Lumipas ang mga araw. Hanggang ang ilang araw ay naging lima at naging isang linggo. Tapos na ang OJT namin, wala nga siya noong awarding of certificates. Our adviser asked me about her after the program but I didn't know what and how to answer. Ang tanging nasabi ko ay wala siya at hindi ko alam kung nasaan siya.
I've never been this worried and scared before. Pero habang lumilipas ang mga araw na wala akong balita sa kanya, mas lumalaki ang takot sa puso at isip ko.
Ang dami kong what ifs. Pero ayokong magpaka-negative. Kahit na kung ano-anong kahindik-hindik na senaryo ang nagsusulputan sa utak ko. I've read the latest post from the Info Board of the Academy pero walang article doon ang tungkol kay Joya.
I even reported it to the police. Pero pinagalitan pa ako nong officer because I only know about her name, age, and birthdate. Bukod diyan, wala na akong alam. I gave them her picture hoping it might help in the progress of the investigation.
They promised to do their best to find her. Pero isang linggo na pero wala pa ring update! Are they even doing their job!?
Do you know what's more bothering me? Walang progress ang kaso. Every time I asked kung pinuntahan 'yong address ni Joya, kung tinanong 'yong parents niya at kung ano-ano pa, ang isinasagot sa akin, the investigation is ongoing. Wala pa ring resulta.
Aside from that, dapat daw pamilya niya ang magfile ng complaint kung talagang nawawala siya. Maliban sa akin, wala naman daw nagreport about a missing person and so on. Oo nga, her family did not contact me.
Madami pang sinabi ang police officer na may hawak ng kaso. Kulang na lang ibasura yong case. I don't think I can take it!
I posted her photo on my social media accounts. Pero dahil nga wala naman ako masyadong friends, wala din. Nagsisisi tuloy ako kung bakit di ko man lang inadd sa fb or instagram 'yong mga kakilala niya. At least para sana may mutual friends kami.
Hays...
Sa tuwing nilalapitan ko ang mga taong nakikita kong nakakausap niya noon, panay iling lang ang natatanggap kong sagot. Ang iba, hindi alam o hindi nila kilala. Seriously?
My last resort was posting her photocopied photos with capitalized MISSING below her name in different places.
Mahigit isang linggo na pero wala pa ding usad ang kaso niya. I was even included in the list of suspects sa pagkawala niya. Funny. How could I even harm my best friend?
I reported about Lucas and even his wife. Pero ang sabi nila wala naman daw kahina-hinala sa mag-asawang yon. Aside from that, they were out of town last week nang mawala si Joya. But I won't buy it!
Ugh! This whole thing is making me insane and frustrated. I wanted to do my own investigation. But I lack resources. I lack connections. Paano at saan ako magsisimula?
So, I opted for my last resort.
Dionne.
I decided to look for her para humingi ng tulong, since today is Saturday. And next week will be our graduation.
I am not related to her and not even friends with her. I just knew that she can provide the kind of help I needed this time.
Freya Dionne Jacinto has lots of connections aside from the fact that her family owns one of the biggest security agencies in the country.
I'll ask her to find Joya. Her family's men can do it in just a snap of her finger.
I've witnessed it one time. That one night, noong nag-uusap-usap silang magkakaibigan sa paborito nilang tambayan which happened to be just near "my spot". When I mean my spot, it's where I usually sleep during 5:00-7:00 PM.
Ahead siya at ang mga kaibigan niya sa akin ng isang taon kaya nauna silang grumaduate. I followed her on Instagram so I knew where she is. But technically speaking, halos kaedad ko lang sila. Ka-batch to be specific. I always see them around. May sariling mundo at may sariling grupo but I never crossed path with them.
Pinapasok ako ng katulong na nagpakilalang Sinang sa loob ng mansyon ng mga Ramirez. May get-together silang magkakaibigan since Shaza, her other friend just came back from Australia. Shaza happened to be the BCA administrator's wife.
Bakit ang dami kong alam tungkol sa kanila? Well, that's what I got sa pagbababad sa social media hoping na magkaroon ng lead sa whereabouts ni Joya na bigla na lang nawala.
Nilagpasan namin ang malawak at magarang living room ganoon din ang dining room. Then, we exited in a door leading us out at the back of the mansion.
Nakasunod lang ako sa katulong habang naglalakad kami sa pathwalk na nakalutang sa nakalatag na bermudagrass.
Malayo pa lang ay dinig ko na ang tinig ng mga babaeng nag-uusap-usap.
