T H U R S D A Y

December 12, 2019
8:00 a.m.

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Andrew stared out the window of their family car, trying to count the houses they passed by, but eventually giving up. Dahil dito, iba naman ang napagtuunan niya ng pansin...

"Kuya, bakit ang daming pulis sa labas?"

Sa kanyang tabi, mukhang wala namang pakialam si Franco at umaktong 'di siya narinig. His eyes were focused on his cellphone, probably flirting with another girl after his "broken heart" with Feralda. Hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring alam si Andrew sa nangyari sa kanila, but he was silently thankful not to have a stranger with them in their family trip.

The kid unconsciously held the pendant on his neck, and peeked ahead.

Napansin niyang mukhang nag-aalala na rin ang mga magulang nila sa presensiya ng mga pulis.

"Akala ko ba walang travel restrictions?"

"Hindi ko rin alam," Todd told his wife. "Kani-kanina ko nga lang din nalaman sa radyo na bigla na lang naghigpit ang mayor. Kung tama ako ng narinig, biglaang utos daw na walang papapasukin o palalabasin sa Eastwood!"

Despite his fever, Andrew frowned, disliking the feeling of not having any idea what's going on.

Akala siguro ng mga matatanda hindi nila napapansin ang problema sa paligid. O baka naman tama ang Lolo Scorpio niya na masyado ngang "curious" si Andrew sa mga bagay-bagay.

Either way, that didn't stop him from pressing his small nose out of the window.

"Teka, 'di ba po 'yon yung bahay ng mga Taves?"

Andrew blinked at the house they were about to pass by. Hindi man sila masyadong close ng mga Taves sa school, Andrew and Nirvana exchanged friendly gestures with them sometimes. Kaya nga nagulat rin sila nang biglang binalita na namatay ang nanay nila dahil sa sakit.

'Nakakamatay pala talaga ang sakit?' Andrew thought innocently.

Buti na lang pala Dr. Tiffany gave him fruits at her clinic! Siguradong gagaling na siya nito.

Suddenly, the car stopped.

Hinarangan sila ng ilang mga pulis. Maya-maya pa, bigla silang nilapitan ng isang lalaking agad niyang nakilala dahil sa makapal nitong salamin.

"Hey, kiddo."

"KUYA DAN!"

*

BREAKING NEWS: COUNCILOR ROQUE'S SON BLEEDS AT CITY HALL!

She didn't really need to read the article in order to know what happened. Alam na niya ang nangyari, at alam na niya ang mga mangyayari pa sa Eastwood sa mga susunod na buwan.

A few years ago, Eastwood left her with pain.

Now, she's leaving them with a plague.

'All according to plan,' The Unknown Disease thought and folded the newspaper in her lap.

Kasabay ng pag-ugong ng makina ng bus, ngumiti nang kampante si Dr. Almeida at pinagmasdan ang mga taong walang kamalay-malay na kasama na pala nila ang babaeng nagsimula ng gulong ito. And since "covering yourself" is something humans practiced in times of panic, it only gave her an advantage. Walang makakakilala sa kanya, at walang makakaalam na makakaalis na pala siya ng Eastwood.

'Finally, I'm liberated from my past.'

Ipinikit ni Dr. Almeida ang kanyang mga mata at hinayaang bumalik ang mga alaala, sa huling pagkakataon.

Ang nakaraan niyang hindi niya matakas-takasan, kahit saang bansa pa siya pumunta.

As someone who had already lost her parents to sickness at a young age, Jane was forced to make a living in order to study and survive. Hindi niya malilimutan ang araw na nalaman niyang may leukemia ang nanay niya. It was a heart-breaking situation for her, considering Jane's father, Mr. Almeida, just died five months prior to that discovery. Diabetes. Sa huli, dahil wala rin naman silang pera, napilitan silang kalimutan ang pagpapagamot ng kanyang ama.

Tulad ng pagkalimot nila sa mga gamot at therapy ni Mrs. Almeida.

After her mother's death, Jane tried to make things work, tried applying for loans, scholarships, and sponsorships from different politicians and personalities...

Pero sa huli, wala ring nakarinig sa paghingi niya ng tulong.

For a long time, Jane was left alone in the dark, struggling to live by herself. She sold everything to make a living and to continue college---even her own body.

"B-Buntis ako."

Despite already knowing the consequences, pakiramdam pa rin ni Jane na gumuho ang kanyang mundo nang makita ang resulta ng pregnancy test. She can barely take care of herself and eat three meals a day, how the heck do the gods up there expect her to take care of a child?

