December 24, 2015
Eastwood

"I receive 1,000 pesos po. Baka may piso po kayo, ma'am?"

"Wala."

'Kahit na naglabas ka kanina sa coin purse mo? Gosh, these people,' she thought, exhausted. It was almost the end of her shift, yet why can't things go smoothly for once?

Of course she couldn't say that out loud. For starters, it'll probably get her a warning and besides, the night isn't over yet...

Only one more hour to go.

"Okay po, ma'am."

Briannova Carlos plastered on her friendly (and practiced) smile before rummaging through the cash register for change. Sa gilid ng kanyang mga mata, kapansin-pansin ang pagkainip ng mga tao sa pila. Inirapan na siya ng isang ale kanina habang nagrereklamo sa tagal. She knew explaining the holiday rush and lack of manpower this season will be a waste of saliva and time, hence she opted to just apologize for the inconvenience.

"Thank you and Happy Holidays!"

The hour passed by slower than usual.

Nang humupa na ang mga tao sa pila, doon lang napansin ng dalaga ang kumukutikutitap na pailaw ng mga gusali sa labas. From behind the counter, she can see the red and white bell-and-bow-shaped Christmas lanterns hung on the lamp posts along the busy streets of Eastwood. Four hours to go before midnight, and yet the traffic didn't seem to be forgiving any time soon.

Just the idea of her little sister Nirvana waiting for her at home warmed her heart. She still needs to pick up her Christmas present!

"Thank you and Happy Holidays!"

When the line of customers finally ended (temporarily), Brian quickly tied her shoulder-length black hair and glanced at the clock again.

'Shit. Bakit ang tagal naman niya?'

Habang hinihintay ang kasama, minabuti na lang ng dalaga na linisin na ang kalat sa counter. Brian expertly put the candy bars back in their display and refilled the coffee machine. Just when she was about to organize the pile of outdated magazines, Zack came barging through the backdoors and stumbling into her. Magazines scattered on the floor as Brian almost lost her balance.

"Zack! Magdahan-dahan ka naman!"

"Oops. S-Sorry, Miss Brian!"

'You better be! Late ka na naman,' she bitterly thought before taking off her cap and leaning against the counter.

"Sure ka bang kaya mo na rito?"

Zack, who is actually two years older than her if she remembers correctly, nodded and starting scanning a soda. Palagi man siyang late sa shift niya, alam ni Nova na maayos naman magtrabaho ang isang 'to. Besides, they were the only ones who agreed to take a shift this Christmas Eve.

'Sayang din kasi sahod,' she admits. As much as her parents assured her that they can cover her college expenses after her highschool graduation, that still didn't stop her from taking part-time jobs and sidelines.

She's her own embodiment of strength and independence, Briannova Carlos takes pride in that.

"Okay, then. Good luck!"

Brian patted him on the back and was about to take her leave when he cleared his throat. Hindi naman manhid o bulag si Brian para hindi mapansin ang pamumula ng mga pisngi nito, and she doubts its because of the cold weather.

"Sandali..."

Oh, boy.

After handing the paperbag and bidding the customer a happy holiday, Zack swiftly turned to her.

"Ah, M-Miss Brian... matagal na kasi tayong magkakilala. And I-I was wondering if you already have someone?"

Brian smiled sweetly, knowing how difficult it is to break the news to him. She had her fair share of rejections in the past, and she doesn't want to come across as a heartbreaker or anything. But the truth is...

"I already do," Brian tapped her phone and showed him the lockscreen wallpaper. Kuha ito noong kaarawan ni Brian, noong sinurpresa siya ng kasintahan. It was photo of her holding a bouquet of roses, her boyfriend hugging her from behind. "He's Lelouch and we've been together for quite some time now. But I really appreciate the admiration, Zack. Alam kong mahahanap mo rin ang babaeng para sa'yo. Friends?"

"Lelouch San Andres? Oh, wow... I-I understand. Y-You two look good together," Zack timidly replied before composing himself. "S-Sige na. I'll handle the shop from here."

She sighed in relief and picked up her pink coat. That was awkward. But then again, who doesn't know Lelouch? He's probably the sweetest and smartest guy on campus. And no, she's not being biased! Well, maybe a little.

"And Miss Brian?"

Hay.

"Yep?"

"M-Merry Christmas."

Brian smiled, genuinely grateful for the greeting. Kamuntikan na talaga niyang makalimutang Pasko na nga pala, at may naghihintay pang pamilya sa kanya.

"Merry Christmas, Zack!"

*

Brian always wanted to get more out of life. And with highschool graduation just around the corner, the talk of career paths is already making her anxious. Unlike other students her age, she still doesn't know what field she wants to pursue. Hindi niya alam kung magiging masaya ba siya kung pipiliin niyang maging doktor, abogado, o engineer, tulad ng rekomendasyon ng mga magulang niya.

