The Witness

Chapter 10 - Apostles

Except she didn't.

After the funeral, Rosa sat on the floor of her bedroom and scrambled through the contents of her school bag. Out came her science, math, and Filipino books, as well as her required copy of El Filibusterismo. Out came her notebooks and her diary. There were also some loose files, like her failed math tests and English class essays with their line of 9's. Rosa then checked the pocket of her bag and turned it inside-out. Nothing but her coin purse, a sanitary pad, and a few candy wrappers. No keys. She groaned.

Another false memory, she concluded, wanting to punch herself in the face.

She had no choice now but to record it. She opened her diary and started to write--about the keys, about the things that added up, about what she wasn't sure if she really remembered.

Then she made a list of what she could do:

1) Tip the police anonymously.

OUT OF THE QUESTION. They already know.

2) Seek help from the parish.

RISKY. Most likely they've been threatened too.

3) Contact Joaquin's lawyer.

He doesn't pick up.

4) Spy on Sherwin.

HOW???

Rosa paused. As implausible, impossible as the last option sounded, it was perhaps her only choice.

Where on earth do I start? Rosa thought for the millionth time. She tried to think. Knowledge was power, quite obviously. She could go from there.

So she listed down what she knew about Sherwin Martinez.

class president

honor student

basketball team member

eldest son of the police chief

Sylvia's murderer

friend to someone named Tim

Sherwin wasn't the type to outwardly bully kids. No, he was far more manipulative. He'd wait for them to mess up in some way before making them suffer, and he'd let the whole campus feel that it was deserved. Like when Lucas Angono topped the class instead of Sherwin. Sherwin created a rumor that Lucas had copied test answers from him, a rumor nobody believed in but nobody refuted either. Lucas was beaten up so badly by the other kids that he left the school mid-semester last year.

As much as possible, Rosa avoided Sherwin Martinez. She avoided everyone, period. Yet that did not stop the bullying.

It was risky for Rosa to then try to befriend Sherwin, but it had to be done. Tomorrow, she would somehow have to gain enough courage to ask him to help her out in math. Then hopefully, somewhere along the way, she'd get enough clues to be able to turn him in.

That night, Rosa had another dream. She was in St. Martin de Porres Parish again, except that it was dark, unnaturally dark, and the only thing that gave off light was a burning cross in the distance. Rosa walked down the aisle, between the pews, heading towards it. Somebody was whispering, "Rosalind...Rosalind..."

When she reached the end of the aisle, the burning cross was gone. Standing on the top step of the well-lit altar was her father, clad in white. He opened his arms and embraced her.

When she woke up, she was crying.

***

The next day, Rosa realized the sheer impossibility of her plan. There was no way someone as popular as Sherwin would even bother with her. Rosa was shoved against walls, jabbed on her sides, spat on, and teased by the other students, some of whom she didn't even know. Whenever Sherwin was in sight, he laughed like everybody else. It began to feel like everybody was dealing with the injustice of Sylvia's death by taking it all out on Rosa.

Chemistry class was no better. Rosa took her place at the same lab desk with Maddie and Tina, who sneered at her. They were the type who would do most of the work, leaving Rosa with the most tedious task of filling up lab reports. Then they'd grade her with a measly 80 or 82 in the group evaluation. Rosa, as usual, found it difficult to protest.

Maddie and Tina chatted together the whole time, with Rosa worriedly eyeing the flasks, hoping they wouldn't break and the chemicals wouldn't spill out. "So yeah," Maddie was saying. "That was the last time I heard Sylvia's voice."

Tina gasped. "Who could it be?" she wondered aloud. "It's not like Sylvia to call you up in the middle of the night."

"I was thinking about telling the police, but then they caught the altar boy. It couldn't have been Sherwin."

Rosa's pen slipped from her hand, clanging on the flask before landing near the edge of the table.

"Watch it, Rosa!" groaned Tina, annoyed. "Anyway, Mads, you were saying?"

"I worry about Sherwin sometimes," said Maddie. "Of course, he'd be upset that Sylvia turned him down. It's just sad that his last memory of her wasn't a happy one."

A motive, Rosa thought. Finally, a motive!

She was surprised by what she did next.

"Sylvia rejected Sherwin?" she asked out loud.

Maddie glared at Rosa. "Shush! Your voice is so loud!"

"You're not even part of this conversation," added Tina.

"Sorry," said Rosa. "But when Sylvia--did Sherwin--?"

"Keep quiet, you weirdo. Again, you are not part of this conversation! Write the damn reports!"

"Hold on," Rosa snapped back, surprising herself for a second time. "I am part of this conversation. I can hear everything you say. And besides, unlike you two, unlike everybody else here, Sylvia actually gave a shit about me! I have every right to give a shit about her too."

Maddie and Tina were stunned into silence.

Bingo, Rosa thought. She had to play this right.

"I need your help," she said.

"Just shut up and write, Rosa," said Maddie.

"I won't. Not yet. Listen to me first." Rosa took a deep breath. What an unexpected turn of events! If she played her cards right...

"What I'm going to say is unbelievable, and I'm literally risking my life in the process," Rosa whispered. The two other girls were still sneering, but their attention was caught. "I was at the church bell tower that night."

"What?" exclaimed Tina.

"This isn't funny," said Maddie.

"Ask my mom. Ask my brother Miguel. I wasn't home at that time. I ran away." Rosa took another deep breath. "I saw everything."

"You really are a weirdo. Don't even dare to make another joke about this," Maddie said, glaring at her.

Rosa glared back at her. "I saw Sherwin."

"Ignore her, Mads," Tina pretended to focus on the experiment.

Rosa took a third deep breath. This was her last weapon. If it didn't work, she was dead for sure. And unlike Sylvia's case, no one would mourn for Rosa.

It was her last shot, and she fired it.

"Do you know someone named Tim?" Rosa asked.

Maddie and Tina gasped, their faces turning ghostly pale.

"Rosa, how--" Maddie started.

"Rosa, what--" Tina said at the same time.

Rosa leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Lunch time. Girls' room. I'll tell you everything."

As if to signal a new stage, the lunch bell rang.