Chapter 24
I know Bradley is the only one who knows where I am staying, and I still cannot share that to Leona. It is too intimate, and kahit alam ko namang mabait siya at mature ay mas pinili ko na lang si Bradley upang ihatid ako sa building nila Mommy.
Tahimik lang kaming dalawa habang nasa loonb ng sasakyan, ni walang nagtangkang magsalita. I don't want to talk too though, gusto ko na lang na ganito kami hanggang sa makarating sa building nila Mommy upang maiwasan ang kahit na anong pwedeng maging sanhi ng pagtatalo. I know my temper isn't well. Plus my shirt is wet, added up.
Tumingin ako sa aking cellphone na hawak ko nang nakita kong umilaw iyon.
Leona: Are you home? I'm sorry kanina.
I knew he would say sorry, thinking about how soft and thoughtful he is, this kind of thing is a part of him.
Mabilis akong nagtipa ng reply para sa kanya.
Ako: It's my fault, I'm sorry too for causing you trouble.
I immediately sent it to him, I saw Bradley glanced at me for a second at 'saka ibinalik ang tingin sa kalsada.
My phone vibrated again, at sabay kaming napatingin ni Bradley doon, nalukot ang noo niya.
Mabilis kong binuksan iyon at agad na bumungad ang reply ni Leona sa akin.
Leona: Are you okay, though?
Nagtipa agad ako ng isasagot.
Ako: Of course, thank you.
I sent it immediately. Napatingin ako kay Bradley nang napansing nakatitig din siya sa akin, sabay kaming nag-iwas ng tingin. Umayos ako ng upo at ibinaling ang ulo sa labas.
"Why were you with that senior?" He asked after a long stretch of silence.
Nagulat man sa biglaan niyang pagsasalita, nanatili ang tingin ko sa labas ng sasakyan upang hindi magpahalata.
"We're eating lunch too." I answered—regreting the last word.
"What's with him touching you?" I can sense him raising an eyebrow. "I thought you hate that?"
"Inalalayan niya lang ako."
"Is he your babysitter?" He fired at me, "He acts as if he is babysitting a little girl."
"Because he cares." Mabilis kong isinagot, hindi na maitago ang iritasyon.
"He cares, huh? Or he is just taking advantage?" Napatingin ako sa kanya at seryoso pa rin itong nagmamaneho.
His lips—pressed together, dahilan upang umigting na naman ang kanyang panga.
Bakit? Siya pa ang may ganang magalit? Hindi ba dapat, ako? Dahil nauna naman siyang gumawa ng pagkakamali? Oh! I should take that back, because wala naman akong ginawang mali.
"Someone broke a glass in front of me, and you still accuse him of taking advantage?" I tried to sound nice.
"Why? Are you that pathetic or dumb enough to actually think that you can't walk past that shit without getting hurt?" He asked mockingly. "You could just walk side by side."
"I am not as brave as you." Mabilis kong depensa, akala niya ba hindi ako nagulat sa nangyari? Para kalmadong iwasan na lamang iyong mga bubog sa harap ko?
"It is not about bravery, Neterini. You just can't let anyone touch you like that." He reminded.
Napigtas na ang pasensya ko a, masyado na siyang maraming sinasabi! Ano bang ginawa ni Leona? Hinawakan ako sa likod? Iyon lang naman, a? Ginawa niya iyon para alalayan ako.
Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya iyan, ngunit kahit papaano ay kaya ko pa ring pigilan ang sarili ko.
"And why are you saying that?" Umpisa ko, "You were with Ellie, for Pete's sake! Claire was still mad at me, and Shaney is with her! So what am I supposed to do? Mababaliw na ako sa school, to the point that I just wanted to go home. Leona asked me for lunch, you know how I felt? I felt relieved kasi at least someone is still interested to be with me." Iritado kong sinabi at pinilit na huwag maiyak, this is nonsense, why should I even cry for it.
Hindi siya nagsalita, at mas lalong umigting ang kanyang panga.
"But you can't just let him touch you like that, that is beyond your limit, Neterini, iyon lang naman ang sinasabi ko." Mas kalmado niyang sinabi.