For Brian, she just doesn't know if any of those roles will fit her.

'Gosh! Choosing a degree program is hard. How do they expect us to be sure about our futures as early as now? Ano kami, manghuhula?'

["Pauwi ka na ba?"]

Napabalik na lang sa kasalukuyan si Brian nang marinig ang boses ni Lelouch. Amidst the bustle of the crowd inside the bus, Brian smiled and responded, "Oo. Nabili ko na rin kasi ang regalo ni Nirvana. Will you be able to come over tonight? She was asking about you."

He chuckled on the other end of the line.

["You know I wouldn't miss it for the world, Brian. Mag-ingat ka pauwi. Pasensya na't 'di kita nasundo ngayon. My parents are literally blackmailing me to finish these reports for my internship. Call you later?"]

The bus stopped. Time to get off. All the while Brian smiled, knowing Lelouch would make it up to her later. "Unahin mo na 'yan. I'll call you later. Bye!"

["Sure. Bye, I love you."]

"I..."

Before Brian could even respond, something caught her attention. Awtomatikong naging alerto ang dalaga dahil sa bulto ng mga lalaking nagkukumpulan sa kalapit na jewelry shop. Jenny's Jewelry. Upon closer inspection, she can make out their uniforms and badges.

'Eastwood police?'

["Sweetheart, are you still there? Is something wrong?"]

"Ah, yeah. Call you back. May kailangan lang akong tingnan. Bye!"

Brian felt bad for abruptly cutting the conversation short, but instincts are telling her to stay on guard. Sa 'di kalayuan, napansin niyang sumisilip na rin mula sa kani-kanilang mga bintana ang mga kapitbahay nila. Understandable. Hindi madalas magkaroon ng krimen sa subdivision nila, kaya hindi nakapagtatakang nabulabog ang mga naninirahan dito.

'May nakawan bang nangyari? Parang ang imposible. This shop rivals Eastwood Jewels, even though it just opened two years ago!' Brian kept her eyes and her ears open to any news while passing by. Hindi nakaligtas sa pandinig niya ang naging usapan ng bagong hepe, si Chief Inspector Placido Ortega, at ang may-ari ng jewelry shop.

"Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari ito! Sinigurado kong naka-lock ang pinto kanina noong umalis ako! I have the only key. Pagbalik ko, napansin kong bigla na lang nawala ang diamond necklace sa display! May nagnakaw nito! O baka naman may gusto sumira sa pangalan namin?!"

"Naiintindihan ko ang nararamdaman mo, Mr. Villareal. Pero noong ni-review namin ang CCTV footage, wala kaming nakita. The display case with the necklace is also located at the camera's blind spot so---"

"So wala kayong magagawa?!"

Napansin ni Nova na napabuntong-hininga ang bagong hepe sa inaasta ng may-ari. If she were to guess, they've been here for quite some time now. Long enough to attract the local media team from the looks of it, with a few cameramen taking videos and journalists writing down notes from the sidewalk.

A diamond necklace? That's absurd! Sino namang magnanakaw ngayong bisperas ng Pasko?

'Some criminals truly are heartless.'

She can appreciate money (who wouldn't?), but if it serves as the root of evil, it poses no value anymore.

Better trash than cash.

Just when Nova was about to mind her own business and walk back home, her eyes caught glimpse of someone hiding in the shadows of an alley. Kumunot ang noo ng dalaga. Her heart hammered in her chest. Hindi kaya bumalik ang kriminal? But why the hell would he stay to watch the commotion?

Out of curiosity, she pretended to walk past the scene but ducked behind a parked media van.

'Brian, ano na naman itong ginagawa mo? Bitbit mo pa ang regalo ni Nirvana!'

She clutched the box closer to her and watched the events unfold. Nang maging abala ulit ang mga pulis sa pag-iimbestiga at page-entertain sa media, napansin ni Brian ang pagpuslit ng may-ari ng shop papalayo. One of the journalists followed him.

'For an interview? Pero bakit parang sinisigurado nilang 'di sila masusundan ng iba?'

But her guts were telling her that they weren't gonna do an interview. Naningkit ang kanyang mga mata. At bago pa man niya makumbinsi ang sarili na "bad idea" ang pagiging stalker, Brian quickly left her hiding spot and pursued them.

Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't the only one following the pair.

*

A few blocks away, the two slipped into an empty apartment inside a complex.

Maingat siyang nagtago sa corridor at inabangan ang mga pangyayari. Sa kanyang gulat, bigla na lang sumulpot ang isang anino mula sa dilim at mabilis na pumwesto sa may pinto. Her eyes widened at the figure, the same tall shadow she saw hiding in the alley. 'Sino siya? At anong ginagawa niya rito?' Brian tried to get a better glimpse of the man, but he was angled in a way that his dark hair obscured his features.

And from the looks of if, he was trying to solve this mystery too.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty and silent enough that she can hear snippets of the owner and the journalist's conversation from inside.

