Chapter 6

What happened earlier was a big bust. Hindi ko pa rin sinasabi kay Cameron na ang babaeng 'yon ay ang nakita ko kahapon. I've got a close encounter with her kaya sigurado ako sa kutob. I wouldn't be running after her kung hindi ako sigurado. She changes the color of her hair but that doesn't mean she can run away from her previous life. Kung ano man ang ginagawa niya ngayon dito, she needs to fix her situation dahil baka lumala pa ito at mapunta sa kung saan.

Dinala ko si Cameron sa karinderya kung saan ko nakita 'yong babae kahapon. I was actually hoping to see her again on the same area but I feel like she knew something already. She wouldn't run like a horse when she saw me.

"Why does this taste good?" manghang tugon ni Cameron matapos lantakan ang pagkain niya.

If it was Brody, maybe I can share it to him. Pwede ko rin naman sabihin kay Cameron but he's too loud. Maaari niya ring masabi sa iba pa naming kasama which is the right thing to do. Naisip ko lang na huwag munang sabihin dahil hindi pa ako nakakasigurado. Kailangan ko munang alamin kung totoo nga ba ang hinala ko o namamalikmata lang talaga ako.

"Brody and I came into this carinderia yesterday, but we never got to eat. Tumambay lang kami." Ngisi ko pa.

Umilin-iling naman si Cameron, hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa natikman niya. "I know that the food served on our quarters is good and such a delicacy but this is something I've never eaten before. Good thing I was with you and you brought me here." 

"Yup, this is a good place actually." Komento ko.

Kinuha ni Cameron ang baso ng tubig at tubig. Nilulon niya muna ang nasa kanyang bibig bago muling magsalita.

"But what happened earlier, Nate? Bakit bigla na lang sinundan 'yong babae? How sure are you that it was Moira?" He became interested to the topic. But I won't give the details on how I'm sure that it was Moira.

Napakibit-balikat naman ako. "I thought it was her. Or maybe she just resembled something out of Moira."

"'Cause that girl has brown hair?"

Tumango ako. "Yup. That's it. But maybe I was wrong. Moira did that outlook because that's a usual description for girls nowadays. Flaunting their brown hair and becoming someone else's they are not. Sure, it'll be hard for us to find her with her new look because it'll be easy for us if she remained her look with that blonde hair. But no one knows, right."

"Right," sumangayon si Cameron sa akin. "Well, life isn't easy and what we can do right now is to do the task that was given to us. Kung hindi man tayo palarin sa paghahanap sa kanya, it's not a bad thing after all. We might be left our with the official reward from the Dankworth's, nandiyan pa rin naman ang Silver Knights. Our duty remains as our honor perceived who we are."

"Right, that's what matters the most." I agreed to him because at the end of the day, what we did will reflect ourselves. "But with that brain, Cameron, I'm sure that Moira will take a chance on you. You have a great affirmation in life, you might deserved someone like her."

"Well, thanks for that, Nathan." He chuckles. "Binibigay mo na talaga ang chances mo sa amin ah. I know you're juts being generous but what are they saying last night? Parang may alam ka naman kay Moira, nagkasama na ba kayo rati?"

Hindi ako sumagot. Umiwas ako ng tingin.

He pointed his finger on me and laughed. "Yup, that kind of stuff you did when you were asked, Nate was just obvious." He chuckles.

"No. Nothing happened between me and Moira." Sagot ko sa kanya. Nawala ang interes ko sa usapan. Mabuti na lang naubos ko na ang pagkain ko bago pa ako mawalan ng gana. "Let's just forget about it, Cam. It's not worth to talk about."

He chuckles, "Oh, okay. Whatever you say."

Bumalik sa pagkain si Cameron habang sinisimot ko naman ang bote ng softdrink. While looking around the area, nakikinig naman ang tainga ko sa mga pinag-uusapan ng mga tao na kumakain ngayon. It might be invasion of privacy but I can use it to locate the missing heiress.

"What do you think Moira can offer to us?" I asked to Cameron out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?" 

Umayos naman ako ng pagkakaupo at lumapit ng bahagya sa kanya. "See this. She's an heiress of one of the most successful company in our country. I know that she will took the business of their family soon. What could go wrong, right? I mean she has it all and what Moira can give us in exchange?"

Ngumisi si Cameron. "That's an easy answer, Nate." Aniya.

"Really?" I rose a brow.

"Yup. Their business is what she can give. Her title to their business and everything that goes under her name. Maybe, naiisip ko lang 'to, kaya siya umalis dahil takot siya sa responsibilidad. Diyan na papasok ang Silver Knight na pipiliin ni Moira, if ever that reward was still pursued. That knight will help Moira with her responsibility. Be the foundation for her and help her along the way. A woman with a great man behind her is something to be proud of. And vice versa, did you get it, Nate?"

I nodded. "Yes. But why would her parents sell that idea just because their daughter is missing?"

