VOLS 1: Stacia Walker

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Jordan didn't tell Stacia he would bring Kian to the station because he knew something he had no idea about. Hindi rin naman katagalan nang marating nila ang station. Gaya naman ng sinabi ni Jordan ay may update sila sa kanya tungkol sa mga nambugbog sa kanya. Nababahala naman si Kian sa kung anong maaaring mangyari sa kapatid niya, pero hindi niya rin naman masisisi si Jordan sa kinasangkutan nitong gulo.

Nang tunguhin nila ang front desk ay agad naman silang inasikaso ng mga ito. Pumunta sila sa isang private room kung saan umupo ang dalawa sa silya at hinintay na pumasok ang officer. Saglit lang din nang may pumasok at kinamusta naman nito si Jordan.

When they told Jordan that they might get a lead from these individuals who mugged him off, Jordan went off telling them what he knew. Sinabi nito ang nalalaman niya at sinunod nito ang plate number ng itim na sasakyan na sa tingin niya ay lulan ng mga taong gumulpi. Tumango naman ang officer sa mga sinabi nito at inilista ngunit ang sunod nitong impormasyon na ibinigay ay ikinagulat naman ni Jordan at Kian.

"May natanggap kaming tawag mula sa isa mga officer namin na nagroronda ngayon at may may isang sasakyan ang bumangga sa isang poste. Ang binigay mo plate number ay tumutugma sa sasakyang naaksidente. These individuals are being transported here to the station, so please stay for a while we are working on this case. . . I'll be back, Mister Sutton. . . Is this your son?"

Napatingin naman si Jordan kay Kian at saka umiling ito. "No, I'm just his guardian. . ."

"I see. . . I'll be back. . ."

Umalis ang officer at naiwan ang dalawa sa loob ng private room. Napahilamos ng mukha si Jordan dahil hindi niya inaasahan na aabot sa ganito ang sitwasyon. Ipinatong naman ni Kian ang kamay nito sa balikat ni Jordan at tinapik-tapik nito. Napangisi naman ang lalaki sa ginawa nito.

"Would you tell this to Mom?" tanong ni Kian.

Napahugot nang malalim na hininga si Jordan at napailing. "I'm not sure, Kian. Hindi ko alam kung anong magiging reaksyon ng magulang mo kapag nalaman nila na may posibilidad na may kagagawan si Thamara dito. I wasn't expecting this to happen. I'm just so confused why does she hated me so much. Do you have any idea why?"

Napakibit balikat naman si Kian. "Wala akong idea, Jordan. Hindi ko alam kung anong tumatakbo sa isipan ni Ate Thamara. Sa tingin ko, wala namang kinalaman si Ate Thamara do'n. Mali lang siguro ng mga kinaibigan 'yon. If she was their friends, hindi siguro nila iiwanan si Ate Thamara kanina. . ."

Hindi naman kumbinsido si Jordan kahit gusto mang paniwalaan iyong sinasabi ni Kian. He wanted to give Thamara the benefit of the doubt, but with the circumstances given, especially how she hated him won't make sense if he ignored it. 

"Would you think it would be fair for Stacia to know it early, yet we're still not sure if she was a part of it?" tanong ni Jordan. "I'm just scared for her. I knew she cared for Thamara, and she had been wanting to talk to her a few times already, but she kept ignoring her calls and messages and it was all because of me."

Napabuntong hininga si Kian. "I don't think it would also be fair to you if you put this on yourself. Hindi mo naman kasalanan na mapalapit kay Mom. I think she really liked you, too, and I can see that to you as well. It was hard for us to accept when our parents separated, and then Marlyn came into our lives. I was also confused about the time when she came and my father introduced her to us. I didn't like her. I didn't know how to like her until we got to talk and eventually, I accepted her, so it wouldn't be hard for me to accept you when I've been through the same thing before. But for Ate Thamara, I don't know about that. . ."

"Yeah, I felt sorry for your Mom, actually. . ." Jordan said. "You don't know it, not everyone knew it, but I saw her cry, hurt herself, and even think of not wanting to live anymore. She went through a battle in her heart and mind, and she was still in the process of fighting for it. It may look like she's okay, but she's not. . . I was sad when she told me that everything that had happened to her was because she thought she was cursed."

Napayuko na lamang si Kian at hind napigilang maluha. Niyakap naman ito ni Jordan at binanggit na hindi muna niya tatawagan si Stacia hangga't sa makompirma nito ang balita.

