(FHS #5) Silverianne Villafranca only wanted one thing when she came to Filimon Heights - freedom. However, she got more than what she bargained for the moment she met the town's local rebel who comes with a crazy package.
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"Oh my Papa Jesus!" Reika gasped.
I gave her a glance and continued staring at the window. "Gising ka na pala. Good Morning."
"'Wag ka ngang tumayo diyan! Mamaya may makakita sa'yo sa labas, akalain pang multo ka!" Binato niya ako ng unan at tumama ito sa likod ng ulo ko. "Hala! Sorry! Ba't di ka umilag?!"
Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako at naupo sa paanan ng kama. "Feeling better now, Rei?"
Reika's face softened and she immediately sat up. "Oo naman. Hindi kawalan ang Sawyer na 'yon. Bahala siya sa buhay niya. Hindi ko na siya iiyakan, leche siya."
Tinapik ko ang paa niya at tumitig ulit sa bintana. "I think it's about to rain..."
Reika heaved a loud sigh and moved right next to me. Pinatong niya ang mukha sa balikat ko. "Elemento, everything alright?"
"Nope." I chuckled miserably.
"What's it about?" she asked as she faced the window and leaned her head on my shoulder.
"Haji told me something last night..." I sighed, looking up at the ceiling, trying to stop myself from crying again.
"Hindi ka ba nakatulog dahil sa sinabi niya?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah..."
"Anong sabi niya?"
I closed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.
"That years ago, Jeremiah Filimon was accused of raping a schoolmate. At that time, there was a serial rapist terrorizing the town so he automatically became the suspect for the other cases as well. It ruined his life and tarnished his family's reputation since his Grandfather was the current mayor. The situation got worse with each passing day until he had enough and asked his little brother to steal their father's gun for him. " My voice broke to a sob. "Jethro had no idea what his brother was about to do... he was just a kid when he found him dead in his room."
"Alam mo na pala..." Reika hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you... It wasn't our story to tell and the Filimons tried so hard to keep it buried."
I looked at Reika. "Alam ko na ngayon kung bakit ganoon na lang ang paniniwala ni Jethro kay Romeo... It all makes sense now."
Tumango si Reika. "Rape cases are the worst, Silver. Most of the time, it's a matter of he said she said especially when the evidence fails to suffice. People will end up taking sides, and sometimes the truth gets blurred in the process. It sucks that you and Jethro got involved."
"In Jeremiah Filimon's case... was he really guilty?" I couldn't help but ask.
"That's the thing..." Reika sighed. "Only the victim and the culprit knows what really happened. After Jeremiah died, the serial rapist got caught and the girl eventually retracted her statement against Jeremiah and pointed the serial rapist as the person who really violated her. Despite the serial rapist's denial, the girl still retracted her statement against Jeremiah Filimon, and so he died an innocent man, according to the law. But there had been conspiracies back then — maraming nagsabi na binayaran daw ng mga Filimon ang babae para bawiin ang sinabi niya kahit patay na si Jeremiah para masalba ang reputasyon nila; may mga nagsabi rin na pakana ng babae ang lahat sa simula pa lang at na-konsensya lang ito nang magpakamatay si Jeremiah. And because the two sides both went silent, the case died down along with the truth."
