Chapter 16: UNLOCK

I’m so exhausted now. It’s been an hour at kanina pa kami nakaupo rito ni Krio, facing each other. Yung coat na pinahiram niya sa’kin syempre I used it to cover my lap baka kung ano pa makita nito. We don’t even know what to do and what will happen to us. No clues anymore. I’m just staring at him, he looks calm but I can feel he’s anxious because of his sweats kahit malamig naman dito but actually he’s looking so damn fine while he’s brushing his hair with his hands and weird because the more I stared at him the more he looks like someone I forgot.

“Does your eyes already captured an aesthetically pleasing look?” tanong niya kaya medyo umiwas ako nang tingin.

“What?” I asked him. Anong pinagsasabi nito? May pagkamakapal ang mukha rin pala itong lalaki na ito.

“Am I too handsome to handle?” he asked confidently and smirked. I smiled.

“Can I slap you?” sabi ko sa kanya. He smiled back at me.

“The only person who can slap me is the woman I would want to marry.” Medyo natahimik ako sa sinabi niya.

“That woman is lucky because she can slap you at the same time unlucky because she marry you!” usal ko sa kanya. Tumawa siya.

“You’re wrong. She would. I’ll promise that to myself,” he said with his serious face.

“Don’t spill any promises from your mouth, if you’ll just swallow it back in the end,” I said to him, it’s obvious that I said it with double meaning.

“I’m not a man of words, Leyra. I’m a man of doings. Whether I say it or not,” he muttered and smiled.

Nang sabihin niya ‘yon bigla kong naalala yung parati sa’kin na sinasabi ni Klio, that he’s a man of words and it saddens me everytime I remember him.

“Those words are familiar,” I softly said to him.

“I know.” He smiled. Out of my curiosity bigla ko siyang natanong.

“How did you know?”

“Because he’s the only person you always remember. Clearly obvious,” he said and smirked. Biglang nagbago ang awra ng mukha niya maya’t maya pa bigla siyang lumapit sa’kin, umupo siya sa harapan ko.

“What are you doing?” nagtataka kong tanong.

“You look messed up,” sabi niya at inayos ang buhok ko. I hold his wrist and now he’s looking at me. We’re awkwardly looking at each other.

“Why are you here?” Bigla kong natanong sa kanya. He’s looking at his hands kaya binitawan ko na rin. Bumalik siya sa dati niyang pwesto.

“I have a patient in here,” he responded.

“Who? Me?” I asked him medyo naguluhan ako e’.

“No. I have another patient here in Las Haciendas. I just end up in this place because I saw you with another girl that’s why I followed you. I even joined this stupid game to look after you. You’re my responsibility, Leyra. I’ve promised to your Mom that I would keep an eye on you. I didn’t expect you were these hard-headed,” sermon niya sa’kin and he looks disappointed.

“I wouldn’t be alive if I weren’t these hard-headed,” pilosopo kong sagot sa kanya habang tinuturo ang scar sa ulo ko.

“It’s not funny!” nakakunot na ang noo nito.

“I can take care of myself.” Saad ko sa kanya.

“You wouldn’t be here if you can?” sagot niya sa kin.

“Okay, fine!” inis na usal ko sa kanya. Tumahimik na ako. May kinapa siya sa bulsa niya at binigay sakin.

“I forgot to give you this.” Lumapit siya at may pinasuot sa akin.

“What’s this?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“It’s a personalized watch. It’s made just for you. It’s a timer. Since you forget everything in every 15 minutes, it will help you to be aware. When you heard the first sound it means that 5 minutes left before you forget, don’t worry a message that says ‘Memory loss in 5 mins’ will pop up in that screen, so it’s not a problem for you to be confused if what is this for. So in that case you’ll need to take notes or take photos of everything you want. And when you heard the second sound it means it’s a warning that it’s 15 minutes already and you’ll forget everything. Understood?”

“Yeah, thank you for this.” I told him while looking at this amazing black watch . Tumayo siya.

“We need to get out in here,” sabi niya while looking at the surroundings of this big room finding for a way to get out. Biglang may nakakabinging tunog kaming narinig at dahil medyo nagulat ako agad-agad akong tumayo at biglang niyakap si Krio.

“Just stay with me, okay?” he said while tapping my shoulder. A cryptic voice again.

“WHERE A CLOVER IS THE QUEEN!”

“WHERE A CLOVER IS THE QUEEN!”

“WHERE A CLOVER IS THE QUEEN!”

Lumapit kami sa statue kanina na akala namin si Master Riosiota.

“So if he’s not Master Riosiota? Who is he?” Krio asked and looked at me in deep confusion.

