Chronicles Revealed

Chapter 16: Corroboration

We overtook the bus at Bogo City where it made a stopover at the city's bus terminal. We just passed it and drove on to Hagnaya. At the Hagnaya wharf, I parked at the pay parking area, went to the ticketing booth to buy three tickets, went inside the lounging area with Mama, and waited for the bus to drive in. Twenty minutes after, the bus arrived. We saw Isabel and her son get off. We recognized them at once from the pictures Mayong gave us. Rowell followed them get off the bus and he walked straight to us. I have texted him where we were. Isabel and her son proceeded to the eatery to buy food items, bought boat tickets for them afterwards and, soon, were in the lounging area with us. Rowell engaged Isabel in a conversation and acted oblivious of our presence.

I have many relatives in Santa Fe but I don't really know any one of them. My grandfather on my mother's side was born and raised in Santa Fe. He was a Mathematics and English teacher in the public high school of the town and was later on promoted as Principal of another high school in a southern town of Cebu province. Mama was very proud of my grandfather. She said he was very bright. Her elder brother got his mathematical mind from their father while she got from him her proficiency in English and intelligence. Mama spoke and wrote very good English. She was the brightest of the siblings. Foolishly or not I thought this piece of my personal history will work favorably for us with Isabel. The recollection could be useful in the course of conversation.

Mama texted Eugene about our arrival. He stayed with us for many years until he graduated from college. He was like a son to us and our sons were like brothers to him. He married a good- looking woman from Santa Fe. He and his family have since lived here. They now have a boy and a girl. Eugene operated a passenger multi-cab plying the Santa Fe-Bantayan route. When in Santa Fe, he normally stationed himself at the wharf waiting for passengers from boats arriving from Hagnaya.  As we expected, Mama received a very enthusiastic reply from Eugene.  Eugene was very sad and angry when he learned about what happened to our eldest. He could not believe and wept uncontrollably when Mama informed him over the phone that his brother was gone. He had protected him in many ways.  He felt very bad that in the most critical moment of our son's life he would be unable to protect him at all.

It was beyond us, Mama had appeased Eugene.  He continued to grieve and was visibly still grieving for his lost brother when we met again in Santa Fe,

We arrived at the Santa Fe wharf two hours after. The sea was a little choppy and I felt a bit seasick. We saw Eugene at the exit gate, waving and smiling at us. We had a group hug. Eugene and Rowell were contemporaries in Mamalo's school and they were very close friends like the other members of the group. As we group-hugged and shook hands and reminisced, Isabel passed by with her son. They were met by a man I presumed was her husband. He had a tricycle and Isabel and her son rode in it.

Eugene, do you know that woman in a red blouse and maong pants who just rode a tricycle, I asked

I know the woman and the husband very well. Papa. We are friends. He drives a passenger tricycle while I drive my public utility multicab. That's the one they rode. They are new in Santa Fe. I think he is renting the tricycle. They live just nearby. Santa Fe is a small place and everything is walking distance! Why Papa, Eugene asked in return.

Let's go to the cafeteria Smoks so we can talk better, Mama said. At the cafeteria, we got a table for ourselves and Mama proceeded to explain everything to Eugene and narrated to him what happened that day. Smoks, as she fondly called him, we really must talk to Isabel.

No problem, Mama. I'll accompany you to their house and introduce you to them. When do you want to talk to Isabel? Eugene was more than willing to help. He felt happy that he could still be useful to his dead brother.