Chapter-386

Checkmate


Jay-Jay's POV


"Marianne doesn't know this, so just lower your voice
," Drew said while continuing to take off the clothes.
We deliberately slowed down so we could talk properly.
I just don't know if Yuri and I can hear each other while we're busy playing
chess. He's smart, so I know he's ready to fight a
champion.
"You mean, the debt he left
you reached 39 million? Now it was only 9 million, but because of the shark loan it became
15 million?" I repeated what he told me.
He nodded while shaking the clothes he was holding. "I don't know
where the shameless one is and how he still manages to make
a debt after hiding."
"Where did he use the money?"
"Gambling and men," he answered before returning the basket to their house.
I was stunned by his answer. He spent that much on gambling
and . . . what? Wait!
Drew came back with the empty basket. He continued what he
was doing and I was still thinking about his last words while
holding the same clothes I got last time.
"Isn't it for women?" I corrected but he shook his head.
I didn't mishear his last words.
"Masculinity. I've been caught doing that a few times before but because I was young
I didn't understand," he explained casually as if
what he was saying was just an ordinary thing.
His reaction came back to me when Kit confessed in front of
the class.
"Is that why you were angry with Kit?"
He stopped and took the clothes from my hand. I gave them to him and
let him fold them neatly.
"It all came back to me when he confessed. I couldn't control
my anger, that's why I told them that. I regret
it," he explained.
I knew they had made up by then. I also didn't
see any anger or annoyance in him when I looked at the couple. It just depended
on whether he and Mayo had gotten back together.
Next, Drew approached the blankets. I helped him
take them off the clothesline and shake them out before folding them.
I looked at Yuri when I couldn't hear any
noise from them. They were both so concentrated.
They only got a few chess pieces from each other and it seemed like a few minutes
before they made a move and settled down.
It's true, the game was complicated. It's really smart.
I stared at Drew's Mom before I faced her. "I know
I'm asking this personally but . . . your Mom, what happened
to her?"
"That's not a personal question, many people know
about that. She was even in the tabloids before because of her condition."
He stopped what he was doing and looked at his Mom. "I thought he could
handle everything. He sold our properties, insurance, business,
even his pension, which he used to pay off his debts. Then on the day
of my graduation, they didn't come, when I came home,
I only found Marianne. We didn't know that
she had mental problems and that she had already disappeared. Luckily, a
good person brought her to the Police Station. It was bad luck,
because there was a reporter there who recognized her."
He looked away and wiped his face. I was about to tell
him to stop talking, but he stopped me by gesturing
to me.
"I can accept his illness, but the ridicule of
people, that's what I can't accept. The headline in the news was, 'Former
Filipino Representative in Chess Olympiad loses his mind'. I didn't
know what to do then. We had no one to go to. Reporters were knocking on our doors every day
, debt collectors were harassing us,
and our relatives were even robbing us."
And he carried all of that alone. He found a way to
support his brother and mother as well as pay off the
debts they left behind. That's what we didn't see in him because
we completely thought that he was gambling using the money he borrowed from
us. I didn't realize that I was crying too.
Now I understand why he always answers that he
gambles to pay off the debt. Because that's what he really does.
That's where he gets the money. I thought he was just answering that so
we would stop asking him about the money he borrowed from us.
We both tried to calm down and stay calm. I wiped my face
with my palm. While he used the sleeve of his t-
shirt to wipe his face.
My cold was starting to break out.
"Believe me, I really don't intend to hurt you. If
I had another choice, even if it meant hardship or
increasing my debt, that's what I would choose. I'm really tired of
thinking and looking for someone to 
help me. . .
Please forgive me."
I smiled while trying to hold back my tears. I took a
deep breath before speaking.
"You're a mother, I wish you had talked to me. I wish you had approached me too."
"Why? Will you lend me a million?"
"Your mother," I replied and he laughed. "We'll find it,
of course."
"Who are you going to find? Keifer?"
I laughed a little. He was the one I had in mind who could
give me millions. Our reaction was a mixture of crying and laughing. It was as if
he had breathed a sigh of relief at these times, even if it was just for a moment.
As long as he doesn't do it again, we won't have any problems.
I'll punch him if he betrays me again.
"If you can, tell everyone the truth. Because
we think you're the one who caused your gambling debts," I said and
he nodded while wiping his face.
"I'll try, I'm also embarrassed. I don't want them to think
I'm just begging to avoid paying the debt."
