MAVIEL

MINSAN, NAPAIISIP ako kung tama ba itong pinasukan ko.

"Please be reminded that we will have a quiz tomorrow. Do you have any questions? None? Very well, class dismissed."

Napatingin ako sa clock display ng phone ko. It's already four-fifteen in the afternoon! I was already late by fifteen minutes. Tch! Bakit ba kasi sa lahat ng araw, ngayon pa nag-extend ng class ang prof namin?

Tumayo na ko't inayos ang mga gamit ko sa bag. My classmates also did the same. Wala na kaming susunod na subject kaya pwede na kaming umuwi. Well, maybe not everyone. Merong ilan sa amin na may after-class activities habang ang ilan naman ay gagala pa.

"Hey, Mav!" Lumapit sa 'kin ang classmate kong si Amity. "We're going to a karaoke hub this afternoon and sing our hearts out! Gusto mo bang sumama? Come on, minsan lang 'to, oh!"

I slid the strap of my bag on my right shoulder and forced a smile at them. "Gusto ko sana, kaso hindi ako makasasama. Sorry!"

"Mav naman! Minsan lang kami magyaya," pamimilit niya. "Lagi ka na lang nagpa-pass!"

Nginitian ko siya. Pang-ilang beses na ba niya akong niyaya? Hindi ko na tanda. I had been turning down her invitatations since a few weeks ago.

"Oh, this has something to do with your part-time job?" she asked. "Are you still working at that cafe?"

I nodded. "Four o'clock kasi ang duty ko roon, kaso nag-extend ang prof natin. I need to run for it. Maybe next time?"

"Hopefully next time." Ngumiti rin si Amity sa 'kin. "Go na! Baka hinihintay ka na ng workmates mo diyan sa cafe."

"Thank you, and sorry talaga!" Nagmadali na akong lumabas ng aming classroom at bumaba ng hagdanan mula third floor papuntang ground floor. Muli akong napatingin sa oras sa phone. It's already 4:18 in the afternoon!

If I were an ordinary college student, I would have already said yes sa pakikipag-bonding sa barkada ni Amity. Who wouldn't want to go to a karaoke hub and release stress for a while?

Unfortunately, I wasn't like them. I didn't have the same privileges as them. Studying here in Clark University was not financially easy. May kamahalan ang tuition fee. My family could afford to send me to this uni, but I refused to burden them with so much responsibilities. Maliban sa gastusin sa school works at tuition, kailangan ko ring i-sustain ang pag-stay ko sa city. The living cost wasn't a joke! I had been residing in a dorm just a few blocks away from campus. May monthly rent na kailangang bayaran. May pagkaing kailangang bilhin araw-araw.

So I decided to work as a part-timer in a café just across the street. To ease our family's financial burden. To give me a bit of financial freedom. This wasn't my original plan. But things happened, kaya dito ako napadpad. The name of the coffee and tea shop is Café Moriartea. This was a pretty good place if you wanted to take a sip of your favorite drinks and relax with classical music playing in the background.

How did I get there? Well, it's quite a long story.

I wasn't a regular customer in this café, nor did I consider working in here. Nataon na no'ng minsan na na-late ako sa aking morning class, dito muna ako tumambay. I forgot what I had ordered back then, pero doon ko unang na-meet si Sigmund. He tried to deduce me by saying it's my first time in the café and I was late for my first class, which impressed me.

I had never thought na masusundan pa pala ang encounters namin.

Naghahanap kasi noon ako ng part-time job. The same day, I tried to apply for the student aide program ng uni, but sadly, naubusan na ako ng slot. Sigmund then appeared near the Office of Student Affairs and told me that he knew a place where I could find one. Curious ako noon at desperado pang magka-part-time job kaya nagtanong ako.

"We will hire you in one condition: You need to undergo my training as a detective." I remembered him telling me.

I declined the offer. Ang gusto ko ay magkatrabaho. Enough na sa 'kin ang kumuha ng orders at mag-serve ng drinks sa mga customer. But to be trained as a detective? I found that absurd. Kaya I was like, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Dahil t-in-urndown ko ang offer ng Café Moriartea, naghanap-hanap ako sa malalapit na fast food restos. But they all rejected my application. That struck me as odd. Later on, I found out that this Sigmund made sure that no establishment would accept me. I had no idea how he did it. But he did.

In the end, wala akong choice kundi tanggapin ang part-time job offer ng café at mag-undergo sa detective training. He had been mentoring me since day one, teaching me the ways of being a detective. Naging challenging ang mga unang week ko bilang trainee dahil sa sunod-sunod na kasong s-in-olve namin. In one case, I almost got killed!

