A Letter from Gabrielle

VIII

Year, 2021 (Later months)

'My first ever case and my first ever win! Why Ka-el? Why am I feeling like as if I just lost? You knew it right? You knew right after the trial that I will never be the same?'

"Gabrielle, are you crazy?!? What the hell are we doing here?!"

Inilibot ko ang aking tingin sa paligid. I am not one to judge, but right now I should really call my mother and thank her for giving me a not so luxurious life but not really so hard life. This place is what they call slums.

Nakita ko ang paghigpit ng hawak ni Gab sa manibela ng balingan ko siya. She looks so exhausted. For almost two months kapansin pansin agad ang pagbagsak ng katawan niya. Halatang hindi siya nakakatulog ng maayos dahil sa maitim na nakapaligid ngayon sa kanyang mga mata. "Gab..." Untag ko saka ko siya tinapik sa kanyang balikat.

Tila sya natauhan saka ipinaling ang kanyang pansin sa akin. "I-I n-need t-to do this, K-Ka-el..." Her voice is so desperate. Her eyes started to become watery and her hands started to quiver.

"Gab, its not your fault. Don't blame yourself for what happened. You just did your job as a lawyer."

Tuluyan na siyang napahagulhol at napasubsob sa manibela. "N-No K-Ka-el! D-Don't e-ever c-comfort me with lies! We b-both know t-that I'm a terrible l-lawyer! S-Sayang lang ang l-lahat ng p-pinag-aralan ko t-tungkol sa batas! F-For w-what pa na nakapasa ako sa b-bar exam para lang palayain ang i-isang k-kriminal at t-tuluyang magdusa ang totoong biktima!"

"Oh Gab..." Who would have thought that her first trial will turn out like this? She was supposed to be celebrating because she won the case, pero naging kabaliktaran ang lahat.

It was attempted murder and rape case. At ang client na hawak niya ay ang suspect. Gabrielle was so eager to prove to everyone and even to the victim na naframe-up lang ang client nya at ibang tao ang totoong suspect. Guess money really works out so well.

And right after few days of the trial, when she already won, she just found out the real story. The suspect only used her dahil baguhan pa lang siya.

I saw how devastated she was since then. Day by day, unti-unti siyang nahila ng guilt feeling nya. Her family even suggested to seek for help. A psychiatrist maybe. But she was so stubborn to follow them. Instead she pretended in front of everyone that she's just fine. She goes on with life and act normal as what everyone expected of her.

But not with me and with Reina. She showed us how guilty she was and how she regret fighting for someone who deserved to be punished. She blamed herself for letting a criminal person to wander freely while the victim is traumatized for all that ever happened.

Kahit si Reina hindi na alam kung ano ang dapat at tamang sabihin para kay Gab para lang maibsan ang dinadala nya sa kanyang dibdib.

"I-I should have do this f-from the start, Ka-el.."

Huminga ako ng malalim saka tumango tango. Hinawakan ko ang kanyang kamay at masuyo itong pinisil. "Alright. Do what you think will make you feel better, Gab. I'm always here for you. Me and Reina.."

Ngumiti siya pero hindi naman umabot sa kanyang mga mata. "Salamat.." Tinanggal na niya ang kanyang seatbelt.

Sinundan ko siya ng tingin saka kumilos at bumaba rin ng sasakyan. Napapatingin sa amin ang grupo grupo ng tao na nadadaanan namin. Kahit hindi ako komportable hindi ko na lang ito ipinahalata. Kahit nakakatakot mukha namang hindi kami mapapahamak sa lugar na ito.

Dumaan pa muna kami sa isang maliit na eskinita na may mga nagsisigawang boses ng lalaki, naghahabulang bata at may mga naglalaba pa. May nadaanan pa kaming grupo ng mga binatilyo na mga walang suot na damit at umiinom sa kainitan ng araw.