#PTG36 Chapter 36
Jax said that I did well... but I knew that until the verdict is out, I could not be too relaxed. Alam ko na hindi papayag ang mga Ramirez na lumabas ako ng ganitong kadali... Months of staying inside that jail would never be enough for them. Hanggang hindi ako nabubulok sa kulungan, alam ko na hindi sila titigil para sirain ako.
"Last hearing na bukas..." Cha said. "Closing arguments and we're finally done."
"You think we'll win?" I asked. Jax always told me that we'd win, but I just wanted to hear it from someone else. I knew Cha would never lie to me.
She sighed. "Honestly? It's all up to the judge... Malakas iyong defense, but we cannot ignore na sobrang solid din ng prosecution," she stated. "They're focusing on the fact that there's no one who could've done the crime... Plus, the fingerprints were pretty incriminating."
Agad na natanggal ang ngiti sa mukha ko. Agad ding inabot ni Cha iyong kamay ko.
"Hey, don't lose the spirit. Always remember that we only need doubt... You couldn't have done it. Not with you being badly injured from the fall," she reminded me...
But how could I feel assurance from that when Iñigo brought the instructor from the self-defense class that Anj dragged me to. Alam ni Anj kung ano ang sitwasyon sa bahay... I begged her not to tell our friends, pero kapalit nun ang pagpilit niya sa akin na kumuha ng self-defense class... I lied to her that I finished all the sessions... but I guessed that all went back to bite me. Iñigo used that to claim that I was knowledgeable enough to be able to hurt Kier.
Naguguluhan ako.
Hindi ko na alam kung sino ang mananalo.
"Thank you," I said.
She smiled. "No problem."
Tinignan ko siya. Sobrang daming nangyari... Halos puro masakit... Pero kahit na ganoon, nagpapasalamat ako dahil nakilala ko kung sino iyong mga tao na nandyan pa rin kahit halos wala na akong maibibigay sa kanila...
Tragedy brings out who your true friends are.
And I was glad that all my friends stuck by my side...
And Cha, too. I never thought that the person I hated back then would be the person who would willingly sacrifice herself just to get me out of jail. Alam ko na alam niya kung gaano ka-delikado ang kaso na 'to... But that did not stop her from helping me.
I was glad. I found another friend.
The last hearing came fast.
"Nasaan si Cha?" I asked Jax. She was present in all of the hearings, but she was surprisingly missing now.
"Chasing a lead," sabi ni Jax.
Agad na kumunot ang noo ko. "Pero huling araw na—"
"She wouldn't tell me," he replied. "But she said it's important."
Tumango ako, pero naka-ramdam ako ng kakaibang kaba. Pero kahit na ganoon, pilit kong pinanatag ang sarili ko... Cha would be safe... I personally asked Psalm to make sure of that. And aside from the PSG, I used my own money to get additional security. I just wanted to make sure that she's safe. She's already sacrificing too much for this case...
Nang dumating si Judge Marquez, pansin na pansin ko ang pagka-balisa ni Iñigo. Agad na gumapang na naman ang kaba sa dibdib ko... It just didn't add up... Na wala dito si Cha at ang kabadong mukha ni Iñigo.
But I knew I needed to focus now.
"Today is the last day of trial for People v Ramirez. Closing arguments from the counsel," Judge Marquez announced. "The prosecution," pagtawag niya kay Iñigo.
Tahimik kong pinanood ang bawat galaw niya. Dahan-dahan ang paglakad niya. Something was wrong...
"Your Honor..." Iñigo started. "You heard the details of how Kieran Muller Ramirez's life was ended on June 08, 2019 without legal justification, when the accused fatally stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife. The prosecution strongly stands with the belief, as supported by evidence and first-hand testimonies, that because of the death of her unborn child and her unhappy marriage with the deceased, the accused, feloniously planned the death of her husband. She convinced him to ditch his security details and to go to a secluded beach house in Batangas. There, waiting for him to be most unsuspecting, plunged a knife into his chest. She was able to kill him with just one stab—one fatal stab. The accused was proven to have taken lessons from a professional—just three months from the night of the accused's deaths. Those incriminating evidence, together with the fact that there is no other person of interest for this case, just proves that the accused is guilty of parricide, and should be given the sentence of Reclusion Perpetua in its highest degree."
Agad akong napa-pikit habang pinakikinggan ang bawat salitang lumalabas mula sa bibig ni Iñigo. I felt Jax's hand squeezing mine. I looked at him, and his eyes promised me that he'd get me out of here... I needed to trust that... I needed to trust in him...
Nang maka-upo si Iñigo ay agad na tumayo si Jax. Rinig na rinig ko ang bawat kabog ng dibdib ko habang hinihintay ang susunod niyang sasabihin.
