WIFE SERIES : Silent Scars [Tagalog]

Chapter 20

“Oh my God! What did you do?!”

Nabitawan ko agad ang kutsilyong hawak sa sigaw ng pamilyar na boses. Napalingon ako rito at nakita Cheni na gulat na gulat sa kaniyang nakita.

“C-Cheni. H-Help—-“

“Stay there! Don’t you dare move!” Galit na sigaw nito na ipinagtaka ko.

I saw her take her phone and call someone.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. My eyes widened, and I looked at Nicholai, who was still lying on the floor. I moved and checked his pulse, and it was still beating.

Thank God! He was still alive!

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. . .” Napagulhol na lang ako.

“Is he dead?” Nagulat ako nang nasa harap ko na si Cheni.

“H-He’s still alive,” I stuttered.

“Move and stay there on the side,” she said and then took off her shawl and pressed it to Nicholai’s wound. She was trying to stop the bleeding. “What happened?” she suddenly asked.

“He—-“

“Did you try to kill him? You want him dead, do you?” Paratang nito sa akin.

I shook my head. “No! It was an accident. He was trying to hurt me. I tried to defend myself and accidentally stab him. Maniwala ka. Di ko magagawang pumatay, Cheni,” pagpapaliwanag ko dito.

She just kept quiet and ignored me.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at narinig na namin ang tunog ng ambulansya. The paramedics went inside the house and saw us.

Inalalayan nila si Nicholai and put an oxygen mask on his mouth. I was just looking at them in the side. Hindi alam kung ano ang gagawin.

Suddenly, three police officers came in. Lumapit si Cheni sa tatlong pulis at tinuro ako. Bigla akong kinabahan.

Why did she point at me?

“Siya ang sumaksak kay Nicholai. She tried to kill him. Take her.”

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya. Lumapit ang tatlong pulis sa akin.

“Inaaresto ka namin sa salang pagtangkang pagpatay kay Nicholai Acosta. May karapatan kang manahimik o magsawalang kibo. Ano man ang iyong sasabihin ay maaaring gamitin pabor o laban sa iyo saan mang hukuman. Mayroon ka ring karapatang kumuha ng abogado na gusto mo, at kung wala ay bibigyan ka ng abogado ng pamahalaan.” Agad kong naramdaman ang malamig na bakal sa aking palapulsuhan. They handcuffed me and dragged me outside.

“No! Nagkakamali po kayo. It was an accident.” Hindi man lang nakinig ang mga pulis sa akin at kinaladkad ako palabas. “Cheni! Please help me! It was self-defense! Alam mo yun! I didn’t try to kill him! Please!”

Tiningnan lang niya ako ng malamig. I looked at her with pain in my eyes.

Napasinghap ako.

I felt suffocated.

I felt so betrayed.

At ang napakasakit sa lahat, yung taong pinakatiwalaan mo ng buong puso at hindi mo ini-expect na magagawa ito sayo, ay siya mismong gumawa nito.

***

They brought me to the Police Station. I was crying the whole time while we were on our way. I asked them if I could call my parents, and they allowed me.

Kasalukuyan akong nakaupo sa harap ng pulis habang hinihintay na sagutin ng mama ko ang tawag. They took of my handcuff, kaya malaya ang kamay ko na gamitin ang phone.

Hindi ako pwedeng makulong. Wala akong kasalanan. It was self defense!

After a couple of rings, my mom answered the call.

“M-Ma. Help me. I’m at the police station—“

[“Cris, hindi kita pinalaki para maging isang criminal!” may diin na sabi ko na nagpasinghap sa akin. “How could you try to kill Nicholai!”] dugtong pa nito. Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Mama.

“W-what are you talking about, Ma? Aksidente po ang nangyari. It was self defense. Nicholai was trying to hurt—-“

[“Hindi na ikaw ang anak na kilala ko. Cheni told me everything! Pati ang aksidente mo ay sinadya mo para patayin ang anak mo, ang apo ko!”]

“Ma! How could you say that? Pati ba naman ikaw? I am telling the truth! Nagsisinungaling si Cheni sayo. Maniwala ka sa akin, Ma.” Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko. Parang hindi ako makahinga. Ang sakit-sakit. Pati ang sarili kong ina ay hindi ako magawang paniwalaan. “A-Anak mo ako, Ma. Sa akin ka dapat maniwala.” Hindi ko na naman mapigiling mapahagolhol. Bakit na nangyayari sa akin lahat ng ito?

[“Hindi ko alam, Cris. But I can’t help you. Kailangan mong panagutan ang ginawa mo. Nicholai’s parents will do everything so you could be in jail. Lalo na at nasa kritikal na kondisyon si Nicholai. The poor man was just trying to love you. But what did you do? I’m so disappointed at you,”] sabi nito sabay baba ng tawag.

Walang humpay ang agos ng luha ko. God! Why was this all happening to me? What did I do to deserve this s**t?!

Damn, Cheni! Ano bang ginawa ko sa kaniya at sinisiraan niya ako? She even told my parents that I planned my accident! What the hell was wrong with her?

Now I regret trusting her. I didn’t know all this time I was trusting a snake.

Ano ba talaga ang gusto ni, Cheni? Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dahilan kung bakit niya ginagawa sa akin ito. She even accused me of trying to kill Nicholai. I told her everything that it was an accident. That it was self defense. Pero siya mismo ang nagsuplong sa akin sa mga pulis.

***

After the call, the cops brought me inside my cell. They even told me that Nicholai’s side would probably charged me with attempted murder. I knew it was coming. The way Cheni looked at me when the cops arrested me, said it all. Her eyes were telling me that she would do everything for me rot in jail.

I bet all of them were thinking that I deserve to be in jail. That a criminal like me should be in prison.

Naupo ako gilid ng kulungan. I looked around and blinked a couple of times if I was just having a nightmare. But the cold metal bars were telling me that this was all true. That I was really in prison.

Tinanong ako ng pulis kung kukuha ba ako ng sariling abogado. Hindi ako makasagot. Maybe I would just wait for someone in PAO to take my case. But the thought that the lawyer who would take my case might not defend me in the court, made me scared. Lawyers couldn’t be trusted especially if money was involved. Baka imbes na makalaya ako, mas idiin pa ako ng abogado ko at makulong ako habang buhay.

***

Nakatulogan ko ang pag-iisip. Siguro dahil sa pagod at stress. Nagising ako kinabukasan dahil sa ingay ng rehas. My body was aching. The bed inside the jail was so hard. Hindi ako sanay. Pero wala akong karapatang magreklamo. Kasi nakakulong ako.

Someone was trying to wake me up. Panay ang tawag sa akin ng pulis.

“Denima Cris, may dalaw ka,” one cop said while trying to open my cell.

Napakunot-noo agad ako. I have a visitor? Sino naman kaya ito? I was not expecting any visitor at all. My parents already turned their back at me. Wala na akong ibang maisip na pwedeng—- I stopped in an instant when a specific person crossed my mind. Napailing ako. It was impossible. There was no way that he would be here for me.

The moment I stepped into the room where my visitor was waiting, the person turned around to face me. My eyes widened when I saw who was waiting.

“P-Philip.”