Sunshine

LIII

PREVIOUS reports of Mayor Romualdo Costales hospitalized and in a critical state is true after all. Criminal case on attempted murder of Mayor Costales is now being filed at the supreme court after a certain Olivia Madrigal surrendered to the police at around noon today bringing the used weapon. Her intentions over the attempted murder is still unknown. However, it is revealed that the assailant and Mayor Costales had a father-daughter relationship…

Olivia had her eyes closed since she was brought to the interrogation room, waiting for anyone to come in with papers and laptop and a series of questions. It’s been a while since Juan brought her to the police station in handcuffs as she requested to. In her eyes closed she can still remember the pain that flashed on Juan’s face as he put them. He even tried to not let the metal press too much on her skin but that wasn’t possible. The cuffs started to hurt her wrist. She smiled bitterly.

The door to the interrogation room opened. Olivia opened her eyes to look. It was Captain Antonio Rivera. She just stared blankly as Rivera stood in front of her between the table, put down all his stuffs down the black wooden furniture and set her wrist free. Red marks showed from it.

“Examination report of the knife you turned over just came in. Your fingerprints were found. And the blood belonged to Romualdo Costales.”

Rivera said as he took his seat. Olivia only nodded to what he had said absentmindedly. As if those words did not carried any weight, as if it did not meant she will be put away behind prison bars for who knows how long that could actually be forever. Even Rivera sighed over what he saw.

“Why?” Rivera simply asked. Olivia herself brought the evidence. While the story on what happened that day is also something needs to be asked, but for now he is asking what was behind those actions. What were the intentions behind the attempted murder? Or was it supposed to be murder but failed perhaps? “Why did you do it?”

“Years…” Olivia croaked, her voice hoarse from staying quiet for quite a while that her throat dried. “It was years of accumulated anger, accumulated fear, accumulated…” an intentional pause “disgust...”

“Disgust?” Rivera took note, both mentally and on the electronic gadget. “With what are you disgusted with?”

“Him. And myself.”

That was all she managed to say when a soft knock on the door interrupted. The door creaked opened and showed Juan. He looks uncertain and shaken. Both from what he has done and the knock he just did. “Capt…”

But Rivera understood in an instant. He stood and cleared the table as he told Juan to come in. Rivera left them alone in the room without forgetting to turn the recording mic off. Juan thanked him silently and took the seat Rivera just vacated. His eyes immediately flew on Olivia’s still red wrists.

“I’m sorry.” Juan whispered. Olivia then understood for what was the apology for when she followed his eyes. She took her arms from the table and placed it carefully on her lap. Her eyes nailed on her fingers fidgeting under the table.

“How are you? I just realized I really haven’t got to asked since we met again.”

And that made Olivia look at Juan. Her eyes met his that looked intently to her. As if speaking to her soul like he always did since they were young. And she was right, she wouldn’t be able to control it the moment they’ll meet eyes. Olivia let a tear escape from her eyes.

“We all just get by, my brother. And guess what? I actually learned how to tie my hair because I remembered how you did it. You were right. I will know as long as I can remember.”

“Glad you did.” Juan was also choking. But unlike Olivia, he was able to swallow his tears. He decided to cry those tears later when he gets home. He forced his tears to wait until he gets home. “But you did not listen to me this time. You know that I don’t approve this, right?”

I did everything just to not let this happen was what he wanted to say but he chose not to. After all, it was another thing he did for his sister that he doesn’t want known. Especially by Olivia herself.

“I know. I guess I have to thank you.”

“How could you thank me for putting you behind bars?” Juan pulled his own hair, sighing over what he just heard. His voice also cracked in desperation and frustration. Probably more like because his eyes started to water.

“Costales hid this, Olivia. He even went out of his way to make an alibi and even got photographed. Why?”

Juan couldn’t help but ask. He looked up to the lamp above them, closing his eyes as he swallowed whatever it is that’s blocking his throat now.

“Alex…”

That made Juan open his eyes. He looked at Olivia straight in the eyes again. Now he can’t help but let a tear run on his face.

