After the meeting, Rouqe decided to go to the nearest coffee shop to drink some hot espresso and cancel the headache he has been enduring the whole day. It was so uncommon of him to be inside a known mall, blending in with a busy crowd. Good thing the coffee shop quite have a luxurious pricing that only few wants to enter.

Even though he's still startled about his next target, he thinks it's a good time to enjoy this kind of normal day, acting like a normal person. Dahil alam niyang sa mg susunod na mga araw ay magdudoble kayod na sila sa paghahanap ng impormasyon ukol sa nasabing magnanakaw.

Hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa mga nasaksihan at talagang umabot pa sa kanilang institusyon ang kasong ito. Matataas na ranko ng krimenal lamang ang pinapahawak sa kanila ng gobyerno tulad ng mga Drug Lords na nagtatago at mga kilalang gunmen. Considering that the target impaired or extinguished four agents is odd, knowning that the man isn't high-profile criminal. Or is he? Perhaps, he is considered high-profile now.

He took a sip on his espresso while he unfold the national newspaper offered by the shop. The first news headline caught him. It was entitled "Raven robbed again". There was a cctv image portraying a human figure in all-black that even his face is pretty covered. The article talks about how fast the culprit is when it comes to stealing money. Nakasaad din doon na sa dami ay hindi pa tantya ang tunay na bilang nang napagnakawan nito. Bukod don ay malalaki at kilalang bangko at opisyales ng gobyerno ang kanyang pangunahing target.

Out of a sudden, he stopped from reading the said news when a dog came rushing down his foot. He lowered the newspaper down the table to see it clearly. It was a golden retriever, wiggling and sniffing him like he found its owner.

"Pot!"

He saw the owner of the dog named Pot got tagged along with his lace. It was a girl with a long, wavy black hair with an average height and figure. She'll pass on his list of pretty girls, but he didn't thought any further. She looks too innocent for his liking.

"Potpot!" tawag niya sa alaga niya at sinubukan itong hilahin pabalik. "Ano bang ginagawa mo, ha?"

Rouqe quickly noticed that she is actually blind when her eyes are steady looking at nothing whilst trying to pull her dog back. She's holding an Eye Stick which was used by blind people.

"It seems like your dog found a new owner," he spoke to announce his presence. Rumihistro ang gulat sa kanyang mukha.

"Ay! Sorry po," aniya at bahayang yumukod. "Pasensya na po. Makulit lang po talaga 'tong alaga ko." Her voice came soft and velvety.

"It's okay," Rouqe said. "Have a seat. To your left," anyaya niya. "Wala ng available na tables." It's true, anyway. Dumami na ang mga customers na pumapasok.

The girl hesitated, but did sat on the chair to her left silently later on. She felt awkward offered by a bystander that is unknown. She felt unusual but she spoke, "Pasensya na po sa abala. This is my service dog and her name is Potty."

He glance at her dog which is now sitting besides her chair.

Now that she is nearer to him, he abruptly noticed the color of her eyes are ashy and grey. Perhaps portraying her blindness. Also, a set of light freckles runs on the apple of her cheeks to her dainty nose.

"I'm Rouqe, by the way. Nice meeting you," he told her. Small talks is not my thing, but this girl could perhaps entertain me for a few minutes, he thought.

"Ah, Vienna nga po pala." Inilahad nito ang kanyang kamay sa kausap na kanya namang tinanggap. "Vienna Cruz," kompleto nito.

He shoke her soft hands with his brieftly like they're on a formal meeting. "Anong gusto mo? I'll take your order," he asked. He called one of their Servers and Vienna plainly stated her orders which is a vanilla shortcake and a hot chocolate.

Pagkalipas lang ng ilang minuto ay dumating na ang mga order nito. Pinagmasdan lang ni Rouqe ang kaharap kong paano niya kapain at hanapin ang kubyertos hanggang sa mag-umpisa itong kumain. It seems all her movement is pretty much calculated.

"I wonder what living blind feels like," Rouqe babbled which made Vienna stop from eating and smiled for a moment before she took a sip from her drink.

"Masaya po," sagot nito. Her smile reached her eyes. "Mahirap, pero masaya. Integrity is shown when no one is looking. People tend to show their real identity, good or bad, towards me knowing that I can't see them. And, somehow, that's all I need to know in this world." Satisfied with her own answer, she continued eating her cake.