"If you're gambling to get money, where did you take
the 5,000 you owed me?" I asked.
I still felt bad about that 5,000. After all, what can I do
if he really doesn't have it. Even if I fight him if he doesn't give me anything,
it's still the same.
"Entrance fee and then the initial bet. I would have won a lot but then
Tiger caught me. Well, I almost got beaten up so I called a
riend. Then I called you because
I was so scared," he explained and laughed.
That's why Yuri and I rushed to Kingsground. When I remember
that, it's still scary, especially Yuri's fight in the ring. Anyway,
the vibes in that place were really scary. I
ound out late that Kuya Angelo's frenny business was illegal, that's why
we were able to enter freely even though we were minors because they didn't
ollow any laws.
Tiger's illegality was really on his face.
I was just a little surprised by what Drew said.
"What do you mean you got caught?"
He scratched his head. "The truth is, that's why I win at gambling.
Because I cheat at cards."
I winced and almost hit him. Gambling was already a bad thing
, he was going to add to the cheating.
"Are you crazy? You'll definitely get beaten up for what you're doing!"
He quickly dodged my hand when I raised it. He also motioned
or me to be quiet so that we wouldn't be heard inside the house where
his brother was.
"Why? Gambling is also cheating, so
I'll go with it," he reasoned.
"I wish you hadn't gambled."
"The money is faster at gambling, but I already have sidelines
."
We turned to his mom because of his applause.
He looked happy because he found a chess partner.
"You still haven't taken
your mom to the psychiatrist?" I asked Drew and he sighed deeply.
"I already took her, because I can't afford her medicine.
It was supposed to be her pension, but a big part of it, I'm paying off
the debt, and the rest is for our expenses here at home.
We moved to Maid's Quarter so that
our electricity bill would be small, but we still run out of power sometimes."
That's why even though their house is big, they don't live there. But
it's okay where they live now. He was just being practical.
"I feel like I'll never finish paying off the
debt," he added. "Sometimes I want to find
my dad to slap him."
He said and laughed a little. I knew he was upset with
his dad. Who wouldn't be angry at what he did. He left them with a
huge debt and expected them to pay it back. If he couldn't
be stopped, he would have just left and left
them no more trouble.
They were the same as Keifer's Dad. I wish my Dad wasn't like that, I wish
he wouldn't give me any headaches.
"Let's keep doing this and we might not finish," I said while
pointing at the two remaining blankets.
He just laughed and continued what we were doing. We finished
it and he brought the basket of folded clothes and blankets inside the house
. I approached Yuri who was still busy with their fight.
I wanted to laugh at him because he was so stressed thinking about the
next shot.
Drew also came out after lowering his hand. We were in the middle
of watching when we heard a loud bang on their gate.
Even though we were far away, we still heard
male voices calling Drew.
"Who's that?" I asked but before I could answer my question,
Drew called his brother.
"Marianne, Mama!"
Marianne rushed out and immediately carried
her mother in both arms but she fought her. I was forced
to help and follow where they were going.
"Play, play, play," their mother said crying.
"Mom, there's an enemy outside. Let's hide for now," Marianne pleaded
but there was a hint of fear in her voice.
It was obvious that she wouldn't follow so I joined in her plea.
"Let's hide for now," I said and their mother looked at me.
She seemed to have listened and didn't fight back. We went straight to the
big house. The backdoor leading into the mini-kitchen and dining room
of the house was open. The mother and son hid in a room but I chose to
stay and peek outside through the crack of the closed window.
Yuri was standing next to Drew, waiting for those who
entered. It didn't take long for them to show up. A group of
men with many tattoos on their arms and necks. They looked like they wouldn't
hesitate to hurt.
Who are these guys?
"Kid, your payment is due," said a man holding a
cigarette.
"I just paid it, huh?" Drew replied.
"We raised the interest for this month. You haven't
paid the interest on your payment yet."
What kind of extortion is that? Drew and I are also creditors
, but they are extorting money. This is probably what is called a
loan shark. They charge a lot of interest on their loans.
A man approached Drew but he pushed
him away and walked away.
"You said the interest will only go up if you don't pay
properly. I didn't miss a thing," Drew said angrily.
"Kid, I don't earn much from you because my interest on
your loan is low. I guess I'm a loser because you still have years to pay off
your loan."
"You can't just raise the interest, your loan is illegal
, and you'll even cheat me on the interest," Yuri interjected and slapped me
on the forehead.
