Always And Forever

The Question

The drive was exceptional quiet. Francisco and Leonor just finished grabbing lunch and is now on their way to their residence. Francisco, rested his hand on the steering wheel while the city slowly crawled past them. Afternoon rush hour had already begun. Jeepneys stopped wherever they pleased, motorcycles squeezed through impossible gaps, commuters slowly filling the bus stops and sidewalks.

"May lakad ka ba ngayon?"

Leonor looked up from her phone and thought for a moment. "Wala, I'll sleep once we get home".

"Good", he unexpectedly took a sharp u-turn, "Dalawin natin sila"

Leonor didn't asked who, she simply slipped her phone to her bag and looked outside the window.

The city slowly disappeared through them. Buildings were carefully replaced by trees and the skyline became quieter. None of them spoke, the radio took the responsibility to fill the silence.

Not long after they arrived to the place where both of them were so familiar. The gates of the cemetery came into view. Flower vendors lined the entrance, children chased through narrow pathways of the mausoleums , the warm afternoon orange sky settled gently over rows of weathered tombstones.

Francisco parked in the same spot like he always did. Without a word, he stepped out of the car and approached an elderly vendor. As if the vendor knew, she immediately gave him two neatly arranged flowers. No words, just a smile and a payment. Years of visiting had turned strangers into familiar faces.

He gave one of the flowers to Leonor, "Kay mama mo yan", he said.

Leonor got confused of such specifics, which was immediately noticed by her grandfather.

"That's her favorite", he chuckled. He still remembers.

The walk was another set of silence, until her steps gradually became smaller and stopped before two familiar tombstones.

She crouched and gently brushed the dry leaves that gathered around the marble, then she paused. An unfamiliar set of flowers were there, it was fresh as if someone had placed them just before they arrived.

"Dad", she turned to her grandfather who had just finished lighting the candles, "Pumunta ka ba dito?" . She asked and looked at the flowers.

Francisco followed her gaze and immediately got what she meant. "No, I thought ikaw ang nag lagay n'yan".

Silence followed. It was as if no one knew what to do next. Francisco stepped in closer, made the sign of the cross and offered a prayer. Leonor watched him intently, all these years he is also grieving just like her.

"Dad.." she started after noticing that Francisco finished praying.

"Hmm?"

She pulled a brown envelope from her bag and handed it to him. "Wag kang magugulat".

Francisco glanced at the folder before accepting it. "Ano to?"

"Open it."
"Now?"
She nodded, "Andito na naman tayo. Baka maduwag na naman ako kung ipagpaliban ko pa"

He opened the flap, his expression remained indifferent until he saw the first page. It was immediate, his fingers stopped moving. When he pulled the papers farther out, photocopies of court records, witness lists, and old newspapers greeted his eyes. With them was highlighted passages, handwritten notes by someone.

Memories came rushing upon seeing the case number printed on one document. He knew it by heart. For thirty two years, he never forgot.

His eyes continued scanning the documents, headlines after headlines. Then, his eyes stopped on the page where a handwritten note rested on the margin.

23 witnesses.
Only 7 sworn statements were located.
Where are the remaining 16?

The next pages were full of questions, arrows, cross references, dates. Someone was dissecting the case, asking the things that should be asked.

He looked at Leonor in full concern, "Saan mo nakuha 'to?"

"George", she replied instantly. The question was anticipated.

"What do you mean?"

"I asked him to look into it"

Cat got his tongue and shifted his gaze again to the remaining documents. His grip tightened on the folder just enough for Leonor to notice.

"How long?" he asked.
"A month"

He wiped the tears on the corner of his eye and chuckled, "He got all these in just a month?"

"He spent 3 weeks digging through the archives"

That earned her grandfather another chuckle, then silence. A moment after he started putting the documents back into the envelope.

"Leni..." his voice traced with concern, "...Hindi mo alam kung anong pinasok mo"

Leonor smiled weakly, "I knew you'd say that".
"No", Francisco's voice remained calm yet authoritative. "I'm serious".

"So am I"

Her grandfather sighed. He knew that demeanor, he knew her persistence, her stubbornness. And basing on how much George had gathered for a short period, he reckoned that he is the same too.

"Dad" Leonor called, "When was the last time we talked about this?"

Francisco turned his gaze to the tombstones and smiled. Not because it was funny, but because he couldn't remember.

"Years"

"Dad" she called again, "This time be honest with me"

He straightened, as if bracing for impact. Here we go.

"What really happened?"