Chapter 10: Eye
All I can hear was my shout nang bigla na lamang akong nahulog. I was expecting to hit on the hard floor ngunit sa halip ay bumagsak ako sa isang malambot na cushion.
Uh, where am I?
Madilim doon kaya kinuha ko ang cellphone na nasa bulsa ko and used it as a flashlight. I looked for a switch on the wall and when I found one ay agad kong pinindot iyon at umilaw ang paligid.
I was amazed to see where I was! It was a huge library with thousand books in it! Malalaki ang shelves doon at may mga hagdan pa upang makaakyat sa mataas na mga shelves! I saw a study table with a picture frame. Lumapit ako doon and I picked up the picture frame. Larawan iyon ng dalawang lalaki na nakasuot ng Army uniform. At the back of the frame were some writings.
"May you continue to see the beauty of life Pal."
Truly, Elton.
July 12, 1945
Jedidiah Wheatly was a soldier? Bakit hindi iyon nai-kwento ni Hazel? May mga nagkalat na papel doon kaya isa-isa ko iyong tiningnan.
Jedidiah Wheatly.
Iyon ang nakaukit sa mesa. This must be his secret library! I scanned the papers at may mga nakasulat doon ngunit hindi iyon tinapos.
I, Jedidiah Wheatly, do make this last will and testament —
there was an inkblot on the paper kaya hindi iyon natapos at ganoon din ang ibang mga papel na naroon! Well this just means one thing!
There really is another will! I felt the excitement in me! Nanaig ang kagustuhan kong tulungan sina Hazel at ang iba pang umaasa na maaring may iniwan si Jedidiah sa kanila. I looked around the place at saka ko lang naramdaman ang takot. Just like the other part of the house, the secret library was made of red bricks with eyes on it.
I looked around the area and opened every folder na naroon. I totally ignored the eyes that were staring at me. Nabuksan ko na lahat ng drawer at envelope doon ngunit wala akong nakitang dokumento doon. Did he hide it on one of the pages of the books?
I rolled my eyes on such thought. There's no way I'll be scanming the thousand books in this library! Napakalawak niyon at nababaliw ba siguro si ginoong Jedidiah kung inipit nga niya sa isang libro ang kanyang habilin and put it randomly in the shelves. Duh.
I sat down on the chair at nag-isip ng maaring hanapan ng nga dokumento. I've read in mystery novels na tinatago ng iba ang mga kayamanan nila sa ilalim ng kama o kaya ay kung saan. Kung mga dokumento naman ay inilalagay nila iyon sa likod ng nga antique na orasan o kaya ay sa mga jars at iba pa. I looked around for clocks but I never saw one so I dropped the possibility that he had hide it on a clock. Wala naman akong ibang nakikita sa paligid kundi mga mata at libro.
I stared at the wall for a while and I noticed something. May nakasulat sa ibaba ng malaking mata na nasa harap mismo ng upuan.
P S E D U I O ~
Pseduio? Ano naman ang ibig sabihin niyon? Did Jedidiah write it as a clue? I looked for a dictionary but I couldn't find such word. Was it a name of a person? Jediah's pet? Baka naman iyon ang gumuhit sa mga mata. Artists usually signed their artworks, right?
But I doubt on such thought. Those words were large na para bang sinadya upang makita. Or maybe Jedidiah had bad side and decided to vandal on his library's precious wall.
I observed closely at the biggest eye and it was staring straight at me. Uh, malamang sa akin ito nakatitig dahil ako ang nasa harapan nito. I tried looking at my back and it was a painting of an eye. Lumapit ako doon and observed it closely but there wasn't anything strange about it. Nang hawakan ko iyon ay gumalaw iyon and that's when I decided to look at its back at may nakasulat nga doon!
"So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life ..."
Wait, that line seems so familiar! Hindi ko lamang maalala kung saan ko nga ba nabasa iyon! Paulit-ulit kong binabasa iyon ngunit mas lalo namang naguguluhan ang isip ko. Muli ko iyong binasa at inalala.
So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life ..."
Saan ko nga ba nabasa ang linyang ito? And then I remembered the letters on the wall! That could be it!
I arranged the letters P S E D U I O and I got the name OEDIPUS! The line was from the classical tragedy OEDIPUS REX! Maybe it means that I should search for that book!
