GREEN LEAF

PROLOUGE

PROLOGUE

“C’mon Ate Raine..! Dali! We’re going to be late!” her little brother screeched.

“Heto na po! Nandyan na!” Halos masubsub na si Loraine sa binababaan niyang hagdan habang nagmamadaling lumabas ng bahay. Whew! another typical day. Mag iisang linggo na siya sa pinapasukan niyang university, pero hindi niya akalaing ganito pala kahirap ang college. College life really fed her up. AS IN. Kung magpa-homework ang mga professor parang wala ng bukas. Ni hindi nga niya alam why she even bother studying in college where in fact there are some successful person na nagdropout lang ng college pero lumalaklak na ngayon ng pera dahil sa sobrang yaman. Ewan ko ba,  I think I’m just wasting my time studying, if it’s not just for my parents, I won’t waste my time doodling homeworks and wasting money for expensive projects. Freshman student siya sa University of Laverdad at kumukuha ng kursong BS Information Technology. Oo, adik siya sa mga computer games at mahilig magkalikot ng mga computer despite of the gender preferences pagdating sa course niya. She’s also a working student at the University Library. Siyempre, with the help of her scholarship kaya nakakapag aral siya dito sa prestigious school na to -- “Ay, anakngpitongpungtupa?!! Ano ba naman Larry! Muntik nakong matapilok ah!”

“Eh ano ba kasing minumunimuni mo dyan Ate. Malalim pa sa bangin yang iniisip mo ah. Saka can’t you walk faster? late nako for my first subject.”

“Aligaga ka namang pumasok e no?!  If I know, dadaanan mo lang si gf nyan. Kunwari ka pang malalate dyan! Mauna kana nga!”

“Sure ka Ate? Sige I’ll go ahead na. See ya!” sabay takbo ng kumag.

“Bruhong to. Masyadong nagpapaalipin sa girlfriend!”

**Kring! Kring! (her mobile buzzed)

“Oh, Shae? What’s Up?”

“Loraine, can you come here for a minute? I think I’m gonna die. I can’t do this anymore.” Humihikbing sagot ni Shae.

“Hey what’s wrong? Wait, I’ll be there, we’ll talk about it ok?” Then she hang up. Pinasunod na rin niya ang iba nilang kaibigang sina Casey and Denise. For the first time, nag alala siya ng sobra kay Shae. Ganoon nalang ang takot na narinig niya sa boses ni Shae. She’s the most talakera and jolly type in our group. At never niyang nakitang ganoon si Shae.

“Manong. Bayad po.” Halos liparin na ni Loraine ang kalsada pagkababa niya ng tricycle. Habang naglalakad siya sa tulay, may nakasalubong siyang guy wearing black clothes. Ang lakas maka – “PUNKS not DEAD” ng suot nito. Pero in all fairness, he’s tall, lean, matangos ang ilong and have chinky black eyes. May lahi yatang bibimbap, este Korean pala. She thinks the guy is on his 20’s, like 23 years old or something. He’s acting strange and cautious kaya medyo naweirduhan siya sa guy. Nagbaba ng tingin si Loraine nang mapansin niyang nakatingin narin ang lalaki sa kanya.

“Uhmm. weird. sayang gwapo pa naman kaso me saltik.” she said as she went to Shae’s dorm

“Tao po! Shae? Si Loraine to. Tao po?!” she waited for seconds, minutes and hours walang sumasagot. Nagsisimula na siyang kabahan hanggang sa dumating na sina Casey and Denise.

“Loraine! Tinawagan na namin sina Tito Sam, parating na raw sila Tita. Anong bang nangyari?”

****

Everything just happened so fast. Shae’s parents are crying and shouting. Ang daming tao, halos hindi magkandaugaga ang mga tanod at pulis sa paghahanap at pagsigaw ng pangalan ni Shae. Her dorm was in chaos. Sira-sira at punit na mga libro ang nagkalat sa sahig, pero ang nakapagtataka lahat ng mga mamahaling gamit ni Shae ay hindi nawala o nasira maliban sa mga nagkalat na papel sa sahig. That’s why the police didn’t see this as a robbery case.

As she skims through the crowd’s faces she saw that weird chinky guy again.

She followed the guy, not even thinking what might happen to her. Wala na siyang pakialam even her knees are shaking. There’s just something suspicious with this guy. Malakas ang kutob niya na the guy has something to do why Shae is missing. Hanggang sa umabot na sila sa maliit na eskenita. It’s so dark that she can’t even see him and…. he’s gone. Uuwi na sana siya until she saw something sparkling in the ground. A necklace with a curved leaf at the middle of the pendant. Aktong kukunin na niya ang kwintas nang mapansin niya ang nakahigang katawan sa tabi nito and what was worst is.. the guy’s arms were chopped!.  Bigla siyang nanghina sa nakita at nagsisigaw sa sobrang takot. Then someone grabs her behind the block. She started struggling and shouting pero tinakpan na ng estranghero ang bibig niya ng panyo sabay sabing “Sorry. I think you’ve got something that belongs to me.” nakangising bulong nito sabay hila sa kanya ng necklace.

Then everything went black.