Chapter 41 THE CALL

“Please, stay with me,” I can vision the blurry face of a man, he was blooded. The distortion of light flickers in my sight. What is happening? I can clearly hear the slow heartbeat of my heart. I am hardly breathing.

“Leyra, stay with me. We’re near the emergency room. Don’t sleep!” A familiar voice of a man spoke, he was crying and he was holding my head. I feel some liquid that is dripping. I cannot clearly seen the man’s face. Until I black out.

I wake up from a dream. What the fuck did I dream? Is it a dream or a fragments of memory from the past? I diverted my gaze from the old man who’s knocking on my window. He looks familiar but I cannot remember who he was. He signaled me to low down the car’s window. Ibinaba ko ito.

“Ija, Anong ginagawa mo rito? Gabing-gabi na, narito ka pa rin sa daan? Delikado,” pag-aalalang wika nito.

“Thank you pero okay lang po ako.” I smiled. “Nagkakilala na po ba tayo?” agad-agad na tanong ko naman. He smiled at me.

“Oo Ija. Marahil ay nakalimutan mo na ako. I am Señor Vicenzo. Ako ang nagtattoo niyang mga nasa katawan mo,” sabi nito sa’kin. “Nasaan nga pala ang kasama mo? Si Krio?” dagdag pa nito.

“Po?” I asked curiously. “Wait, I’ll check it.” Kinuha ko ang mga litrato sa gamit ko, I saw a photo of six men with a mask. I check the back of the photo, may nakalagay roon na sulat ‘Krio is part of them. Don’t trust him!’. I felt a sudden ache in my heart, a tear drops in my eyes.

“Ija? Ayos ka lang ba?” Señor Vicenzo tapped my shoulder. I noticed the video recorder. I immediately grabbed it. I checked the videos and played it. It was me and Hyntall talking with each other. Did I record it? Or it was Krio who did this? While the video continues to play my tears started overflowing. It was him.

“Maybe I already found out the truth. He betrayed me. All of them betrayed me.” I cried in pain.

“Ang ibig mo bang sabihin? Sila mismo ang pumatay sa mapapangasawa mo?” tanong nito. Bakas din sa mukha niya ang pagkabahala. I nodded my head as a response.

“They did the same mistakes I did,” saad nito kaya nagtaka ako.

“Po?” He gave me an intriguing look.

“I already told to you everything that night we first encounter with Krio, Ija. I am one of the Heirs of Atticus. I am the older brother of Señor Matias Atticus.” I was in shocked when I heard that.

“Alam kong hindi tama ang ginawa nila sa’yo, at ang salitang patawad ay hindi sapat para mapalitan ang lahat ng sakit at paghihirap na naidulot nila sa’yo. They are my grandchildren but I will never tolerate what they’ve done. They need to pay the consequences. You need to do something,” payo nito sa’kin.

“I also need to do something. I don’t want them to suffer like me and be miserable for their whole life,” dagdag pa nito.

“Ayoko nang may mamatay muli sa kanila,” he becomes teary while I am also in tears. “Alam ko na ang nangyari sa anak-anakan ko. Ang sakit malaman na wala na ang apo ko. Sa lahat sa kanila siya ang pinakamalapit sa’kin, ni hindi ko man lang nakilala at nakasama ang iba sa kanila. Matias doesn’t want me to know them. Only Riushan took the chance to know me,” naputol ang sasabihin niya ng biglang mag ring ang cellphone na dala ko. Tinignan ko kung sino ang tumatawag dito. The moment I saw who it was, it warms my heart. I know in this hardest time, I need somebody to lean on. And, God gave me a companion. It was Mom.

The moment I answered it. I burst into tears.

“M-mommy,” Señor Vicenzo gave us first a space. Tumalikod ito sa’kin.

“Leyra, anak? Are you at the house? Stay right there! Don’t go anywhere, we’re coming. I already know the truth, anak. Please stay away from them,” pagbabala ni Mommy. Mom’s voice sounds like she was crying, hindi niya lang pinapahalata. You know Mother’s hides the hardest pain. They doesn’t want her child to know if she’s in pain.

“I-I a-already know t-the truth, M-mom!” nauutal kong sambit.

“W-what?” Mom’s voice dropped, and now it’s really obvious she’s crying.

“Just stay there in our house, baby. You’re safe there. Mommy is coming home. I love you so much!” wika nito kaya mas lalo pa akong naluha. I don’t know but I think for a long time, ngayon ko lang ulit narinig na sambitin ni Mommy ang mga katagang ‘yon.

“I love you too, Mom! I’ll wait for you,” I said and hang up the phone. Ilang segundo pa ang lumipas bago ako tumahan sa pag-iiyak.

“Señor Vicenzo, gusto niyo po bang ihatid ko na kayo?” pag-aalok ko sa kanya. Malalim na rin ang gabi, at hindi ko alam kung bakit naririto pa rin siya sa daanan.

“Ija! Ako dapat ang gumawa niyan sa’yo. Gusto mo ba ihatid na kita sa mansion niyo? Alam ko ang bahay ng mga Madrid.”

“Anong oras na po, bakit po ba kayo nasa labas?” nagtatakang tanong ko.

“Papunta ako sa mansion ng Atticus, nagbabakasakaling masilayan ko pa sa huling pagkakataon ang anak-anakan ko, ngunit bigo ako. May nagsabi sa’kin na ginawa na raw na abo ang bangkay nito. Ngunit balak ko pa rin na magtungo roon, gusto kong makilala ang mga apo ko.” Bakas sa mukha nito ang kalungkutan. “Kaya lang nadaanan kita rito, kaya siguro mas mabuting ihatid muna kita sa inyo, bago ako magtungo roon. Delikado ka rito, Ija.” Pag-aalok nito. Medyo nag-alinlangan ako. Can I trust him? But, he’s right, it’s too dangerous here. But, isn’t it dangerous to trust him?

