ON GOING: SURGERY [ COMPLETED ]

chapter seventeen

V a  u  g h a n

"Why do you look way worse than when I left you earlier? Ano ba nangyayare Israel?" Alala kong tanong sakanya as soon as she stepoed in my car. Pero hindi nya manlang ako tinapunan ng tingin at pumikit kaagad matapos umupo sa kotse. Napabubtong hininga nalang ako.

It seems like she's still not ready to open up to me.

"Wag ka na tumuloy. You can't go on investigating like this." Instinctively I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, that made her look my way, wide eyes, she looked at me and my hand on hers. Napangisi ako sa reaksyon nya. Is this the first time she ever had a man hold her hand? Mukha syang hindi makapaniwala sa ginawa ko.

"D-Don't underestimate me. My mind can function well even if I'm feeling sad--"

"No. Studies showed and proved that human emotion will affect the body's punctuality, the mobility, thinking, and the judgement. You can't go there--"

"You'll be there for me, Kyle. I'm not worried if I might do or if something bad happens, I know you'll be there for me. We're here for each other. Promise?"

"Promise."

Nasa harap namin ngayon ang katawan ng Madre. Kinakausap na nila Chief Montenegro ang iba pang tao sa orphanage na kilala ang madre at nag hahanap nadin sila ng impormasyon tungkol kay Loren sa ampunan na 'yon.

"What are the results?" Tanong ni Israel habang pinagmamasdan ng maigi ang babaeng nakahiga ngayon sa bakal na higaan sa harapan namin. Pinagmasdan ko sya ng matagal, mukhang sumasakit ang ulo ni Isra kanina pa nakakunot ang noo nya.

"Like I conclude yesterday. She died because of the compression of the juggular vein and arteries that led to insufficient air supply, the blood loss also contributed to the death. She seems to be tortured too, there are bruises on her stomach, mukhang hinampas ng isang matigas na bagay base sa form ng bruise. Also--" naputol ako sa pag sasalita ng biglang sinabi ni Israel ang dapat kong sasabihin.

"There's a X mark, am I correct?" Tumango tango ako at binuklat ang telang puti na nakatakip sa katawan ng babae. I pointed the mark where it is located, nasa puso.

"P-Pero if this is the same killer, bakit walang tarak ng kutsilyo? It was the suspect's trademark--"

"I told you, you are not yet ready to investigate at this state Israel. Look at you, your mind is closed to possibilities."  Nangunot ang noo ni Israel saakin.

"The suspect... is not just a suspect. It's supposed to be suspects. They are a bunch of psychopaths. They may have different killing styles, but the same mark, X. I've disscused it with your father last night, they branded the suspects as 'X'." Kahapon din ay naghanap sila ng posibleng mga ebidensya sa paligid, luckily meron silang nakitang kutsilyo at a garbage bin a block away. Buti nalang talaga at pulido kumilos ang mga tauhan ng pulis nila.

"You said they found a knife, is it the knife used to kill?" Tumango ako.

"Pero walang finger prints." Ilang saglit pa ay pinag usapan namin ang iba pang detalye ukol sa madre hanggang sa bigla nalang hiningi saamin ang kutsilyo. Agad naman yon kinuha ng isa sa mga kasama naming detective.

"It's weird. I feel like this nun is someone I know. Pero hindi ko malaman kung saan ko sya nakita o nakikala." Well there can be instances na akala mo kakilala mo ang isang tao pero hindi naman talaga; sometimes the mind fools us.

Hinila ko na ang kamay nya matapos namin madiscuss ang mga bagay bagay tungkol doon. Tinignan ko na ang oras sa aking hand watch tsaka ako napatango tango ng makitang lunch time na din naman.

Nag tungo ako sa kotse ko atsaka pinag buksan sya ng pintuan. Agad akong tumungo sa kabilang side ng kotse atsaka pumunta sa driver's seat.

"Where shall we eat?" Tanong ko sakanya bago i-start ng engine. Saglit syang hindi sumagot, malamang nag iisip ng gustong kainin.

"I'm craving home cooking." Napangiwi ako don. Hindi ako marunong mag luto.

"Pano ba yan? Hindi ako marunong mag luto e. My friend is the only cook I know but he's on call right now sa hospital. Sorry" Umiling sya at ngumiti.

"Let's go to the supermarket then?" Nangunot ang noo ko ng sinabi nya yon. What is she planning?

"We should be eating Israel."

"Yes we should. So start the engine now and drive, Kyle."  Napakamot nalang ako sa ulo ko at inistart ang engine.

Kaya pala pumunta kame dito. She wanted to cook. So 'yon. Ngayon nasa loob kame ng apartment namin ni Warren, sh's infront of the stove while I watch her. She's pretty skilled in handling a knife I must give her that. Isa syang pulis pero marunong mag luto, hindi naman na bago yon sa isang babae pero, it's really amazing to watch her use her hands on the kitchen.

"Do you want to know what I'm sulking about last night?" She said out of the blue. Napatingala ako sakanyang mukha na ngayon ay nakatingin din ng deretso sa nga mata ko. Nangunot ang noo ko, she's fucking chopping vegetables tapos nakatingin sya saakin! That is so unsafe!

"Eyes on the fucking chopping board Israel!" Kabado na sabi ko. And I just earned a handful of laughter from her.

"Oh? Do you want to know or what?" Unconsciously napairap ako sakanya. Pero tumango din naman ako sakanya. After that she momentarily made me face back para mahugasan nya ang kamay nya.

She put the ingredients in the pot with a certain time interval and closed the lead. Tsaka nya ako hinarap.

"Last night. Hindi ko nasabi sayo ng tuluyan ang bumabagabag saakin tungkol sa kapatid ko. Well the thing is, I searched Ullyses' house and found files about the clinic, that's where I found out that Ullysses and Loren where both from the same orphanage at ang inattendan natin na Charity Ball iyon yung orphanage na yon, and also... I found out the connection between my brother, the killings and Loren." She momentarily stopped talking. I nod at her encouraging her to say more.

"You see... my brother. Meron pala syang problema sa kanya. He had ADHD. And I did not know about that. Even if I was his sister. Well the shocking thing is... meron pa pala akong isang bagay na hindi alam." I waited. And waited for her tears to come pero hindi dumating, she just stared blindly at nowhere, void of emotion.

"I am not her sister. We are not related."