The Witness

Chapter 17 - Pilgrimage

"We're being watched," Steven repeated, "but we have to give off the message that they're not bothering us. That we're not threatened. That we'll still push through." He looked at Mely, and then at Rosa. "Because we will."

Rosa gulped and nodded. She was actually terrified. But then she remembered the look on Joaquin's face when he had tried to help Sylvia and instead was arrested. She couldn't fail him. Not again.

Mely put her arm around Rosa's shoulders. "The calls didn't stop us," she said gently. "Neither will this. Let's go inside, iha."

Ella was watching an animated princess movie while Rico, looking patient but bored, watched over her. At the dining table, Ingrid and Sean were working on a puzzle together. All four children ran to hug their parents when they entered. Rosa, as usual, had to remind herself that she was already part of their family, that she was living this new life that seemed to be too good, too hopeful to be true.

Because it was, and nothing was said about the knife in the mail.

The family went out on Sunday. After church, they ate in a small restaurant in Chinatown known for its special fried rice. Then they went to the park. Rico and Ingrid found a spot to play badminton while Sean and Ella immediately headed to the bike rental. While they biked around the park, their parents sat on a mat under the shade of a tree and ate hotdogs on sticks. On a bench and table nearby, Rosa sat writing on her new diary between sips of mango shake. It was nice to forget all about Joaquin's case for once.

Then Monday came. Steven told Rosa that she was returning to school.

"How?" was the first thing she asked.

"We'll give you a list of options," reassured Steven. "Don't worry, Rosa. We'll just talk to your teachers and the principal in order to make the necessary rearrangements. They'll understand. The important thing is you don't have to face your mother or uncle or Sherwin Martinez for the time being."

Rosa nodded. She understood. And there was another thing she looked forward to--seeing her brother Miguel, whom she missed. Who by now understood what was really going on. She needed to talk to him and let him know that she was okay. Safer than ever, to tell the truth.

And she wanted her little brother to meet Steven too. To let him know that there were better father figures and men to look up to than their uncle.

After dropping off the kids in school, Steven and Rosa drove to Manila. The talk with the school administration did not take long. They gave out enrollment forms, transcripts, and report cards of previous semesters and years. They all seemed to believe Steven easily when he told them that Rosa was having problems at home and might be adopted soon.

"She's smiling," the principal remarked. "I don't recall ever seeing Rosa smile in her four years here. Good luck to the both of you."

The bell of the first break started to ring shortly after Steven and Rosa left the principal's office. They had a simple lunch in a nearby carinderia outside. When they returned, it was still the students' lunch break. Rosa easily found Maddie and Tina in their usual table.

They hugged her. "We were so worried!" exclaimed Tina. "The first day you were absent we thought, well, you know."

"We asked your brother. He wouldn't say anything, except that you told him you were safe," added Maddie. "And honestly, Rosa? You're blooming. You look happier than ever."

"I do?"

"You aren't so scrunched up, either. I don't know what it is...but the way you walk now, and carry yourself? There's something that wasn't there before. And you're smiling! I take it that there are steps forward to the case?" Maddie crossed her fingers.

"You have no idea," chuckled Rosa. "I'm not supposed to tell you much, but yes, we have hope. We really do."

They exchanged numbers, just in case. Rosa also made them promise to tell her if they discovered more information on Tim Lauzon. The bell rang not long after, and the students returned.

"Let's go to Miguel's next," Rosa decided.

There was no other choice but to knock on the Grade 5 classroom door on the fourth floor of the adjacent elementary school building. The students were in the middle of a math quiz, but thank goodness the teacher understood. He excused Miguel. The boy's face lit up when he saw his big sister, and he ran to hug her.

Rosa chuckled and embraced him tightly. They were never affectionate to each other, she and her brother. Not even when they were small children. Maybe it was the six-year age gap, or that it felt like they had two different fathers, since Miguel had no memory of his and was practically raised by Rosa's abuser. Either way, they had never hugged each other as tightly as they did now.

"I'm so sorry, Ate." Miguel had tears in his eyes. "I understand you. I believe you."

I believe you. What beautiful words, Rosa thought.

"I want to put Tito Geoff in jail," Miguel went on. "No, actually I don't. I want to kill him."

"Miguel! Don't say that!" Deep inside, though, Rosa felt the same.

"If he dies, his secrets will die with him," Steven said gently. Miguel looked up at him, his eyebrows raised.

"Meet Tito Steven," Rosa said. "He's the altar boy's lawyer. I'm staying with him and his family. They're great people."

"Nice to meet you, er, Attorney," said Miguel, and they shook hands. "I hope I didn't sound too morbid. I'm just angry. Anyway, I do hope he gets sent to jail too, but I don't know where to start." He paused. He looked at Rosa. "I found the keys, though."

"The what?"

"What keys?" asked Steven.

"They were in your jacket, dummy," Miguel said, and Rosa wanted to smile, because she missed her brother's teasing. Instead, she was stunned. "Since you left, I'm the one forced by Mom to do the laundry," Miguel went on. "Anyway, I found a ring of keys in the pocket of your black jacket, so of course I wondered if that's the same keys you wrote about in your diary." Miguel reached into his own pocket and handed the keys to his sister.

Rosa stared at it for the longest time. Literal proof that Joaquin was innocent, that her mind didn't play tricks on her that night.

Steven seemed to be reading her thoughts. "Keep it in your pocket, Rosa," he said. "We're going to need it soon." He nodded at Miguel. "Thank you, iho. You have no idea how helpful this is."

After she reassured her brother, once again, that she would be alright, the siblings parted ways. Rosa and Steven returned to the car. For about half an hour, she watched everything whir past from the car window. Her eyes were blurred with tears.

At a red light, Steven gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

Rosa shook her head. "I feel guilty," she said.

"Of what?" Steven frowned. "There's nothing to feel guilty for, iha. What's wrong?"

She looked at him. "The same thing," she replied. "That night at the bell tower?" Her voice began to tremble. "I just watched, Tito Steven! I didn't help Sylvia. I didn't help Joaquin. I just stood there and watched! I was just a witness. A witness!" She burst into tears.

Her foster father was still frowning. "There's a small park nearby," he said. "Come. Let's take a walk and get some fresh air. You'll need it."