"---Siguraduhin mo lang na maikokonekta mo ito sa Eastwood Jewels. Hindi biro ang halaga ng kwintas na 'to!"

"Tsk! Ako pa ba? Walang problema. Hindi makakalabas ang napagkasunduan natin. Bukas na bukas din, iba-bypass ko ito sa editor namin. Close kami 'non, kaya 'di siya makakahalata!"

"I-update mo ako kapag na-release na ang diyaryo. Kailangan makikita ko ito sa headlines: JENNY'S JEWELERY ROBBED, POLICE SUSPECTS THE EASTWOOD JEWELS OWNER AS THE MASTERMIND!"

Brian froze when she realized what was happening. Damn it! The robbery was all a fraud and they were trying to bring down their rival in the jewelry business through false public information!

Soon, the mysterious figure barged into the room. Nabulabog ang dalawang makasabwat sa paglitaw ng lalaki. Mula sa corridor, naririnig ni Brian ang pagkabahala ng may-ari.

"Sino ka?! P-Paano mo kami nasundan dito!"

But the mysterious figure just started speaking as if giving a boring lecture.

"Amateur trick. The police should've known the robbery was fake right away. Walang ebidensiyang sumusuporta sa claims mo na may 'magnanakaw' at pinasok ang jewelry store mo. In fact, if this was a lock-picking incident, there should have been scratches on the keyhole, around the door handle, or even a missing hardware from your locking system. None of those were present, and since there wasn't any other way of entry--aside from the window that was spotless and intact--it's an indication that the key was used in the crime. From your statement earlier, nasa iyo ang kaisa-isang susi ng jewelry shop, unless you're stupid enough to leave it on display and someone duplicated your key beforehand. It was also fishy how the case was position in a way that it was in the blindspot of the CCTV. You did that on purpose, didn't you? From previous pictures in a catalogue, the case with the diamond necklace wasn't positioned the way it was tonight. You rearranged it to your advantage and took out the necklace yourself."

Brian stared at the empty space, where the stranger once stood, in utter shock. Hindi na niya kailangang makita ang mga tao sa loob para malamang nagulat din sila sa biglaang pagsasalita ng misteryosong lalaki.

Damn, who is this guy?

It seems she wasn't the only one with that question in mind. Mula sa loob ng silid, narinig niya ang bayolenteng pagsigaw ng jewelry store owner.

"HAHAHA! PINADALA KA BA RITO NINA ORTEGA?!"

The guy just scoffed as if the idea itself was a whole new joke mankind created at that very moment.

"I'd rather be an acrobat than work for the police."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Brian nang marinig ang kasa ng isang baril. For a split second, she was debating to go home and spend the rest of Christmas Eve pretending she didn't stumble on this chaos. Naghihintay sa kanya si Nirvana! Pero sa hindi malamang dahilan, hindi niya magawang iwan ang lalaking bigla na lang nakialam sa gulong ito...

'Damn, Brian! Just leave him. He got himself into this!'

"Ito ang napapala ng mga pakialamerong kagaya mo!"

She wanted to kick herself.

Brian rushed to the door and peaked through the gap. The mysterious man's back was turned to her so she couldn't see his face. Pero sapat na ang anggulong ito para makita niya ang galit na ekspresyon ng may-ari. In the corner of the room, the journalist cowered, clutching a paperbag that probably contained the diamond necklace.

'Sorry, Nirvana.'

"Hindi ka na dapat nakigulo bata---ARAY!"

Brian mentally clapped herself for the perfect hit. Sapul sa ulo ng may-ari ang nakabalot pang regalo. Naging sanhi ito para mawalan ito ng balanse. The distraction gave the mysterious man enough time to wrestle the gun out of the owner's hand.

The journalist watched the scene in disappointment. But being the greedy bastard that he is, instead of helping the store owner, he quietly ran past the two men and attempted to slip away.

'Oh, no you don't!'

Brian took off her pink jacket and awaited the man exiting the room. Dahil sa pokus nitong makatakas sa gulo, hindi niya napansin ang dalagang nakaabang sa gilid. Sa isang iglap, mabilis niya itong tinisod at dinambahan. Bago pa man makasigaw ang lalaki, agad niyang binalot sa leeg nito ang jacket.

Brian struggled to hold down the man, but she wasn't one to give up that easily.

His hand attempted to grip her leg, but she quickly stomped on it.

Heels first.

"FUCK! Y-YOU DAMN BITCH!"

Brian smirked and gripped the jacket around his neck tighter.

"Nakakasira kayo ng Pasko, alam mo 'yon?"

Maya-maya pa, narinig na niya ang boses ng mga pulis sa labas.

Soon enough, they raided the apartment complex and first found the journalist lying on the floor, unconscious.

Hand bleeding.

The diamond necklace still missing.

---

Read "II. Yang" after this part.