Nonetheless, Jane never expected that child, born on the 12th day of December and wrapped in an old blanket, to be her salvation. Lahat ng hirap, iyak, sakripisyo, at oras na inilaan ni Jane sa pag-aalaga niya ng kanyang anak nang mag-isa...

Naaalala niya ang lahat.

How the child fell asleep in her arms in the small room they rented at the Mockingbird apartment.

How she would often take him to the park for sunlight after the Sunday mass.

How they waltz through the busy areas of the mall, trying to find a part-time job.

'Pero tulad ng lahat ng mabubuting bagay na nangyari sa buhay ko, life just had to rip it away from me,' Jane thought, her knuckles white where she squeezed them. Hindi na niya namalayang nanginginig na pala ang mga ito habang bumabalik ang masasalimuot na alaala.

Jane finally got accepted with a scholarship abroad, pero nang aminin niyang hindi siya pwedeng umalis dahil may inaalagaan siyang anak, doon na siya ginipit ng tadhana.

"For the sake of the greater good, Jane," one of her professors explained. "Mas kailangan ka ng nakararami. Masasayang lang 'yang talino mo kung hindi mo gagamitin. Gusto mo bang pagsisihan 'to balang-araw? Ayaw mo bang matuwa ang anak mo kapag nalaman niyang virologist ang nanay niya? Ayaw mo ba siyang bigyan ng magandang buhay? Pag-isipin mong maigi, bata ka pa..."

Eventually, everyone in Eastwood, including a few politicians who offered their financial support and assistance, started pushing her to pursue her dreams.

Noong iniwan niya sa foster care kanyang anak, ang akala ni Jane tama ang kanyang naging desisyon.

'But at the end of the day, they just used me.'

A few months after she finally settled in on foreign land, nalaman ni Jane na nagkaroon ng political issues at naapektuhan ang foster care system. Wala siyang matawagan o mapagtanungan. Hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang nawalan ng balita sa kanyang anak... Nobody even updated her. Others say that the child died some time when a robbery happened at the foster home.

Whenever Jane tried to book a flight back, her superiors would block and blackmail her.

"There's no turning back, Jane. Nandito ka para pagsilbihan ang nakararami."

"Tangina, eh hindi ko nga mapagsilbihan ang sarili kong anak!"

"The sacrifice is necessary."

Since then, she spent the nights with anxiety and episodes of depression. Habang tumatagal na wala siyang ideya sa sinapit ng kanyang anak, lalong nilalamon ng kalungkutan ang katawan ng virologist. It was tormenting her, inside out. But instead of dwelling in misery, she decided to turn the tides in her favor, as a coping mechanism.

Books and books, she consumed everything.

Jane Almeida became an honorable virologist, but a terrible mother.

'Hindi dapat ako nagtiwala... Eastwood is just a bad memory.'

Huminga nang malalim si Jane at ibinalik ang kanyang atensyon sa kasalukuyan. Wala nang paraan para baguhin ang nakaraan, pero may nagawa naman siya para hamakin ang kinabukasan. Jane chuckled to herself and fumbled with the stone inside her pocket.

Zotz, the bat.

90°

Ang parehong batong naging saksi sa katapusan ni Benet sa isolation unit. The blood already dried off, but it didn't matter anymore. It's a shame that she didn't even get the chance to leave this at the city hall, completing the circle.

Suddenly, the bus stopped.

Jane frowned when she saw a checkpoint outside.

'Imposible 'to. Hindi maghihigpit sa lansangan... The mayor and I agreed to it!'

Shit.

But as the police officers started talking to the bus driver, alam ni Jane na kailangan na niyang umalis dito. Covering her face, she got up from her seat and started walking towards the end of the bus, where a window was opened large enough to crawl out and make an escape.

Mabuti na lang at wala pang nakakapansin sa kanya.

Almost there!

Malapit na siyang maka---

Click.

The virologist paused, but because of the sound, but because of the fact that she couldn't move her hand. Napalingon si Jane sa kanyang kanang kamay, at nanuyo ang kanyang lalamunan nang makitang nakaposas na ito. She tried to yank it off, only to realize that the other end was cuffed to someone else.

When her gaze met the familiar face, Dr. Jane Almeida instantly paled.

"You should be lucky that a gentleman like me would never use force on a woman, Unknown Disease," Detective Nico Yukishito and took off his face mask, revealing a set of dimples when he smirked. His eyes challenged. "But that doesn't mean I won't bet on the devil to catch you."

Doon lang niya napansing nakatuon na pala ang atensyon ng iba pang mga pasahero sa kanila.

Taking off their face masks and disguises...

Her breath hitched.

The entire police force was inside the bus.

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