“Alex needs to stop living a lie, kuya.”

IT was another tiring day for Alex. Her days especially got longer nowadays that Alex is doing what she’s been doing with Olivia alone now. It wasn’t because all the work and responsibility eventually went on her shoulders. But because it’s been a lonely working day and an especially lonely nights.

She missed Olivia so much. She miss her so much that she could trade the stars she’s looking up to right now in exchange of being with her again if only she could.

The street lights went go again but that did not go noticed by Alex as she was busy looking at the stars. Now busy thinking how she would catch some of them if ever someone will really ask for it in exchange of Olivia. But that wasn’t the reality but the angry cars in the back of her honking. She cursed as she was brought to reality and hurriedly maneuvered the car. Few straights and turns and another stop and she’s now home. She parked the car on the garage, closed the gate, opened and closed her front door, took off her shoes and turned on the lights. She will never get used to how she’s been coming home lately but at least today she is not surprised. Alex went straight to the shower.

It must be the cold strong water wetting her naked body but Alex got reminded of a memory not so distant in this very shower. How these small four corners and this actual rain shower on her head a witness to some make love sessions of her and Olivia. Alex closed her eyes as she tried to live some of those memories. Memories of different days but somehow looks the same but always feels different though same ecstatic feeling. It feels different all the time simply because it is Olivia. And it is ecstatic at the same time simply because it’s love.

Alex went out of the shower covered with a fresh white robe reaching her ankle. Her hair wrapped in a separate white towel. She wiped it dry as she took out some fresh clothes and underwear to get change to. It was a plain looking pair of pajamas. Now that she’s dressed and her short hair almost dry she didn’t know what to do next. Shower is done and she already had dinner on the fast food chain before going home. In the end she decided to get out of the bedroom and turned on the TV set that’s been forgotten and untouched for a while.

Previous reports of Mayor Romualdo Costales hospitalized and in a critical state is true after all. Criminal case on attempted murder of Mayor Costales is now being filed at the supreme court after a certain Olivia Madrigal surrendered to the police at around noon…

Alex stumbled on the sofa losing her balance. The screen is now showing a picture of a face she knows so well. A picture of a person she knows so well. But the story of the news reporter right now sounds like fiction to her. Father-daughter relationship with the Mayor through adaption? Killing the Mayor? Olivia. Did. What?

Alex did not know how to respond. Her mind went blank and her legs that can’t even stand is not helping. She did not know where to try to wrap her mind first with. Should she first worry about that her girlfriend is now in police custody and might be going to jail? Or the seeming fact that everything about she knew about Olivia could turn out all lie?

Alex forced her legs to stand and ran out of their home with the car keys. In hands shaking she started the car and drove it to the police station. She didn’t how she got there. But somehow she did and is now parking the car next to other parked cars and few police cars.

Knowing someone could be the first step to love. Sometimes it’s the name that was first exchange but some special connections did not really start with self-introductions. Some knew likes and dislikes first before names. Some knew hobbies first before names. But for some the first step was just a simple eye contact. A love that did not required much.

But some could say self-introductions should come first. It is just to ensure you won’t know the person wrong as looks could be deceiving. Sometimes it is also to make sure you won’t know the person wrong. As the best thing of knowing a stranger first is by how they introduce themselves. But what if she intended to introduce herself with the lie she chose to live? Will it be possible for a lie lived to be treated as a truth?

Alex’s cry for Olivia’s name echoed on the quiet corners of the night of Kahilom Police Station. She saw Carlos on one of the cubicles, now looking at her and standing from his seat. She immediately ran to him.

“Carlos. Bring me to Olivia please.”

No one knows if it will be possible. For a lie to become the truth just because it is lived as one. But that itself sounds bizarre and stupid. And wishing for it will probably make you laughed at by the gods and all the shooting stars. But it didn’t really matter even if it ends up as a wish that will never come true. And if it is actually a sin to even just wishing for it. If it was love who knew the person first then it probably won’t matter. As some fool could attest.

And it was love who introduced Olivia to Alex, anyway.