But all's well that ended well.

I was still learning, and I was enjoying every step of the way. Naisip ko nga minsan, what if matapos na ang part-time period ko rito sa café? Would I still be working as a detective? That's another question for another time.

"Sorry, I'm late!" I greeted as soon as I got inside the shop. Nakapuwesto na sa kani-kanilang istasyon ang mga katrabaho ko. There's one at the cash register, one at the barista's corner, and one at the customers' area.

"It's okay, cupcake!" said the guy at the cash register. His hair was in curls and his curly fringes leaned on one side of his flawless face. He got this dazzling smile that could uplift someone's spirits. His name's Sigmund Salazar, the assistant manager of the café. And my mentor.

He called me cupcake, but that didn't mean we shared a sweet and special relationship. In fact, paiba-iba nga ang tawag niya sa 'kin. Honeybunch. Marshmallow. Tart. Pudding. At kadalasan, magka-rhyme 'yon sa salita bago ang words of endearment niya: What's your hunch, honeybunch? Will you say no, marshmallow? I used to cringe at first, pero nasanay na ako.

"Catch your breath first," he told me. "Wala pa naman ang client natin so there's no need to rush. There's still . . . six minutes before the appointment."

That's good! May time pa ako para magpalit ng damit. Dumeretso na ako sa staff room, ni-lock ang pinto, hinubad ang aking school uniform at isinuot ang work uniform ko. I put the maroon vest over my white longsleeved blouse and pulled up my maroon skirt. Tumingin ako sa salamin at inilagay ang ribbon ko.

Nagmadali akong bumalik sa counter. Sigmund noticed that my ribbon wasn't properly worn, kaya inayos niya ang pagkakalagay n'on.

Saktong 4:30 nang may pumasok na babaeng nakasuot ng shades. Sigmund deduced that's our client because of her brief hesitation to come in.

"Why don't you escort her upstairs?" bulong niya sa 'kin. Amoy ko ang minty breath niya dahil sa sobrang lapit. "Let's hear how we can help her."

Kaya mo 'to, Mav! I put on my brightest smile before approaching the lady. "Good afternoon, ma'am! May we take your case?"

"So this must be the Moriartea Detective Agency, huh?" she asked. "It looks like a regular food business establishment."

I understood why our female client was visibly confused. This detective agency put up a front as your friendly café. Nang sabihin nga ni Sigmund sa 'kin ang totoong nature ng shop na 'to, hindi ako agad naniwala. I thought he was joking or pulling a prank on me.

"This way, ma'am!" I guided the client toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Kung sa ground floor ine-enjoy ng mga customer ang hot at cold drinks namin, sa second floor naman namin ine-entertain ang mga client gaya niya. Fully furnished ang client's lounge. Pwede muna siyang mag-relax sa couch at manood ng Netflicks sa Smart TV namin.

Pinaupo ko ang client sa couch at bumaba muna ako. I went to the cash register kung saan nag-aayos na si Sigmund.

"Let's go?" tanong ko.

He smiled at me before nodding. "Landice, ikaw muna ang magmando ng cash register. We have a case waiting to be solved upstairs."

The guy whose eyes were almost covered by his curtain bangs nodded back at him. Kanina pa siya nasa sulok ng barista's corner. Doon kasi ang favorite spot niya. Isinara niya ang binabasang libro at lumapit sa cash register.

"Pa-prepare na rin ng chamomile tea," I said, but I got no response from him.

Landice is the main barista of the café. He knew how to brew and blend. Alam niyang kunin ang timpla ng coffee o tea na magugustuhan ng mga customer. He could be one of the big reasons why people kept coming back to our shop—aside from our stellar customer service.

Aside from my mandatory detective training, kailangan ko ring malaman ang iba't ibang duties dito sa café. Sigmund taught me how to memorize the orders from a lot of customers without getting them mixed up and operate the register. But Landice? He hadn't taught me anything about making tea and coffee. Hindi niya rin ako kinakausap.

Sabi sa 'kin ni Sigmund, kailangan ko raw bigyan ng time ang barista namin para mag-share. Walang problema 'yon sa 'kin . Willing to wait akong maturuan. Pero sana, bago matapos ang contract ko rito sa café, malaman ko na kung paano gumawa ng masarap na kape at tsaa.