"Tomboy ka na?"
"Matatanggap naman namin."
"Basta, walang talo-talo."
"Ganda kayo?" Sarkastikong tanong ng babaeng payat at may kulot na buhok na lagpas balikat. She's Dionne. Siya ang sadya ko sa pagpunta dito.
I found them lazily sitting on the benches inside the gazebo surrounded by different blooming flowers.
Natuon ang mga mata nilang lahat sa akin na para akong kinikilatis na specimen sa isang laboratory. I stared back at them.
Dionne was with her friends of course. She's popular because she came from a rich and famous clan, the Jacintos.
"It's you, the future educator." Saad ni Shaza nang makabawi at maalala ang isang insidenteng nagkatabi kami sa gym noong nagkaroon ng program para sa isang professor na namatay.
Ang laki ng ipinagbago niya. Gandang 'di mo inakala mula sa mga patong-patong na bilbil hanggang sa balingkinitang katawan.
Nang magpaalam ang katulong ay pinaupo nila ako sa tabi ni Dionne.
"Magkakilala kayo?" Tanong nilang lahat kay Shaza.
She told them about that incident at the gym noong nagkaroon ng kaunting event para sa kamatayan ni Professor Aguirre. Yeah. That's the name, I remembered him nang mabanggit ni Shaza.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit dinala ako ng mga paa ko sa gym nang araw na iyon. Nakiupo ako sa dulong bahagi ng mga bleachers just looking at the people wearing black on the stage and the silver casket at the center. Hindi ko maramdaman ang gutom. May mga araw na ganito ako. Walang appetite kahit ilang beses pa akong kumbinsihin ni Joya na kumain.
Then, a chubby lady wearing a BSBM uniform sat a meter away from me. She's cute but I suddenly felt that aura of sadness emitting from her. Tila bumigat ang pakiramdam ko sa paligid. Napalingon ako sa kanya na titig na titig sa nagsasalitang babae sa harapan.
Hindi ko alam pero ngayon ko lang naramdaman ang ganoong presensiya. It's as if she's been carrying a heavy burden. Napapikit ako nang mariin. But I almost shivered from disbelief when I sensed her thoughts inside her mind. Bakit gano'n? Kinabahan ako at napalunok.
She was given the ability to see visions. And she's protecting someone who's dear to her from the brink of death. But she can never make it. It will happen no matter how much she tried. At madadamay lang ang mga taong nasa paligid niya. Just like what happened to the poor professor. Kaya hindi ko napigilang magkomento.
"Kung alam mong may magagawa ka para tulungan ang taong mahal mo, hindi mo ba gagawin? Hahayaan mo na lang ba?" Naiiyak niyang tanong. Of course I will do something. Pero hindi lahat ng gusto nating gawin ay pwede o makakatulong. Minsan nga nakakasama pa.
"The more you tried to save him, the more you endanger another person's life. Death is unstoppable."
Iyon ang payo ko sa kanya bago ibinigay ang isang calling card na nakalapag sa mesang inookupa ko kanina nang magising ako bago napadpad dito. Ang tagal kasi ni Joya. I don't know where it came from. Na-curious lang ako kaya pinulot ko. And I think the note written on it ay mas kailangan niya. "If you need help, look for him."
Napabalik sa kasalukuyan ang diwa ko nang halos sabay-sabay silang nagtanong with mixed emotions on their eyes.
"What's your name?"
"Who are you?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Why are you looking for me?"
I know that we all have something under our sleeves. Something that we share in common. I'm one of them.
I may be sleeping almost all the time but I kept on noticing them. Sadyang ayoko lang talagang ma-involve sa kanila. What for?
But now that I need Dionne's help, I can't help it. So I have to get out of my shell and try every possible solution. Para kay Joya.
I am aware of their SPA organization during college but I am not interested. SPA. Short for Special Ability. Wala akong balak ipangalandakan kung anumang espesyal na bagay mayroon sa akin. I am not even convinced if it's really special. I didn't answer any of them except Dionne. I need to make this fast.
"I need your help." Diretso kong sagot kay Dionne sa tanong niya kanina. Natigilan silang apat at napatingin na lamang sa akin.
"Tell us your name, first." Sabad ni Cleofe. Mukhang hindi nagustuhan ang biglaan kong pagsulpot.
"Ladyma." Simpleng pagpapakilala ko.
"Ladyma what?" Cleofe probed.
"Lady Marionette Romero." Napipilitan kong sagot.
♥