The Vow

40

Pinapasok din nila si Kuya Jorge at tinanung, at pinlay yung pangalawang video na muntik na naman akong gahasain at tumugma ulit yun sa statement ni Kuya Jorge.

Hanggang sa ako na yung uupo sa witness stand. Uminom muna ako ng tubig.

"Kung baliktarin ka, alam mo anong gagawin" sabi ni Kuya sa akin. "You can do it, sis. We believe in you" dagdag nya.

I oath to say nothing but the truth bago nagstart ang interrogation. Naunang magtanong ang lawyer ng mga Lim at nakangiti lang si Rina sa akin, ako naman gumanti ng ngiti, alam kong anumang oras babaliktarin na nila ang statement ko.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but traumatized people tend to jumble or have fabricated memories. Am I right, Dr. Cooper?" Tanong nya sakin. Ngumiti lang ako.

"Yes, if and only if, there's an accident that happened that involves a head injury. What you're saying is Traumatic Amnesia or other doctors call it a Selective Amnesia, Attorney. I am a Doctor that studies brains, I am a neuro-surgeon. So I know the differences and what you're implying right now is that I have fabricated memories that resulted to me having a different knowledge about my past, but, doesn't the CCTV videos agreed to the witnesses? Because that's also in my memory. I did had an accident I almost got drowned, but, that drowning won't cause a Traumatic Amnesia, even if you search world health organization website, you will never see someone having a traumatic amnesia because of drowning" sabi ko na nagpatahimik sa abogadong to. Halatang kinabahan sya.

I look soft, but, I am not an easy victim.

"How sure were you that my client threatened you when he is blind?"

"Isn't he the one in the videos played earlier? Or you're too blind to see the truth? I am sure that he is that person. Mr. Lim only got blind at the age of 56, a late discovery of his brain tumor that affected his vision and even after removing the tumor, his vision didn't came back. He got blind clearly just 2 years from now. Meaning, he wasn't blind when I was 5 to 10 years old. Because his blindness started when I was 22 years old or 21. Which is clearly 11 to 12 years apart. I didn't stalked on Mr. Lim, his son, Rupert Lim was my patient and happened to inherit the genital tumor called Ependymoma, and as a doctor we will need to know the history of our patient's illness before we go to initial testing of our patients. If you will say that I am not telling the truth, I can show you the patient's information and the initial screening I had with Rupert Lim, that includes the family history of his tumor, where it came from, and whom he inherited it. Because, we doctors, needs to write down facts, not just jump into conclusions." Sabi ko.

Ano ba? Bakit parang ako na yung nanggigisa dito?

Nakikita kong napapangiti sila Kuya dahil alam nilang hindi ako nagpapadala sa interrogation ng kalaban na to. Mas mukha pa akong intimidated kesa sa lawyer nila. Saan nila napulot to?

"That's it for us, Your Honor" sabi nung Lawyer, nakita ko pang sinermunan ni Rina yung Lawyer nila.

"Dr. Cooper, after you almost got raped by Mr. Lim, what actions did you do as a 9 or 10 year old kid?"

"Even after he first touched me, I started packing my clothes sa maleta ko po noon. Same with Daddy's clothes tapos itinatago ko yung maleta nya sa closet ko so no one can see it. Then, after the last encounter of him touching me and with a gun, I've had enough. The night came, my mom wasn't at home because she attended a party. My dad was in the garden relaxing and even playing with the 1 year old Rupert. I kneeled in front of my dad and pleaded him for us to leave. I was the one that told him to leave my mom and leave Rupert with them. I asked helped from Manang Yolly and Kuya Jorge noon to cover up our sudden exit. Kuya Jorge was the one to pick up my mom from the party, sinadya nyang idaan sa matraffic na lugar ang sasakyan pauwi para may time kami makaalis. Manang Yolly went to her room, and Daddy left Rupert sa kwarto nila sa crib dahil tulog naman na sya noon. My Dad, being my dad listened to his daughter and we left the country that night, pumunta kami sa Australia sa Tita ko, and dun prinocess yung papers namin for Daddy to work, since my auntie is a citizen there. Then, when I was 12, I was forced to go back here"