LORELEI

I STILL find it weird as to why Loki was interested in going to Jamie's residence. Sa pagkakakilala ko sa kanya, he'd rather spend the weekend reading mystery books or playing with his laptop than leave the apartment.

Maybe he has grown to care for the people around him, especially to those who have been with him the past few months. Hindi lang siguro halata sa lagi niyang bored na mukha, but Loki cares. I know he does.

Alas-nuwebe ng umaga nang ipatawag niya ang kanilang family chaffeur. And it did not surprise me to hear that he got the driver's name wrong for the nth time! I lost count already. Maging ako, nalito na kung Vasquez ba o Velasquez ang pangalan niya.

For our special visit to our fellow club member, Loki chose to wear a black V-neck shirt matched with dark blue pants while I wore a white longsleeved blouse tucked in my black denim pants.

We both settled on the back seat as the chaffeur started driving the car going to Marisol Subdivision. As usual, busy siya sa paglalaro ng Criminal Case habang ako nama'y nakatingin sa labas at pinagmamasdan ang mga dinadaan namin gusali at kalsada.

It took twenty minutes for us to arrive in front of a residential house. Huminto ang kotse sa tapat ng isang malaking bahay na may dalawang floor at malawak na yard.

"No. 1013 Mayflower Street," I muttered, reading the house plate number nailed on the sturdy wall. Tiningnan ko ang soft copy ng membership application form ni Jamie at nakita ang parehong number sa address field.

Loki's eyes roamed over the Santiago residence. The building looked quite old, but the repainting of the walls tried to cover up how many years it has stood and how many storms or earthquakes it has endured.

In contrast with Jamie's bubbly personality, the house reeked of gloomy atmosphere. One may even think that it was already abandoned.

Pinindot ko ang doorbell na lumikha ng ding-dong na tunog. When the door of the house opened, I expected to see Jamie in her loose shirt and shorts running to open the gate for us. Instead, we were greeted by the curious stare of an old woman, around fifties or sixties. If she was Jamie's mother, malayong-malayo ang itsura nilang dalawa. So I wager that she's a housekeeper.

"Nanu ita?" bungad ng matandang babae. Kumunot ang noo ko nang marinig ang tanong niya. I may not understand the language but judging by the intonation at the end of her statement, it was probably a question.

Clearing his throat first, Loki replied politely, "Atsu ya pu i Jamie ken? Buri miyang akit."

My eyes stared wonderingly at Loki as my mouth opened in awe. He can speak in Kapampangan?! Ilang buwan na kaming magkasama sa apartment pero ni minsan, hindi ko siya narinig na nagsalita gamit ang lenggwaheng 'yon. The worse thing is I don't understand a single word coming out of their mouths.

"Kaluguran na kayu siguru ne?" The old woman's face brightened up. Loki must have said something good to her. In-unlock din kasi niya ang gate at pinapasok kaming dalawa. "Mekeni, lungub kayu!"

I guess she is inviting us to come in? I absolutely had no idea so I just followed behind her.

"You never told me that you can speak Kapampangan," bulong ko kay Loki habang nilalakad namin ang pavement patungo sa mismong bahay. "Lagi ka kasing nag-e-English at nagta-Tagalog sa apartment at school."

"You never asked," he replied, shooting a sideward glance at me. "I need to learn their language here in Pampanga. Did you know that I managed to solve a kidnap-for-ransom case because of that?"

"Really? How?"

"When the kidnappers called the parents of their victim, one of them spoke through the phone. I recognized his accent and how he can't pronounce the word 'hostage' properly. 'Ostage,' he said."

"So they have problem enunciating the letter H?"

"Some Kapampangans can't fluently pronounce words with that letter. They say 'os-pi-tal' instead of 'hos-pi-tal' and 'a-nger' instead of 'ha-nger.' You should learn the language if you are planning to stay in this province a little bit longer."

Hindi ko nga alam kung hanggang kailan ako magtatagal dito. When Dad and I met at the Diogenes Cafe months ago, he told me that I should return to Manila and study there. Dahil ayaw ko nang maging sunud-sunuran sa kanya, I shook my head and said no.