Mayamaya ay bumalik ang officer at ibinalita sa kanila na nasa istasyon na ang mga taong sangkot sa banggan. Mabilis namang sumunod si Jordan sa officer at nang makita nito na nakalinya ang apat na apat na lalaki na nakaposas ang mga kamay nito. Tiningnan lamang ito ni Jordan. Hindi niya lubos na makilanlan ang mga ito dahil no'ng gabing iyon ay nakasuot sila ng face mask at mga mata lamang ang nakikita. Hindi rin gano'n kalinaw ang CCTV upang makilala sila. 

Nang dalhin sa isang private room ang apat na naaresto ay sinundan lamang ito ng tingin ni Jordan.

"Sila na ba 'yon?" tanong pa ni Kian.

"Hindi ko sigurado. . ." ani Jordan. "They were all covered that night. All I could hear was their voices, but I'm not sure if it would be them. Maghintay na lang ulit tayo. . ."

Naghintay na lamang si Jordan at Kian sa lobby habang ineentoriga ang mga kalalakihang inaresto. Hindi mapakali si Jordan. Isang balita lamang ang gusto niyang marinig at iyon ang malaman na nahuli na ang mga taong gumawa nito sa kanya. He could get the worst news or the best thing he could have for his peace of mind. 

When the officer called Jordan to go and see them while Kian was left in the lobby. Kian hoped for the best for Jordan, but later on, he was shocked when an officer walked inside the station with someone he didn't want to see in this place. It was Thamara.

Napatayo ito sa kinauupuan niya at sinubukang lapitan ang kapatid, pero hinawi siya ng officer upang hindi ito makalapit. Hindi siya nilingon ni Thamara at sumunod lamang sa officer. Nang ipaalam kay Jordan na umamin ang apat sa pambubugbog sa kanya. Idinagdag pa nito hindi naman daw nila gagawin 'yon kung hindi may nag-utos sa kanila. It took them a while to spill the name of who did it, but when they told that it was a girl named Thamara, Jordan couldn't be more surprised, and then they brought her inside the same where Jordan saw Thamara looked him in the eyes.

"Mister Sutton, we—"

"I, give me a moment, officer. . ." 

Lumabas naman ng private room si Jordan at nang makita ni Kian ito na lumabas ng istasyon ay agad naman nitong sinundan ang lalaki. Hindi ito makapaniwala sa nalaman niya. Hindi naman kaagad nilapitan ni Kian si Jordan at hinayaan muna nito na huminga at kumalma. Kahit siya ay hindi makapaniwala na magiging totoo ang hinala niya na may kinalaman si Thamara sa nangyari kay Jordan.

Babalik na sana si Jordan sa loob nang makita si Kian na nag-aabang sa kanya. Nagulat pa siya nang makita ito. Napailing na lamang ito. Tatanungin pa sana ni Kian kung anong gagawin niya, pero pinaghintay na lamang ni Jordan ito sa labas. Bumalik si Jordan sa loob ng istasyon at ipinaalam sa officer na babalik siya at sa pagbabalik niya ay maghahain na ito ng charges sa mga taong gumawa nito sa kanya. 

Nang balikan ni Jordan si Kian ay dumiretsyo na sila sa sasakyan. Tahimik lamang ito sa buong biyahe hangga't sa makarating sa bahay nito. Hindi na ito bumaba ng sasakyan at hinayaan na lamang si Kian na lumabas ng sasakyan at tumuloy papasok sa loob ng bahay. Kian watched him drove away and when Stacia learned Kian got back home, she asked where Jordan was. Hindi naman nakasagot ito dahil bukod sa ibabalita nito ang magandang result ng follow-up check up nito ay kaakibat naman nito ang bad news na sa tingin niya ikagugulat ng magulang nito.

He doesn't know what to do, but it wasn't his fault that his sister ended up in that situation. When he pulled his Mom to the living room so they could talk about what happened, he wanted to get calm first before he could say anything. It was hard for him to deliver this news, especially when he saw his sister being brought inside the station and could end up in jail.

Her hatred toward Jordan put her in her situation and so if Kian told his Mom about it, she might think that it would be her fault kept his mouth shut, and only told her about what happened at the hospital. He doesn't want her to worry about it. . . But then. . .

"Mom. . . Don't be shocked. . . Ate Thamara has been arrested."