WITH EYES TO THINK (Completed)

CHAPTER 5: WHAT'S FEB 30?

CHAPTER 5

LEIGHTON WAJEEH

"Yes, Arielle. We would now expose the person behind your sister's death."

NAPATAYO BIGLA sina Thirdy at Edan no'ng marinig nila ang sinabi ni Yuna, habang naiwang nakaupo naman sina Wella.

"Who the hell are they to tell us who killed Trisha? We cannot trust them, guys. I told you, there's no case here. This is not a playing ground for kids!" Edan suddenly rebuked.

Here he goes again.

I looked at my companion and I saw Yuna smirked. Eun-ji on the other hand just folded her arms together.

"I guess Edan's right, though. Maybe we should wait 'til the police came," Thirdy suggested and I scoffed.

Suddenly, we heard the girl shouted. "I want to hear now!" she demanded, standing firmly. "I want to know who's behind my sister's death," she added. I saw the pain in her eyes that she's trying to hide from us. She's trying to be strong.

I saw them thinking. "We will listen. But just make sure that you won't disappoint us, kids," Wella assented.

Napangiti na lamang ako at napailing.

"Alright... Alright. Spill it out. If your reasonings are lame, leave the hell out," Edan relented. He dropped his hand after raising it, acting as if hindi na siya aawat pa.

Eun-ji cleared her throat before she spoke. "Una sa lahat, kanina ay may binigay na pirasong papel si Arielle sa amin at galing daw ito sa ate niyang si Trisha, ang biktima. Inutos daw ng ate niya na ibigay itong papel sa makatutulong kung sakali mang may mangyaring masama sa kanya. Well obviously, alam na ng biktima na mangyayari ito sa kanya kaya ang sulat sa pirasong papel na 'yon ay ang magbubunyag sa puno ng lahat ng ito," panimula ni Eun-ji.

"And what's written there? Is it one of our names?" sarkastikong tanong ni Thirdy.

"To disappoint you, no. Ang nakasulat dito ay small letter F, big letter E, small letter B, at number 30. So we have 'fEb 30'," sagot ni Eun-ji. Tumingin siya sa amin at tinanguan ko lamang siya.

Napuno ng pagtataka ang mukha nila lalo na ang dalawang lalake.

"Maari ba kitang matanong, Ms. Luna?" biglang tanong ni Eun-ji sa babae. Tumango naman ang huli. "May February 30 ba sa kalendaryo?" pagtatanong niya.

Nag-isip pa ang babae. "W-Wala..." sagot nito na may halong hindi sigurado.

Napangiti kaming tatlo. "Eh 'di, WEL-LA! Hihi," pabiro ngunit pagdidiing saad ni Eun-ji sabay tingin kay Wella. "Oo, si Wella ang sinasabi nito, hindi si Thirdy hindi rin si Edan at mas lalong hindi rin ikaw, Luna."

They were obviously shocked after Eun-ji revealed that. They then looked at Wella with widened eyes. Hindi naman nakaimik agad si Wella. Everyone of them still in shock.

To explain, walang February 30 sa kalendaryo kaya we came up with the word, 'wala'. And the name closest to that word was 'Wella'. But of course, we did not just based on that. At first, akala ko na wala lang kabuluhan ang capitalized letter E. Iyon pala, that served as a highlight that we must emphasize the E. From 'Wala', make it 'Wella'. That's how we got it.

Sa gitna ng pagkagulat nila ay nagsalita na si Yuna. "Nagtulog-tulugan ka lang, Wella, no'ng tinabihan mo si Arielle kanina. Kaya no'ng nakalabas na sina Luna at Thirdy para balikan ang naiwang bagahe, binigyan mo ng yosi si Edan para bigyan ito ng rason para lumabas ng bahay. Alam mong bawal manigarilyo sa loob dahil maraming smoke alarm dito kaya you took the chance to start your move. You've been in the kitchen to get a knife and to kill Trisha in the bathroom." paliwanag ni Yuna.