[ COMPLETED ] • [ EDITED ]
Nadia Valiente's disappearance has always been a mystery to her friend, Marina. By how her alleged suicide took place, up to the position that she was in whilst on that river, soaked to death, felt like an unsealed package...
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MARINA
She places the cup on the table, creating a sound that gather our attention towards her. I can see her fingers trembling as she rests her back on an old chair. "What about Nadia?" she asks.
I blink. "I know it might sound ridiculous," I heave a deep breath, because I know that she won't believe what I'm about to say, but I still have to. "But we think Nadia's death has a connection with Ms. Saludes' case."
Ms. Dolores just stared at us for a second, probably calculating how stupid these kids are to pull up a prank on her. Then she opens her mouth to speak. "And how are those two correlated? Marsha's death was a suicide, so I don't think anyone's involved in it."
"Do you believe that?" Aki interrupts.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you believe that Ms. Saludes ended her own lifeline?" I repeat, clearly, so that she wouldn't be able to avoid the question anymore.
Fear rapidly appears in her eyes, but she tried to hide it with a gulp. "Could be. I don't know. I and Marsha weren't that close-"
"Liar," the man beside me mutters. "You were friends ever since kindergarten because you guys were neighbors. You went to the same university and took the same course in college. Moreover, you both served in the same school after you had the license to teach. So I don't think I should believe your words."
Biglang tumalim ang tingin niya kay Aki. "Then why are you even here if you're just going to accuse me of spitting lies?"
"Because you are." biglang tumaas ang tono ng boses ko kaya pareho silang napatingin sa 'kin. "You're not telling the truth because you're pretending that Ms. Saludes never existed. You're trying to delete her from your life."
"Why would I do that?" mas matapang na atungal niya.
I lock my eyes at her. "Tama. Bakit mo nga ba 'yon gagawin, Ms. Rivera?"
"One reason," sabat ni Aki. "If you delete someone in your life, someone who was very important, then it only means that you're trying to erase something from the past, too. Or something that ties the both of you that you want to get rid of."
She stands up abruptly. "I don't like how this conversation is going." her fingers are now pointing her main door. "Leave before I call the police."
Narinig ko ang mahinang pagtawa ni Aki. "I know you won't do that."
Purong pagtataka ang namayani sa ngayo'y kulubot na noo ng ginang. "How can you be so sure, kiddo?" she lowers her head, so that she can face Aki. "You only know some facts about my past."