"I see," maikling komento ng kausap. "Since when have you been blind?" tanong niyang muli.

"Car accident," she answered curtly. "My skull hit the windshield hard that it caused trauma to my brain. That was few years back," she casually stated like she got used to that painful story already.

"Is it temporary?"

"My ophthalmologist said yes, it could be. Pero hanggang ngayon di pa naman po bumabalik."

"Drop the 'po'. Mukhang hindi naman nagkakalayo ang edad natin."

Their little chitchat goes on and on. He learned she lives alone and paints for a living. Ang aso lamang nito ang madalas nitong kasama. She also uses her paintings for fundraising auctions to help charities. Seryoso ito habang kinikwento ang mga kalagayan ng mga batang tinutulungan niya.

"That was nice. You seems pretty devoted in being charitable," komento ni Rouqe sa nalaman. She sound and looks like a very kind human being. Kabaliktaran niyang pumapaslang ng buhay, ang kausap niya ay ginagawa ang lahat upang madugtungan ang buhay ng iba. Well, they are both in a different situation and have different view to this world, anyway.

"Medyo," aniya. "Ikaw, anong trabaho mo?" tanong ni Vienna.

Rouqe thought for a second for a safe answer. "Well, I'm a prosecutor."

"Oh, great! You're a lawyer," she smiled a bit. "May kaso ka bang hawak ngayon?" interesado nitong tanong.

"Wala naman," sagot ni Rouqe. "I'm just keeping an eye on daily news, especially about this culprit named Raven."

The girl got silent for a moment. Her smile quite faded but she didn't make it that noticeable. "Iyan ba iyong magnanakaw?" takang tanong niya kalaunan.

"Oo. The man is all over the news again." Rouqe took the newspaper on top of the table and scan the article once more.

"Madalas ko nga marinig ang pangalan na iyon sa mga balita. Hindi pa ba nahuhuli?"

"Hindi pa," Rouqe answered while he finishes his cup. "I heard he is using hypnotism as his defense. Naniniwala ka ba roon?"

"Well," she traced. Vienna swirled the last piece of her cake on the plate as she think of an answer. "I don't know. Baka hindi. Mahirap maniwala sa mga bagay na hindi mo pa nasusubukan," paliwanang nito. "Ikaw ba?"

Rouqe folded the newspaper and spoke, "Perhaps." Hindi niya na dinugtungan ang sagot.

They were silent for a few minutes until Vienna decided to bid a goodbye and stood up when her watch beep at 6 pm. They were talking to each other for over an hour and so that they didn't notice the sun had already set.

"Sige, mauna na ko at gabi na rin," saad nito.

"Yup, sure. Do you want me to accompany you outside?" he asked her.

Agad umiling si Vienna. "Ah, hindi. Kaya ko na 'to." And she left the table.

Rouqe watch the girl use her stick to trace her way out the shop while her dog was guiding her. Okay, he thought and look at the busy road over the glass wall. It was a good time to ease his boredom with a blind woman she might not never meet again.

But, is it safe for that blind girl to travel at night, considering her current state?

He shrugged that thought off his mind. It was not normal for him to think of others life, be it to anyone he knew or close to him. Ni hindi niya gawain ang kaninang ginawa niyang kaswal na nakipag-usap sa hindi kakilala na walang halong intensyon. Matagal na siyang namumuhay ng mag-isa. Mamamatay ang siyang dapat mamatay.

Feeling uneasy, he stood up and followed the girl unknowingly.

Later on, she found her on the other side of the road. Nakatawid na ito at mukhang naghihintay ng masasakyan. Samantalang nakatayo lang siya, katapat niya, pinagmamasdan kung magiging ligtas ba ito pauwi. Para itong hindi bulag kung kumilos mag-isa. Nasa gilid lamang ito ng kalsadang dinadaanan ng mabibilis na mga sasakyan. Hanggang may itim na sasakyan ang tumigil sa harap niya na kanyang sinakyan. Mukhang kilala niya naman ang may-ari kaya napanatag ng bahagya si Rouqe.

"What am I doing?" he asked his self. The blind girl is now out of his sight and he realized what he did. Napailing siya at inisip niya na lamang na naawa siya sa babaeng iyon.