Simply The Best

55

HINALIKAN ni Yael ang pisngi ni Martino na mukhang malalim ang iniisip. They were in bed already and ready to sleep. Nakaupo pa ang mapapangasawa at mukhang masyadong lulong sa anumang iniisip sa kasalukuyan.

"'You okay?" kaswal niyang tanong habang humihiga. "You've been quiet."

"Hmm?"

"What is wrong?" tanong niya. "Kung affected ka sa mga sinabi ni Shay—"

"God, I hate that woman."

"I understand. And I'm so sorry."

"You said she left the country when you invited her to our engagement party, right?"

"Yeah."

"There's a way to check that, right? Mangangailangan siguro ng warrant pero puwedeng silipin ni Miko, right?"

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Yael. Hindi niya gaanong maintindihan ang sinasabi ni Martino. They needed to check if Shay really went out of the country? He didn't want her in their engagement party. "What's going on?"

"I just find this really strange and I can't shake this feeling."

"What?"

"Call me crazy and maybe a little vindictive or hateful, but, Yael, what if it's Shay?"

"Si Shay ang alin?" Hindi pa rin niya makita kung saan papunta ang sinasabi ni Martino.

"Ang may pakana ng pamamaril kay Ember."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Yael. Bigla na lang siyang napabalikwas ng bangon. Hinarap niya si Martino at halos daganan. "What?" she screamed in his face. "What!"

Inayos nito ang kanyang posisyon.

"Oh, my God, Marti!"

"Settle down. I can be wrong. Baka lang din I think the worst of that woman. I hated her when she betrayed you. Sobra kang nasaktan noon. Matagal mong dinala ang guilt. You thought the worst of yourself because she really made you believe you had been a horrible friend."

"I kind of had been then. I—"

"Don't start again, okay?" May pakiusap sa boses ni Martino. "Stop beating yourself over it. She chose to be a nasty human being. That's not on you."

Tumango si Yael. Makailang ulit na nitong sinabi iyon sa kanya at pinaniniwalaan din naman niya. She was just back there. Back to one of the worst times of her life.

Sa ibang pagkakataon, hindi naman siya gaanong maaapektuhan. Nakatulong ang nangyari para mapatibay ang relasyon niya kina Ember at Martino. Wala sila ngayon ni Martino sa kinalalagyan nila kung hindi nangyari ang mga nangyari sa nakaraan. She loved him so much and she didn't want anyone else to grow old with.

"Okay," sabi ni Yael. "So what are you really saying?"

"I think it's her, Yael. She wants Ember dead. She tried to have her killed."

Yael couldn't wrap her head around what he was saying. Hindi niya gustong paniwalaan. Hindi siya gaanong natuwa talaga kay Shay sa inasal nito kanina, pero hindi naman siya umabot sa extent na paghihinalaan niya ang dating kaibigan sa nangyari sa kasalukuyan niyang matalik na kaibigan. Surely, she couldn't be that evil.

She might not be a pleasant person but she didn't want to believe she could be evil. The woman was her former best friend. Magkaibigang matalik sila sa high school. Sabay nilang pinangarap ang pag-aaral sa Maynila. Magkasama silang nagpunta sa Maynila. Nagkasama sa iisang bahay sa naunang taon ng kolehiyo. They shared so much in the past.

Shay might have betrayed her but she was just hurt.

"Alam ko na mahirap paniwalaan man lang ang theory," sabi ni Martino habang ikinukulong siya sa mga bisig nito. "I'm so sorry if I'm upsetting you. Pero parang ang linaw lang ng memories ko about what happen in college lately. Hindi ko makalimutan ang mukha niya noong komprontahin natin siya. She really and truly hated you and Ember. She also really wanted Ivo. She was convinced na inagawan siya ni Ember kahit na si Ember talaga ang gusto ni Ivo mula pa sa simula. She had to have seen that. Everyone had saw it then. Everyone. But she deluded herself. And she hated you for choosing Ember."

"She was really envious of Ember. She wanted what she had. Naniwala siya noon na Ember had everything so easy. She was pretty and smart. She has a lot of friends. She had clout and she's friends with people who had clout in college. May sariling condo at mga mamahaling bags. Naibibigay sa kanya ang lahat ng gusto niya. Tipikal naman ang ganoon sa ganoong edad, 'di ba? 'Yong nangyari noon, nasaktan siya nang husto. Idagdag pa natin ang immaturity."

