CHAPTER VI: HER PARENTS

The motorbike parking area has a lot of vacant spaces so it didn't take too long before they are already walking through the hospital’s main entrance. While his professor fills out some forms and checks out certain information at the nurse's station, Hero decides to check his large-screened, high-tech smartphone.

He stares at it for a while, his eyes narrowed to slits while his lips twist in a slightly upset expression.

Two calls from my dad. Must be important. Maybe he texted…

He checks. His father did not leave any messages, but there was one from another familiar contact...

The text reads: You need to do a job tonight.

His dark blue eyes narrow even more as he types in a response: Not my turn. Can you send someone else?

The answer comes within just a few seconds:

No.

“Is there a problem, Hero?” a strong feminine voice asked worriedly.

Hero looks at his prof who is now ready to go to her parent’s ward. “Huh… no, everything’s ok,” he cheerfully answers while flashing her a reassuring smile. “Just lead the way.”

As the couple walked wordlessly through this famous and modern hospital’s long and sterile corridors, the man returns to his typing, his steely look returning with a vengeance.

Fine, but expect me a little later than usual.

Hero then puts his phone on silent and places it back into his jacket pocket, even before he received a reply.

I made a promise to Lyra to bring her here then take her home. I’m not about to disappoint her just because of someone else’s rush job.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Lyra, so glad to see you..."

"Oh dear, we have company? Hello, there young man. Come in, come in..."

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my student in Business Law and Policies this semester. His name is Hero. Hero, this is Rino, my dad and this is my mom, Celia."

"It's an honor to meet you sir... ma'am..."

Shoot, phone call. And it's my dad...

Hero apologizes profusely to everyone, then steps out of the hospital room but keeps the door open beside him.

“Hey Dad, sorry for not being able to answer your call a while ago. Was on the road. Anything wrong?”

“There’s been another one, Bien. It’s your Uncle Earl.”

“What?! So they’ve found his body?”

“Yes, and it has the same message carved on his chest.”

”You mean the one on Uncle Teddy too?”

“Unfortunately so. We’ve managed to keep the media in the dark and the authorities silent for now. Thank the heavens that we still both have our military connections intact.”

Hero can’t help but sigh worriedly, “Looks like whoever is doing this will eventually come after you, Dad.”

”But these are board members who are vetoing our plans, Bien, my boy…”

”They are STILL our board members, Dad, whatever side they may choose! Besides, you have received quite a large number of death threats lately and they all seem to coincide with these murders. I really don’t believe in coincidences, so please...”

”Stop worrying son, I will be careful.”

”Even so, I’ll give the go on doubling security on the house, alright? And leave the Midnight Resort to me for now. Try to stay with mom instead. I’m sure she’ll love that and so will you.”

“But Bien, there is still so much to do! I really want to finish our plans as soon as possible.”

“Yes, and you can’t do that if you’re dead, right Dad?”

Again, a long pause…

”As usual, you’re being wiser than me, son. Alright, I will leave everything to you for now. But if you need any sort of help...”

”Actually, I do. But it’s not for me.”

”Ohhh, is this still the same friend?”

”Yup, still the same. But I will need extra.”

”Really? Does this mean it’s progressing?”

”Not sure, but… I’ll explain it all to you when I go home this Sunday.”

“Hahaha! That’s my boy!”

”Dad, come on! I haven’t told you anything yet.”

”It doesn’t matter because I have a good feeling about your friend. Well then, I’ll send you your requested funds tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Dad, you’re the best.”

”So are you, Bien. Take care and keep in touch.”

”I will Dad. Give my love to Mama.”

“Of course. Goodbye for now, son. See you Sunday.”

Hero puts his phone away and returns to the other people inside the cramped hospital room, “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to be rude but I really needed to answer that call.”

Lyra smiles at him, ”That’s ok, Hero. We also needed a bit of alone time. Was that your dad?”

”Yes, he’s just checking up on me.”

The young man smiles back at Lyra and the two elderly patients who are half-sitting, half-longing on the raised hospital beds. Though both of his prof's parents had thick gauze covering their faces, arms, legs, and torso, he can still feel their beaming grins radiating from under all of it. Along with those smiles were all the pain, pus, blood, and wounds that are covering their old and weak bodies as well.

