Perennial Blooms (Ciudad de Escalante #2)

Phase 39

The prosecutor in charge was the one who asked me first. Mga simpleng tanong lang muna ang kanyang ibinato sa akin gaya ng kung anong relasyon ko sa mga akusado at kung nakita ko ba si Arissiel noong araw bago siya mawala.

"Yes, I saw him at the vacation house owned by the Costales where my sister and her boyfriend are staying. They brought me with them to celebrate their fifth anniversary..."

"The defendant, Gaviana Salcedo, insisted that our victim, Arissiel Saldivar went there to threaten her for something they did behind her boyfriend's back. Is that true?"

"Yes. I heard him shouting at my sister with vulgarity by mouthing a lot of explicit words."

"So you witness everything, Ms. Salcedo?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Your honor, I browsed at the witness's records and credentials. She has a lot of school achievements, literally. These documents are proof that even though it happened eight years ago, the witness has a quite of memory that can tell us what she can recall before our victim went missing."

Ipinakita sa screen ang mga awards ko magmula bata pa. Makikita na naghanda talaga ang kampo nila para sa mga ebidensya na inilalatag.

"Objection, your honor! The witness is just a child back then. Young children like her aren't able to make stable memories of events..." Gaviana's lawyer interjected, and I was insulted.

Wow, can't make stable memories of events? I'm a child but a horrifying memory that I experienced will be forever in my mind! Kahit sinong tao, hindi makakalimot kapag nangyari sa kanila iyon.

I breathe in to oppose him.

"I'm not a toddler or preschooler when it happened. Our hippocampus, which is embedded deep into the temporal lobe, has a major role in forming memories; it continues developing until at least the age of seven, so a child like me can still recall memory after five years or so. I was ten that time, including that I have high memory skills so I can still remember every part of it..." mahabang lintanya ko na nagpakatahimik sa kanya at umupo na lamang.

Dinirekta kong muli ang tingin sa prosecutor.

"Objection overruled, the prosecution may continue..." the judge said.

Sinikap kong hindi tingnan si Mama na tila binabantaan akong umayos sa mga isasagot ko. I look away and focus to my main goal. Nginitian ko ng tipid si Daddy na tinanguan ako.

"Can you please narrate what happened on that day, Ms. Salcedo?"

"They fought, and Arissiel keeps threatening my sister that he'll tell Axton what happened between them. My sister was scared, and he offered a condition. Arissiel wanted my sister to sleep with him again, and if she did, he'd still keep it as a secret from Axton..."

"While they're fighting, where is Axton Costales?"

"He went out to get and buy some things that we needed."

"Thank you for answering, Ms. Salcedo. You may continue..."

"After... after Arissiel said his condition, my sister got angry, and they fought again. Gaviana doesn't like what he is saying. It is vulgar and inconsiderate. Arissiel gave her a look that any girl will feel unsafe and petrified..."

Yumuko ako at nagsimulang manginig ang mga kamay ng maalala ang sumunod na nangyari.

"What happened next, Ms. Salcedo?" The prosecutor asked me when I remained silent.

Hindi ako nakakakibo at pinangunahan ng kaba ng makita ang mga taong naghihintay ng sasabihin ko. I glanced at Arissiel who's smirking at me. What a lunatic bastard.