THE BOG QUESTION 2

“Azzua’s blood is running through the veins of that vicious man? How? What are you talking about, Gia? Is that man not your cousin or something? We have no connection with you, so how can that man be carrying our blood?” Mrs. Azzua finally breaks the silence after a long moment of screaming silence, while her husband still battles with the revelation.

“He is my cousin, but an adopted one. He came into Well’s family when he was twenty. My father had refused to associate with the dirty businesses of his family. His only brother had not been blessed with a child, and since they needed an heir for their dirty, bloody empire, that is when they adopted a son. And that is how Ejay got tangled with us.” I explain softly and calmly.

Again, they are thunderstruck for a minute. “So, you knew all along?”

“I did an investigation after we thought Ejay had died. I wanted to know why he had so much hatred for Deep. Despite them having crashed in the past, I did not see that as a justifiable reason enough for him to hate Deep with so much intensity the way he did. That is when I asked my detective friend to look into Ejay’s bio.” I explain that the weight of the shocking revelation that I am just about to fill them with weighs heavily in my heart.

Mr. Mazur clears his voice, curiosity etched on his eager, dull face. “And?” He asks, cocking his head to the side as if to set his ear in line with my mouth, but still not wanting to take his eyes off my mouth. His wife is no less eager, too.

“You had an affair thirty years ago with a woman in your company. Her name was Hellen, and Ejay is the product of that affair.” I break the news, and thunder strikes them so hard.

“What? Is it him? Hellen’s son?” Mrs. Azzua brats out softly. It does not seem like that was meant for a third ear. She was perhaps thinking in her head, but it slipped out of her mouth.

Her husband seems to be having a nervous breakdown as he scratches his head nonstop, breaking the weight of the news in deep, rapid breaths. His pacing is uncontrollable, too.

So, they knew a bastard child existed?

“So, you knew you had a son?” I shoot the question at Deep’s father.

He stops pacing, facing up his face as if asking for guidance from the high heavens. “Yes. My wife and I knew. That was a thing from a long time ago. I sorted it out. I made it clear to Hellen that we could never be a family. But I also made sure my child was well taken care of. I made a substantial deposit to her account every month to cater to the child’s well-being, according to the agreement we had. I still do up to date."

Wow! A responsible father, indeed. But was that what his son deserved? All the same, that is not my business. He handled the situation according to how he saw it. And if Ejay’s mother was okay with that, then who am I to judge?

Shock, disbelief, and concern etch lines of worry across their faces as they struggle to absorb the unexpected turn of events for a while. And I understand them. I mean, it was two brothers at war in the beginning, and now one has the other kidnapped. It is terrifying, especially because no one can tell what that monster, Ejay, is thinking. Why would he do such a thing as kidnapping his half-brother?

And poor Deep?

Does he know he is connected to that monster?

No. I doubt. I asked him if there was anything else between them, and he said there was nothing. He could have told me if he knew. He is in the dark. They kept him in the dark. I hope this will not tear him into pieces. What is Mai even saying? Of course, he will be devastated. His parents lying to him all these years will break his heart into pieces. Learning that he has a half-sibling who happens to be no one else but his nightmare will destroy him completely.

Mr. Azzua’s hands tremble slightly as they clench into fists, trying to process the gravity of the situation. "This is so unbelievable. My two sons are at war with each other. One kidnapping the other?" He murmurs to himself, his voice laced with both anger and disbelief.

His wife is seething with distress too, her eyes brimming with tears. She slowly turns to me with furrows of questions etched on her face, her voice quivering with emotion. "How could this happen? Why would Ejay do such a thing to his own brother, especially if he knows that Deep is his half-brother?" She whimpers, a tear leaving her eye.

I honestly empathize with their distress. This can never be easy for any parent. I speak softly. "I have been thinking deeply about this ever since I learned about Ejay’s real identity. Here is what I think: Ejay's actions stem from two angles: one, jealousy for the failure of being recognized and living a complete and luxurious life like the one Deep lives. He was not in good shape when he came into my uncle's home. He looked miserable back then. And second, he had a thing for me that he termed love. He could not bear the fact I chose Deep over him.”

“And you are so proud to admit that you are the reason for the conflict between two brothers? Don’t you feel any shame? You had a thing with the two of them, and..."

“I had nothing to do with Ejay, ma'am!” I cut her off. She is being too much now. What is she thinking? That I was sleeping with both of them? Do I look that rotten to her? “With all that I went through at the hands of Ejay, never even in death could I bring myself to feel anything except hatred. I took all the torture he gave me for not reciprocating his feelings. And in a real sense, I cannot call what he felt for me love. It was more of an obsession. He could not bear the mere thought of me smiling or having a decent conversation with any man. He felt so threatened that Deep penetrated my heart, and there was nothing he could do about it. That drove him to the edge of his lunacy.”