"I let him touch me if I want to! You don't have to render me orders! If I didn't feel comfortable by his touch, I would've just avoided it!" Pahiyaw kong sinabi sa kanya dahil napigtas na talaga ang pasensya ko.
I am mad, and kanina ko pa ito kinikimkim sa school, whatever the reason is, it's Ellie! Taking everything from me, even Claire!
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko napigilan ang sarili kong umiyak, ngunit mas mabuti na rin 'yon.
Luckily, nakarating na kami agad sa basement ng building, "Huwag mo na akong hintayin, I won't go to school anymore. I'm tired." Paalam ko at mabilis na pumasok sa loob ng building.
The building has only one floor active, at doon kami nags-stay nila Mommy, maging dito sa baba ay may bodyguards, they are wearing black suits which indicates that they're not just bodyguards with guns. Nang makarating ako sa fourth floor ay mabilis akong sumalampak sa kama, I'm sure Mom is with Dad, right now, and I chose to immediately go to bed.
Nang napagtanto kong basa pa rin ang damit ko ay mabilis akong nagpalit ng damit. I felt my phone vibrated several times but I didn't mind it anymore. Hindi ko rin namalayan ang tuluyang pagtulog ko.
The next thing I knew while I am deeply asleep ay vibrate nang vibrate ang cellphone ko, pinilit kong imulat ang aking mga mata at nang makita ko kung sino ang tumatawag ay nanlaki ang aking mga mata.
"T-tita Sope," hindi makapaniwalang litanya ko.
Tumitig ako nang matagal sa screen, there are also several missed calls, halatang kanina niya pa ako tinatawagan. Lumunok muna ako bago ko iyon sinagot.
Mabibigat ang kalabog ng puso ko, at nanlamig ang aking mga kamay.
"H-hello, Mama?"
"Neterini! Gosh, thank God! Akala ko ay hindi mo na sasagutin!" She sounded mad.
"B-bakit po? May nangyari po ba?" Mabilis kong tanong sa nanginginig na boses.
As far as I know, Tita Sope barely gets angry time by time.
"Your father is rushed to the hospital! Gosh! Where have you been?! Tinatanong kita kay Claire, but she never answered me! What the hell is happening?!"
Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero bigla na lamang akong kinabahan. And I could remember, this kind of feeling only occur when Jackson is anywhere around.
Why? Do I care that much? Too much?
Isinantabi ko ang nararamdaman.
"I-I'm on my way, Mama." Nanginginig ang labing sagot ko.
Hindi na ako nagpadalus-dalos pa. I already know where Tito Alexandro is confined.
Hindi ako mapakali habang nasa loob ako ng taxi, aligagang-aligaga at hindi makapaghintay na makarating doon. Hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong unahin, kung pipigilan ko ba ang sarili kong mag-alala o hahayaan ko na lamang ito.
I know tito Alexandro is pretending to be my father, ganoon pa man, ay nag-aalala pa rin ako. And I wanna be mad to myself kasi bakit? Why do you still hold soft grudge inside you if that person fooled you?
Ilang beses kong inulit-ulit sa utak ko na niloko ako ni tito Alexandro at tita Sope, that they abducted my real father, that they stole me from my true mother, that tito Alexandro is living under my father's success.
Mabilis akong nakarating sa hospital, at ganoon ko rin kabilis nahanap ang hospital room ni Tito Alexandro.
"W-why? What happened to Papa?" I asked Tita Sope.
Mabilis niya naman akong nilapitan habang umiiyak. Ginawaran niya ako ng yakap na sobrang higpit at 'saka humagulgol.
She is still wearing her white coat, at mukhang kagagaling niya lang sa pagcheck-up sa kalagayan ni tito Alexandro.
Marahan ko namang hinaplos-haplos ang kanyang likuran kahit patuloy pa rin ang halu-halong kapraningan na tumatakbo sa loob ng utak ko.
"Everything's going to be alright, Mama." I whispered.
Napatitig ako sa kawalan, dinadamdam ang sinabi ko. Do I really mean it? Ni hindi ko na madama kung hanggang ngayon ay umaacting pa rin ba ako, but one thing is for sure...my heart is beating so fast and my eyes are starting to tear up as well. Pinakalma ko si tita Sope at naupo kami sa labas ng silid ni tito Alexandro, some doctors are already checking on him now, I think they do understand that this is not easy for tita Sope.
