behind every summer

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

A few days had passed in silence, my days a blur of chores and routines, as I tried to adjust to this new life. I was doing my laundry, scrubbing my clothes by hand, when I heard a loud knock on the door. It startled me, echoing through the small apartment, pulling me out of my trance. My hands stilled in the soapy water, and a strange feeling of dread crept over me.

Turning off the faucet, I wiped my hands on a towel, my heart racing. I didn't usually have visitors, so who could it be? Maybe it was just a mistake, a neighbor perhaps. I walked slowly towards the door, each step heavy with uncertainty. When I finally reached it, I took a deep breath and opened it.

There, standing in the doorway, were four policemen. My heart dropped, and I froze. One of them, a stern-looking officer, took a step forward and spoke in a cold, official tone, "Ikaw ba si Dashwood Howe?"

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "O-Opo, ako yun," I stammered, my voice barely audible.

This was it. The day I had dreaded, the day that had loomed over me like a dark cloud. I knew something like this was coming, but nothing could have prepared me for the fear and helplessness that was now surging through me.

The officer didn't waste any time. "Inaaresto ka namin sa salang pagnanakaw," he said, his voice sharp and indifferent. "Nagsampa ng kaso si Mr. Volvo Hartigan sa'yo hinggil sa pagnanakaw mo ng sampung milyong piso mula sa kanilang kaban."

I felt like the floor had been pulled out from under me. My mind raced, I did not steal that kind of money! Totoo na may sampung milyon na ako pero nando'n yun sa binigay na bank account ni Edevane. I didn't steal anything! My voice trembled as I tried to speak, to defend myself, "Wala po akong kinuha! Hindi ko po ginawa 'yun!"

But they didn't listen. The officers grabbed me roughly, pulling me out of my apartment as they slapped cold metal handcuffs around my wrists. The tightness of the cuffs bit into my skin, and a wave of panic surged through me.

"Hindi ko po talaga ginawa 'yun!" I protested again, but they didn't care. They were just doing their job, following orders. It didn't matter to them whether I was guilty or not. My pleas fell on deaf ears.

As we walked down the narrow stairs of the apartment building, I felt a thousand eyes on me. People had gathered, neighbors, strangers, all watching as I was dragged out like a criminal. Whispers filled the air, and I could feel their judgment, their scorn.

I couldn't bring myself to look up. Shame burned through me, and all I could do was keep my eyes on the ground. My mind screamed at the injustice of it all, but there was nothing I could do. This nightmare had become my reality.

"Lord, bakit ganito?" I whispered under my breath, my voice cracking with emotion. "Ano bang ginawa ko para pagdaanan 'to?"

I wanted to scream, to cry, to collapse on the ground and wake up from this nightmare, but I couldn't. The weight of it all was too much, suffocating me from the inside out. I felt powerless, like a puppet being pulled by strings I couldn't control.

The officers led me outside, and the bright sunlight only added to the surrealness of the situation. The crowd had grown, curious onlookers drawn by the spectacle. I heard their murmurs, their judgmental stares piercing through me. I wasn't just Dashwood anymore; I was now the thief, the criminal in their eyes. It didn't matter what the truth was—my life had already been condemned by the accusations against me.

I couldn't help but think of all the things that had led me to this moment. The betrayal, the lies, the set-up. Someone had orchestrated this, someone had planted those bags of money in my possession. Manang Lorena's absence flashed in my mind. Could it have been her? Or someone else? But it didn't matter now. No one would believe me. The evidence had been fabricated, and I had no way to prove my innocence.