Into The Future

Chapter Six

PUMASOK sa loob ng kwarto ang babaeng kasama ng kaniyang ina kanina. Pamilyar ang mukha ng babae, ngunit hindi kaya ni Armaign na pangalanan ito. Nakabusiness attire ito; naka-bun ang buhok, she's wearing pearls, and she's in a blue suit and skirt. Tulad ng kaniyang ina, doktor at nurse, tinitignan siya ng bagong dating na para siyang isang zoo attraction.

Her mother left the hospital earlier to go home and freshen up.

"Pasensiya na ngayon lang ako nakabalik. Kausap ko sa cellphone si Sarah at Drenz." Naglakad ng dahan-dahan ang bagong dating papunta kay Armaign.

"Diana? Ikaw ba iyan?" hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Armaign. "You looked so old! I mean, you know, in a good way! Wow!" Niyakap siya nito nang mahigpit.

"Tinakot mo kaming lahat, Armaign! Okay ka na ba talaga? I heard from Tita Candice that you regained some of your memory."

"Oo nga, eh. Matagal na pala akong nagising, and I didn't know about my mother's second marriage, it surprised me! Ikaw? Kasal ka na ba?" Diana was blooming.

"Yes, I am! His name is Lance, and we have two kids." Diana flashed her wedding ring. "I'll tell you about Lance some other time. Pero ngayon, may dapat ka makilala." She gestured towards the door.

May pumasok na isang magandang dilag sa loob ng silid. Siya'y matangkad, may itim na buhok, morena, at napaka-payat. Ngumiti ito ng matamis kay Armaign at napansin niya na perpekto ang ngipin ng bagong dating. "Hello, Armaign. Ako ito, si Sarah. We studied in Ateneo Law School together, and we're partners in a law firm we established last year."

"Uhm...hello." Nahiya bigla si Armaign. So, sa Ateneo pala ako nag-aral? Hindi pa rin niya mainitindihan kung paano siya naging abogado. But she was really happy that she had a friend, and it looked as if they were really close. Nahihiya si Armaign. Paano ba niya pakikitunguhan ang isang kaibigan na hindi niya maalala?

"It would be better if you'd come visit the law firm once your okay. Namimiss ka na ng mga staff. By the way, kailangan mong malaman na naging kaibigan ko din si Diana." She gestured to the three of them. "Pinakilala mo ako sa kaniya at naging magkaibigan tayong tatlo." Diana and Sarah laughed.

Diana and Sarah sat in the couch beside her bed. "Talaga? Magkwento ka pa, please." Armaign begged. "Paano ako naging abogado? Akala ko isinuko ko na ang pangarap na 'yon dahil bumagsak ako ng dalawang beses sa mga entrance exams."

"Well, hindi ka sumuko. Nagtrabaho ka for a year sa isang NGO tapos nag-take ka ng Civil Service Exam at nag-try sa Ateneo Law School. You passed both exam," Diana said.

Umuwang ang bibig ni Armaign.

Sarah said, "Anyway, I came here to notify you about the case that caused your injuries. Binilinan ako ni Tita Candace at Drenz na magdahan-dahan sa impormasyon."

"Please, sabihin mo sa akin kung ano ang nangyari. Ayaw sa aking sabihin ni mama." Kating-kati na si Armaign na makakuha ng impormasyon. Mabuti na lang at dumating ang mabubuti niyang mga kaibigan.

"It is all over the media that someone had tried to kill you," Diana went on, "miraculously you survived." Nilabas ni Diana ang kaniyang cellphone at may ipinanood sa kaniyang video. "Naging viral ito sa internet."

Parehas ng cellphone si Diana at ang kaniyang ina. Nahihiwagaan si Armaign sa cellphone ng mga ito. It was so sleek and serviceable, at touch screen pa. From what she could remember, phones had key pads, and touch screen phones were just starting to dominate the market. Meron din kaya siyang ganoong phone?

Ipinakita ni Diana ang video. Kuha ito ng CCTV camera kaya madilim at hindi malinaw. The place seemed as if it was in a parking place. A woman just got out of the car, and Diana remarked that it was Armaign in the video.

In the video, lumabas si Armaign sa kaniyang kotse. Wow! Mayroon akong sariling kotse! Teehee!

A man approached, grabbed her hair, and shoved her head continuously onto the car's windshield. He only stopped until the glass shattered completely.

Kusang nabura ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Armaign. Siya'y napasinghap at awtomatikong napahawak sa headdress niya. Kahit walang sound ang video, sa isip ni Armaign ay naririnig niya ang paghampas ng kaniyang ulo sa kaniyang wind shield. Bam! Bam! Bam! Crash!

Matapos mabasag ng wind shield, ibinato siya ng lalaki sa sahig at tinutukan ng baril. He seemed to be shouting something, but the video was not able to capture the sound.

Thank God, the security guards came before he could fire his gun.

Armaign looked away from the video. Tama na! Hindi na niya kayang makita pa. Mabuti na lang at nahalata ni Diana ang nararamdaman ni Armaign. Itinago na nito ang cellphone.

"Armaign, I'm sorry. Huwag ka nang umiyak. Hindi ko na dapat pa ipinakita sa 'yo ang video," nag-aalalang tugon ni Diana.

Humapdi ang gasgas sa mga pisngi ni Armaign nang tumulo ang kaniyang mga luha.

Armaign was attacked! May gustong pumatay sa kaniya!

"That guy was hired by the accused to kill you," Sarah explained.

"Sino ang akusado?" Normal ang mga ganitong uri ng pagbabanta kapag makapangyarihan ang kalaban. Armaign was scared they would come after her again. From what she heard, she was representing the family of the seven victims who were killed by the accused.

"Si Howl Rodriguez ang accused. Akala ng lahat ay isang lang siyang simpleng business magnate. Front lang ang insurance company ni Howl para sa kaniyang drug business. Ang dati niyang driver na si Joshua Sanchez ay nagkalap ng mga ebidensiya tungkol sa drug activities ni Howl. Isang ledger ang ebidensiya ni Joshua.

"Pinapatay ni Howl si Joshua at ang anim nilang mga anak. Ang asawa lang ni Joshua na si Margaret ang nabuhay. Si Margaret ang kliyente mo, Armaign. Hindi tayo makalusot sa preliminary investigation because we don't have enough proof to streghthen Margaret's claim that Howl murdered her family.

"No one knows kung nasaan ang ledger ni Joshua. But if we found it, we could prove that Howl has strong motive for murdering the Sanchezes, and that he's a drug lord.

"Bago ka atakihin, sinabi mo sa akin na nakita mo na ang ledger na ginawa ni Joshua. Pupuntahan mo sana ako sa office natin para ipakita ang ledger pero inatake ka sa parking lot ng law firm." Sarah leaned in closer and whispered. "Howl is after your life. He wants Joshua's ledger."

Armaign gulped. Sarah was implying something, and she understood it very well. Anong gagawin ni Armaign? Nawawala ang ledger kasama ang pitong taong memorya niya.