Begin Again

Chapter 9

When Clark and Leah got to Lola Pachang's house, Tita Jack, Jordan, and Lola Pachang were huddled together in the living room. Tita Jack was talking on the phone.

"Salamat Romy, ha. Oo pinapunta ko na si Harry kina Lisa, yung best friend niya. Sige, balitaan mo ako."

Jigs and Angela walked into the house, just behind Clark and Leah. Tita Jack hung up the phone and looked at all of them with slight relief.

"Salamat at nandito na kayo."

"What is going on?" Clark asked.

"Hindi umuuwi si Jenny. Ang paalam niya kaninang umaga pupunta siya sa mall kasama si Lisa. Pero nakabunggo ni Jordan si Lisa kanina at sabi niya hindi niya nakita si Jenny at wala silang plano ngayon araw na 'to."

"Umuwi ako, Kuya," Jordan said, picking up the story. "Tiningnan ko ang kwarto ni Jenny at maraming gamit niya ang nawawala. Pati si Bugsy, Kuya, dala niya."

Bugsy was Jenny's beloved stuffed rabbit that she's had since she was a baby, given to her by her father. One of the only things she had to remember him by.

"Tinatawagan namin si Jenny," Tita Jack said. "Subscriber cannot be reached ang phone niya. Pati yung ibang mga kaibigan niya, hindi siya nakikita at walang contact sa kanya."

"Ma, tumawag na ba kayo ng pulis?" Jigs asked.

"Wala pang 48 hours nawawala si Jenny. Wala rin sila magagawa."

"Hindi ko maintindihan," Clark said. "Bakit maglalayas si Jenny? Ano nangyari? Jordan? Lola?"

"Hindi ako Kuya!" Jordan said immediately. "Hindi ko inaaway si Jenny. At sa pagkakaalam ko, okay lang naman siya."

"Hindi ko alam," Lola Pachang said. "Napansin ko lang na medyo tahimik ang bata noong mga nakaraang araw pero hindi ko iniisip na may problema siya dito sa bahay..." She sat down heavily on the couch, tears in her eyes. "Juskopo...Sana walang mangyari sa apo ko..."

"Ima, relax ka lang." Tita Jack rubbed her back. "Ang puso...Mahahanap natin si Jenny."

"Okay, this is what we're going to do." Clark looked around at all of them, taking charge of the situation. "Jigs and Angela, puntahan niyo lahat ng tambayan na malapit sa school ni Jenny. Ask around, baka may nakakita sa kanya. Jordan, look around Jenny's room. Baka may note or clue...anything that can lead us to where she is. And check all her social media sites. Tita Jack, keep calling Jenny's friends, ask them if they know of any place, anywhere at all that she might go. Leah and I will go to their houses. Di natin alam, baka may nagtatago sa kanya."

"Oo, sige," Tita Jack agreed. "Magtawagan tayo ha. Balitaan niyo kami agad."

"Tatawagan ko rin sina Rico para tulungan kami," Jigs said. "Halika na Lalabs."

Angela patted Clark's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find her." She took Jigs' hand and they left.

Leah squeezed his arm and looked up at Clark anxiously. He put his hand over hers.

"Let's go," he told her.

"Ingat kayo," Tita Jack said.

Guilt was consuming Leah. She had the strong feeling that she was the reason that Jenny had gone missing. This was her fault. Leah should have tried to talk to her by now or she should have told Clark, instead she ignored the problem. When they reached the car outside of the gate, Leah pulled Clark back to the curb.

"Kailangan natin mag-usap," she told him.

"About what? Leah, can we just talk on the way? We're in a hurry."