Royal Academy's Case File

Chapter 4

“We shouldn’t panic. Alam ko na mahirap itong nangyari, pero tuloy parin ang buhay. Let’s not build panic and disturbance on the students’ studies,” ani Directress habang kami ay nandito sa session hall discussing about the death of Thea.

Diko naman napigilang itaas ang kamay ko. “Ma’am, this is a serious matter. Do you think burying this issue would be the best that we can do for Thea’s death?”

All of them looked at me as if I said a bad thing. Tama naman diba? We are talking about a student's death here. My student to be exact. Tapos sasabihin na hayaan nalang lumipas ang lahat without even finding the truth behind it?

“We are not police here, Miss Dickson. The police are doing their job finding the truth. We are supposed to be teachers. And teachers teach not finding the truth about a suicidal case,” the Directress said na nakapagpakuyom ng kamao ko.

What? Suicide? Sigurado ba silang suicide nga ang nangyari?

Napabaling ang ingin ko kay Harris na ngayon ay seryosong nakatingin sakin. I don’t know what he means by those stares but sapat na yun para itikom ko ang bibig ko para di na magkomento pa.

Pagkatapos ng meeting namin dumiretso na ako sa klase ko. But while I was walking, I saw Harris standing behind the wall habang nakahalukipkip.

Looking at it mukhang inaantay niya ako since tumingin siya sakin pagkadaan ko sa pwesto niya.

I sighed saka naglakad papunta sa kinaroroonan niya. “They told me that you closed your doors from other people. I don’t know that you are this interested in me,” pambabara ko sakanya baka sakaling mainis siya sakin.

But instead of answering me, he just handed me a brown envelope. “Thea’s recent email history. I got it from a close friend of mine from the police agency. I know you will not stop playing detective,” he said.

Mabilis ko namang kinuha ang envelope. I was supposed to open it pero pinigilan niya ako sa tangkang pagbukas nito. “Later. Open it later after your class,” he said saka nakapamulsang tumalikod. “Be careful. This case…isn’t as simple as you think.”

He left me dumbfounded. Ano kayang ibig niyang sabihin?
__________

Pagkapasok ko sa loob ng room, a serene, sad environment welcomed me. Napatingin ako sa upuan ni Thea. There are many flowers and card there. May maliliit ding kandilang nakatirik doon.

Naglakad ako papunta sa harap at nilapag ang mga gamit ko sa mesa.

“Ma’am, how is Thea’s case? Is it really suicide?” Thomas asked me as he raised his hand. He is the class president kaya marahil ay concern siya sa kaniyang kaklase.

“Is it true that she received the Royal test card kaya siya namatay?” Mara asked again.

Napatigil naman ako sa narinig. “Why are you talking about Royal test card? May alam ba kayo sa nangyari?” tanong ko sakanila.

Silenced enveloped them. Nakita ko namang napatungo si Charise, Thea’s seatmate and I guess her roommate too.

Napabuga ako ng hangin. “This is just the beginning of class, so don’t talk nonsense about Royal test card. As I’ve said before, that thing doesn’t exist here in the academy. And,” I looked at them seriously. “If you know something about what happened to Thea, please do inform me first before telling it to anybody. Understand?”

“Yes Ma’am,” they said in chorus.

“Good. Now pass your assignments that I gave you last meeting.”
________

Pagkatapos ng klase, lumabas na ako ng room to go to for my next class. But, I didn’t know Charise was waiting for me outside the room.

“M-ma’am,” she said with tears streaming her face.

“Charise. What happened? Are you okay?” tanong ko dito.

“I…” she bit her lips. “Thea told me…before she died…she…she will go to Science lab to get the Royal test card.”

“What?!” bulalas ko. Luminga ako sa paligid kung may nakarinig saka ko siya hinila papunta sa loob ng classroom. “what are you talking about? Is this true?”

Nakita ko siyang tumango habang hilam hilam ng luha ang pisngi. “And…she cut her wrist a day before she went to the Science Lab.”

I looked at her seriously after she told me that. “She cut her wrist, you said? Bakit naman niya gagawin yun?”

She shook her head. “Pag tinatanong ko siya sinasabi niya lang na magiging ok na siya pagkatapos nun. But she didn’t tell me the reason why. I…guess it’s my fault. K-kung lang sinamahan ko siya…d-di sana---”

“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself,” I said saka siya niyakap. I tap her back habang siya ay humahagulgol ng iyak. “Tahan na. walang may kasalanan okay? I will get to the bottom of this so don’t blame yourself. You hear me?”

She nodded slowly. Pinunas ko ang luha niya gamit ang mga kamay ko. “Be strong Charise. For Thea’s sake.”
__________

Pagkauwi ko ng hapong iyon, dali-dali kong binuksan ang envelope na binigay ni Harris kanina. These are typical emails of a Royal Academy student. Mga review materials at ilang convo with her friends.

Napatigil ang tingin ko sa isang email with the Royal Academy’s seal. But the title is Royal Test Card. Biglang nanginig ang kalamnan ko sa nabasa.

The message is a four-digit number 0001. What does this mean? And what does this have to do with Royal Test Card?

I knew that this is just a rumor since nung nandun ako sa academy. Walang Royal Test Card. Gawa-gawa lang ito ng mga estudyante, but I know walang ganun eh. After Alex died ten years ago, talagang ni-research ko ang katotohanan about doon but then, walang data about dun. So, I concluded na walang Royal Test Card na nag-eexist sa academy.

Wala nga ba? Or am I wrong from the beginning?