"At anong sinabi ng housekeeper kanina sa gate?"

"Tinanong niya kung mga kaibigan tayo ni Jamie. Nang um-oo ako, sinabihan niya tayong tumuloy sa loob."

"Lungub kayu! Lungub kayu!" The housekeeper opened the wooden door for us and let us in. Pagpasok namin sa loob, sinara niya ang pinto at humarap sa amin. "Simap namu dintang kayu! Eku balu nung nanung gawan ku kang Jamie. Manibat yang minuli ya yang metung a aldo, makamulala nemu. Balamu ala ya king sarili na."

Parang durugo yata ang ilong ko. Tissue and translator, please!

"She said that she's glad we came here," Loki explained. "She doesn't know what to do with Jamie. Since she came home after that incident, she's no longer her usual self."

"Agli, ali ya makaintinding Kapampangan ing kayabe mo?" turo sa akin ng housekeeper.

Loki shook his head. "Tiga Menila ya pu kasi kaya ali ya makaintindi king pisasabyan tamu."

Lumapit sa akin ang houskeeper at hinawakan ang mga kamay ko. "Ay, pasensya na, 'a? 'indi ko kasi balu na 'indi ka nakakaintindi ng Kapampangan. Mag-Tagalug tanamu, ne? Este, mag-usap na lang tayo sa Tagalog."

That's way better.

"Ako nga pala si Dolores," pagpapakilala ng housekeeper sabay hawak sa kaniyang dibdib. "Matagal na akong katiwala ng mga Santiago, mga twenty years na yata? Ako na ang nag-alaga sa kanila mula nang maliliit pa sila."

"Nasaan ho ang mga parents ni Jamie?" tanong ko.

Yumuko si Tita Dolores at nabahiran ng kalungkutan ang mukha niya. "Ilang taon na silang patay. Para ngang merong sumpa ang pamilyang 'to dahil kada dalawang taon, may namamatay sa kanila."

What she said caught our attention. A family curse? Like the case in the Bougainville Subdivision?

"'Yong nanay ni Jamie, namatay na six years ago. Pinasok daw ng mga magnanakaw itong ba'ay tapos mag-isa lang noon si madam—sumalangit nawa ang kaluluwa niya. Pinagsasaksak siya at la'at ng ala'as at pera niya, tinangay. 'anggang ngayon, wala pa rin na'u'uling suspek para sa krimen."

It's been six years already but justice hasn't been served yet?

"'Yong tatay naman ni Jamie, apat na taon nang patay. Pauwi na raw siya mula sa traba'o noon nang may makasalubong siyang masamang loob. Kinu'a ang la'at ng laman ng wallet niya. 'indi pa nakuntento ang kawatan! Sinaksak pa siya sa puso at 'inayaang mamatay sa gilid ng kalsada. Ninakawan na, pinatay pa! Wala na talagang kaluluwa ang ibang tao ngayon."

While Loki's face showed no reaction on the misfortune that befell Jamie's parents, I somehow felt sorry for our co-member. Alam kong may mga times na nakakainis siya, but I never thought na ganito kasalimuot ang buhay niya.

"Two years ago naman, ang kuya niya ang sinundo ni Kamatayan," pagpapatuloy ni Tita Dolores. She glanced at one of the portraits hanging on the wall. "Naaksidente. Bumangga ang kotse sa isang puno o pader yata. 'Yon ang unang beses na nakita kong natulala si Jamie. Ma'al niya kasi ang kuya niya. At ngayon, nalungkot na naman siya nang sobra-sobra."

And now, she's all alone here. Kaya siguro malungkot ang atmosphere ng bahay na 'to. Wala na ang karamihan sa mga taong nagbibigay-saya at kulay sa apat nitong sulok.

"Sandali lang, 'a? Tawagan ko si Jamie. Sasabi'in kong nandito kayong mga kaibigan niya," nagpaalam muna sa amin si Tita Dolores bago umakyat sa hagdanan at naglaho sa aming paningin.

