Assassin at Greenbelt 4

Sibling Rivalry II: Moot Court

Little did I know that I was about to stand trial as one of the principal witnesses against Nina.

Fast forward to mid-November. The skies are turbulent. One day it rains hard, on the other, fierce sunlight pierces the blue sky. Temperatures can swing wildly here. But wild swings in temperatures mean that it can go as "cold" as 20°C to as hot as 32°C. Nevertheless, I went about my life as usual.

I had to appear in the Metropolitan Trial Court at exactly 9:00 AM, third Saturday of November.

Judgment Day comes for Nina as I prepared myself for her trial. However, Anna asked me to see her at around 8:00 AM on that third Saturday of November.

Anna messaged me via Messenger, "Godwyn, come and see me at 7:00 AM at a lounge in Makati City Hall."

I asked her by messaging back, "Why?"

A few minutes later, Anna told me that together with the prosecutor, we will have a last-minute briefing on the case.

Come the third Saturday of November, I went to Makati City Hall, arriving at 6:30 AM.

Two hours and thirty minutes before the case against Nina gets heard. Then I received a text message from Anna.

Anna texted me, "Hello, young man! So, where are you?"

I texted her back, "Anna, I am now at the Makati City Hall, at the front entrance of it."

Then Anna confirmed that she will meet me from where I was. By the time we met, she invited me to have breakfast together with the City Prosecutor, Atty. Raymund Tan. Arriving about two hours earlier than scheduled means that I have more time to iron out the details of the case so I can prepare to stand trial as a witness.

At around 6:55 AM, the woman wearing a scarlet, knee-length dress arrived by means of a Grab Premium car. As I saw that woman in her peculiar attire, I mumbled in relief, "Anna!"

I asked, "Anna, how have you arrived here?"

Quickly, she replied, "I booked a Grab from my condominium unit all the way here to the City Hall," then she told me, "Anyway, we need to meet Attorney Raymund any minute now since we will go on a breakfast meeting."

And then we waited for Attorney Tan...

By 7:15 AM, we saw another car arrive at the front entrance of Makati City Hall. I was unable to figure out who was driving this car, but the moment I heard his voice, I could not figure out who he was until...

An inviting voice said, "Tara, kain tayo sa Chowking!"

Anna and I heard that invitation; then Anna told me, "Attorney Raymund's there!"

We waited for Attorney Tan as he parked his car somewhere in the parking space allotted for the City Prosecutor. After about 10 minutes of waiting, he had a paper bag which contained our breakfast that he ordered from Chowking. The moment he saw Anna and I, he invited me to the Office of the City Prosecutor so we can discuss the finer detail as to how the case will play out in court.

As soon as the crisply-dressed Attorney Tan asked us to go to his office, he invited us to eat breakfast. "Kain na! Breakfast meeting tayo on how to deal with the upcoming case."

Being hungry as I could be, I reached for the paper bag containing the take-out meals he ordered from Chowking, for all of us. Then after taking the Styrofoam meal box containing the fish lauriat, I gave Attorney Tan the paper bag. Then Attorney Tan and Anna got their meals too and so, we started eating off the Chowking take-out boxes.

Attorney Tan began, "So, this might be a very sticky case for you, Godwyn."

I was not able to figure out what he meant by what he said. Anna rephrased it for me. "Godwyn, this means that if one fact was not proven on the side of Nina's guilt, then this means she gets to run away free."