Why did you even talk? You should just be a supporter.
The men were clearly irritated by him. The man with the cigarette glared
at Yuri. He took a step closer to him but
the red hair didn't budge.
"Kid . . ." the man with the cigarette said and pointed at his hair. "
Are you a cosplayer? Why is your hair like that?"
He was about to grab the man in front of him by the hair but
Yuri was quick to block his hand and twist his finger. The man screamed
and the cigarette fell to the floor.
"Hey, Yuri! Let go of that!" Drew warned.
The men around them were alarmed. They tried
to get closer but the man Yuri was holding was so loud in pain
that they didn't move.
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hand," Yuri said.
He looked at the men and Drew. When his gaze returned to the
man in front of him, I finally saw his expression clearly. He seemed to have no
conscience and was just twisting the finger
of the man in front of him. I see the old Keifer in him, back
when they enjoyed fighting and breaking enemies
.
The only difference is, I don't see any concern for Yuri. Concern about whether
he'll go through with the plan or not. Concern about whether what he's doing will harm him or Drew
. Concern about what the consequences of his actions will be.
What's going on with him? I've never seen him like this.
"What's wrong with you, kid? Can't you imagine what we can
do to you?" asked one of the men around them.
Yuri looked at him for a moment as if he were a low-class person
. He was calm but his gaze was deadly. I couldn't help but
change my mind.
"Listen here, let's make a deal," Yuri said as he lifted one of
his legs, enough for him to reach his sock.
They were both surprised by what he was doing. He picked up something and
when he lifted it, everyone was alarmed again, including me. A black pocket
knife.
"Yuri!" Drew shouted to stop him from what he was planning but
he ignored him.
What is he going to do? Should I go out and intervene?
He raised his hand holding a pocket knife. He showed it to
everyone before pointing it at the hand he had been twisting earlier.
"I won't interfere with Drew's debt, I don't have money to help
him anyway. But here's what I want you to do, keep the same interest
amountâ€"." "You're not the one making the decision here!" the man he was holding
shouted angrily . Without looking, he stabbed his hand. I just covered my mouth in shock. Drew backed away
rom what he did and so did the others. Blood immediately dripped onto the floor. Damn it, what did he do? I
was thankful that Marianne and her Mama hid. Maybe they couldn't bear to see this either. "I said, let's make a
deal," Yuri said and pulled out the pocket knife again. All the man could do was scream and moan. I felt a
mixture of fear and worry and I knew Drew felt the same way. Why do I feel like he just saw Yuri like this?
"Keep the same interest rate for Drew's debt, you won't raise it. Because the moment you do so, I'll cut off one
of your fingers for every increase in interest you make." He waited for the man to answer but all he could hear
was a groan as he tried to pull his hand back. One of his eyebrows raised as he waited. It had only been a
second but he looked bored. He pointed the pocket knife at his finger and the people around him were about
to rush in when the man finally answered . A cold and tears burst from his face as he repeatedly said he
agreed. It was a good thing he answered. I was really planning on running outside to stop Yuri. Even though it
seemed impossible for him to stop. "Are you an idiot? You don't know what these people are capable of!" Drew
said angrily to him. He laughed. "And they don't know what I'm capable of either." He let go of the man's hand
in front of him. Some of his companions came over and helped him stand up. Before the man could make a
threat, Yuri immediately countered him. "Don't even try. I will visit your office to seal our deal. If you don't
comply, I will punish you with all my might." The men could only give him a stern look. They left without doing
or saying anything else. Was that all? Were they afraid of Yuri? There were so many of them, and they were
bigger than Yuri, but none of them even fought back or tried to charge at him. This red-haired guy didn't look
scary . Compared to Keifer and Kuya Angelo , he was even kind. So how could they leave without speaking or
even fighting back. I opened the door and slowly walked towards them. Drew was clearly consumed by what
had happened. He was still pulling himself together as he looked at the men who had left. "How did you do
that?" I asked Yuri, but my tone was mixed with accusation . He looked at me innocently before hiding the
pocket knife behind him. "Luck, I guess." "They didn't even fight you?" "Because they'll come back for him, or
me," Drew said, looking very stressed . "They won't do that. I'll take care of it," Yuri replied to him. We all turned
to the big house when we heard things falling. Drew immediately entered the backdoor. I was about to follow
him but I was stopped when I noticed Yuri not moving from where he was standing. "I'm just going to wash
my hands, I'll follow," he said and motioned for me to walk. I did so because I knew he didn't want to show me
his bloody pocket knife. I left him and went into the big house. I immediately looked for Drew and Marianne. I
didn't have any trouble finding them, because even though there were many doors, there were only a few
twists and turns inside. Drew was on the stairs going up. I followed when I saw Marianne enter a room.
