Redemption

Special Chapter #3.

Special Chapter #3.

Painful Downfall,

"Ma, can we spend our vacation there? I have this research about their city and I have to be there exactly to understand more about that place. Those pictures you sent me from Google wasn't enough." My daughter who is five years old told me that.

I couldn't help but giggle at how cute she was. She's wearing a red dress and red shoes, while her hair is tied in two. She's about to finish her nursery but she's advanced than most of her classmates.

Lumuhod ako para maging magka-level kami. I held her hands and squeeze it because it was fluffly. God! Thank you for giving me this child! I love her so much!

"Sure, sweetie. How about this Summer before we enroll you?"

She smiled widely, that smile of a winner because she gets what she wants. Of course, baby, mama will give you everything.

My husband and I finally built a two-storey house for us to start a much better comfortability. Pareho naman kaming may tinapos but given the country's state and the debt we are currently facing right now, masiyadong malakinang taxes and nagbaba pa ng salary ang government. It was because of the bill they passed but only for a year, para lang makabangon ang bansa mula sa pagka-lugmok.

And my husband's promotion was really helpful at the times like this. Okay nang ako na lang muna ang minimum wager basta tumaas ang isa sa amin. We need to save more lalo't mag start na sa elementary si Autumn.

I don't want to brag but I'm a police woman. I'm an officer stationed to the crime division unit as a newbie. Yes, I just got hired six months ago. While my husband is also on the same division but on a higher rank than me. He was an inspector before his promotion. He is the chief officer now.

I hired Autumn a nanny because our relatives are in distant that they could not take care of our child. Hindi naman mahirap alagaan ang anak ko dahil bukod sa matalino siya, alam na niya ang hindi sa mga dapat niyang gawin.

I love my work but most of the time it was the root of my stress. Kabi-kabilaan ang mga crimes na nagaganap at halos mapuno na ang office namin dahil sa hindi natitigil na crime reports. Dahil ito sa lumalakas na gang war sa lugar. Mahirap silang puksain dahil sindikato ang nagpu-pondo para sa kanila.

One night, my husband went home looking problematic. I knew that was normal mostly if you just finished your duty but this time it was different. He sat on our sofa at pagod na sumandal. Nagtimpla ako ng tea para gumaan ang pakiramdam niya.

"Inumin mo muna 'to," inabot ko sa kaniya ang mainit na tasa ng tsaa.

Kinuha niya ito at ininuman. Nanligaw siya sa akin noon highschool kami. I was a transferee back then at siya ay isang siga-siga sa campus. We were classmates but he didn't mind kahit asarin kami ng lahat. Sinagot ko rin siya sa taong 'yon and we dated for almost eight years before we decided to get married. We had Autumn after two years of happy marriage with him.

"Is everything okay, Win? Gusto mo ba na pagusapan?" I asked,

He sighed, "Something happened at work, mahal. Ewan ko, naguguluhan ako."

He told me everything, and to be honest, it scared me.

When Winter was still an inspector, they did a buy bust operation in Cavite. It was successful, but he saw something there that made his mouth shut. Nakita niya kung paano mag abutan ng sobre at droga ang mga kabaro niya at mga chinese lords na naroon sa crime scene.

The whole buy-bust was staged. The drug lord gave them fake drugs so they would be praised. They even gave those officers a bag of drugs that they could sell out. Nagulat siya, hindi naka-imik. Sinubukan niyang isumbong sa director nila pero nang malaman niya na maging ito ay kasabwat, wala siyang nagawa.

One day, he got promoted. Reason? Because he found out and witnessed the corruption first-hand. We were happy from that promotion but we didn't know it was already a threat yet bribery at the same time. They ranked him up so he could zipper his mouth.

"And, I found this.." he gave me a flashdrive.

"Anong nilalaman niyan?"

"List of names involve in drugs and other crime related. Big names, Hana. Hindi mo magugustuhan ang mga makikita mo."

"Bakit mo 'to sinasabi sa akin, mahal?" I asked him. This is supposed to be confidential.

"Just in case I get killed for this, make sure you reveal that to media."

When I heard that, nagsimula akong matakot para sa buhay namin. I saw the content of flashdrives and believe me, it was maddening. The government sold our sovereignty to other country. Bakit ang bansa ay naghihirap? Dahil ninanakaw ito ng mga nakaupo. Sangko't din karamihan sa mga international crime katulad ng drugs, human trafficking at iba pa.

I couldn't believe it!

Pero dahil din diyan, hindi na ako nakampante, lalo na ang asawa ko. Nagsimula siyang mag lasing at mawalan ng gana pumasok sa trabaho. Nasusuka siya sa mga nakikita at naririnig niya.

"Hindi ito ang pinasok ko, Hana. Ayokong maging ganito!" he cried in my arms, I cried with him.

"What if mag resign ka na lang, tayo? Maghanap tayo ng ibang trabaho, Winter. Please, para sa kaligtasan natin at ng anak natin."

"If I did that, I closed my eyes to the innocent who wanted justice for themselves. If I did that, para ko na rin kinonsinte ang kasamaan na ito. Kung wala akong gagawin, paano na?"

"Even if it means you will risk our safety?"

Hindi siya nakasagot. Naiiyak ako sa takot pero nauunawaan ko ang punto niya. Isa rin akong pulis at pareho kami ng sinumpaan'g tungkulin. Maging ako 'man ay hindi rin gusto ito pero anong magagawa namin kung labis na makapangyarihan ang mga taong nasa paligid namin?

