His Mom Was What?

[Calithea Sophronia]

My eyes were still close, pero alam kong nasa hospital na naman ako dahil sa pamilyar na amoy ng lugar. The faint beeping of machines filled the air, as did the distant voices of the nurses in the corner. I was hesitant to open my eyes, pero nang maalala ang nangyari ay kaagad akong napamulat.

Nasa hospital nga ako. I felt a wave of confusion as to how I ended up here instead of being locked up and tied. Ang huling naalala ko ay ang isang putok ng baril pati na ang natatarantang boses ni Wave.

Speaking of Wave. Nasaan kaya siya ngayon? Nahuli ba siya? Did anyone arrive and save us? Si Voughn. Is he okay? Anong nangyari pagkatapos kong mawalan ng malay?

Sinubukan kong bumangon at tumayo. Kaya ko naman. I was about to pull myself up using the bed railings when, suddenly, Chelsy entered the room with the doctor who had once treated me. When they saw me attempting to get up, they immediately rushed to me.

“OMG Ling! Huwag ka munang tumayo,” sigaw sa akin ni Chelsy. “Kailangan mo munang magpahinga at magpalakas.”

Without much strength to argue, I obediently obeyed her. The doctor then joined in, “Tama siya. Kailangan ka muna naming i-examine ulit. It will only take a few minutes, and if makita naming kaya mo na at okay ka na, we will let you be discharged.”

Wala na akong nagawa kun’di sumunod sa gusto nila. Paano ba naman kasi? Chelsy's turning into a dragon, ready to eat me whole. Knowing her, I know she was just worried about me.

“Dars, nandito rin ba si Voughn sa hospital? He was there with me. How about the others?” tanong ko kay Chelsy na pinapanood ang ginagawa ng doktor. Instead of answering me, she just heaved a sigh and shook her head, which I find confusing. What happened?

‘It...it wasn't me! I didn't kill him! ’

Wait—

“DID SOMEONE DIE?!” I exclaimed.

Wave’s frantic voice echoed through my memories. And it seems like someone has died based on Chelsy’s reaction and silence. But who was it? Was it the chairman? Did Wave successfully pull the trigger and eventually kill him?

Si Voughn. I need to be by his side. Sigurado akong nalulungkot at nasasaktan siya ngayon dahil’yong family niya ay nagkakagulo. But I also had my own problem to face. Hindi pa namin nalutas ang kasong kinakaharap namin.

Should I go to him and console him even though I was on the verge of breaking down myself?

May magagawa ba ako para pagaanin ang loob niya, kahit may mabigat din akong dinadala? I don't know anymore. I don't know what to do.

“Doc, I’m okay now. I need to go and visit someone.” But I know he needs me more than I need him. Kailangan ko siyang damayan muna ngayon.

“No problem. You can be discharged now that we don't see anything wrong with you. But I advised you not to overextend yourself. Always look after your health, okay?”

“Yes, doc!”

Pagkalabas ng doktor ay hinarap ko si Chelsy. She’s putting my things back in the bag she brought a while ago. Nang matapos siya ay kaagad ko siyang tinanong. “Where is he?”

The loud thump of my heart resonates with the anxiousness I'm feeling right now as Chelsy and I rush through the hospital corridors. She told me that Voughn and others were in this hospital’s funeral chapel. It was his father who died from that gunshot. I’m worried about him.

When we arrived at the entrance, the ambiance was quite gloomy, and the air felt heavy. Marami-rami na ring mga tao ang nasa loob para magbigay-galang at mag-alay ng dasal para sa yumao. Lahat ay nakaitim maliban sa akin kung kaya bago pumasok ay kaagad akong nagbihis. Mabuti na lang at may dalang damit si Chelsy.

“Steven, where’s Voughn?” Pagkapasok ko sa loob ay wala akong nakitang ni anino niya. I'm wondering where he went. Baka kung ano na ang nangyari sa kaniya.

“He’s at their house, collecting the chairman’s things,” sagot niya, may bahid ng lungkot sa kaniyang boses. Saka ko naalalang hindi nga pala kabilang si Steven sa ginawang pang-hostage sa amin ni Wave.

“Steven, ano ba ang nangyari? You were not there with us when Wave committed his crime. Hindi ba naro’n ka naman no’ng natapos ang event?” I interrogated him. It was a bit suspicious considering that he suddenly vanished when the blackout happened. I want to know where he went or what he was doing at that time.

Before answering my question, he gently pulled me out of the crowd. Nakarating kami sa labas ng funeral hall at saka niya ako sinagot.

“My father—I mean, the president—”

“WAIT! What do you mean by your father?" I cut him off, with my eyes wide open in shock. Did he just mean to say his father was the president?

“Well...”

“The president is your father.” That wasn't a question, but rather a statement. A fact. The truth. Why did he hide it from me, knowing that we both suspected the president of plotting something?

Siguradong nasaktan siya noong nalaman niya ang totoong katauhan ng ama niya. Kaya pala no’ng una ay pilit niyang sinasabi sa akin na baka mali ako ng hinala. Kaya pala mas nagulat siya noong nasa CCTV room kami. I felt bad for him somehow.

“Well, yeah. I’m sorry for not telling you. Honestly, I don't know how to tell you. My father wasn't the person I used to trust anymore, and I want to know everything about his evil deeds. He’s my father, but it doesn't change the fact that he planned to hurt Voughn.”

Wait. My mind’s been tangled with everything that’s going on in our lives. I don't know how to process everything. Parang ang dami-daming rebelasyon na naganap sa buhay ko.