Habang naghihintay sa sala, iginala ko ang aking mga mata sa mga larawang nakasabit sa dingding. In most of the photographs, Jamie's hair was not yet in braid. Noong nagkita kami sa birthday party ni papa, her hair was straight, possible na nagpa-rebond siya para sa special occassion. But her hairstyle in the hanging photos were entirely different. Wavy ang kaniyang buhok at hindi na siya masyadong kahawig ni Rhea.

But what caught my interest was the young man beside her in one of the portraits. He must be the late brother that she spoke of. And I must say na medyo may hawig siya kay Loki. Suklayan mo lang siya nang maayos at palawakin ang ngiti sa labi niya, Loki would seem to be a spitting image of Jamie's brother.

And if Jamie loved his brother like what the housekeeper said, hindi na ako nagtataka kung bakit gano'n na lang siya ka-obsess kay Loki. Gaya ng sinabi niya noon, Loki reminds her of her dearly departed sibling.

All of the portraits had either Jamie or her brother or both of them. Loki stared curiously at the smiling Jaime Santiago whose eyes seemed to be returning his gaze.

"The late student council president." Nabaling na rin ang tingin ko sa tinititigan niyang larawan. "Sir Jim Morayta said that he died in a car accident, gaya ng sinabi ng katiwala ng mga Santiago. Before his untimely death, he wanted to look into the Moriarty cases."

"And when he was gone, Moriarty became bolder in his crimes," Loki continued, turning to me. "The moment the white king was eliminated, the black king's movements were no longer restricted. He could move his pawns freely without fear of being defeated. Or so it seemed."

"Sa tingin mo ba, may kinalaman si Moriarty sa pagkakaaksidente ng kuya ni Jamie?"

"Remember what I said after we had solved the arson case?" he replied. "The fire was made to look like it was caused by accident. But in reality, it was intentional to cover something up."

I shot a wide-eye stare at him. "Do you think the death of Jamie's brother is not an accident but... a murder one?"

"You and I both know what Moriarty is capable of doing," Loki answered, averting his gaze to the portrait. "He can make one thing look like something else."

"Ganyan din ang naisip ni Jamie. She believes that there's a foul play in his brother's supposed accident."

Nanliit ang mga mata ni Loki na napatingin sa akin. "She told you that?"

"Back in the hospital where my father was brought after he had been shot," I answered. That was the time when I saw another side of Jamie. She wasn't—sorry for the term—bitchy during our brief moment together.

Loki closed his eyes and put his fingertips together as if he was praying. In his mind, he must be putting the pieces of the puzzle together to see the bigger picture.

"Ano nga pala ang papel ni Luthor sa school two years ago?" biglaang tanong ko, breaking my companion's train of thought.

"And here I wonder why my brother's name suddenly popped up out of nowhere. You really interested in him?"

I rolled my eyes. How many times should I tell him that I don't have a thing for Luthor?

"Your brother is now serving as the vice president of the student council, the same organization that Jamie's brother led until his death. Baka lang may makita tayong connection, no matter how small it is."

If Luthor is indeed Moriarty, it would make sense on why he eliminated the late student council president. He plucked the weeds beneath his feet before it could grow.

"He was already a member of the executive committee around that time," Loki recalled. "A year later, he was appointed as the chairperson. Then this year, he was elected as the vice president."

Magtatanong pa sana ako tungkol sa kuya niya nang may marinig kaming mga yabag galing sa hagdanan. We thought that Jamie has climbed down the stairs, but it was only the housekeeper.

"Pasensya na kayu, ne?" sabi niya. "Kahit sinabi kong nandito kayo, wala pa rin siyang kibo. Parang wala nga siyang narinig e."

"Can we visit her in her room?" tanong ni Loki.

Tumango si Tita Dolores. "Mas masanting pin. Tara, sama'an ko kayo sa taas."

We followed her to the stairs, the wooden steps made creaking noises as we climbed. Lumiko kami sa hallway, nilagpasan ang isang nakasarang kuwarto at naglakad hanggang tumigil sa tapat ng isang pinto.

The housekeeper knocked on the door first before opening. "Jamie, nandito ang mga kaibigan mo."