Just like a usual library, Jedidiah Wheatly's library was labelled with different sections. Hinanap ko ang mythology section sa mga shelves na abot ng tanaw ko but I couldn't find it. I climbed on the few steps of the ladder at hinanap iyon ngunit wala pa rin doon so I decided to look on the topmost part of the shelf.
It was a big and old book about Sopocles who was the playwright of Oedipus. Nang hilahin ko ang libro ay may sumamang maliit na kahon. It was a very small box with an eye on it's lid! Great! The will could be inside!
Dahan-dahan akong bumaba upang matingnan ang laman ng kahon. Nang makababa ako ay inilapag ko sa study table ang kahon and opened it but someone suddenly grabbed my hair. I cried in pain ng maramdaman ko ang sakit sa anit ko. I immediately turned my gaze on my attacker at nagulat ako kung sino ito.
"Uncle Dion?", I asked in surprise.
"Yes, dear! It's me! I'm sorry but I have knocked down your important guy as well as everyone! Thanks for finding me this box anyway! Masisira ko na ito so that the current will cannot be contested", wika niya as he motioned the long sharp knife on me.
Siya ang pumatay kina Don, Uncle Rufino at Aunt Adella? But Why?! I thought that Uncle Zach was more suspicious?! Sa kanilang tatlo ay Si Auncle Dion ang mabait at hindi mahangin, unlike Uncle Zach!
Mas lalo niyang hinila ang buhok ko at napangiwi ako sa sakit. It's very convenient for him since I have a long hair na abot hanggang bewang. Napangiwi ako sa sakit dahil sa ginawa niya
"But why Uncle Dion? Bakit mo pinatay ang pamilya ni Aunt Adella?", I asked habang napahawak sa buhok kong hila-hila pa rin niya. "The Higson's inherit everything kaya hindi mo na sila kailangang patayin!"
"You're too naive dear. The Higson's are nothing but greedy demons! As a reward for finding this box for me, I'll tell you why I killed them. Yes, they got everything on that will that they forced the old man to do. But I have to kill them! Wheatly's estate is a considerable one! I didn't even imagine that he got that much! I just thought that he's an old man who's eccentricities includes too much obsession with eyes! But damn! He's incredibly rich! Ang kailangan ko lang gawin ay patayin ang mga kapatid ni Helena upang mapunta sa kanya ang lahat", wika niya. He was smiling like an idiot and I thought that he had some mental disorders! God! He's so scary!
"Ibig sabihin ay kasabwat mo si Aunt Helena?", I asked and he shook his head.
"No! I'll kill her lastly after she signed an agreement that we practice conjugal properties. At kapag nangyari iyon, mapapasaakin na ang kayamanan ni Jedidiah. That woman can't even give me a child at maging ang kanyang ari-arian ay ipinagdadamot pa niya so I need to kill her, right after you!", he said. Shocks, who would have thought na mapa-Pilipinas o London ay manganganib ang buhay ko?
"You're so evil!", I hissed at him and he laughed like a mad man.
"I'm sorry dear! That's for sticking your butt in this business. This isn't a playground for you", wika niya at hinila ang buhok ko palapit sa kanya. He held my neck at idiniin doon ang hawak na kutsilyo. I felt the knife's sharp edge at naramdaman kong may pumatak doon sa bahaging bahagya niyang diniinan.
Bigla na lamang may dumapo sa amin na malaking libro kaya napalingon kami sa pinagmulan niyon and I saw Gray.
"Oops, sorry", he said with his mischievous smile. Wait, nakukuha pa niyang ngumiti even if my life is in line?
"But I already knocked you out!", wika ni Uncle Dion.
Gray shrugged his shoulders as he pouted. "That's what you thought but I wasn't. I have already seen through your ploy kaya I pointed out the wrong culprit which is Uncle Zach to let your guard down. He's part of my scheme", Gray said. Ibig bang sabihin ay iba ang tinuro niyang salarin sa deduction show niya kanina bago ako nahulog?
"By the way, Uncle Zach is out to keep the others safe. You planned to poison us that's why we played along with your idea. Nagkunyari kaming nalason upang matunton namin ang daan papunta dito."
"Damn it! You're smart to read everthing but sorry, you can't stop me", Uncle Dion said at inilapag ang kutsilyo sa mesa at kinuha ang baril mula sa bulsa.
"I've got a gun he—", bago pa man naitaas ni Uncle Dion ang kanyang baril ay binato na ito ni Gray ng librong naka-hardbound.
