Chaining Lockets

Kabanata 25 (Part 2)

This is unedited. Enjoy!

Warning: Contains sensitive topics.

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Kabanata 25 (Part 2)

The crowd looks thrilled seeing me, I saw the shock expression they had while I'm walking towards the witness stand. I swore an oath too before testifying and when Dad gave me the permission to talk, I did.

I told them everything, lahat ng naaalala ko sa nangyari noon.

"We went to the cafeteria after and talk, Veronica was a kind and brave woman." My voice almost broke when I said that, "she's the first person I'd ever get to tell my experience, about the assault happened to me. She...she encouraged me to speak and tell her things and she's comfortable to be with so I told her anything.

"Sabi niya, she has a police officer boyfriend and that, they can help me." I said, remembering her face. "She gave me her phone and I put my number in there, she told me her name is Veronica Abad and she'll call me after consulting my case to his boyfriend and...then, she asked me if I knew the name of my rapist and I-I told her...I told her it's Eugene Yuzon."

I heaved a deep sigh, inabot ko ang tubig ko para inumin at kalmahin ang sarili ko.

"I-I noticed her looking a mixture of surprised and terrified that time, she's suddenly panicking, telling me she can do something for me. N-na she could help me, na tutulungan nila ako ng boyfriend niya k-kaya umasa ako...k-kaso, kaso hindi naman siya tumawag sa akin kinabukasan. I-I thought she abandoned me so I did my best to forget her, I buried my memory of her inside my mind with the hope I had that dad, h-hindi ko alam...hindi ko alam na no'ng gabing 'yon ay pagtatangkaan siya." I lowered my face and removed the tears on my eyes, I felt like hyperventilating, I felt like crying hard but I know I shouldn't, I shouldn't get my emotion get ahead of me.

I saw the look on my Dad's face and he's about to cry too, namula ang kanyang mata habang tinititigan akong nagke-kwento. Parang gusto niyang maging Dad ko ngayong Prosecutor siya sa harap ko, as if he wanted so bad to hug me and comfort me and tell me he's here to protect me.

"Prosecutor, do you have questions for your witness?" the Judge asked at mukhang natauhan si Dad at tumango, he removed the tear on his cheek and composed himself before speaking.

"Miss Sandejas...how about the dress the victim is wearing? Can you tell everyone the significance of it in your statement?"

Mas kumalabog na ang puso ko, I was thankful I couldn't see the audience at kung sakali'y baka umiiyak na ako ngayon.

"In the bar, we met in the restroom because she wanted to clean her stained dress and like I said, I was crying and she heard me tapos sabi niya she will dine with her boyfriend so I felt bad na she has stained clothes so I offered her mine." I said, referring to the green one. "A-and she agreed tapos we exchanged our clothes and we went to a coffee shop with her wearing my dress and left after telling me she'll help me with my case."

Rinig ko ang singhapan at ang bulungan mula sa mga nanunuod ng trial, my heart is pounding hard after that and the Judge was looking more engrossed right now.

"My witness, Miss Sandejas claims she and Miss Abad exchanged clothes that night when the met for the first time. The prosecution is convinced that the original statement of the gunman was accurate, that it was a mistaken identity. That it was Miss Sandejas who was supposed to be k-killed." My Dad's voice labored, as if it bothers him too.

Naibaba ko ang ulo at humugot ng hininga.

"The gunman was convinced it was Miss Sandejas he's about to kill because of the dress and because he's aiming with such distance she couldn't see the victim's face. He altered and changed his first statement after he was prosecuted and said he only did that for leisure and a random attack." Ani Dad. "That he felt guilt, like what Atty. Alejez was suggesting which is highly doubtful.