastard took the painting, not thinking much of it, and gave it to the head honcho. That was how she and Richard ended in that godforsaken town when Amargo ruled like a king. Hindi lang doon naghahari si Amargo, may mga tauhan din ito sa ibang siyudad. They ruined everyone’s life back there. Ironically, they saved Maria’s by paving way for her to meet Richard.
Binalikan ni Maria ang painting makalipas ang isang linggo. By then, she was sure that Richard was in Italy. Binigyan niya ng bagong buhay si Gloria, na Lola o Abi Gloria kung kanyang tawagin. May malalayo pa itong kamag-anakan at sa piling ng mga iyon, nagsimula uli ang matanda, malayo sa mundo ng cartel at malayo rin sa kanya para makaiwas sa mga katanungan ni Richard.
Richard seemed to have stopped planning future jobs. Naghatid iyon ng kung anong saya sa kanya. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon sa buhay ni Maria, naisip niyang oras na para tigilan nila ang ganoong gawain. But it lasted for only a year; a year where they traveled the world and got married in the Philippines where there was no divorce, a sign of their love. For months, they spent time in different islands. For her, wherever they went was paradise. But soon, Richard became restless, busy. Ang palabas nito sa kanya, consultant ito para sa isang international company.
Umuwi sila sa Amalfi Coast. Itinatago man ni Richard ang mga gamit, mabilis nang nakita ni Maria ang mga iyon kapag wala ang asawa. She knew how to open his safe and how to break the simple codes he used in a notebook. He was going for a big job in Portugal. Iyon ang unang pagkakataon na umiyak siya sa loob ng mahabang panahon.
Kinausap niya ang asawa, itinanong kung puwedeng mag-retire na ito sa pagtatrabaho sa “malaking kompanya” at magtayo na lang sila ng isang simpleng negosyo. She was ready to do it, ready to start a family. But Richard said no.
May sanggol sa kanyang sinapupunan. Apat na buwan na ang nakakaraan nang unahan niya si Richard sa plano nito. She took the Portugal job just to make him see that it was useless to continue on. Pero kabaligtaran ang nangyari. Lalo lang nitong ginustong magpatuloy.
He started traveling, leaving the house for weeks at a time. Alam ni Maria na may bagong trabaho si Richard, isang trabaho na hindi mula sa kung sinong contractor. It was his own will, his own plan, his own project. Ganoon na lang ang lungkot sa puso ni Maria nang ma-realize na kailanman hindi titigil ang asawa. Kahit buntis na siya. Kahit na gusto niyang buuin ang kanilang pamilya at mamuhay sa isang simple at normal na paraan. The love that they had was simply not enough for him. Nakumpirma iyon ni Maria nang magtanong siya kung iiwan ba nito ang demanding na trabaho kapag isinilang niya ang bata at malinaw na ipinahayag ni Richard na hindi.
Fights started to ensue. Ang tahimik nilang samahan noon, gumulo at umingay. Sa puso, alam ni Maria na mabuti si Richard, may mga kahinaan nga lang. At hindi niya puwedeng ilagay sa buhay ng kanilang magiging anak ang mga kahinaang iyon.
And so while Richard was away for a job in Monaco, she was planning on leaving his life. Ipinangako niya sa sarili na kung sakaling makita niyang mababago ang buhay ni Richard, siya mismo ang lalapit dito at magsasabi ng totoo. She gave birth to their daughter, induced labor, at eight months. Sa paraang iyon lang hindi maaabutan ni Richard ang kanilang anak.
The baby was healthy. Ni hindi kinailangan ni Alexandra ng incubator. There were sacrifices that needed to be made. She left her in an orphanage and went back home. Inayos ni Maria ang lahat. Tinawagan niya si Richard at ibinalitang napaanak siya nang wala sa oras, still born ang bata at nailibing na niya.
He was in the middle of a job then. He finished it before heading home. Doon pa lang, nasiguro na ni Maria na tama ang kanyang desisyon. For she would have left a job if she were Richard.
He was heartbroken. She was even more heartbroken seeing him in pain. Sinabi niyang lalaki ang kanilang naging anak na pinangalanan niyang “Ricardo,” tulad ng kanilang usapan. There was a tomb that marked the grave. Nothing was in there, of course. Richard’s way of dealing with the pain was leaving her after a week, to do more jobs.