Ngunit bago pa man siya magsalita ay naagaw ang atensyon ko nang biglang umilaw ang cellphone niya.
Joey: Nandito ospital si Cha. Nasaksak sa tiyan paglabas ng coffee shop. Dumiretso ka dito pagkatapos mo jan. Bilisan mo.
Nanginig ang buong sistema ko. Sumikip ang dibdib ko. Paulit-ulit kong binasa ang bawat letra, umaasa na baka mali lang ako... Pero hindi iyon nagbago...
Agad akong napa-tingin kay Jax. Nakita ko ang pag-aalala sa mukha ni Jax habang naka-tingin sa akin. Ibinaba ko ang tingin ko dahil ayokong masira ang mga sasabihin niya... ngunit nagulat ako nang makita ko ang mga patak ng luha galing sa mga mata ko.
"Counsel," Judge Marquez called his attention when he wasn't able to say anything. "Please begin your closing argument."
Hindi pa rin niya maialis ang tingin sa akin. Para bang nagtatanong siya kung ano ang mali... Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko... Kung paano ko sasabihin... Kung paano ko sisimulan...
"Your Honor..." he began.
Patuloy ang pagbagsak ng luha ko habang pinapakinggan ang bawat salitang lumalabas sa bibig niya. Wala akong maintindihan. Paulit-ulit na bumabalik sa isip ko ang mga nabasa ko... Gusto kong malaman kung ano ang nangyari, pero hindi ko magawa.
Hindi ko alam kung paano akong makaka-labas dito... Kung paano ako magiging masaya kung sakaling manalo kami... Paano ako matatahimik kung alam ko na may buhay na nasira dahil sa akin...
Agad akong napa-tingin kay Iñigo. Parang piniga ang dibdib ko nang makita ko kung paano dire-diretsong bumabagsak ang luha sa mga mata niya. Diretso siyang naka-tingin sa harap, pero walang tigil ang pagtulo ng mga luha niya.
Alam niya...
Pero nandito pa rin siya...
Hindi ko maintindihan...
"Iñigo..." tawag ko sa kanya nang matapos ang pagsasalita ni Jax. Sinubukan kong lumapit sa kanya, pero agad akong hinarangan ng mga nagbabantay sa akin.
Nang tignan niya ako, ni hindi ko rin nagawang magsalita. He was only looking at me... but I could feel the pain in his eyes... Hindi pa rin siya tumitigil sa pag-iyak...
"She... She's pregnant, you know?" sabi niya sa akin habang nagsisimula na namang sumikip ang dibdib ko. Halos mapako ako sa kinatatayuan ko habang pinapanood na tumulo ang mga luha galing sa mata niya. "I'm... I'm sorry. I need to see her," sabi niya bago nagsimulang maglakad palayo.
"Jax—"
"I'm sorry. I'll see you later," Jax said, following in suit as he walked out of the court.
Hindi ko alam ang gagawin... Walang nagsasabi sa akin kung ano ang nangyayari...
* * *
Anj said... Anj said that Cha was still in the ICU. She survived... but her baby died because of the stab wound... Hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya magagawang harapin. Kung pwede lang ibalik ang araw, gagawin ko. Pipilitin ko na 'wag siyang sumama. Na 'wag niya na akong tulungan...
Hindi ako maka-tulog.
Palagi akong bina-bangunot. Paulit-ulit kong naalala iyong mukha ni Iñigo... Iyong mga luha na bumabagsak mula sa mga mata niya...
He didn't deserve that.
None of us deserved this.
"H-Hindi pa rin ba siya nagigising?" tanong ko.
Anj sadly shook her head. "Hindi pa raw... Pero sa oras na magising siya, sasabihan agad kita... Dun naman siya naka-confine sa pinagdudutyhan ni Joey ngayon..."
I thanked her for keeping me updated. Para akong mababaliw... Hindi pa rin bumabalik si Jax. Hindi ko alam kung sinisisi niya ba ako sa nangyari... Kasi sinisisi ko ang sarili ko...
"Hey," Anj said, holding my hand. "I know you're blaming yourself. Don't. Hindi mo gusto 'to. Walang may gusto nito..."
I smiled at her as I wiped the tear that escaped. "Ilang baby ba 'yung mawawala?" mahinang tanong ko. "Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ko pa kaya..."
Mas hinigpitan niya ang hawak sa akin.
"Kaya mo pa... Kinaya mo... Kakayanin mo... 'Wag kang sumuko. 'Wag ngayon. Malapit na 'tong matapos..." she promised.
Mabilis na lumipas ang mga araw. Tahimik akong naghintay ng balita kung kailan lalabas ang resulta... My heart would never calm down. I knew... I knew we did well... We fought well... But a little part inside me was whispering that something would go wrong.