Pagbukas ng pinto, nakita naming nakatalikod si Jamie, nakabuhaghag ang buhok at nakaupo sa isang silya habang nakatingin sa labas ng bintana. She neither turned around nor looked back to see who came to visit her. The Jamie that I know would jump at Loki and hug him tightly, thankful that he was concerned about her welfare.

But the Jamie in front of us was not the usual Jamie. The trauma must have been too much for her. Somehow, naiintindihan ko ang pinagdaraanan niya. I have been in that situation months ago and it wasn't easy to stand up from where I fell.

Nilapitan ko siya at umupo sa harapan niya. Her eyes now devoid of any emotion were staring at the clear, blue skies outside. Ni hindi man siya napasulyap sa akin.

"Ilang araw na siyang pakanyan," kuwento ni Tita Dolores. "May mga tumatawag nga sa phone niya pero hindi niya sinasagot. Ikayu na muna ang ba'ala sa kanya."

That explained why she wasn't picking up my calls. Isinara ng housekeeper ang pinto sa kwarto at iniwan kaming tatlo sa loob. Wala pa ring kakibo-kibo si Jamie. Parang estatwa ang babaeng binisita namin dito.

Her room was probably the most vibrant in this seemingly forsaken house. The color and the designs perfectly matched her jolly personality. But its four walls appeared to be in grief like its occupant.

I approached Loki and whispered to him. "What should we do to her?"

"What do people usually do when someone is feeling down?" tanong niya pabalik.

"They cheer someone up," sagot ko. "They make that person feel that they are always there for him or her, ready and willing to listen to their problems."

"Ah, yes." Loki's eyes slightly narrowed. "Most people pretend to care about the others. Some say words that sound comforting but insincere. Some give advice that are as cliche as most romantic films in the Philippines. Some do not give a single cent to whatever problems the others have because they are too busy dealing with their own."

"Save your twisted philosophies for another day," I countered. "Do you genuinely care about Jamie?"

Hindi kaagad nakasagot si Loki, tila napaisip sa tanong ko. It is a simple yes or no question but it took him seconds to answer.

"Of course, I do," he spoke slowly. "She is one of us. The QED Club won't be the club that we know today without her, without you and without Alistair."

"Cheer her up," utos ko. "Show to her that you are not like some people who pretend to care. Let her hear your words that are comforting and genuine."

"Why me?"

"Because you are the club president and she respects you highly."

Nagkatitigan muna kaming dalawa. Sorry, Loki, pero hindi ka uubra sa akin pagdating sa staring contest. Left with no choice, he rolled his eyes before approaching our traumatized friend. He knelt in front of Jamie—like a knight to a princess—and gently touched her hand. He then whispered some words to her ear which were inaudible to me.

"Loki dear?" Jamie spoke at last! Kung anuman ang ibinulong sa kanya ni Loki, his words seemed to be effective. Nagbalik sa kanyang kamalayan ang walang kibo naming kasama.

Mula sa pagiging estatwa, muling nagkabuhay si Jamie at niyakap nang mahigpit ang lalaking nasa harapan niya. We heard her sobs until she broke down completely. Like a broken dam, tears fell from her eyes and rolled on her pale cheeks.

Loki shot a curious gaze at me and mouthed, "What do I do?"

Sumenyas ako na yakapin din niya si Jamie. He told Tita Martha during the arson case that hugging someone or something can improve one's mood positively. In Jamie's case, Loki hugging her back would bring some comfort to our friend.

When Jamie let go of Loki, ako naman ang lumapit upang yakapin siya. Napahagulgol siya sa balikat ko at nakayakap nang mahigit. I was the only child in the Rios family so I don't know how it feels to have a sibling. But Jamie somehow made me feel as if we were sisters.

She wiped her tears with her trembling hands. "So-Sorry if you have to see me in this condition. I..."

Again, she burst into tears. I caressed her back and whispered some soothing words for her. Poor Jamie. She had been through a lot of ordeal in her family. Dumagdag pa ang insidenteng kinasangkutan namin.

"Welcome back, Jamie." Loki stood and put his hands inside his pockets.

"Why don't we go somewhere this afternoon?" I suggested. "The atmosphere in this house is gloomy and I believe you didn't leave this place for a couple of days. Why don't we eat or drink something to cheer her up?