"And did she mature all these years? She's worst. She's rude tonight. Parang insensitive pero may pakiramdam ako na nananadya rin siya. She wanted reactions from you and Ember. May dahilan kung bakit kinulit ka niyang makita si Ember. Hindi ka niya tinigilan, hindi ba? Ikaw na rin ang nagsabi. You went from barely talking to her to calling you four to six times a day. Bakit gusto niyang makita si Ember? Hindi naman siya nag-aalala. Obviously, hindi pa rin niya ikinatuwang malaman na magkasama sila ni Ivo ngayon. She wanted to know if they got back together. She wanted to see if Ember was really alive."

"Oh, she hated it, Ember and Ivo back together," halos wala sa loob na naidagdag ni Yael. "But it's crazy, Marti. She can't do something like this just because... it had been ages ago!"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just really pissed off at her tonight. Huwag mo nang ipag-alala. I'm sorry."

Pero hindi na maalis sa isip ni Yael ang ideya. Hindi na siya matatahimik. "She sought me out..." Mentally, inaayos niya ang ilang puzzle pieces. "She must've heard about Ivo coming back and she knew you were best friends. And I'm best friends with Ember. This is insane!"

Niyakap siya nang mahigpit ni Martino. "Ivo and Ember were getting back together. I think everyone who knew them then knows that it is a big possibility. We both know they are inevitable kahit na hindi natin pag-usapan. Alam nating dalawa na magkakabalikan sila at masaya tayo sa thought na 'yon."

"Pero hindi lahat masaya."

"Rod. Mababaliw siya sa galit kapag nalaman niyang binalikan ni Ember si Ivo. Kaya siya talaga ang pinaniniwalaan kong may pakana nito. Kailangan lang patunayan. Pero..."

"Hindi lang si Rod ang manggigigil sa galit. Just the thought of Ember and Ivo being together again, being happy again..."

"But it's crazy!" sabi pa rin ni Yael. Hindi pa rin talaga niya matanggap. Pero nakikita niya ang posibilidad. Hindi naman imposible iyon, sadya lang na hindi niya mapaniwalaan.

"Again, I can be wrong. Hinala lang naman. I just have this feeling that I think I really have to shake off."

"But you can also be right," usal ni Yael. Nanikip ang kanyang dibdib. She hoped Martino was wrong. She really hope it was Rod.

Pero kailangan niyang makasiguro. Inabot niya ang phone sa kanyang bedside table. Tinawagan niya si Miko.

It took a while before Miko answered. She was already sleeping. "This better be good, Yael" angil nito.

"Marti thinks it's Shay."

"Ano? Huwag mo na ngang mabanggit ang pangalan ng babaeng 'yon."

"Listen to me! Paano kung si Shay ang may pakana ng pamamaril kay Em?"

Natahimik ang kabilang linya. Parang pinoproseso pa nito ang sinabi niya. "Ano?!" bulalas ni Miko mayamaya. "But that's insane! Ano ang motibo? 'Yong nangyari noon? It was a long time ago!"

"But it can be possible, right? You've seen her tonight, right?"

"She's insufferable and I really don't like her, but Yael, this is murder. Premeditated murder."

"I know!" bulalas niya. "I don't wanna think of the worst, but then it won't hurt to check, right? You can check, right?"

"Check what?"

"Her finances and travel history? Her online conversations, activity or something?"

"Those are all illegal, babe."

"Then what do we do? Hindi ako matatahimik! Marti puts this idea in my head at sa palagay ko ay hindi na ako makakatulog."

Hinalikan ni Martino ang kanyang sentido. "I'm sorry," pabulong nitong sabi.

"Fine!" sabi ni Miko "I'd take a peek. Bahala na kung may mahanap tayo or something."

"That's good enough."

Sure enough, Yael tossed and turned while waiting for Miko to call her back. Hindi niya sigurado kung ano ang ipagdarasal. Was she hoping she'd found something or nothing?

Miko called before the sun rose. "I think I found the shooter."