“Hey, check this out! The book he hold has a message I think,” wika ko at agad-agad naman tinignan ni Krio.

“It looks like a morse code again?” I query.

“No it’s not, it’s Braille,” sagot niya habang hinihimas ang hawak na libro ng statue.

“What?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“Braille is what blind people read. It is a series of raised dots that tell you what letter, number, or word it is,” he explained to me. Napatango na lang ako, ang daming alam nang lalaking ito.

“Why do you know all of this codes?” he looked at me.

“I used to study codes. And, these Braille codes, is what I’m really good in because I used to study opthalmology before,” pagpapaliwanag niya.

“I wonder how old are you when you start studying medicine?” he smiled at me.

“I was interested in medicine since I was 7 and I started studying medicine when I was 15,” sabi niya kaya medyo napahanga ako ng slight lang.

“You’re that young? Galing! Pwede pa barter nang utak? One time lang?” Natawa siya sa sinabi ko and this time I saw his dimple. Looks good in him.

“If I can’t focus we’re going to die. Pakibaon muna yang joke mo sa utak mo.” Saad niya at medyo natawa naman ako do’n.

“Okay,” sambit ko sa kanya at nagfocus na uli kami. By the way as what I can see the Braille codes looks like this

[⠊⠝ ⠞⠓⠑ ⠓⠁⠝⠙⠎ ⠕⠋ ⠓⠊⠎⠲ ⠙⠑⠁⠙⠲ ]

“Did you get what it means?” tanong ko sa kanya habang nag-iisip siya nang malalim.

“In the hands of his. Dead,” sabi niya.

“That what it means,” he added

“So, what that does means? In the hands of who?” I asked him again.

“I think we should look for another code again,” sabi niya.

“Another code? Walang katapusang code naman ‘to! Nakakapagod!” I complained kahit wala naman talaga akong ambag.

“The books!” he exclaimed.

“Let’s look for a Braille book,” he added.

“Just be careful okay?” paalala niya sa’kin.

Sa ilang minutong paghahanap namin may nakita rin akong libro, entitled “Seen” by A. L Riosiota. Since medyo nasa taas ‘yon, hindi ko ito maabot kaya ang ginawa namin sumampa ako sa likod ni Krio para abutin, medyo awkward lang kasi naka sequin dress pa ako, fresh air. Nevermind! Buhay namin ang pinag-uusapan dito, aarte pa ba ako?

Nang makuha ko na agad-agad namang chineck ni Krio. And, it was right, there’s one page that contains with Braille codes. The code looks like this.