"Magi-ingat ako," he promised, and I believed him.

Isang taon mula nang malaman namin ang totoo, umayos muli si Winter sa trabaho. Sikreto niyang nilalabas ang baho ng mga kabaro niya at maging ng ilang matataas na opisyal kaya isa-isang nasibak ang mga ito sa kanilang tungkulin. He's working clean na walang naghihinala na may kinalaman siya sa mga laglagan.

Marami ang napakulong dahil sa matitibay na ebidensyang hawak namin. Pero hindi rin kami nagpabaya. We homeschooled Autumn for the mean time for her safety. Pumapasok pa rin ako sa trabaho at umaakto na normal ang lahat.

"Yey! We're going!" my Autumn happily embraced us.

It's Summer and like what we promised, we're going to Mexico for a quick vacation and of course for her 'research'. Nag leave kami pareho sa aming mga trabaho ng para sa tatlong araw lang.

Gagamitin ko rin na pagkakataon itong pupunta kami sa magandang lugar para ibalita sa kanila na buntis ako. I'm sure they will both be happy.

Masaya namin ginala ang sikat na city kasama ang tour guide. We took a lot of pictures and we ate sa mga famous cuisine sa lugar. Nang matapos kami with our tour guide, he gave us time to stroll around the city nang kami lang. We rented a car para si Win ang mag maneho.

"Yes, diyan ka lumiko." I told him. I'm holding a map and searching for the best route to go to a mall.

Napahinto si Win nang may makitang barricade sa street kung saan dapat kami dadaan. We had no choice to but to take the next street dahil iisa lang naman din ang lalabasan nila.

While Win is driving, his cell suddenly rang. Kinuha ko ito at tsaka sinagot, nilagay ko na rin sa loudspeaker para hindi mahirapan ang asawa ko sa pagmamaneho.

"Winter, nasaan ka?"

"Merrily driving in Tijuana. Why?"

"Wala, nangamusta lang. Take care and enjoy with your family, pare."

Saglit na natigilan ang asawa ko, "uh, salamat Boe. Kita tayo paguwi ko." then he ended the call.

Lumiko kami sa street na daraanan namin. Tinignan ko si Autumn mula sa rear view mirror na masaya lang na nagda-drawing sa papel niya.

"Something is not right," Winter said,

I look at him, "Why? And who is Boe?"

"Workmate."

I nodded, well that's better than a w***e.

"But, I didn't told him sinong kasama ko."

"He assumed since you're in a vacation, or baka kinuwento ng iba mong ka-trabaho? Alam nila 'yon since nag file ka ng leave."

"Yes, I filed for leave pero ang sabi ko may aasikasuhin tayo sa hospital, hindi bakasyon, Hana. Hindi ko puweding sabihin sa kanila ang tungkol dito dahil wala akong tiwala,"

"I filed for leave too, mahal. Chismosa ang mga nasa team ko kaya hindi malabo na nabuking ka nila."

He nodded, "No, iba ang pakiramdam ko. Bumalik na tayo," ikakabig na sana niya ang manibela pero napatigil kami nang maraming kalalakihan ang humarang sa sasakyan.

My husband and I both scanned the area at ngayon lang namin na realized na nasa liblib pala kaming eskinita. Inabot ko ang baril na nakatago sa dashboard at mabilis itong tinago sa likuran ko. Huminga ako ng malalim.

Pinababa nila ang salamin ng bintana namin. Wala kaming nagawa kundi sumunod dahil may baril ang dalawa sa kanila, and we're scared for Autumn, and our unborn baby. s**t!

May isang lalaki ang lumapit sa salamin ko at tinutukan ako ng baril sa mukha, ganoon din sa tabi ni Winter. Nagtaas kami ng kamay. Huminga ako ng malalim at kumalma. I shouldn't panic. Calm, Hana. We can get through this. I can fight but I'm afriad Autumn and my baby will get hurt.

"Toss your things outside," utos ng isang mexicano.

Dahan dahan kong inabot ang bags ko at binato ito sa labas. I reached for Winter's wallet and tossed it too. He's not moving. Kinakabahan ako. Gusto kong maiyak pero ayokong matakot ang anak ko sa likod.

"Gangsters, you already have our money and card. You can let us go and we will forget about this." My husband tried to negotiate.

But the man smirked, "We ain't here to loot you, Winter."

My eyes went wide. They knew us. Oh my God! This was an ambush!

Naging mabilis si Winter sa pagdukot ng baril. Nagawa niyang patamaan ang huling mexicano na nagsalita pero hindi naging sapat dahil marami sila. I felt those fast bullet went inside me. I cried in pain, in silence, in fear, until I coughed blood.

Winter managed to open the back door's seat to save our daughter. Nagawa ko pang lumingon sa aking pinakamamahal na anak. Please, save yourself.

"Go," I mouthed. Please, God, save her, save my daughter. Please, don't let anybody hurt her.

Walang tigil ang pag agos ng luha ko. Nilingon ko ang asawa ko at nakitang nakatingin na ito sa akin, may luha rin sa mata. Parehas kaming naka sandal sa upuan, magkatitigan.

Hanggang dito na lang ba talaga? I suddenly remember my baby, hindi ko 'man lang nagawang masabi sa kaniya na magkaka-anak siyang muli. I don't understand what just happened. Why? Saan kami nagkamali? Bakit? Ginawa lang naman namin ang tama.. bakit?

And Autumn, God, please guide her, please..

"I love you," he mouthed, but that's the last thing I heard dahil bigla nang tumigil ang mundo ko.