"How about... milk tea?" sabi ni Jamie. "It is my comfort drink whenever I'm down."

I prefer ice cream, but milk tea will do. Sunod akong lumingon kay Loki. "Is Mr. Vasquez still outside?"

"I haven't told him to leave yet. He can drive us to the mall."

"Would you mind kung magpapalit muna ako ng damit?" Tumayo si Jamie at humarap sa salamin, patuloy ang pagpunas sa mga luhang dumungis sa mukha niya.

Iniwan muna namin siya sa loob ng kaniyang kuwarto habang kaming dalawa ni Loki ay naghintay sa sala. Tita Dolores was thankful that we managed to bring the color back to Jamie's face.

Gaya ng pagdating namin dito kanina, muli kong ibinaling ang aking tingin sa mga larawan ni Jamie at ng kaniyang kuya. The Santiago siblings must be quite close with each other.

"Have you met my dearest and sweet brother?"

I turned to the stairs and saw Jamie walking down. She wore an off-shoulder blouse, revealing a bit of her skin and denim pants. 'Di kagaya kaninang nakita namin siya sa kwarto, naka-braid na ulit ang kaniyang buhok.

"How I wish you two could meet him in person," she said, her mesmerizing eyes fixated on one of his brother's photographs. "If there's an award for the best big brother in this world, siguradong siya ang mananalo."

"What a shame. If such award exists, my brother Luthor would be automatically disqualified," Loki commented. Kahit wala ang kapatid niya rito, hindi niya pa rin niya nakakalimutang pasaringan. "Though if there's an award for being the worst brother, he might stand a chance at winning."

That's right, Loki. He is the worst, not only as your brother, but as a person.

"Shall we go now?"

Nagpaalam na kaming tatlo kay Tita Dolores bago sumakay sa kotseng naka-park sa labas. Loki sat on the passenger's seat while Jamie and I were on the back seat. Hindi pa rin tuluyang nabubura ang kalungkutan sa mukha ng katabi ko. Naging malamlam ang kaniyang mga mata.

I wonder what magic words did Loki whisper to her earlier. Gusto ko sanang itanong but maybe it's none of my business. Ang mahalaga'y nanumbalik na ang sigla sa mukha ni Jamie.

Dahil mabigat ang daloy ng traffic, natagalan bago kami nakarating sa mall. The driver parked the car on the basement and told us to call or message him when it's time to drive us home.

Weekend ngayon kaya expected na ang dami ng mga taong nandito sa mall. Karamihan sa kanila'y nagsa-shopping, nanonood ng movies at kumakain lang sa mga food establishment.

Loki was on the lead while Jamie and I were behind him. Dire-diretso lang siyang maglakad sa gitna, hinahayaang ang mga taong nakakasalubong niya ang magbigay-daan para sa kaniya.

When we reached the center of the mall, just beside the carousel, huminto si Loki at humarap sa amin. "Where do we go?"

"Merong milk tea shop banda roon," sabi ni Jamie sabay turo sa kaniyang kanan.

"Then let's—"

"Whoa! I didn't expect to see the QED Club here."

Sabay-sabay kaming napalingon sa likuran at napansin ang isang lalaking nakasalamin at nakasuot ng puting polo. A malignant grin was plastered on what appeared to be an innocent facade. I could feel an evil aura emanating from that guy.

"The spider at the center of the web," Loki muttered. He didn't sound surprised to see his archenemy here. In response, Jamie and I instinctively took a step backward.

"Hi!" Stein Alberts waved his hand and his smile grew wider. "It never occurred to me that you like going to malls, Loki. Is this some sort of character development?"

"It also never occurred to me that a criminal mastermind likes to go shopping," Loki quipped. "I thought you prefer spending your weekends weaving a web."

"Nah, kailangan ko ring mag-break. You have nothing to worry about. This isn't my playground so no one's going to get hurt."

"How reassuring," Loki replied drily.

"I heard that your fourth member is still in coma and if his condition gets worse, he may not wake up," Stein said after glancing over the three of us. "So if there's a vacancy in your club, would you consider me to be part of the QED Four?"

q.e.d.