“Huwag kang mag-alala hindi na ako masamang tao,” dagdag pa nito. He probably reads my mind. Pinagbuksan ko siya at pinapasok sa kotse. Sandali? Naglalakad lang ba siya? I can’t see a vehicle na sinasakyan niya.

“Naglalakad lang po ba kayo?” I asked him again.

“Oo, Ija. Huwag ka mag-alala wala naman magtatangka sa buhay ko rito.” Ngumiti ito. Pinaandar ko na ang kotse. He became my guide to go home.

After a few minutes, nakarating na rin kami sa bahay namin.

Pinapasok ko muna siya sa mansion. I guess I can trust him.

“Gusto niyo po ba ng maiinom?” Alok ko rito, iwinagayway lang nito ang kamay na nagsisimbolo ng pagtanggi. He was looking at the surroundings of the mansion. He smiled when he saw the big portrait of our family in the wall.

“You have a wonderful family, Ija!” I gazed at him before I diverted my gaze to the portrait. I smiled. I missed them.

“Thank you po!” ‘yon lang ang nasabi ko.

“You know what your Mom is a blessing in this place.” Napatingin ako sa kanya ng banggitin niya si Mommy.

“Po?” I was so confused. Maybe he was talking how Mom helped people.

“She help a lot of orphans to have their own family,” saad nito. I smiled when I hear that. I’m really right.

“Despite what happened to her. She let people experience what she don’t experience when she was just a child.” I turned to him. Wait, what does he mean? I didn’t know about that. I already said that me and Mom aren’t that close and maybe that’s the reason I didn’t know too much about her. She’s my Mother but why do she feel like a stranger to me?

“She didn’t told you?” Señor Vicenzo asked me. I nodded my head.

“I don’t know if I should be the one who tell this to yo—”

“Please po, I will forget about this later. I wanted to know right now.” I immediately grabbed my video recorder to record everything he says.

“Okay, I will just make it short, Ija. The rest you need to know from your Mom.” He sighed. “Your Mom suffered from her family back then. She was abused in your grandparents. She never experienced a family there. Until your Dad came. He saved your Mom from her cruel family,” pagpapaliwanag nito.

“She was brave and I can see that in you. But, you remind me of her sister, Daia.” Napaawang ang mga labi ko ng marinig ko ‘yon sa kanya. Tama ba ang naririnig ko? May kapatid si Mommy? She never mentioned her to us.

“S-sister? I didn’t know that Mom has a sister?” tanong ko rito. Bakas din sa mukha nito ang pagkataka.

“Hindi ba siya pinakilala ng Mommy mo sa inyo?” nagtatakang tanong nito.

“Hindi po. Mom never talked about her family to us,” sambit ko.

“Marahil ay ayaw na rin niyang balikan ang malupit niyang nakaraan,” saad nito. Makikita mo rin sa mga mukha niya ang pagkalungkot. Why is he acting like that? As if she knows Mom and they’re close to each other. It makes me wonder and question his identity.

I was just looking at him. And, then I asked him the question that bothers my mind, “How did you know all of this?” I curiously asked. Napatingin ito sa’kin.

“I lived in their family before, Ija.” Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa nalaman ko. “Nagtrabaho ako sa mga magulang ng Mommy mo pagkatapos kong makalaya sa kulungan. I am there when they grow up. I witnessed how your grandparents treated both of them.” He realesed a deep sigh and continued. “I’m just thankful with your Dad when he came and save your Mom from them, you don’t have any idea how much your Dad took the risk, just to be with your Mom.” He smiled while telling me that story. Then I realized maybe I inherit Dad’s ways when it comes to love. Willing to sacrifice and take the risk just for the person we love.

“How about Mom’s Sister? Daia? What happened to her?” A sudden thought just pop ups in my mind.

“She was 6 years old that time when your Mom left. Daia stayed at your Grandparents. I witnessed how she grow up. Your Mom and Daia is far from the same. Hindi sila pareho ng ugali. Your Mom is so modest while Daia is a bad ass but I know she’s also kind, she just hides it. That’s why you reminds me of her. You have her aura but I can feel that you have your Mom’s personality.” Ngumiti ito at tumingin sa relo niya.

“Sa tingin ko’y kailangan ko nang umalis, Ija,” pagpapaalam nito. I stopped the video recording.

Inihatid ko siya sa labas ng gate.

“Paano po pala kayo pupunta roon? Wala kayong masasakyan?” tanong ko.

“Wag ka nang mag-alala, Ija. Kaya ko ang sarili ko. Magpahinga ka na. Wag ka nang lumabas,” paalala nito.

“Maraming salamat po sa paghatid sa’kin at sa lahat ng kwento niyo.” Tumango ito. May kinuha ito sa bulsa niya. Isang kuwentas na may pendant na maliit na salamin. Binigay niya ito sa’kin. I gazed at the pendant, my face reflected on the small mirror like pendant. May nakaukit na mga maliliit na salita rito ‘Choose someone you know who can love you the most.’ He tapped my shoulder and just gave me a smile.

“You can have it, Ija. When you finally know what it means, that’s the call. Paalam.” He leaves me in confusion. Tinignan ko lang ito habang papalayo.