The Heart Can See (Completed)

Day 38 - Can You Read My Mind?

The old man sits forlorn in one of the dimly-lit, enclosed cubes at the detention center. He's been here for several days now. How many, he doesn't care to count. His friends and family have all deserted him. Nobody dare come forward except for the lawyer that he's paying an exorbitant rate just to handle the paper works. Trying to find a loophole in the case so he can be released on bail. There must be an agent here that they can bribe.

But who really is his family? Is it his 'wife' and 'son' in Davao where he stayed for almost two years? Or the one in Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban, Naga, or Cordillera region? He's been on the run for almost 10 years now, establishing new identity, new family, new connections where his feet will lead him.

What's his name again today? Medical consultant Mike, Dr. Alvin, Hospital Assistant Director Eddie, or Paramedic Luis? How about his surname? Oh, it's hard to think.

But wait! Where is his trusted journal? Did they confiscate it too? He remembers putting it in a safe place, somewhere nobody can get to in case something like this happens. He must get it. 

There are these thoughts again. They don't want his mind to be quiet.

Somebody should write his life story. How beautiful it is to restore life by getting precious organs here and there. Organs and tissues that they no longer need. What's wrong with that?

He had a lot of friends before, influential friends that have benefited from what he does. Where are they now? They should get me a writer. I'm now ready to tell my stories. Stories that I wouldn't just share with anybody. But not to those dumb and stupid investigators who are just after names and figures. What do they know?

Good thing my lawyer said that two writers are coming to visit me. They are writers, right? Maybe they can write my story and get me out of here. I wonder what could be the title.

How about My Precious? That's a good one.

---------------

Meanwhile in the studio, RJ and Maine met their team again in the morning as they try to get to know each of the members.

Tita Helen is the executive producer, a veteran of the network. Direk Pete is of course the director (may direk sa pangalan e), then Tatay Ed is the camera man. Then there's the two researchers, one girl barely out of college at 19, Allison and a potential kuya of the group at 27, Aaron, married with 1 kid (ala lang, nililinaw lang). Both with experience in doing research, either in academics or work, but both relatively new at the Station.

The team was given a room inside the Newsroom which will serve as their war room in the coming weeks during investigation and production.

Tita Helen led the meeting and outlined to the group how a documentary is developed and produced as well as the role of each of the team members. They will be a closely-knit group for the next three weeks.

She explained the things they need to do: budget to prepare, interviews to conduct, research on regulations and statistics, paper and money trail to follow, people to observe and investigate, production to film or they will not have anything to show.

A/N: Yes, new names to remember plucked out of nowhere. Eh yung wala pa rin po akong naiisip na surname para kay Dr. Alvin. Ano ba!

While they were discussing the plans of the team, out of the corner of her eyes, Maine noticed that Allison keeps glancing at their direction. Yes, in this side of the room where RJ is sitting beside her.

Sino tinitingnan nito? Wala namang butas yung damit ko. May dumi ba ko sa mukha o makapal ang makeup ko? Teka....if she's not looking at me, then she's looking at.... She looks at RJ who is intently listening while Tita Helen is explaining something. And that something escaped her attention altogether. She's now distracted.