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38. INT. FONTANILLA RESIDENCE – THAT NIGHT

“And you’re certain no one else was witness to the… incident?”

Ruben shakes his head. “Basta nung nakita ko si Luis at Lilith sa dressing room ni Georgina, sinirado ko na kaagad yung pintuan.”

Asistio considers his assistant’s statement. “And, since there has been no breaking news of the sudden death of either Luis or Georgina, we can only assume the problem worked itself out.”

“Pero, paano kung alam na ni Georgina na ganoon si Lilith?”
Asistio grins. “Our little dancer hasn’t won the competition yet. I think she’d be very careful about rocking any boats at the moment.”

“And,” a voice comes from the doorway, startling both Asistio and Ruben, who turn, to see Luis there, “speaking of rocking boats…”

Asistio smiles, thinking to himself, And thus the hero steps into the true villain’s lair.

Or, Asistio considers, if he plays his cards right, the fairy godmother’s.

“Napadaan ka, handsome,” Asistio says, then, addressing Ruben, “Iced tea, Roo.”

Ruben scrambles off, eyeing the young man warily.

“So, Luis, what’s on your mind?”

Still not moving from the doorway, Luis replies, “Kung nag-aalala ka, tulog si Georgina throughout the whole thing kanina, so she doesn’t know about Lilith.”

“Frankly, I wasn’t really concerned, but thank you na rin for informing me.”

“Mahal ko si Lilith.”

“Mmm,” Asistio concurs, “she was constructed to be loved.”

“Hindi, Kuya. Mahal ko si Lilith.”

Asistio considers the ramifications of the bold statement.

“Very well, say you do, indeed, `love’ her. You do realize, Luis, that she was made to be loved from a safe distance. From billboards and movie screens, magazine covers and TV sets.

“No one can ever truly love Lilith, not without risking his soul, his life, in the pursuit of that love.”

“E, diba ganoon naman talaga dapat yung love? May risk? Kailangan may vulnerability?”

Asistio chuckles at the earnestness of this young, lovestruck fool. “I think that’s being terribly naïve, Luis. I don’t think that’s exactly what philosophers meant when they talked about love.” Then he suddenly remembers stories, of mortals and the agonies they endured for their beloved deities, and slowly begins to take the young man a little more seriously.

“What do you propose then? Ayaw mo ba yung arrangement na si-net up ni Joanna?”

Luis shakes his head, irritated. “Alam naman natin stopgap measure lang `yon. Gusto ko yung permanent solution.”

“And you do realize, whatever happens, Lilith will still be mine, that she will still act for me. That all her income is, by rights of ownership, mine, and all she gets is her monthly stipend.”

“Oo. Nasa dugo niya yung pagiging artista. She’s excited na nga about the movie, e.”

Asistio nods. “Shooting commences next week.”

“Next week,” Luis confirms.

“So… what is this `permanent solution’ of yours?”

“Nasasa-akin na `yon, Kuya. Gusto ko lang may advance warning ka, para hindi ka mabigla.”

“That’s very considerate of you, Luis. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Kuya. Kung `di sa `yo, hindi siguro pumasok sa buhay ko si Lilith.”

“Yes, well,” Asistio smiles, Buddha in need of a diet, “I must say, I’m very impressed with you, Luis. I can see why Joanna refuses to let you go. I only hope you know what you’re doing, though.”

Luis nods, resolute. “Oo, Kuya. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

39. INT. LUIS’ CAR – A SHORT TIME LATER

Okey, Luis thinks. Step one, ayos. Walang ko-kontra (at least, not at first).

Luis’ plan is a risk—and after all, what isn’t in this industry he lives and breathes?—but it is a risk he is willing to take, if only for the sake of Lilith.

And if it works the way he hopes it will, the way he imagines it should, then it will help him avoid the bonds potentially out of sight, waiting hungry to spring, to snare, to tighten and throttle, till he is captive and bound, shackles unbreakable, and the rot sets in, festering corruption described by Cassandra, and, No.

No.

He will soar away from the traps, above, aloft.

But still, that unwanted gremlin, cruel stowaway thought, As good a person as he tries to be, he is still not doing everything he can, not just for the people he loves, Ma, and Joanna, and Jake, and Lilith now, Lilith; not just for those he knows, Direk Ian, crew members and co-workers, and reporters, and friends like Ace and Timmy and Cecilia; but also those he doesn’t know, the fans and the kids and the viewers, that multitude who look up to him, to the character he plays, and he is responsible for them, to them, as well, and he will be the man he has always hoped to be, wanted to be if only he could, and here, serendipitously, the opportunity.

Then, if on some distant tomorrow, Lilith should finally rebel against the injustice of her predicament (and it is an injustice, no one should be owned like that), then he will be in a position to help her as well. (And even now, even before anything beyond the thought, the plan, he is ready for that apocalyptic moment, to fight for her, and it is the pure righteousness of that single crystalline realization that reassures him, that this is, indeed, the right thing to do.)

At a stop light, Luis punches some buttons on his cell, puts it to his ear.

“Jake. Hey. I need your help.”

FADE TO BLACK.

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