The Scent of an Orris

Chapter 46

"Anong hindi nagmatch?" Nagtatakang tanong ko nang makauwi sa amin.

I saw my parents sitting tensely with Fiona and two men in formal suits, who I could only assume were the lawyers we had been waiting to meet with.

"I'll handle this" Daddy said, his voice calm, though his hands betrayed him as they rubbed together, a nervous habit It grown familiar with over the years. It was always his way of trying to appear calm when he was anything but.

"Dad, the results could be manipulated" Fiona said, her voice cracking with frustration. "Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali. It was him" halata sa boses niya ang stress.

"Mr. Leofonzo" one of the lawyers said, clearing his throat before opening a folder full of official-looking documents. "The person your daughter believes she saw is highly unlikely to have been involved. At the time of the accident, he was still in prison." He paused, glancing at Fiona as if bracing for her reaction. "He was only released four months ago."

"That's impossible!" Fiona exploded, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her voice cracked as she continued "No, no. It was him! Alam na alam ko! I saw him with my own eyes!"

"We've gone through all the records, and there's solid proof of his imprisonment during the time of the incident. The fingerprints don't match, and his alibi is confirmed."

Daddy let out a deep sigh, visibly trying to remain composed, though I could tell this was weighing heavily on him too. "We need to consider that there might be other explanations. Maybe we're overlooking something important."

Fiona, however, wasn't ready to listen. She shook her head violently, her hands clenching into fists. "No, Dad! I know what I saw! He's the one who did this! Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali!" Her voice was full of desperation.

I watched the second lawyer shift uncomfortably before speaking up, trying to offer some kind of positive energy. "Ms. Leofonzo, I understand how difficult this is, but based on the evidence we have, his involvement is highly improbable. We have court records, prison logs, and-"

"I don't care about your records!" Fiona interrupted, standing abruptly, her face flushed with anger. "You're telling me the man I saw is innocent? How am I supposed to believe that?" She was practically shaking with rage, her voice echoing through the room. "It's him! There's no way it's not!"

For a moment, no one dared to speak. I glanced at Daddy, who sat there with his hands clasped tightly together, staring blankly at the floor. It was as if the years of stress had finally caught up with him, adding lines to his face and turning his once strong posture into something tired, almost defeated.

Alam kong mahirap din sa kanya ito, inaasikaso niya ang hustisya para kay Kuya at Fiona while managing the collapsing company, and dealing with all the legal troubles hanging over his head.

"Hindi siya iyon" my mom stood and began pacing back and forth. Her hands running through her hair, clearly stressed out as she tried to process everything.

"Emily, huwag kang makialam dito!" I flinched at the intensity in his tone. Hindi ko alam pero minsan talaga ay nakakatakot ang boses niya.

"I want to see him again"

"No!" Dad shouted, his voice booming with such force that it startled everyone. Tumayo siya at diretsong tiningnan si Fiona "You will not meet with that man!" His anger was raw, barely controlled, and it reverberated in the air like a warning. I had rarely seen him this angry before.

"But Dad, I'm sure that-"

"No matter what, I don't want you anywhere near that man!" Dad interrupted her, bawat salita niya ay galit na galit.