Her daughter needed her. Isinagawa na ni Maria ang ikalawang hakbang sa plano. She faked her own death. Nag-iwan siya ng suicide note, sinabi roon na sasamahan na niya ang kanilang anak. She made sure that there were a few witnesses when she walked to the sea wearing a white dress.
Her body was never found, of course. But in Richard’s mind, his wife killed herself.
Dinala ni Maria ang anak sa Pilipinas at doon nagsimula ng buhay. She traveled the world with Alexandra. Together, they created a world of their own. Hindi nawala ni isang saglit sa puso niya ang pangako na babalik kay Richard, sakali man.
But Richard lead the same life as before, never satisfied. Sa paglaki ni Alexandra, naging abala rin si Maria sa pagre-research tungkol sa Paititi. It was a hobby that turned somewhat into an obsession. Doon niya nakilala si Luca, na may katulad na fascination sa lost city of gold. They developed a friendship built on mutual respect.
Sinusubaybayan pa rin niya ang buhay ni Richard. She found out that he adopted a child and that child was now a criminal, too. May kung anong pangingilabot siyang nadama at naisip na kung sakali, si Alexandra siguro ang ginawa ni Richard na tulad nito. She made the right decision.
Ang lahat ng pagtuturo ni Maria sa anak ng mga kaalaman ay para sa survival. Alam niyang may posibilidad na masundan sila ng nakaraan. Kung wala na siya, paano nito haharapin ang lahat nang nag-iisa kung hindi niya tuturuan? Hindi niya puwedeng iwan ang anak na walang alam sa ganoong mundo.
She kept doing jobs mainly to support her research. Sa kasamaang-palad, muling nagkrus ang landas nila ni Robert. She knew he was trying to make her come out when he pulled a disastrous job on the Scepter of Dragobert, imitating her style but losing to Richard. How pathetic, she thought.
But one day, Robert came to her. He was also interested in the lost city of gold. He said let bygones be bygones and offered a partnership. This time, he was offering a fair deal. For old time’s sake, he said. Tinanggap niya iyon.
“WE GO a long way, Robert. Why do this?” tanong ni Maria. He came into her house, shot her on the shoulders while her back was turned, then slashed her neck. He was still a good con artist. Nakuha nito ang kanyang pagtitiwala. Pinapasok niya ito sa kanyang bahay, inisip na pag-uusapan nila ang tungkol sa exploration sa Amazon.
Hindi sapat ang lalim ng laslas sa kanyang leeg para mamatay siya, pero alam niyang mauubos ang kanyang dugo. She was going to die, she was sure. Nakikita niya iyon sa mukha ng lalaki.
Nakapuwesto si Maria sa mesa sa library. Kanina, binabalikan niya ang mga libro at ngayon, hawak na ni Robert ang mga iyon. May iba pang mga libro sa library at alam niyang kukunin nito lahat iyon. Hindi na niya kayang ipagtanggol ang sarili dahil mas mapapadali ang kanyang buhay sa paggalaw. It was futile anyway. Robert was pointing a gun at her.
“You’ve always been the ungrateful one. After everything I taught you, you left. And now you had a change of heart about the project?” Nanlisik ang mga mata ng lalaki.
“I had a change of heart when you insisted that we needed the backing of a company. That wasn’t the original plan.” She suspected Robert would come after her, but she never thought he would do this. After all, the city of gold was still a fortune and she was the only one who knew some of the codes she had written in her books. She made it that way so that her life would be safe. How wrong she was.
“You fool. How much will we spend on an exploration like that? How much time would we need? You and I are not getting any younger. It might take years and years I don’t have.”
“You have always lacked imagination, Robert. Is that why you quit in the first place?”
“You’ve always been dramatic.”
Mabilis na binalikan ni Maria sa isip ang mga iniwang clue para kay Alexandra patungkol sa kanya. Magiging sapat ba ang mga iyon? Sana. Hindi man niya inasahan na sa ganoon magwawakas ang kanyang buhay, nagtanim na siya ng mga clue para sa anak. Siguro, noon pa, may takot na siyang mauwi sa ganoon ang kanyang buhay.
“Who will crack my codes, Robert? You can take the books but who will crack my codes?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m selling them to the highest bidder.”
“Not very smart.”
“Oh, I think it is.”
Ipinikit ni Maria ang mga mata. She knew death would come any time now. Ang huli niyang nakita sa isip ay ang nakangiting mukha ng kanyang mag-ama. A shot was fired and it was the end...