"Mom!" I heard Drew call. Nothing bad had happened. I was panting heavily when I got to the second floor.
When I entered the room where the siblings had entered, I stopped and stared at what was happening. There
was nothing wrong at all, but their mother was cleaning like a normal mother. "Andrew's room, it should be
clean . . ." she said and tried to straighten the sheets of a bed. "Because that son of mine is messy." I looked
around the entire room. The furniture, like the bed, sofa, study table, and closet, was obviously not moved, but
the room was surprisingly clean and there wasn't much dust compared to the outside and the hallway I
passed. The color of the walls and some of the furniture was faded, but everything was still intact. There was
a picture frame on the bedside table but the glass was broken so I couldn't see the faces of the people in the
picture. "Andrew's room should be cleaned . . . it should be clean." I looked at Drew and Marianne, even though
they didn't say anything, I knew they were struggling with what they were seeing. Their faces showed signs of
atigue but they were helpless. I felt like they were wishing for her to go back to her old self or get better. Their
mother stopped cleaning and walked out of the room. They immediately followed and tried to stop her but she
just got angry with them so they were forced to let them in. She entered the next room. Like the first one, the
room wasn't too dusty either. There were lots of dolls and books in a cabinet right next to the study table.
"Marianne's room is always clean, but it still needs to be cleaned," their mother said and started wiping down
the bedside table. She shook out the pillows and the same with the sheets and blankets. She was saying and
whispering something that I didn't really listen to because the last room in the corner had caught my attention.
The door was open and I could clearly see the things inside. I left them for a moment and peeked in. It was
ull of memorabilia. There was even a large photo of their mother. Large trophies covered in dust and dirt.
Boxes full of picture frames, newspapers, and other papers. Maybe their Mama is really famous. "Jay . . ."
Drew called to me before looking at the room I was looking at. "Do you want to come in? It's already messy." I
shook my head. "I probably won't, I'll make more mess, it looks like it's hard to fix." "It's still messy, I tried to
find the title of the house and land. I was going to sell it to Keifer but I can't find it," he explained as he walked
into the room and put the things scattered on the floor into a box. "Does Keifer know about your situation?" I
asked and he turned to face me for a moment to shake his head. "Not everything, I'm also embarrassed to tell
him everything ." He scratched his head. "He's not strict with money but he wants what he gives to the right
person or way to be used. That's why , I can't tell you everything because it might make him angry." I pouted.
He was right about Keifer taking out the money. I just can't figure out why when it comes to my food, it's like
he's so quick to grab his wallet. I remember that I borrowed money from him before to pay Mykeliling for the
humiliation he did to Ci-N before, he didn't charge me anymore. I can't help but remind him. Then, the things he
spends on me seem like mere coins to him. I wish I had a lot of money like him. "I think he'll understand, you
didn't incur those debts," I said and he walked out of the room.
"I hope so," he replied before closing the door.
We walked out. Marianne and her mom were no longer in the room
we left. We continued out of the house where we
caught up with her sister picking up the chess pieces from the floor.
"Mom?" Drew asked.
"She's already inside, I put her to bed, I hope she's asleep."
Drew went to their house, while I chose to help Marianne
pick up. Putting the pieces we picked up on the chess board,
we counted them to make sure they were complete. I couldn't help but notice the
wood on the broken part of the board.
"This chess board must be really old, it's already worn out."
Marianne looked at what I was referring to. "Oh yeah, I know
this chess board is lucky. Mom used to say that it made
her win her first tournament."
I looked at the entire chess board. I first removed the contents
before looking at both sides. It seemed like the size was not the same
rom the outside and inside of the chess board. I noticed at first that
this one seemed thicker compared to the cheap ones bought at the market. It looks
just as thick on the outside but when you look inside where
the chess pieces are placed, it seems like there is only a tiny space.
Maybe that's how it's designed so it doesn't get damaged easily.
"Why?" Marianne asked me.
"I just looked and it looks like it might be damaged a lot, but it looks like it
will last a long time," I replied and she accepted.
We put the chess board away and I let her enter the
house. She was greeted by her sister who was looking
around.
"Where did Yuri go?"