He opened the granite door facing the sea, it was cloudy and the misty sea waves splashed on the rocky shore like his inexplicable tears, dainty and heartbroken.
" Lolita...you should have listened. Now that people knew the truth. I can truthfully smile. Perhaps, God led this poor guy to come out and give me this gift of freedom. God loves me...He never allowed me to die without justice. Thank you Lord for making me strong - after 28 long years. You are a living omnipotent God. Thank you." He cried so hard while watching the horizon, pouring out the last pains he'd stored for decades.
Minutes after, George came in and hugged him tight.
" Amá, spare my parents and have mercy on us. If only I can endure your pains the way you did, I wanted to keep it's share just to lighten up your burden. I'm back not just for Magee but for you too, I'm not going anywhere...I'll serve you again as your little George, I want you to make some toys for my children too and hang out with us in the granite house. You are a great father to me." George was filled with tears.
Sibal smiled on him and wiped his tears with his fingers.
" No worries, son. I'm just very happy knowing everything is in place now. You don't need to live as payback, Magee did it for years and Edward secretly suffered too. When I see Edward, I lost anger with Chuck. It's how kindness multiply but I want your lives to settle for good. You and Magee shall start anew, ours had been else's past that no one cares to remember." He smiled and closed the granite door. While on their way back to the wooden house Sibal felt he could awesomely breath normally unlike when he was at San Agustin and lived like a hermit. They reached in the wooden house and saw Amado still on his bowed head and Sibal went closer, seated beside him and tapped his shoulder.
" I'm your Manong, it's Manong Sibal. The male monkey was as big as you. If I did not trigger it with my shotgun, I preempted it could jump to both of you so fast. So I shot it. Lolita saw me on act and found some blood below the tree, the monkey had escaped too. She thought I shot you for stealing, although as a child, you both took some small sacks. She thought I shot both of you because of it. Then that was the beginning of her vengeance. She tempted, marry me but has loved and have kids with another man. Though, it's something that I understand for 28 years. Now, I want you to relax, get back to life and you are forgiven, Amado." Sr. Sibal smiled at him.
" Manong...salamat (thank you)." Amado emotionally took Sibal's hand and put it on top of his head and added, "Thank you for killing the monkey who would have jumped and killed us." He continued to sob as everyone went out and allowed the two to get a moment of peace.
" So now, me and the people around understands why you kept looking, getting closer and even risked your life lately just to open all these to Magee."
" My elder brother told me that Magee was your adopted daughter, I thought she's the only person who can lead me to you. Lolita is nowhere to be found, doesn't have any idea if who abducted them with the boys."
" But...thank you Amado for bringing this out. I have no grudge against you. So continue to stay in this family with a peaceful heart, help us to silently fight against the Japs. Help this family survive, if you'll be genuine to me you should be the same to this family."
Albrecht then called everyone in the kitchen for dinner. There were ginataang breadnut, both boiled and fried peanuts, karlang, saging hilaw, camote, cassava, law-uy, ginataang saging hilaw, ginisang bean sprouts and plenty of fruits on the table.
" Hello people, let's celebrate today. So everyone, please come in to our kitchen." The dinner was filled with laughter, funny chats from Albrecht and Sr. Sibal while the Captain kept laughing but minutes after, a loud blast from San Agustin direction has flooded into their ears.
" Mortar!" George commented while opening some peanuts and breadnut's seeds on Magee's plate. Then series of blasts followed that silenced everyone and made them too focused to their sumptuous dinner.
" Yeah! those are mortar blasts. Oh, Amado, take all these last serving of peanuts."
" Dad." Baldur commented on Edward's dinner where his plate was full of peanuts.
" Haha!" My dear Baldur, so timely Amado, just take all the peanuts, my youngest son is having some tantrums."
They all laughed and Albrecht packed some leftovers to some soldiers who have not joined them. There was moonlight so the captain asked volunteers to climb with him and looked at the Japs' attack to San Agustin.
Five men volunteered, including George. Then the soldiers and guerillas already got out, leaving the family behind.
" Hey, George you aren't included. Go, bring all these to your wife and sleep early - sleep early." The Captain smilingly said.
Then the brothers were laughing and Albrecht handed to George some packed food and tapped his shoulder.
" Brother, sleep early." Albrecht whispered.
It's so timely that Magee came in.
Magee was smiling while looking to her husband being teased by his brother and father. Then Magee walked slowly and passed by to her Lolo Sibal and took his hand for a 'mano po'.
" Lolo...I miss you very much. I have so many things to tell you about the handsome guy."
" Haha! go, go away, we don't need you around, haha. See you tomorrow, I'll go up at noon time to bring you lunch. I'll request Albrecht to cook 'pakro' ( green in chunks banana) mixed with grated coconut milk mixed with a little salt and of course plenty of sayote boiled leaves. But will you not be over dose with sayote leaves, Magee?" Sibal smiled.
" They don't have spinach and saluyot these days, sayote still the green leafy climbing around, just as the old days at our backyard. Lolo, I missed our house." She looked so sad.
" Don't you like the granite house?"
" Yes of course. Not just like it but loved it very much." She gleefully said while waving a hand to Sr. Sibal when George funnily grabbed and carried her on his arms and ran with her. She was laughing till they were gone inside.
" Oh dear! such a poor girl!" Albrecht smirked.
" What? come again?" Baldur restated.
" Why you're mad. I'm just commenting, seeing him grabbing my sister that quick and they're gone? ha?"
" Haha! you Albrecht are jealous, just be true. You never knew how that girl had a chitchat with me about that handsome guy since 13 up to aged 20. Now that they've met, I seemed so excited to see my grandchildren. That's why, stop commenting, keep quiet, just support them, okay?" Then Sr. Sibal laughed.
" Okay, alright, I was just kidding and Baldur so seriously interrogated, hah!" Albrecht ended and proceeded to the kitchen.