Shipwrecked Hearts

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To see is to believe. This cliché saying of who-knows-who started to apply. Joziah told me that he already has sent someone to inform Maximo regarding this matter. Sa ngayon ay naglalakad kami sa mahabang pasilyo, tila mabibigat ang aking mga hakbang habang pinapanood ko si Mermaid, she was swaying as she led me and Joziah into the town called Jolly Roger. Tumigil siya sa harap ng isang itim na morgue. 'Dito, Ate Kira." Aniya.

I am starting to regret what I've said—that I won't believe until I see. Sa ngayon, tila napako ang aking mga paa sa bricks na daanan habang nakatitig lamang sa pintuan. Joziah opened it and signaled the 'ladies first', I reluctantly nodded and slowly entered.

"Mermaid, anong ginagawa mo dito?" Tumingin ako sa babae na halos kaedad ko lang, nakatupi ang puting long sleeve nito hanggang siko niya, naaninag ko na may bahid ng dugo ang suot niya. Tumingin siya sa akin, nang mamukhaan niya ako'y agad siyang yumuko. "Kira." Ngumiti ito.

"Kilala mo ako?"

"That's the most stupid question, Starfish." Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang paligid upang hanapin ang pinanggalingan ng boses. I saw Maximo exit from one of the connected rooms of the morgue, he wore a grim face. So, he came first, huh? He probably thought the same thing I had. His expression just confirms it. He faked a smile at me, "of course, everybody knows you. You're my queen. Their queen." He looked at Joziah and gave him a firm nod.

"Kuya Alexander!" Tuwang bati ni Mermaid kay Maximo, tumakbo si Mermaid at niyakap si Maximo sa kan'yang binti, ginulo naman ni Maximo ang buhok niya at saka tumango.

"Mermaid, can I ask something?" Maximo asked, Mermaid nodded. "Why did you kill Meliodas?" Maximo said in his soft voice, he was calm—too calm. I don't know if he was only trying to suppress his anger, but that too much of calmness has made him seem to be cold. I saw his warm eyes as he eyed Mermaid. I think he was mad, not of Meliodas being killed, but perhaps the idea that a child like her has done it.

Hindi umimik si Mermaid. Tila nag-isip siya nang mabuti sa sasabihin. She played with her fingers and pouted, "e kasi po..." mas lumabi siya, "kasi ano..."

"Say it." Mahinahong tanong ni Maximo.

"Kasi po nanghinala ako sa kan'yang kasi lagi siyang nakaaligid sa paligid, Kuya Alexander. Tapos lagi siyang bumubulong sa hawak niyang telepono, basta iyon. Kaya naman kumanta ako." By means of singing, Mermaid must mean that she hypnotized Meliodas. "Para sabihin niya ang totoo. Tapos nalaman ko po na traydor siya." This kid is dangerous.

"And what did you find out?" Tugon ni Maximo.

"Magkasabwat po sila ni Kuya Marco, tapos balak kayong i-ambush ni Ate Kira, tapos sila ang maghahari dito sa isla." Diretsong sagot niya. "S'yempre po, wala akong balak na patayin siya pero nang natapos na po ang epekto ng hipnotismo, bigla siyang nagwala. Kung ano raw ba ang ginawa ko sa kan'yang, na halimaw daw po ako. Papatayin na sana niya ako kasu inunahan ko siya."

"Okay." Ngumiti si Maximo at saka binuhat si Mermaid, "but next time, don't act hastily, okay? You shouldn't use your Sixth Sense for trivial matters like this. Understand? Hindi kita ibababa kapag hindi mo naintindhan." Maximo grinned and held Mermaid high as if she weighed nothing.

"Opo."

Wait, Maximo said something about... sixth sense? What is that? Ang pagkakaalam ko, lima lamang ang senses. Right? I mean, there's sight, taste, touch, smell, and hear.

"Good." He smiled and put her down. Tumingin siya sa babae na may-ari ng morgue, basing on her clothes, she must be an embalmer. "Mermaid's kill is neat as ever, it's impressive. No trace of wound." He said to her. Then how did Mermaid kill Meliodas? Poison gas? Poison injection?

Ngumiti ang babae, I'll just temporary call her that in my head since I have no idea who the hell she is. "You're right about that, Maximo. Since the wound is as small as a dot, you'd suspect Meliodas had a cardiac arrest and wasn't really murdered. But what can we say? It's her trademark." Aniya sabay tingin kay Mermaid na kausap na ngayon ni Joziah sa gilid.

"I want to see his remains." I insisted.

"Well, that's why you're here, Starfish." Maximo sneered. Sinamaan ko naman siya ng tingin. Tila pinipilosopo niya kasi ako. Hmp.

Naglakad ang embalmer, sinundan naman namin siya ni Maximo. Mula sa pintuang pinasukan namin ay nakita ko ang pahabang pasilyo. Sa bawat magkabila nito ay mga pinto. Tumigil siya sa harap ng pangatlong pintuan at saka binuksan ito. We followed inside.

Sa loob ay nakita ko ang kama at puting tela na nakatakip sa bangkay. The lady slowly took it off, revealing the pale face of Meliodas. It seems like he is just sleeping peacefully. Walang suot na damit si Meliodas, I can see his built. Too bad he's a villain.

"Um, your name?" I asked the girl.

"I have no name." Ngumiti siya sa akin, "but for the sake of convention, you can just call me K."

"Okay, K." I inspected the bare body of Meliodas, "I see no scar, wound, or anything that could tell he was murdered."

"Use this, Kira." K said, may nilabas siyang tila magnifying mirror na device, I did not bother asking what it was, K simply taught me the simple application of the tool. She guided my hands towards the left chest of Meliodas, she pinched the screen of the device, zooming in the skin into megapixels, those megapixels slowly turned into a vivid picture. I saw a hole. Right through the heart.

"It's like Mermaid killed Meliodas using a pin."

"That's because she did." Maximo replied.

Tila nalaglag naman ang panga ko. How is that even possible?

"The length of Mermaid's pin is as long as your dagger, Starfish. I gave it to her as a gift since she wanted a weapon that is light and something that fits to her persona. Apparently, she got fond of it." As if reading my mind, he continued. "Mermaid aimed straight towards the heart of Meliodas. Of course, it isn't enough to kill him, so, while the pin was inside Meliodas' heart, she twisted it, puncturing his veins and valves and other organs."

I can't believe this. This has got to be a lie, but then and again, whether I opt to believe it or not, nothing will change. Life goes on.

"Maximo, what should I do with the body? Should I feed it to the piranha?" K asked.

"Nah, you can just cremate it and flush the ashes into the toilet."