Our Mental Polarity

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Matapos ang mahabang pamamalagi namin sa loob ay muli ko nang nalanghap ang simoy ng hangin sa labas ng hukuman. Ang mga tao ay hindi makapaniwala sa mga naganap at hindi maitago iyon mula sa ekspresyon ng kanilang mga mukha.

Nang tuluyang makalabas at mapabukod sa kapal ng tao ay nagbuntong hininga ako. Hindi ko pa rin malaman kung ano ang mararamdaman ko. Huminto ako sa isang gilid at hinintay ang paglabas ni Attorney Shim.

Maya-maya pa ay natagpuan ko siyang naglalakad papalabas ng hukuman nang suot pa rin ang mukha niyang may magkahalong gulat at pagtataka. Mukhang hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa mga ipinakita ni Ethan at sa kinalabasan ng kabuuan ng paglilitis. Kung sa bagay, maging ako ay napapaisip kung paano niya nakuha ang ideya ng dashcam footage ni Merlinda at ang autopsy report gayong ang sabi sa amin sa hospital ay bukas pa ang labas nito.

Perhaps Ethan is indeed a beast and he was able to chew us alive in the court without us noticing.

Nang makalapit ay tinawag ko ang atensyon ni Attorney Shim at binati niya ako. Sandaling gumaan ang aura ng mukha niya at sinabi sa akin na sumama muna sa kaninang kinalagyan naming kwarto upang pag-usapan ang ilan sa mga bagay ukol sa paglilitis.

Namalayan ko na lamang ang sarili kong nakaupo sa harapan ng isang lamesa at nasa tapat ko si Attorney Shim na hanggang ngayon ay tila may malalim na iniisip. Ngayon ay nasa isang kwarto kami ni Attorney Shim upang sandaling mag-usap ukol sa itinakbo ng paglilitis. Literal namang napabalikwas ako nang bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa nito ang seryosong mukha ni Ethan Luiz Grey.

“Ethan?” bulong ko sa aking sarili at hindi ko na naitago ang pagkagulat.

“You weren’t that surprised, were you?” sambit nito at tipid na ngumiting pakun’wari.

“Why did you do that, Ethan?” awtomatikong napalingon ako dahil sa sinabi ni Attorney Shim.

“Why wouldn’t I, in the first place?” sagot ni Ethan. “What I did was better than what you did, I guess. Trimming the footage to show only what’s favorable on you, huh?”

“I was just doing my job. I also didn’t know why ours was cut.”

“Really? You’re denying it? Come on, Allistair.”

“I am not denying anything.”

“If so, what’s this?” Ethan then took something from his pocket and I was completely shocked when I saw that it was a capsule similar to what Attorney Shim told me to keep earlier.

Attorney Shim wasn’t able to speak yet his face turned emotionless. He was just looking at the capsule.

“Well, Allistair, if you were doing your job, I was also doing mine… but with fairness and wise jurisdiction. We’re lawyers, not liars. We have to do our job to defend the accused or prosecute for the side of the victim, but we are also reponsible of telling the people of the Philippines the truth and as they say, nothing but the truth,” Ethan said giving chills all over my body.

Sandaling hindi umimik si Attorney Shim hanggang sa nagulat ako nang bigla siyang tumayo. Tinahak ang direksyon ni Ethan, tumigil sa harapan nito at ilang pulgada na lamang ang nag-didistansya sa kanilang dalawa. Matalim ang palitan ng tingin at kapwa hindi nagpapatinag.

“How did you know Merlinda?” kalmadong tanong ni Attorney Shim.

Nagsmirk si Ethan.

“You might be working hard, Allistair, but I am working harder. If you were able to think of following her car, why wouldn’t I or anyone?”

“Now you’re saying I think typically in all shallowness?”

“No one said it but you, Allistair.”

There was a moment of pause. They were just looking directly at each other’s eyes and the tension was filling the room.