"Run Amber!", he shouted kasabay ng paglaglag ng baril ni Dion. I immediately moved my foot to run away ngunit naunahan akong hawakan ulit ni Uncle Dion sa buhok.
"You can't escape me dear!", he said as he tried to pick the gun on the floor. I winced in pain ng naramdaman ang paghila niya sa buhok ko at nasulyapan ko ang kutsilyo sa mesa. I immediately grabbed the knife and cut my hair using it. Ininda ko ang sakit na dulot ng paghila at ang kakaibang tunog ng kutsilyo sa buhok ko. That's when Gray, na hindi ko namalayang nakalapit na pala, kicked the gun away from Uncle Dion. He also kicked him on the gut kaya napaupo ito sa sahig.
He immediately stood up at galit na tiningnan si Gray. "HOW DARE YOU!", he shouted at akmang susugod kay Gray but he was knocked down with a single blow of a baseball bat na hawak-hawak ni Uncle Zach.
"I guess I'm just in time", he said and smiled at us.
Pinagtulungan naming itali si Uncle Dion habang wala itong malay. I frowned as I saw my hair on the floor. Napahawak ako sa buhok ko and it was just few inches below the shoulders. May iilang bahagi pa rin ng buhok ko na hanggang beywang pa rin.
"Thank you for your help", Uncle Zach said matapos naming ilabas sa library si Uncle Dion. We used another secret way palabas sa library na iyon, unlike the tunnel on the master's bedroom.
Nang makarating kami sa sala kung saan naghihintay sina Hazel, Jodie at Aunt Helena ay bigla na lamang napatakbo si Jodie sa akin.
"What happened to your hair Amber?", she asked habang tinitingnan ang hindi pantay na buhok ko.
"I cut it Jodie", sagot ko sa kanya at bumaling kay Aunt Helena na biglang nagsalita.
"Pasensya na kayo kung ganito ang nangyari dito. We've been blinded by our rapacity", wika niya. "I know it's because of the will. Yes, we have forced Uncle Jedidiah to leave everything to us but I know he made a latter will written by himself. Nagpadala ako sa sulsol ni Adella sa akin. I felt guilty for the old man, after all I'm closed to him since I'm the one who nursed him."
Lumapit ako sa kanila at inilapag ang box. "I know I have no right to say this but I hope that you would respect the old man's will in this box", wika ko.
"The last will and testament was in that box?", Uncle Zach asked and I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm not really sure but I do hope", wika ko. Lumapit si Aunt Helena sa box at dahan-dahang binuksan iyon.
We're expecting an old paper inside ngunit sa halip ay isa iyong mata! Napaatras si Aunt Helena sa gulat. It wasn't a human eye but it was a bigger on and made of glass.
"An ocular prosthesis?", Gray asked. Lumapit si Gray sa box at kinuha ang malaking mata doon. He examined it closely. "It is really an ocular prosthesis."
"What was that for? Is Uncle Jedidiah that obsessive for an eye to the point na may mga ganyan siya?", Uncle Zach asked.
As if a que, things flashed into my mind. From the strange design of the house with the hundreds of eyes in it, the photo frame, the Oedipus reference, the artificial eye and everything.
"Sir Jedidiah's is blind until his friend donated him his eyes after the second world war", wika ko at nagtatakang napatingin silang lahat sa akin.
"Anong ibig mong sabihin?", Gray said.
"I think he's a soldier during the war and he got himself blinded at isa sa kasamahan niyang sundalo ang nagdonate sa kanya ng mata.", wika ko.
"Uncle is a war veteran?", hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Aunt Helena.
"You don't know?"
Napailing sila. "I have no idea", Uncle Zach said.
"I saw a photo in the secret library and it can support my theory. Maybe his love for such friend inspired him to design this mansion in a strange manner", wika ko sa kanila.
"We don't have idea about the secret library too until Dion found it! Damn that man! Sinasabi ko na nga bang hindi siya mapagkakatiwalaan!", Uncle Zach said at napayuko lamang si Aunt Helena.
Everthing has been settled at nagkapatawaran na sina Hazel at ang mga Higson. They apologized about their monopolization of the Wheatly's estates. Nangako din ang mga ito na tutulong sa paghanap ng huling testamento ni Jedidiah.