"And that could be a relapsed," aniya. "Well, problema na nila 'yon. Ang kailangan lang natin gawin ngayon ay hanapin si Moira and we'll mind that issue if our group found her. I still have a huge feeling that Moira is just around, hindi pa lang natin napagtatanungan iyong right source of information. And if we did, tiyak na sapul agad natin ang lokasyon niya."

Saglit lang din ng mapansin ko 'yong tindera, if I'm not mistaken she was called Melba by the brown haired girl yesterday. Hindi ko naman inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya. Napansin ko ring may hawak siyang plastic kung saan may styrofoam na naglalaman ng pagkain do'n. Naghahanap naman ito ng magbabantay sa paligid at biglang tumama ang mata nito sa amin. Lumapit siya sa table namin.

"Mga pogi, pwede bang makisuyo," tanong nito sa amin.

Tumingin kaming dalawa ni Cameron sa kanya.

"May ihahatid lang akong order sa customer ko, malapit lang naman kaya mabilis lang din ako. Pwede bang kayo muna magbantay sa carinderia? H'wag kayong mag-alala, hindi niyo naman kailangan mag-serve ng pagkain. Magbabantay lang talaga."

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa ni Cameron. 

"We can," sagot ni Cameron.

Tumango naman ako, "Wait, Miss, sinong customer niyo ang pagdadalhan niyo ng order niyo? 'Yon ba 'yong brown hair na babae?"

"Ah, oo 'yon nga, si Juana." sagot niya sa akin. Tiningnan ko si Cameron and with that, he already knows what I meant. 

"Can I go with you?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Pinalo pa ako nito sa braso ko, "Naku pogi, hindi mo naman ako kailangan pang samahan. Kaya ko naman."

"No, please, I insist."

"Ikaw bahala," hagikgik pa nito. "Tara na, ihatid na natin 'to at baka lumamig pa ang pagkain."

Gaya ng napag-usapan, sumama ako kay Melba para ihatid 'yong order na paglain no'ng customer niya. 

Melba and I talked about few things. She told me that Juana is a new girl in town, it means hindi talaga rito nakatira 'yon. I also asked why she wears face mask and shades like she's hiding from something, ang sagot na lang nito sa akin... hindi niya alam. Of course, why would Moira tell about it. But it came to my knowledge that it could be really Moira, my expectations exceeds so much in this one.

Dumaan kami sa isang masikip at madamong eskinita hangga't sa marating namin 'yong bahay na sinasabi niya. I told her that I'll be standing far from the house and should wait for her, I did that para hindi ako makilala. Hinayaan ko siyang mag-isang tumungo sa bahay at pinanood kung anong nangyayari.

When Melba entered they gate, the brown haired girl came out with a mask on her face. Hindi siya nakashades this time. Tiningnan ko ng mariin ang kanyang mukha hangga't sa nakumpirma kong tama ang hinala ko. It was Moira. I knew it was her from the first time I saw her. Hindi lang ako sigurado dahil nakatakip ang mukha niya. But this time, I had her.

Fuck!

IT IS HER!

We're just on the second day pero nahuli ko kaagad siya. And this would be a great new for everyone, lalong-lalo na sa magulang niya. The search is finally over.

Ilang saglit lang din ay naglakad na pabalik si Melba sa direksyon ko, napansin ko ring bumalik na rin sa loob ng bahay si Moira at sinarado ang pinto nito. 

"Tara na," sabi ni Melba ng makalapit sa akin. Ngiting-ngiti pa rin naman ito ng makalapit sa akin. "Pogi, uy, tara na..." kinalabit niya ako pero dahil ang atensyon ko ay na kay Moira, nawala ako sa konsentrasyon ko.

"Hey, I'm sorry... but can you please go ahead and I'm gonna stay here for a minute? And if I take too long, tell to my friend that we'll meet back at our house. Would that be okay?"

Ngiting aso niya akong tinanguan. "Syempre naman pogi. Ano bang gagawin mo?" 

Umiling naman ako, "Well..."

"Di bale, hindi ko na 'yan papakialamanan. Babalik na ako at sasabihan ko na lang 'yong kaibigan mo. Ingat ka, pogi!" hinaplos pa nito ang balikat ko at saka siya naglakad mag-isa palabas ng eskinita.

Mga ilang minuto rin akong nakatayo sa posisyon ko. Nagdadalawang isip sa binabalak ko pero sa huli humakbang ang mga paa ko papunta sa tinutuluyan ni Moira. I stood outside of the gate and waited for something. Hindi 'ko alam kung ano 'yon. Para akong tanga na nakatayo sa tapat ng bahay niya.

Pero sa huli, kumatok ako at ilang sandali lamang ay bumukas ang pinto... at nagtago ako sa likod ng gate para pagbuksan niya ako. Narinig ko naman ang paglalakad niya hangga't sa buksan niya ang gate at nagkatinginan kaming dalawa.

Napangisi ako ng magtama ang mata namin.

"Hello there, Moira."