I've found out that my known mother wasn't my real mother. The identity I used at first was my twin’s. I was stolen as a baby 23 years ago. My known dad died in an accident. It was then revealed that it was a staged accident. The driver who plowed into their car was instructed by that guy from the hospital, who even wanted to harm us, the twins. In addition, Voughn’s mother died in an accident too, which caused my twin’s aftereffects and led to her death. Wave was known as adopted, which was later revealed to be the biological son of the chairman. Also, the second wife of the chairman was his biological mother.

And now, Steven happens to be the president’s son, which I didn't expect. What else is there to know? Baka sa susunod ay hindi na ako magugulat pa sa anumang mangyari at malaman.

“And I’m sorry about Sheena.”

Huh?

Wait—

“Don’t tell me—”

“Yeah, she’s my sister.”

Nang marinig iyon ay napaupo na lamang ako sa bakanteng upuan. Ano pa? May iba pa ba akong dapat malaman? Kulang pa ba lahat ng mga rebelasyong ’to?

“So, what happened?” I asked, trying to bring back the topic of his absence during that intense moment. Bago ako sagutin ay tumabi siya sa akin sa pag-upo.

“I think my father already knew beforehand about the surprise party; I’ve overheard him instructing someone to be prepared on his birthday. On that day, I was watching all the people who attended the party, trying to identify his aide. I found someone acting suspicious, and so I followed him. Then, the blackout happened, and someone knocked me out.”

“Really? Then, why weren’t you there with us in that room? We were also knocked out during the blackout.”

“I don’t think Wave’s plans have anything to do with my father. That person who knocked me out was probably one of my dad’s men. He must have recognized me, so he brought me back home.”

So, nakauwi na siya. Kaya pala wala siya roon. Akala ko pa naman ay kasabwat siya ni Wave, knowing na isa siya sa nagplano no'ng surprise party. I wonder how the president knew about it.

“When I woke up, I knew there was something wrong, considering that someone dared to put me unconscious. So, I called the police, and that's how we found all of you. But it was too late; Voughn’s father was already dead.”

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako nang marinig ang kwento niya. Hindi ko alam kung kailan matatapos ang lahat ng ito. Masyado na kaming nabibigatan sa mga nangyari.

“How about Wave? Did the police lock him up?” I asked. I couldn't stop myself from feeling sad for him. He just wanted to have someone by his side, just like his stepmother, who loved him dearly. Pero kahit ang nag-iisang taong iyon ay kinuha pa sa kaniya.

He must have lots of resentments towards the people who betrayed him, which resorted to him committing a crime.

“He’s still a detainee. The police have discovered that the bullet that claimed the chairman's life wasn’t from his gun.”

Nang marinig iyon ay kahit papaano’y nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Ayokong mahatulan ang isang tao dahil sa kasalanan na hindi naman siya ang tunay na may gawa. Yes, what he did wasn’t right, but we should catch the person who really killed the chairman. In that way, Wave’s kind of revenge wouldn't be in vain.

“Mr. Johansenn, wala pa ba si Vice President? Marami na pong naghahanap sa kaniya.” Kapwa kami napalingon ni Steven sa kalalabas na babae. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay ito ang Chief Operations Officer ng company nila. Ito na rin ang nangungunang umaasikaso sa mga bisita.

“Ako na ang susundo sa kaniya. Salamat,” sagot ni Steven sa kaniya.

“Steven, ako na. Kilala naman na ako ng housemaids nila e’. They will surely let me in,” I offered. Hindi na rin siya umalma pa at hinayaan na lamang ako sa gusto ko. Nagpaalam na rin ako kay Chelsy para hindi na siya maghanap pa sa akin.

When I arrived at Voughn’s residence, the housemaids welcomed me.

“Si Voughn po?” I asked.

“Nasa kwarto siya ng chairman. Kanina pa siya roon. Hindi ko naman mapuntahan dahil naiintindihan kong gusto niyang mapag-isa. Puntahan mo na lang siya roon sa itaas.” Tumango lang ako at wala nang sinayang na oras.

Pagkarating ko sa itaas, nakita kong bukas ang isang pintuan. This room has the biggest door out of all the rooms, kaya naisip kong baka ito na ang kwarto ng chairman. And I was right.

Pero habang papalapit ako sa kwartong iyon ay rinig na rinig ko na ang malakas na pag-iyak ni Voughn. Sobrang sakit para sa akin na nasasaktan siya. I hesitated for a moment. Hindi ako sigurado kung dapat pa ba akong pumasok. But he probably wanted someone to cry with, right? I should lend him my shoulder. Sa paraang iyon man lang ay maramdaman niyang may kasama siya. Na hindi siya nag-iisa.

I stepped closer, but what I saw inside caused my tears to fall. Voughn was hugging something while crying, and it was their family picture.

“Voughn,” I called him. When he turned to me, his tears were like a river, continuously flowing down his face. My heart twinged upon seeing him being vulnerable.

I rushed to him, giving him an embrace. Gusto kong pagaanin ang loob niya, pero hindi ko alam kung sapat na ba ang presensya ko upang mabawasan ang dinadala niyang sakit. I wanted him to find solace in me and know that I would always be by his side, even if the world turned upside down.

“My mom...my mom was killed!” he cried out in between his sobs. It was like a bang in my ear as the words penetrated my whole being.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked him, pulling myself away from him. He was still crying; his eyes were set off by the papers and pictures scattered on the table. Doon ko napansin ang iba't-ibang litrato ng mga sasakyan, mga cutout newspaper, at mga hindi ko kilalang tao.

What’s all this? Has the chairman been investigating the case by himself? May alam ba siyang hindi alam ng iba?

“Voughn.”

“Someone has killed my mom. Please help me find the culprit,” he pleaded. I don't know what to say, but I found myself nodding, granting him a favor.

I will do my best to help him. Together, I know this too shall pass.