The Metropolitan Police arrived at agad na hinuli sa Dion. Kinuha rin ang mga bangkay ng biktima nito. I felt sorry for Aunt Helena and Uncle Zach's loss lalo na at pinatay ni Dion ang kapatid at pamilya nito.
"I'm sorry for bringing you into this mess", wika ni Hazel. Kasalukuyan nila kaming hinahatid sa labas ng mansion where Sir Arman's driver was waiting. Tinawagan ito ni Gray upang masundo kami. We're not planning to stay over.
"Well, kahit hindi natin nakita ang dokumento ni Lolo, I'm glad that we knew his history. Wala siyang sinabi tungkol sa karanasan niya noong kabataan niya. Kaya pala strikto siya kung minsan."
"He loves making codes and ciphers for us too! Maybe he used military ciphers on us before", nakangiting wika ni Jodie. Hawak-hawak niya ang malaking artificial eye na laman ng box.
"I really thought that it was in the box", wika ko sa kanila. I saw Gray's face became serious. Ano na naman ang naiisip nito? Is he planning to extend our stay at this strange mansion?
"Jodie, can I borrow that eye for a while?", he asked at kahit nagtataka ay inabot naman iyon sa kanya ni Jodie.
Nagulat na lamang kami nang bigla niya iyong ibinagsak at nabasag iyon since it was made of glass.
"Gray! What have you—"
Napatigil ako ng pinulot ni Gray ang isang nakalakumkos na papel kasama ng maliit at flat na susi with a tag marked 251. Binuklat niya ang papel and I was delighted to see the writings. I assumed that the cramped writings was Jedidiah's and Hazel confirmed it.
"That's Lolo's penmanship!", she exclaimed in excitement.
The paper read:
To the one who found this, my last will and testament will be found in a safe deposit box in the Depository Bank of London. With this is the key to the box with the number 251 and under the name Jedidiah Elton.
Elton! It must be the man in the photograph! They established an immeasurable friendship! Hazel called their lawyer samantalang bumalik naman kami ni Gray sa hotel na nakalaan sa amin. Hazel promised to email us for the progress of the new will.
The next day, she emailed us and informed us about the new will at sa pagsang-ayon ng mga Higson. She also told us that the Higson's already apologized for the first will. Sa ngayon ay maayos na ang mga ito at ang mga Higsons. It's just sad to think that they lose three family members. As of Uncle Dion, he was imprisoned and charged with multiple charges of murder under the British law.
"I'm glad na ayos na pala ang mga napangakuan ni Jedidiah Wheatly", wika ni Gray. He was facing on his laptop, busy surfing.
"Yeah, me too. Nakakalungkot lang isipin na kailangan pang mamatay nina Aunt Adella at ng pamilya niya", wika ko.
"Yeah, and it's sad that you lose your beautiful, long hair", wika niya at saka ko lang naalala ang hindi pantay kong buhok!
"I need to go to a parlor", wika ko at biglang napatayo mula sa kama. I changed my clothes and hurried outside.
"Wait, hindi mo ako isasama?", he asked at biglang napatayo. I rolled my eyes at him.
"You'll be bored there kaya dito ka ba lang, bye! No need to call the driver, I'll take a cab!", wika ko at tumakbo palabas ng hotel, totally ignoring his protests.
Nang makalabas ako ng hotel ay agad akong pumara ng taxi at nagpahatid sa pinakamalapit na parlor. The pocketmoney that Mom provided came in handy. Masyado kasi kaming ini-spoonfeed ni Sir Arman sa mga pangangailangan namin kaya hindi ko iyon nagagamit.
I frowned when I remember my hair. I have no other way but to cut it kahit ayaw ko. I can't risk my life over my hair! I was thinking of a possible haircut ng bigla na lamang huminto ang taxi. The door beside me swung open at isang baril ang sumalubong sa akin.
"Get out of the cab", wika ng lalaking may hawak ng baril and I was surprised to see who it was!
"Cooler?"
"Amber?", he asked at napalingon sa likuran niya. "DAMN!!"
Nagmamadaling pumasok siya sa loob ng kotse at naupo sa tabi ko. He was sweating all over na tila ba galing siya sa pagtakbo. Itinapat niya ang baril sa sintido ng driver. "DRIVE FAST!", he said in an authoritative tone.
Sumunod naman ang driver at agad na pinaharurot ang kotse. Uh, seriously?! Hanggang London ba naman?!
#
-ShinichiLaaaabs.