When it came to my detective training, Landice tried to test my deductive prowess once. Hindi na naulit pa. I remembered him belittling me dahil hindi ko nakuha ang tamang sagot. I couldn't recall kung doon ko siya sinimulang tawagin sa isip ko na walking fridge. Not only his replies were cold, even his personality.

Nauna nang umakyat si Sigmund. Paakyat na rin ako sa hagdan nang nakasalubong ko ang isa pa naming workmate namin na katatapos lang magtapon ng basura sa trash bin.

"Nik, pahatid sa taas mamaya kapag ready na 'yong chamomile tea," utos ko.

"Sure, no problem!" Nikolai replied, smiling. Nag-spray siya ng alcohol sa kamay at ipinakita sa 'kin ang hawak na hand sanitizer. "Gusto mo ba?"

Tumango ako at ini-spray-an na rin niya ng alcohol ang mga kamay ko. I rubbed my hands as I climbed the stairs. Pinuntahan naman niya ang isang table at iniligpit ang mga kalat doon.

This wasn't an exaggeration, but Nikolai was the god of cleanliness in this café. Sobra ang pagiging obsessed niya na panatilihing malinis ang paligid. As in sobra! He wanted to kill the one percent germs na nakalulusot sa 99-percent germ-killing disinfectants. He also had a habit of spraying alcohol every now and then, lalo na kapag may nagpapa-picture sa kanya 'tapos hinawakan niya ang phone.

He's some sort of celebrity in the café. He's good-looking. He's a gentleman. He's polite sa mga nakakasalamuha niya. Biro nga ni Sigmund, dumaragsa ang mga customer dahil sa kanya. Humble naman si Nikolai kaya idine-deny niya 'yon. Si Landice daw ang dapat i-credit. Ang resident barista naman namin, tahimik na naglilipat ng page ng book na binabasa niya sa sulok.

Maliban sa pag-promote ng proper personal hygiene, Nikolai taught me how to serve drinks to the customers with poise, and properly clean the tables and other areas in the café.

"I-spray mo 'tong disinfectant nang lima hanggang pitong beses sa buong table. Sa buong table, ha? Huwag mong titipirin ang kalinisan kasi hindi ka titipirin ng sakit," turo niya sa 'kin.

When it came to my detective training, he taught me the basics of stalking and lockpicking. I hadn't tried stalking someone unless it's for a case. But lockpicking? Sinubukan ko sa sarili kong pinto sa dorm. I managed to open the door using a hairpin in about three minutes.

Nang nakaakyat ako sa lounge, Sigmund was already seated on the couch across the client.

"Why are you standing, my vanilla pudding?" tanong niya. "Come here and listen to this curious case."

Umupo ako sa kanyang tabi at inilabas ang notepad ko. Parang kukuha tuloy ako ng order. Naging habit ko na tuwing may client, isusulat ko ang mga detail na ise-share niya sa amin. I sometimes felt like I was the secretary here.

"Meet our client, Mrs. Odessa Hizon." Sigmund motioned to the middle-aged woman seated across the couch. "She's here to consult us about a missing person."

Sinubukan kong gamitin ang mga natutunan ko sa aking training. Sinuri ko mula ulo hanggang heels si Mrs. Hizon. Mukhang mamahalin ang earrings at necklace na suot niya. 'Tapos 'yong hand bag na nakapatong sa lap niya ay isa sa pinaka-expensive na branded bags na aabot ng daang dolyar ang value. Maging ang suot niyang heels na may gold buckle, branded din. Base sa suot niya at sa kung paano niya dalhin ang kanyang sarili, mayaman siya.

But that begged the question: Why would she come here and ask for our help? Alam kong competent ang Café Moriartea para lapitan ng clients. Pero ang gaya niyang mayaman? Una niyang pupuntahan ang mga pulis, 'tapos ang mga sikat na private detective agency.

Somehow, her aura reminded me of someone. Magkaparehas pa sila ng haircut.

"She's not really missing, but she's gone into hiding," Mrs. Hizon said. "I'm the mother of Charlize Hizon. You must have heard of her."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko, halos hindi ako makapaniwala. It's such a coincidence na bigatin pala ang client namin! Or at least, ang anak ng client namin. "Siya 'yong lead actress doon sa upcoming adaptation ng isang best-selling rom-com novel, 'di po ba?"

She nodded. "Malapit na ang showing ng movie kaya kaliwa't kanan ang activities namin sa promotions. Five days ago, right after our mall show, she disappeared without a trace. Hinanap at pinahanap namin siya sa buong mall, pero hindi namin siya natagpuan."