Justice could be bought.
I knew that.
But maybe I was a fool for hoping that maybe... maybe... just this once... justice would prevail.
"Ramirez," tawag sa akin. Agad akong tumayo. "Nandyan na sundo mo."
Huminga ako nang malalim. Kailangan kong maging matatag. Today... could be the end of this all. Pwede na bukas, babalik na ako sa dati kong buhay...
Pero pwede rin na bukas, simula ng bagong kalbaryo.
But I could not show my fear in front of Jax. He didn't deserve any hesitation from me... Not after he fought so hard for my freedom. He deserved every inch of my trust.
"Are you ready?" he asked as he stared into my eyes. He looked... He looked so tired... I wanted to apologize, but what good would my apology bring? I just wanted to be strong. I needed to be strong. For him. For Cha. For our babies who didn't see the world...
Tipid akong ngumiti. "Is... Is Cha okay?" I asked.
Hindi agad na naka-sagot si Jax. Ilang gabi akong hindi pina-tulog ng balita... Alam ko... Alam ko na malaki ang posibilidad na mangyari 'to. I had seen this before... I had heard about this before... But nothing could ever describe the fear that I felt when I heard what happened to her.
"She'll... She'll be fine," Jax replied. "Matapang 'yun."
Pilit kong tinatagan ang sarili ko. Rinig na rinig ko kung paano nabasag ang boses ni Jax. He would not admit it, but she's his closest friend. I knew that she's the one who stuck with him when I left... And I knew how much it's killing him that she got caught in the middle of it all.
Gusto kong humingi ng tawad... Pero kilala ko si Cha. Alam ko na iikot lang ang mga mata niya kapag narinig niya akong nagsorry... I knew she would tell me that the only way I could make her feel better was if I would win this case...
"I know," I said, drawing a small smile.
Jax smiled back, but the sadness... God, the sadness in his eyes I could never ignore. "We'll visit her once you get out."
I nodded at him. "Yes... Let's do that."
Tahimik kaming naglakad. Walang nagsasalita. Walang gustong bumasag ng katahimikan. We offered our silence for Cha... for her who fought so bravely...
Pagdating namin sa loob, tahimik pa rin kami habang hinihintay na dumating si Judge Marquez. Kanina pa ako tumitingin sa kabila, ngunit hindi pa rin dumadating si Iñigo. Gusto kong tanungin si Jax, pero sa tuwing tumitingin ako sa mga mata niya, parang unti-unti akong nadudurog...
Pero nang pumasok si Iñigo, parang mas lalong nadurog ang puso ko...
Kitang-kita ko ang pamumula ng mga mata niya. Gusut-gusot din ang damit niya. Gusto kong lumapit... Gusto kong humingi ng tawad... Pero ano ang sasabihin ko? Alam ko na kahit pagbali-baliktarin, nagsimula lahat ng 'to sa akin...
Dahil sa akin kaya nangyari 'to.
Kaya nahihirapan kaming lahat.
"All rise for the presence of Honorable Virgilio Marquez."
Agad kaming tumayo lahat. Hindi ko pa rin magawang ialis ang tingin ko sa kanya. Pinapanood ko ang bawat galaw niya...
Parang...
Parang bigla siyang nawalan ng gana sa mundo...
"Katherine," rinig kong tawag sa akin ni Jax. Hindi ko napansin na kanina pa pala ako pinapa-tayo. Masyadong nabuhos ang atensyon ko kay Iñigo.
Ngunit nang makita ko kung paanong babasahin na ang hatol sa akin, muling nagsimulang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Biglang nanlamig ang buo kong katawan.
Hindi ako maka-hinga.
Gusto... Gusto ko na lang matapos ang bangungot na ito.
"The Regional Trial Court of Batangas, Branch 150, found accused Katherine Tyrese Ramirez guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of parricide for the death of her husband, Kieran Ramirez."
Biglang halos matumba ako nang marinig ko. Halos bumigay ang mga tuhod ko sa narinig ko.
"Sentencing her to suffer the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua and to pay the heirs of the victim the amounts of P75,000.00 as civil indemnity, P75,000.00 as moral damages, P30,000.00 as exemplary damages, and P25,000.00 as temperate damages. In addition, all the monetary awards shall earn an interest at the legal rate of 6% per annum from the date of finality of this Decision until fully paid."
Unti-unting nanlamig ang buong pagkatao ko. Hindi ako maka-galaw. Hindi ako maka-hinga. Para akong unti-unting sinasakal.
"J-Jax..." I tried to call his name, but I was quickly dragged by the officers. Sinubukan kong isigaw ang pangalan niya, ngunit ang huli kong nakita ay ang pagtulo ng luha sa mga mata niya habang pinapanood akong kuhanin mula sa kanya.