Hindi ko pa man alam masyado kung ano ang kalagayan ni Tito Alexandro ay alam ko nang malala ito noong nakita ko. He was surrounded by too many medical doctors when I saw him.
"Dr. Maraese! Doctor!"
Pareho kaming napatayo ni Mama nang may tumawag sa kanya, another doctor accompanied by a nurse came, sa timpla ng kanilang mukha, ay parang masama ang dala nilang balita.
"We badly need you, right now. Your husband is under coma and if we don't find the causative agent of this, he might gonna sink deeper into coma." The Doctor informed her.
Napatayo ako, at ganoon din si Tita Sope, hindi na ito nakapagpaalam sa akin at pati ang mga doktor ay iniwan niya—kaya wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang tanawin na lamang siyang tumakbo paalis.
"Excuse us, Ms. Maraese." Paalam naman ng doktor sa akin at tumango ako sa kanya.
He is in coma? Why?
I am still puzzled, kaya wala sa sarili akong sumilip sa kwarto ni Tito Alexandro.
I saw numerous nurses and few doctors inside na pinangungunahan ni Tita Sope. Katabi nito ang isang tray na puno ng iba't-ibang klase ng injections, at lahat iyon ay inisa-isa niyang itusok sa likuran ni Tito Alexandro. Napakagat ako ng labi nang mapansin ko ang isang injection na may mahabang karayom—na bumaon sa likod niya.
Hindi ko namamalayan na nakasalikop na ang aking dalawang palad at parang nagdadasal na, nanginginig ako habang nakatanaw.
"Are you his daughter?"
Napabaling ako sa aking tabi nang biglang may magsalita rito. I thought he was just asking but I realized he might be a policeman or an NBI because he has a gun, and a badge.
"Y-yes."
"What's your name?" Tanong niyang muli.
"I'm Neterini.."
"I'm Detective Muller. It's nice to meet you," wika niya at nagawa pa nitong mag-alok ng handshake.
Tinitigan ko iyon, at matagal bago ko napagpasyahang tanggapin. Mabilis ko ring binawi ang kamay ko, at ibinalik ang atensyon sa pinapanuod.
"Did you know what happened to him?" I asked.
"Uh-huh," he said cooly, "your father fainted while he is producing bubbles in his mouth."
Hindi ko alam kung nanunuya ba siya o ano, pero pinilit ko na lang hindi iyon pansinin. He sounded smart but his choice of words are poor.
"Why? Do you think he's poisoned?"
"If you're asking for a personal answer, then yes he is poisoned." Mabilis niya namang sagot. "I will be handling this crime scene, he's lucky he might still live, but did your father had any enemies, or..rivals or anyone who have motives in doing this to him?" He asked.
I know someone, but Mom? I don't think so. She would never do that. Hindi man lang ako nagdalawang-isip. Bukod kay Mom, wala na akong alam na kaaway ni Tito Alexandro.
Tito Alexandro is not really an open book, he keeps everything to his self..siguro'y kung may alam lang ako sa kanya—ito ay ang mga bagay lang na kapansin-pansin sa kanya. Scent, voice, all those. Ngunit sa personal ay wala na.
His personality is very vague, and he is a mystery to me...until now.
"I don't have one in mind, Detective." Sagot ko naman agad.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes.."
"How about someone who wants revenge?"
Napatingin ako sa kanya at nakita kong pinapanuod niya na rin ang nangyayari sa loon ng kwarto ni Tito Alexandro. Napalunok ako, at dahan-dahang pumihit ang ulo pabalik sa loob ng kwarto ni tito.
Anong alam niya?
"No, none at all." Pinilit kong buoin ang boses ko dahil kinabahan na ako sa tanong niya.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay." Pagsuko niya.
Napatingin ako sa kamay niya nang may iabot siya sa akin.
Calling card.
"If you are willing to talk, then you can call me." Wika nito.
Wala sa sariling tinanggap ito at 'saka ako tinalikuran. Tahimik ko siyang tinanaw habang naglalakad ito nang nakapamulsa.