“Atleast I didn’t have to pay the hospital to not release the autopsy report just to present your so-called facts and wise jurisdiction to the court.” Nagulat naman ako sa ibinuwelta ni Attorney Shim.

“H-how did you know?” Ethan said off guard.

“If you were able to think of your capability to do that, why wouldn’t I or anyone?”

Doon ay nagsimulang tumawa si Attorney Shim at lumakad pabalik sa kaninang kinauupuan. Ako naman ay naguluhan lalo nang tumawa rin si Ethan.

“Using my own line against me, huh? Hindi nga, paano mo nalaman?”

“Ethan, paanong hindi ko malalaman? During the times na sinusundan mo ako secretly, alam ko na sumusunod ka. How come hindi mo namalayan nang ako ‘yong gumanti?”

“Whatever, Allistair. At least the case is now closed and I won’t have to face you in court. Ang hirap magpigil ng tawa kapag nakikita ko mukha mo, gagi,” sambit ni Ethan at tumawa.

Sa mga sinabi niya ay nagdoble at triple pa ang pagkalito ko.

“Nakakahiya naman sa’yo ‘no? Ako nga itong hindi na tumitingin sa’yo para hindi ako matawa. If you only knew kung gaano ko kagusto tumawa kanina,” natatawang sagot naman ni Attorney Shim.

“Wait, what? Anong ibig sabihin nito? K-kayong dalawa… okay lang ba kayo?”

Sabay na tumingin sa akin ang dalawa at sumabog ang malakas na tawa.

Hindi ako nagreact dahil sa ginawa pa lamang nilang pagtawa ay obvious na ang sagot nila. Pero paano? How on freaking earth that these two who almost swallowed each other earlier in court are actually friends? At kaya pala hindi sila nagrereact kanina dahil iniiwasan nilang matawa?

“Okay, enough,” Attorney Shim finally said cutting their moment. “Para malinaw na, I and Ethan were schoolmates in a lawschool back then. What’s funnier is that the judge was also our schoolmate—"

“Who had a controversial breakup with—guess who?” putol ni Ethan kay Attorney Shim.

“With whom?” may pagkachismosang tanong ko.

“With my brother,” sagot ni Attorney Shim na ikinatawa nilang dalawa.

Ako naman ay naiwang hindi pa rin maproseso ang mga nalaman ko.

“That’s why hindi nanalo si Allistair sa case, ex kasi ng kuya niya ‘yong judge,” sambit pa ni Ethan na ikinatawa nila ulit.

Ilang minuto pa kaming nanatili roon at napag-usapan din namin kung gaano sila ka-close as friends at kung paano ako tinakot ni Attorney Shim about kay Ethan. However, medyo natutuwa ako kasi magiging close ko na si kuyang pogi sa CR.

Maya-maya pa ay nakita ko ang sarili ko na nakasakay sa kotse ni Attorney Shim. Nasa tabi ako ng driver’s seat at si Ethan ay nasa likuran dahil sumama na siya sa paghahatid sa akin. Ilang metro na lamang ay matatanaw ko na ang bahay namin kaya naman nagsimula na akong ayusin ang gamit ko.

Nang tumigil ang kotse, akmang bababa na ako ay tumikhim si Ethan.

Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya.

“Aeshia,” tawag sa akin ni Attorney Shim.

“We would like to tell you something,” sambit ni Ethan.

“Ano iyon?” tanong ko.

“Since sarado na ang kaso ni Rolando at Hugo, lumabas na ang autopsy report at alam na natin ang totoong dahilan ng pagkamatay ng papa mo, magkakaroon ulit ng hearing,” paliwanag ni Attorney Shim.

“This time, there’s no more room for fear, no more room for mistakes and no more room for defeat,” dagdag pa ni Ethan.

I nodded as I agreed.

“We’ll joint our forces for this case, Aeshia, what do you think about that?”

“It’s fantastic, I guess!” I said, adrenaline rushing in me.

“Well, I guess so,” sambit ni Attorney Shim. “Let the real battle begin.”