Vander Lewis

He wasn't able to see Aubrey during his *arraignment. Hindi na rin dumalaw sa kanya ang mga magulang. He is sure his mom is still mad as hell.

[*arraignment – a legal procedure done in court para malaman ng akusado ang kasong isinampa laban sa kanya at kung magpi-plead ba siya ng guilty or not guilty.]

Mga kapatid lamang niya ang pabalik-balik sa kulungan. The only favor his ate Vanna was able to give was to make sure he'll stay in camp crame during his trial para hindi siya maisali sa mga pangkaraniwang taong nakakulong. He has his own jail room like all VIP prisoners.

He's a bit nervous. Alam niyang makikita niya ang asawa sa korte dahil ito ang unang araw ng trial.

His children Ayder and Desiry are also inside the court room. Simula daw ng araw na makulong siya ay hindi na rin nagpakita ang ina ng mga ito sa kanila. Ngayong araw lang din nila ito makikita kung sakali.

Gumaan ng kaunti ang pakiramdam niya nang masilayan ang mga kapatid niya. Ngunit bumigat ulit ang dibdib niya nang hindi makita ang mga magulang. Tuluyan na yatang sumama ang loob ng mga magulang niya.

Mas lalo itong nadagdagan nang pumasok ang mga magulang ni Aubrey. Halatang masama ang loob ng mga ito sa kanya. Sino ba naman ang hindi?

It was more painful when Aubrey appeared. She was with a man. Nakapulupot ang kamay ng lalaki sa baywang ng asawa niya. He will never forget the man's face. So, iyong Charlie talaga na kaklase nito noong college ang boyfriend nito?

He can't believe that seeing Aubrey with a man hurts more than the rape charges she pressed against him.

Pinamumulahan siya ng mukha habang isinasalaysay ng asawa ang nangyari nang gabing iyon. It was fresh on his mind but he never thought that would fall as rape. Gusto lang naman niyang iparamdam rito na siya pa rin ang minahal niya hanggang sa ngayon.

Aubrey was crying. Gusto niya itong takbuhin at yakapin pero hindi niya magawa. Pinanood na lamang niya ito habang inaakay ni Charlie. Yumakap naman ang asawa sa lalaki at umiyak sa dibdib nito. He balled his fist. That's even more painful than his first night in jail.

He wasn't able to comprehend with the proceedings. May mga exhibit na sinasabi pero wala na siyang naintindihan. His mind shuts.

Nang makabalik siya ng crame ay kinausap siya ng abogado. Nagpaiwan din ang ate Vanna niya.

"Could that really be rape? I know she enjoyed it in the end. She's my wife." Saad niya sa abogado.

"They exhibited a medico legal saying that Aubrey had lacerations in the vaginal opening and sperm samples." Paliwanag ng abogado.

"The court is asking you to undergo DNA testing." He added.

Napatingin siya sa abogado. He's really doomed.

"What do you suggest we do?" tanong niya rito.

"We can't refute with the DNA test," tugon naman ng abogado.

"Go on with the DNA testing. Ako na ang bahala." Vanna interjected.

"Ate, huwag na..." Pigil niya rito. Ayaw niyang idamay pa ang kapatid sa kasong kinasasangkutan niya. Alam naman niyang kayang-kayang gawan ng ate niya ng paraan para hindi magmatch ang DNA nang hindi ito mahuhuli pero ayaw niyang gumawa pa ito ng mali para lang mailigtas siya sa kaso.

"Gago ka ba? Akala ko ba ayaw mong makulong?"

"Hayaan mo na, ate. Kung mapatutunayan sa korte na rape talaga yung ginawa ko. Let it be." Saad niya.

"And you know it certainly was." Sarkastiko nitong tugon. Napayuko na lamang siya. His sister may be right.

-----

His days in jail were excruciating. Wala na siyang maramdamang bigat sa dibdib sa pagkakakulong pero hindi naman mawala sa isip niya ang eksenang yakap-yakap ng ibang lalaki ang asawa niya. Hindi niya ito matanggap kahit pinipilit ng utak niya na tanggaping nagbago na talaga ang lahat.

