Lurkers

CHAPTER 8: HER WISH

   PRESENT DAY

   I exhale after kong mai-kwento kay Lei at Tuesday ang nangyari before mawala ni Muggy. Pinagsusuntok at sapok ako ng dalawa kaya naman sigaw nalang ako ng sigaw. Ganito talaga itong mga 'to, masyadong pisikal kapag may ginawa akong mali.

"Gago! Gago!" mura sa akin ni Lei.

"Bakit mo naman sinabi 'yon kay Muggy?" inis na tanong naman ni Tuesday. Bagkus na magalit, malungkot ang ekspresyon ng mukha niya.

"I know, I know! I've been such an idiot for saying that." I confess. It's the truth. There's time that I blame myself about Muggy's dissaperance. Iniisip ko na baka isa ako sa dahilan kaya siya nawala o umalis. Masyado na siyang madaming problema that time at hindi pa nakabuti ang nasabi ko sa kaniya.

Comfort ang kailangan niya noong mga oras na iyon at hindi ko iyon nabigay. I feel worst.

Napabuntong hininga si Lei, "Honestly, I can't blame you 'cause I'm not on your shoes. Kung ako siguro ang tinawagan niya, hindi ko rin alam kung pa'no mag-comfort."

Lei's the least close to Muggy, and then me, then Tuesday. Pero kapag magkakasama naman kaming apat, walang naa-out of place sa amin. Magka-kaibigan na kami simula grade seven until now kaya halos magkakapatid na kami.

Isa rin iyon sa dahilan kaya hindi ko pinupursue na ma-inlove kay Muggy. Yes, I can't deny that I have a crush on her but I also can't bear the fact that If I confess, then I don't know what's gonna happen in our group.

"We need to find her." seryoso si Tuesday nang sabihin niya iyon. I mean, he's always have this serious face and aura pero kakaiba siya ngayon. Kung may nag-aalala man ng sobra kay Muggy, hindi iyon ang papa niya at ang town na ito, kung 'di si Tuesday.

"What are we gonna do? She runaway, remember? Runaway." inulit ni Lei ang salita na para bang kailangan naming maintindihan iyon. Lei's right. She runaway. That's the only reason kaya siya nawala at iyon din ang sinasabi ng police.

The crime here in town is very low and I think the last crime that happened here is years ago. I remember that it's about a missing cat. Ganoon ka low risk ang crime rito. One thing na ikinaganda ng town namin.

I just realized na Muggy's dissapearance is a big case so far for the town's authority but they did almost nothing. They just file the case, they do a two days search, after that, nothing. I think they're not too serious about the case. Sabagay, if Mr. Helms do not care, then sila pa kaya?

Hindi umuwi si Muggy that night noong pagkikita namin. I didn't chat her because I was too guilty and alam kong galit siya. Kapag kasi nagkakatampuhan kami, I always give her some space. Then after some hours or day, nagkaka-ayos din kami. You know, true friends always come back.

But this time we are really aware that this is a serious matter. Never in our years na nawala ang isa sa amin or umalis ng walang paalam.

After that Sunday night, absent ulit si Muggy noong Monday kaya nagsimula na kaming magtaka. Doon na namin siya chinat at tinext pero wala kaming nareceive na response. We even called her so many times pero wala rin. Unattended ang phone niya.

We never had a chance to visit Muggy's place and never see Mr. Helms in person. Masyado kaming intimidate sa daddy ni Muggy at hindi rin nag-aya si Muggy kahit isang beses na pumunta sa mansion nila. Though, nakita na namin ang mansion nila dahil syempre nalibot na namin ang buong town.

I snap back to reality nang hawakan ni Tuesday ang balikat ko. Nasa harapan ko na pala siya.

"Ang sabi ko, 'diba may sinasabi si Muggy sa'tin dati tungkol dun sa creepy house?"

"Creepy house?" pag-uulit ko. Inalala ko kung aling bahay iyon.

"'Yung nasa universe street."

Then I remember it. God, just remembering it makes all my hair stand. I rub both of my arm at naupo sa paanang kama ni Lei. That creepy damn house in that creepy last street of this town. I shake my head just thinking na pupunta ako roon. I will never.

"What about it?" tanong ko. Hindi ko naalala na may sinabi si Muggy tungkol doon. Siguro kay Tuesday lang niya iyon nabanggit.

Tumabi sa akin si Lei at naupo rin. Kinuha naman ni Tuesday ang maliit na rattan chair at umupo roon habang nakaharap sa amin.

"I think sa akin lang nasasabi 'to ni Mug." Tuesday said. I told you, mas close siya kay Muggy.

"She said to me from time to time na gusto niyang pumunta ro'n. At palagi ko siyang pinagbabawalan kasi 'di ba, halos magagato na 'yung bahay." panimula ni Tuesday. I agree. Ilang beses narin akong nakapunta sa universe street at palagi kong nakikita ang bahay na iyon.

"At puwede siyang makulong for trespassing." sabi ni Lei.

Napakunot ang noo ko, "Why would she want to go there? Anong mayro'n?" I ask.

"I'm not sure pero sabi niya, matutupad daw ang wish niya kapag ginawa niya iyon."

"Iyon?" tanong ni Lei sa sinabi ni Tuesday.

Tumindig na naman ang mga balahibo ko. I rub my arms again. This is bad. If Muggy really go there, I'm sure na may nangyaring masama. Kasi kung wala, dapat nakauwi na siya. Yes, we're not sure about this thing, pero ngayon, we don't have a choice but to start to any ideas that we have.

"I think she wan't to see her mother again. And in that house... there's a... a thing that can help her with her wish." umiling-iling si Tuesday, "I-I'm not really sure but that's what I remember she said."

I felt dizzy. Her mother is dead! I think I need to puke.