”Oh, so you’re close with your father?” wheezed the heavily bandaged man cheerily.

”I’m close with both of them, actually. We’re all pretty tight-knit maybe because I'm their only child,” Hero proudly stated.

”I’m so happy to hear that. So you're just like our wonderful daughter. She may not have siblings but she is all we really need,” whispers the mummy-looking woman with pride in her voice.

Lyra’s parents are burn victims and both almost died in a large fire, which took their home and their already productive textile business. Miraculously, they were rescued by firefighters and sent to the hospital just in time to save their lives. It was a bit of a touch and go moment for both seniors during their first month of hospitalization, but both have managed to survive for half a year even in their present conditions.

“Well, I’m really glad to meet you, Hero. She has never brought anyone with her whenever she visits us. We were starting to wonder if she’s already planning to be a hermit or an old maid,” jokes the father.

”Or maybe, she is a bit ashamed of us because we don’t look our best,” laughs the mother.

“Will you two stop?” Lyra scolds, pretending to be angry. “You’re not acting your age at all and in front of my guest too!”

The elderly Rino chuckles, “When did we ever act our age, daughter?”

“Well, we are only like this because it seems there is something very special about Hero and that’s why you brought him here, right?” teases the aged Celia.

Lyra believes that the reason behind her parents' relentless endurance is the fact that they are the strongest and most determined couple that she has ever known. Mr. Rino and Mrs. Celia Semana maintain, however, that the true reason why they have not expired yet is the continuous compassion and care that their loving daughter has given to them.

”Oh my gosh, you two are just unbelievable! He’s my student, mom!” exclaims Lyra, and this time she really is sincerely shocked. “What is going on with you both?”

”Well, we were just hoping that you would have gotten over the pain of your previous marriage, Lyra,” explains the dad, in a muffled voice. "You should've moved on right after your divorce. You deserve to be happy, you know"

”I agree with your father, child. As a matter of fact, we were just talking about this very topic before you arrived. Now here you are with this very dignified and handsome young man and he's quite a dear. What else were we supposed to think?”

“Duh, I said he’s my student! He’s younger than me!”

”Age does not matter, dear. How old are you, Hero?”

“I’m 25 ma’am,” was the young man’s eager reply.

”And do you have a girlfriend?”

”DAD!”

”No, sir, I don’t.”

”What about a boyfriend?” asked a soft feminine voice.

”MOM!”

”No ma’am,” chuckled Hero, “I never have and will never intend to have one.”

”See, he’s perfect for you, Lyra,” concludes the girl’s papa. "What are you waiting for?"

Lyra’s reply was fast but clear, ”Well, sorry to disappoint you both but I’m not perfect enough for him. What he needs is some young socialite model with an old-moneyed name who can be his trophy wife so he can bring her to all his parent’s high-society events!”

Hero’s voice suddenly shifts to a more combative tone, ”Now hold on a minute, my parents aren’t like that!”

”Do they expect you to marry well, Hero?” argues the female professor.

”Of course, they do! Every self-respecting parent wants their child to do that! But that depends on how they would interpret the words ‘marry well’, ok Lyra?”

”And so it doesn’t matter to them who you end up with?”

”Yes, it matters to them but…”

”See, I rest my case!”

”Whoa, hold up there! You didn’t let me finish and your last question is very misleading.”

”Oh just look at you both!” the mom interrupted, “Fighting like an old married couple...”

“Yeah, and I’m missing my own little fights with you, Celia. Gives me the chance to properly make out... I mean, make up with you!” chuckled the dad.

The room then explodes with giggles from the women and guffaws from the men. The two bandaged burn victims are now laughing so heartily, no one would think that they’ve been suffering from their wounds and loss for months now. In a way, their cheery disposition has also helped a lot with their healing.

But that will never be enough.

Midway through his hearty laughter, Lyra’s weakened father starts to cough violently. It sounds like he’s almost choking…

”Oh no… DAD! What the heck is wrong?!"

As the lady professor rushes to her father’s side, her manly student hurriedly pushes the nurse’s call button on the wall.

" Please God... help us, please! Dad... please hold on. Hold on..."