DESPEDIDA GONE WRONG. What's supposed to be a memorable send-off party ends up in tragedy as the celebrant drops dead after making a toast. Of all the possibilities, murder seems to be most likely scenario. And the suspects? The four attendees who w...
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COLEMAN
I WAS fuming mad at what was revealed today. Gusto kong manapak ng tao. Kaso ang taong gusto kong sapakin, wala na. Patay na. But if only I could kill a person twice, I would have punched Sir Zack real hard in the face. Kulang pa nga 'yon kung tutuusin. He deserved much more than that.
Galit ba ako sa kanya dahil may recording siya ng session ko at ng teammates ko? Oo, pero hindi 'yon ang pinakamabigat na dahilan kung bakit gusto ko siyang saktan nang todo-todo. Alam kong marami ang mawawala sa akin kapag kumalat ang video na 'yon. Kaso mas big deal para sa akin ang ginawa niya kay Stacy. It's unforgivable. Hindi lang niya t-in-ake advantage ang feelings nito sa kanya, ni-record pa niya ang kanilang ginawa.
He's a disgusting piece of shit. I was sorry when I saw him dying before me. But not anymore. I no longer felt sorry at all. Deserve niya ang sinapit niya.
Whoever killed him did us a favor. Gaya ng sinabi ng police detective sa amin, hindi lang kaming apat ang may files sa phone niya. May iba pang mga estudyante, faculty member at school personnel. His murderer spared everyone else from what could have been a disaster. Dapat pa nga siyang patayuan ng rebulto.
If one of us four was the killer, I would be willing to cover up for them. This might sound irrational, pero gano'n ang nararamdaman ko ngayon. That's my only way of getting back at him since he's already dead. Making sure that the truth about his death wouldn't come to light might be the best revenge. Multuhin na niya ako kung gusto niya, pero hindi ko hahayaang makamit niya ang hustisya.
Sinubukan ni Stacy na magpakatatag kanina. Kahit hindi niya sabihin sa akin, kitang-kita at damang-dama ko ang pagpipigil niyang hindi magmukhang mahina. Maybe she thought that I'd be disgusted at her because of what I saw. No, I wasn't. I wouldn't be. Gaya ng sinabi ko sa kanya, she's the victim here. I couldn't entirely fault her for falling prey to a predator.
Gusto kong ipaalam at ipadama sa kanya na nandito lang ako. Hinayaan kong tumagal ang yakap namin sa isa't isa kanina. That's the least I could do. Kung pwede sanang mag-stay ako sa tabi niya para suportahan siya at makinig sa kanya, gagawin ko.
But I had some matters to deal on my own.
Our kasambahay opened our black gates, and I drove my car to the garage. A black luxury SUV was already parked on the side. Pagkapatay ko sa engine, huminga muna ako nang malalim bago inalis ang seatbelt. My dad's already home. He's been repeatedly texting me while I was on the road. Mukhang hindi maganda ang kahahantungan ng pagkikita namin. I could feel it.
Pagkababa ko ng kotse, binati ako ni Manang Remedios ng awkward na ngiti. Ramdam din siguro niya ang paparating na unos sa bahay namin.
"Kanina pa ba si dad?" tanong ko.
Tumango siya. "Kanina pa po siya naghihintay sa inyo."
Napalunok ako ng laway bago magawi ang tingin ko sa pintuan. Palakas nang palakas ang pagkabog sa dibdib ko. I thought I'd only feel this intensity on our basketball matches. Pati pala kay dad, mararamdaman ko rin.
