CHAPTER TWO

War against the Machines

Like what I told you, I belong from a well-known family in our town. And because of that, I got very much pressured with the expectations of our family. So I ended up doing things on my own. I started hating my father for his treatment, I started hating my aunt for her conduct towards me, and I started hating myself for the life I have been living. I could not see my own flaws, my own mistakes, my own sins, and was blaming everybody else for my own blunders and slip-ups. And so I entered into several vices and did even more damage to my own body. I got hooked with drinking, gambling, smoking, drug intakes, and I flirted with several women for personal pleasure. I did all of these as a sign of rebellion against God, my parents, my relatives, and myself. And I was on the verge of death.

When I first went to college, I didn’t realize I would be stuck into trouble as often as the sun shines in the morning. My vices started to increase as soon as I graduated high school. It felt like I escaped from a contaminated prison hell. I did everything into my pleasure’s delight. I drank ’till the morning came, smoked ‘till my lungs popped out, and pushed myself to the limits. I took different types of drugs; shabs, coke, party, steroids, mj, tabs, pills, shrooms, you name it! Almost everyday, I was so high in drugs that I sometimes forget the things I’ve been doing, and the things I’m supposed to do. I was with my friends all the time and did everything I wanted to do… well… sort of.

I studied at a very prominent and renowned university in Manila. I had friends and schoolmates who were close to me since they also do the same vices that I had. So instead of studying, I ended up doing vices even more, womanizing, gambling, taking drugs, cutting classes for drinking sessions, and doing things at my own will. So I got kicked out of school because of my addiction. My relatives couldn’t take it any longer, and I do not have anybody to trust and rely on. So I ended up even more miserable than usual.

My parents told me to move to my aunt’s place and study there instead of hanging out in my old university. There, I studied at a very small computer school and I became what most people call "a big fish in a small pond". I was at the top of my game. The only problem is I still have my vices.

I had friends from high places there. We hang out together. Do weird things and stuff. Being with them makes my life so much complicated than it was before. All we did was drink, party, do drugs, and end up in trouble. I had a couple of fights to some people although I did not really originate from that place. I had all the power I can have because of the friends I met there. We did so much trouble to some people that they ended up begging for their lives or in the hospital with serious injuries. Some, even worst…

We came up with an idea of how to raise money to sustain our vices. We did illegal stuff and started dealing with some of my friends’ relatives so that the business will flourish. First, we sold drugs to college students and those people who are not studying anymore. We first did a couple of jobs and then ended up with regular clients. We were earning a lot of money but it was easily laundered due to our regular intakes of drugs. Abuse of the body is our main problem at that time.

When we could not supply our vices anymore, and revenues aren’t enough, we decided to sell something else. Guns. We had common likeness and enthusiasm regarding guns, so we decided, why not sell them too? And so we did. We became the youngest and one of the top dealers of guns and drugs in that place. We became a popular group, with 5 leaders, me together with my 4 friends belonging to high places. We called ourselves "Lords", just like in medieval England, and I was one of the 5 Lords. We even had fights with different groups organizing in that place and no one, not even the cops, could stop us. It was hell with war and the war continued for 2 years. We were fighting with our beliefs and doing things that destroyed the lives of many. There was no magic at all. Everything is hell. And all the plots regarding troubles, group fights, cop fights are plotted out by one of the Lords.

The Lord of War.

Me.