⠊⠞ ⠺⠁⠎ ⠍⠊⠙⠝⠊⠛⠓⠞ ⠕⠋ ⠁⠥⠛⠥⠎⠞ ⠼⠁⠎⠞⠂ ⠽⠑⠁⠗ ⠼⠁⠼⠊⠼⠃⠼⠚⠲ ⠊ ⠓⠑⠁⠗⠙ ⠋⠕⠕⠞⠎⠞⠑⠏⠎ ⠕⠋ ⠍⠕⠍ ⠗⠥⠝⠝⠊⠝⠛ ⠥⠏⠎⠞⠁⠊⠗⠎⠲ ⠊ ⠎⠁⠺ ⠙⠁⠙ ⠋⠕⠇⠇⠕⠺⠊⠝⠛ ⠓⠊⠍⠲ ⠞⠓⠑⠽ ⠺⠑⠗⠑ ⠋⠊⠛⠓⠞⠊⠝⠛ ⠁⠛⠁⠊⠝⠲ ⠑⠧⠑⠗⠽ ⠝⠊⠛⠓⠞ ⠊ ⠓⠑⠁⠗⠙ ⠞⠓⠑⠍ ⠋⠊⠛⠓⠞⠊⠝⠛⠂ ⠊⠞ ⠺⠁⠎ ⠝⠕⠗⠍⠁⠇ ⠊⠝ ⠕⠥⠗ ⠋⠁⠍⠊⠇⠽⠲ ⠃⠥⠞ ⠞⠓⠊⠎ ⠞⠊⠍⠑⠂ ⠊⠞⠄⠎ ⠁ ⠙⠊⠋⠋⠑⠗⠑⠝⠞ ⠎⠞⠕⠗⠽⠲ ⠊ ⠓⠑⠁⠗⠙ ⠛⠥⠝⠎⠓⠕⠞ ⠊⠝ ⠞⠓⠑⠊⠗ ⠗⠕⠕⠍⠂ ⠊ ⠗⠁⠝ ⠕⠝⠞⠕ ⠞⠓⠑⠍ ⠞⠕ ⠉⠓⠑⠉⠅ ⠺⠓⠁⠞⠄⠎ ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠑⠝⠊⠝⠛⠲ ⠊ ⠎⠁⠺ ⠙⠁⠙ ⠋⠥⠇⠇ ⠕⠋ ⠃⠇⠕⠕⠙⠎ ⠊⠝ ⠓⠊⠎ ⠓⠁⠝⠙⠎ ⠁⠝⠙ ⠋⠁⠉⠑⠲ ⠞⠓⠑⠝ ⠊ ⠎⠁⠺ ⠍⠕⠍ ⠇⠽⠊⠝⠛ ⠙⠑⠁⠙⠲ ⠊⠞⠄⠎ ⠁⠝ ⠁⠉⠉⠊⠙⠑⠝⠞⠂ ⠓⠑ ⠞⠕⠇⠙ ⠍⠑⠲ ⠙⠕⠝⠄⠞ ⠞⠑⠇⠇ ⠁⠝⠽⠕⠝⠑⠂ ⠓⠑ ⠞⠓⠗⠑⠁⠞⠑⠝⠑⠙ ⠍⠑⠲ ⠓⠑ ⠁⠝⠙ ⠊ ⠃⠥⠗⠊⠑⠙ ⠓⠑⠗⠂ ⠞⠕ ⠉⠕⠧⠑⠗ ⠞⠓⠑ ⠉⠗⠊⠍⠑ ⠓⠑ ⠉⠕⠍⠍⠊⠞⠞⠑⠙⠲ ⠙⠁⠽⠎ ⠏⠁⠎⠎⠑⠙⠂ ⠺⠑ ⠃⠥⠗⠊⠑⠙ ⠓⠑⠗ ⠑⠭⠊⠎⠞⠑⠝⠉⠑⠲ ⠁⠎ ⠊ ⠉⠇⠕⠎⠑ ⠍⠽ ⠑⠽⠑⠎ ⠊⠞ ⠓⠥⠝⠞⠎ ⠍⠑ ⠑⠧⠑⠗⠽⠞⠊⠍⠑⠲ ⠊ ⠞⠕⠕⠅ ⠍⠽ ⠑⠽⠑⠎ ⠞⠕ ⠑⠎⠉⠁⠏⠑⠲ ⠃⠥⠞ ⠝⠕⠞⠓⠊⠝⠛ ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠑⠝⠑⠙⠲ ⠊⠄⠍ ⠎⠕⠗⠗⠽⠲ ⠃⠥⠞ ⠊ ⠉⠁⠝⠝⠕⠞ ⠞⠁⠅⠑ ⠊⠞ ⠁⠝⠽⠍⠕⠗⠑⠲ ⠊ ⠺⠁⠎ ⠼⠓⠞⠓ ⠺⠓⠑⠝ ⠊⠞ ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠑⠝⠑⠙⠲ ⠊ ⠇⠕⠎⠞ ⠍⠽ ⠋⠁⠍⠊⠇⠽⠲

He started to reads it loudly. While I’m also trying to analyze the message.

“It was midnight of August 1st, year 1920. I heard footsteps of Mom running upstairs. I saw Dad following him. They were fighting again. Every night I heard them fighting, it was normal in our family. But this time, it’s a different story. I heard gunshot in their room, I ran onto them to check what’s happening. I saw Dad full of bloods in his hands and face. Then I saw Mom lying dead. It’s an accident, he told me. Don’t tell anyone, he threatened me. He and I buried her, to cover the crime he committed. Days passed, we buried her existence. As I close my eyes it hunts me everytime. I took my eyes to escape. But nothing happened. I’m sorry. But, I cannot take it anymore. I was 8th when it happened. I lost my family.” He looked at me after reading those.

“In the hands of his husband. She died,” Krio said. Tumayo kami at lumapit sa statue

“Master Riosiota murdered his own wife.”

“That’s not Master Riosiota, because it was his son. A. L Riosiota, the author of this book. He’s blind. He took his eyes trying to forget what he witnessed. But, nothing happened he’s still guilty that he did nothing to save his mom and cover the crime his Dad committed,” pagpapaliwanag ni Krio habang hinahawakan ang rope na nasa kabilang kamay na hawak ng statue.

“And he cannot take it anymore. He reported his Dad that’s why Master Riosiota was in captivity, he lost his family. By using this rope he committed suicide,” he said.

“The murderer is Master Riosiota!” He shouted.

And, someone spoke, this time it’s not a creepy voice anymore.

“MYSTERY UNLOCK!”

After a fews seconds may biglang bumukas na kwarto. Krio and I looked at each other.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said and hold my hands.