37.
Innocent
━━━━━━━
“Noong lumabas po si Miss Willow, nakasunod sa kanya si Sir Hernan. Medyo maingay po sila no’n. Nag-aaway. Hindi ko naman po masyadong pinansin kasi madalas naman talaga silang gano’n.”
I couldn’t help but tremble as the valet narrated his version of facts. Kilala ko siya. Madalas ko siyang makita sa lugar na iyon tuwing may party. He would smile at me warmly and I would return it. If I was recalling it correctly, we had a photograph together.
And here he was today, testifying against me and pressing my supposed guilt.
Everyone was just becoming an enemy.
“Let me just clarify, Mr. Witness.” Sigfred walked a step closer to where the witness was. “It wasn’t the first time you heard the accused and the victim quarrelling?”
“Objection, Your Honor,” Atty. Roces said and stood up. “The question is misleading.”
“Sustained,” the judge ruled. “Paraphrase your question, Mr. Prosecutor.”
Sigfred cleared his throat. “Mr. Witness, how many times have you encountered the accused and the victim?”
The court interpreter translated the question before the witness spoke, “Maraming beses na rin po.”
“What is the usual manner of their meeting?”
“Sa totoo lang po, madalas po talaga silang mag-away sa tuwing nakikita ko sila.”
I could see the glint of mischief in Sigfred’s eyes. It didn’t take longer before he glanced at my direction while contempt written all over his face. Damang-dama ko ang dulo ng mga kuko ko sa palad.
How I wanted to smack his face so bad . . .
“While they were quarrelling that night, what did you hear from them?”
“Gusto raw po ihatid ni Sir Hernan si Miss Willow. Pero ayaw ni Miss Willow. Sabi pa ni Miss Willow, kung hindi raw siya titigilan ni Sir Hernan, baka kung ano raw po ang magawa niya. Sinabi niya rin na si Sir Hernan daw ang pinakaayaw niyang tao.”
The sincerity in his voice punched me the hardest. Like the others, he was convinced that I did it. With all those grave threats, they were sure that I advanced it to murder. Gusto nila akong makulong at pagbayaran ang kasalanang alam kong hindi ko ginawa.
“After that, what did the accused do?”
“Umalis na po Miss Willow. Mga ilang segundo lang din, sumunod si Sir Hernan.”
Tumango si Sigfred at humarap sa hurado. “That is all, Your Honor.”
It was a short direct examination – precise and certain to the point it was annoying the hell out of me.
“Defense?”
Mabilis na tumayo si Atty. Roces at sinabing handa siyang mag-cross examination. After the judge nodded, he immediately proceeded to the witness stand as I held my breath.
“Mr. Witness, how far are you from where the accused and the victim quarrelled?”
“Mga anim o pitong metro po.”
BINABASA MO ANG
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