The Search

Chapter 2

Scattered blood on the tiles surprised me. The bad odor ruining my nostrils finally made sense. I couldn't speak. My mind was stuttering. My whole body was shaking tremendously. I couldn't even make a single move because of what I was seeing.

Walang tigil sa pagpatak ang mabibigat kong luha habang awang-awang tinitigan ang duguang katawan ng babaeng nakalumpasay sa sahig.

"MOMMY!" I said. Finally, I was able to speak out loud. Nanginginig kong nilapitan ang walang buhay na katawan ng aking ina. I hugged her and cried as if there was no more tomorrow. Halos hindi na ako makahinga nang maayos sa aking paghikbi. I was just crying until there were no more tears left in me. I wasn't expecting this to happen. I wished I was only dreaming.

Ilang oras din akong umiyak habang mahigpit na hinagkan si Mommy. I didn't do anything. I didn't call the police or the nearest hospital. I was just taking time to ask her what had happened. I was so stupid for waiting for her to answer even though I knew she wouldn't respond because she was dead already.

I looked at her pierced chest that made me cry even more. Pinatay na nga siya, dinukot pa ang puso niya. For what? Para saan 'tong karumal-dumal na pagpaslang sa kaniya?

Hindi mag-register sa utak ko na nangyari lahat ng ito. I couldn't accept the truth that Mom was already gone. If only I knew this would happen, I should've greeted her early in the morning. I should've given her everything, pero huli na ang lahat.

I was at the point where I was blaming myself for everything. Kung sana umuwi lang ako nang maaga, baka naabutan ko pa siyang buhay. I wished I had protected her. Siya na nga lang ang mayroon sa akin, hinayaan ko pang mawala. I hugged her dead body. I no longer smell blood, but pain and sorrow.

I was still crying when something caught my attention. There was a fang drawn on the tiles, sort of. It was drawn using a finger. Did Mom do this before she could lose her breath? But, what was about a fang?

I got my phone in my bag with my hands still shaking, so I could take a picture of the drawing. But when I was done capturing it, everything went black.

The fascinating sunlight greeted me when I opened my eyes. Bahagya muna akong pumikit bago ko inilibot ang aking paningin sa kabuuan ng lugar. I was in my room and lying on my bed. When my head ached, I immediately got up because I thought of Mom.

"MOMMY!" I cried as I walked down the stairs. Pagkababa ko'y sinalubong ako ni Psalm kasama ng ilang mga pulis.

"Margot." Psalm walked towards me and hugged me.

"Where is Mom?" tanong ko, habang nakayakap pa rin siya sa akin.

He let go of me and faced me. "She's at the mortuary. She needs to be embalmed."

"Why did you send her there without my permission? Sana man lang hinintay n'yo ako!"

"I'm sorry, Margot. Ang mga pulis na ang nagsabi na kailangan niya na ring ipunta doon."

My tears shed down through my cheeks. Hindi pa tapos sa pamamaga ang mga mata ko, ngunit may kasunod na namang mga luha.

"What happened?" Psalm asked as he hugged me again. "I'm sorry for being this late."

"Psalm," I cried, "ano bang kasalanan namin para gawan kami ng gan'to? Anong kasalanan ni Mommy? 'Di ba wala naman siyang ibang ginawa kundi ang maging isang mabuting ina?"

Pinatahan niya ako, pero hindi ako natigil sa pag-iyak. Hinang-hina na ang buong katawan ko sa mga nangyayari. Hindi na ako makapag-isip at makagalaw nang maayos.

The investigation was still ongoing when Psalm invited me for a breakfast. "Sigurado akong hindi ka pa kumakain simula kagabi, kaya kumain ka muna," sambit niya, habang inaabutan ako ng pagkain sa mesa.

I didn't touch the food.

I heard him let out a sigh as he fixed his chair, as well as his posture. He held my hands, "I know it's hard. It's unbelievable, that even I, couldn't get over it. But I promise I'll do everything to help. Makukuha rin natin ang hustisya para kay Tita."

I didn't respond.

"Margot, please kumain ka na. Wala pang laman 'yang tiyan mo. Maghihina ka talaga niyan."

Again, he got no answer from me.

Hindi na rin siya nagsalita hanggang sa nagbigay na nga ng signal ang mga pulis na tapos na ang imbestigasyon. The polices invited us to the station upang doon na lamang daw pag-usapan ang mga nangyari.

"Sigurado kang kaya mo na?" tanong sa akin ni Psalm. "Kung hindi pa, puwede pa naman siguro natin 'tong ipagpaliban para makapagpahinga ka muna."

"No," I said in an affirmed manner. "Hindi natin puwedeng ipagpaliban 'to. Kaya ko naman na. Basta para kay Mommy, kakayanin ko ang lahat."

"Okay, but... will you please eat first? Kahit ilang subo lang," he insisted. "Sorry kung makulit ako, pero para rin lang naman 'to sa'yo, at para kay Tita."

"Wala pa akong gana."

He sighed.

"But don't worry, I can handle it," I added.

He never talked again, but he took out the food with us. "In case na magutom ka, at least you have these," he said before he ran his car. "Buti na lang pala dinaanan kita," sambit niya, habang nagmamaneho papunta sa station. "I really have this bad feeling since last night because you're not answering my texts and calls. Kahit kaninang umaga, hindi mo pa rin sinasagot ang mga tawag ko. 'Yon pala, may masama nang nangyari."

My tears didn't stop shedding while listening to him.

"When I arrived to your house, nadaanan kitang nakahiga sa sahig katabi ni Tita. I was shocked, so I ran towards you. Sobrang kinabahan ako kasi akala ko... a-akala ko wala na na rin."

I looked at him, who was now crying too. I still couldn't utter a word. I was just seeing him cry. I felt even worse for making him worry.

Who among us deserved any of these? No one, but the person who killed my mom. I knew it would take us time to find that evil, but the truth will eventually be unwrapped. One day, I would surely face that culprit, and I swear he would rot in hell.