Scarcity of Chances

Chapter 20

"Do you think he'll notice us?"

"Well... as of now, he's still not switching sides so I don't think he is noticing us."

I sighed and fixed my back on his car's leather seat. I cannot help but feel a little nervous about this plan of following Ms. Bellinda's fishy secretary.

What if we get caught? What if we're wrong about our impression of him? What if we're just wasting our time?

But then, a little hope of having a conversation with Ms. Bellinda won't hurt us. Mas mainam nang masayang ang oras kung sakaling wala kaming mapala kaysa mapakawalan ang pagkakataon.

"Do you have a curfew?" Kylo asked when the car in front stopped because of a little traffic.

"Back home, I have. But here, I think I don't. They haven't mentioned anything," tugon ko.

Kung noon ay napakarami pang tanong ni Mama sa akin tuwing magpapaalam na may pupuntahan, dito ay hindi na. Tinanong lang kung saan at kung ano ang gagawin ko at kaagad nang pinayagan. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa hindi ko lang sinabi na lalaki ang makakasama ko o sadyang hindi sila ganoon kahigpit.

"Okay. Let's just hope that traffic won't be too heavy on our way back," he replied as the car started moving again, as per the green signal light.

Tahimik lamang akong nagmasid at hindi inalis ang tingin sa itim na sasakyang nasa harap namin. Lulan ng sasakyang iyon ang sekretarya ng taong maaaring katulad namin ay nasa lugar na ito.

I don't have an idea if the driver of that car isn't that mindful to notice that we're tailing them or Kylo's just good at driving discreetly. Maaaring kombinasyon ng dalawang iyon sapagkat makalipas ang maraming minuto ng maingat na pagsunod namin sa kanila ay sa wakas ay huminto na rin ito.

Kylo parked his car on the other side of the road to avoid suspicion. Mula sa aming posisyon ay tanaw ko ang lugar na hinintuan ng sinasakyan ng sekretarya ni Ms. Bellinda. Pinanood namin ang kanyang pagbaba mula sa sasakyan at pagpasok sa lugar na 'yon.

"Am I seeing it right? Is this..."

"Shit," he cursed. "What the fuck is he doing in a mental health center?"

My eyes are still wide when my breathing turned heavy. Theories and conclusions are starting to pile up inside my head upon seeing the secretary disappear from my sight.

"Do you think..." I turned to Kylo. "Do you think... Ms. Bellinda's inside?"

He gulped hardly. "I'm afraid so."

Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa establisyemento. Kombinasyon ng kulay puti at dilaw ang mismong gusali. Mayroong mga nakapalibot na puno at mga halaman roon, sa tila malaking hardin.

Nang naisin naming makausap ang babae kanina ay napakaraming rason ng mga ito. Dinahilan pa na maraming mga ginagawa si Ms. Bellinda at na hindi na namin karapatan na tanungin kung bakit hindi siya maaaring makipag-usap maging mag-set ng appointment. Iyon pala, kaya hindi namin siya makaharap ay baka narito siya sa loob.

Now, for the first question, was she forcefully turned inside this mental health facility?

"I think I already know what happened," Kylo voiced out, unconsciously lifting me from my drowning thoughts.

"What?" tanong ko gayong may palagay na rin.

"I think just like us, she's also stuck here, Van. But unlike us who managed to keep it to ourselves, Ms. Bellinda told other people about the changes she felt. That's the reason why they perceived her as... insane."

I nodded and heaved out a sigh. "And the reason why she's admitted inside this facility."

Batid kong hindi pa kami ganoong kasiguradong nasa loob nga siya ngayon sa kadahilanang hindi pa nakikita mismo ng aming mga mata. Subalit kung ipagbubuklod and lahat ng mga pangyayari at posibilidad ay maaaring tama ang aming hinuha.