Our conversation came to a halt when we heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Umakyat si Nikolai na may dala-dalang teacup sa isang tray. Maingat niyang inilagay 'yon sa mesa sabay nginitian ang client namin. He went down as soon as he's done.

Hinintay muna naming hipan at tikman ni Mrs. Hizon ang chamomile tea. Umangat ang parehong kilay niya pagkatikim nito. Si Landice ang nag-prepare n'on kaya siguradong swak sa taste niya. That's his specialty after all. Mukhang satisfied ang client sa lasa.

Then we resumed our case discussion.

"How did you know that she's gone into hiding?" Sigmund asked. "She could have been kidnapped by an obsessed fan or by a group of people."

Our client looked down. "I called her, and she picked up. She told me, I'm sorry, Ma. Then she hung up. I tried calling her again, but she didn't answer anymore. We were able to track her phone in one of the mall's trash bins."

"Have you contacted the police to help with the search?" I asked next. "Pagdating sa missing persons, mas may capabilities silang hanapin kung sinuman ang nawawala, lalo na kung sikat siya."

She stared at me as if I said something stupid. May mali ba sa sinabi ko? "What do you think will happen if we report it to the police and the nosy media gets wind of my daughter's disappearance weeks before her movie's showing?"

"It might create an unnecessary panic among her fans," Sigmund answered, making our client turn to him. "It's also possible that the movie sales will be negatively affected since the lead actress isn't able to do mall tours and speak in media conferences."

"Right. That's what we're trying to avoid and control in this situation. Fortunately, an acquaintance of mine has recommended your detective agency to me. She said that you had managed to rescue her daughter from being held captive in a hotel just a couple of weeks ago."

My face lit up. If I was not mistaken, that's my first official case with Sigmund as a detective trainee! Si Marianne ang daughter na nabanggit niya. A hotel manager asked for our help to study the weird behavior of one of their tenants. We later found out that the girl was crying for help by using Braille via the elevator buttons. We rescued her, and her detainers were caught by the police.

"If you can rescue her daughter, I'm hoping that you can rescue mine as well," Mrs. Hizon added. "I will be generous in the commission fee as long as you will try to keep this incident under wraps and solve it as soon and as discreetly as possible."

"Won't her fans and the entertainment industry notice her absence?" Sigmund wondered. "Nagsimula na ang mall tours niya para sa kanyang movie. Kung hindi siya sisipot sa mga 'yon, baka may magsuspetyang may nangyaring masama sa kanya? That's how rumors start in showbusiness."

"We're in luck because we have no scheduled mall tours the entire week. My daughter wants to take a break so we asked the movie producers if we can set the tours next week instead."

I gave a sidelong glance at Sigmund. Biglang naningkit ang mga mata niya na parang may napansin siyang kaduda-duda.

"What do you need so you can jumpstart your investigation?" Mrs. Hizon asked.

"We will need an access to her schedule and all her correspondences in the last month or two," Sigmund replied. "We will also need an access to where she's staying. Baka may naiwan siyang clue roon kung saan niya naisipang pumunta o magtago."

"I have access to her email so I can give you the log-in details. I can also make arrangements so you can access her hotel room in the city. Just let me know what else you need."

"Thank you! We'll let you know if there are any developments in this case."

We escorted the client downstairs and watched as she left our café. Her driver opened the door of a red sedan for her before driving it away from our view.

"So what do you think?" I asked as my head turned to my mentor. "Sa tingin mo ba'y mahahanap natin ang artistang anak ng client natin?"

"Mahirap hanapin ang taong ayaw magpahanap." Sigmund smirked. "But can I blame Charlize? If my parents are too controlling, I'd rather run away from home than stay with them."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko at inalala ang ilan sa ikinuwento ng client. "Ang tracker sa phone ng anak niya, maging ang access sa emails . . . Mrs. Hizon is monitoring her daughter all the time."

"Charlize is a bird that has been locked up in a cage by her mom. The second her cage was unlocked, she chose to spread her wings and fly away as far as she could."

Hindi ko kilala si Charlize—ni hindi nga niya ako fan—pero kahit paano'y nakare-relate ako sa kanya.

That must be it. Now I understood why I was feeling an uncanny connection. Mrs. Hizon reminded me of my mom.

— M —

Are you ready to investigate cases again with our Moriartea boys + Mav?

If you've enjoyed this update, let me know your thoughts or theories by using the hashtag #MoriarteaWP!

Credit goes to Raze Dali/Min-Min for the chapter title artwork!