Kung lalabas siya ng kulungan at araw-araw na magdusa. He'd rather stay in jail so he would have all the reason to be miserable.

---

He was looking at Aubrey as he sat on the witness stand. Katatapos lang niyang manumpa na sasabihin ang katotohanan at pawang katotohanan lamang.

He balled his fists under the desk when he saw Charlie smirking at him. Nakakagago lang! Anong ibig sabihin nito sa reaksyon na 'yon?

"Will you tell the court what happened on the night of November 13, 20...?" His lawyer asked.

He started narrating from the time he asked Desiry to let him talk to her mother so Aubrey and he could patch things up.

Hindi na niya ikinuwento ang pagtatanong niya sa anak kung totoong may boyfriend si Aubrey. The lawyer said it wouldn't be safe to tell it in court as it might suggest a slight motive for the rape.

Aubrey started crying as he narrates his side. Naisip niya tuloy ang sinabi ng ina na mas lalo itong magagalit kapag hindi niya sinabi ang totoo. He inhaled deeply.

"What happened after your children went out of the hotel suite?" The lawyer asked bringing him back to his senses.

He was about to tell the court that he actually insisted himself on Aubrey at the kitchen when he saw Aubrey leaning against Charlie's chest sobbing. Galit namang nakatitig ang lalaki sa kanya.

He can not control his raising anger. No one should be that close to his wife. At bakit ang gagong 'yon pa ang galit makatingin?

"We are married. What happened that night was between a husband and a wife." He said looking straight at Aubrey's direction. His blood's boiling over the man caressing her back.

"If it was rape the entire suite should've have been cluttered. The police went there the morning after that and there was no trace of turbulence whatsoever." He said inhaling deeply.

"What happened to us was normal for married couple. It was mutually accepted." Sinalubong niya ang masamang titig ng lalaking katabi ng asawa. If he's going to jail, he's going to make sure he'd knock the man's ego down.

"If there were lacerations found in my WIFE's private part, the OB-gyne could attest that it could be normal for a big manhood to enter into a vagina which was never used for TEN years even if she was not forced." Naikuyom pa niya ang palad sa huling mga salitang namutawi sa bibig niya.

----

Aubrey

Aubrey was crying so hard as Vander said those words. She can not take it anymore. She decided to get out from the court room. Hindi niya kinakaya ang ginagawang pagdepensa ng asawa. Sumunod naman sa kanya si Charlie.

Inalalayan siya nito papuntang kotse.

Charlie was quietly caressing her back habang nakayakap siya rito at umiiyak. Hindi na sila bumalik sa loob hanggang sa natapos ang trial.

Charlie has always been there for her simula nang magkita ulit sila sa Dubai sampung taon na ang nakararaan. Patapos na noon ang kontrata nito pero nag-renew ito dahil sa kanya. She was badly broken then and she needed someone to depend on. Charlie knows everything about her and Vander.

Pagkatapos ng dalawang taon, sabay din silang nag-apply sa Canada kung saan sila parehong nakakuha ng permanent resident visa. They've been inseparable since then. Iyon din ang rason kung bakit naging sila. Bumalik lang siya ng Pilipinas para humingi ng annulment dahil niyayaya na siya nitong magpakasal.

"Sana hindi na lang kita pinayagang bumalik ulit." Saad nito nang makitang kumalma na ang pakiramdam niya.

"Hindi mo naman kasalanan kung gano'n ang ugali ng hayop kong asawa." Puno ng hinanakit niyang saad. Umayos siya ng upo at sumandal sa headrest ng sasakyan. Her eyes are already swelling.

"I don't understand why you let this happen, Aubrey." Saad nito habang mahigpit ang hawak sa manibela.

"What do you mean? Na ginusto ko to?" gulat niyang tanong kay Charlie.

"Do you still love him? Why were you inside the hotel with him?" His eyes are full of doubt. Sa tono ng pananalita nito ay parang siya pa ang may kasalanan kung bakit nangyari ang bagay na iyon.

"Narinig mo naman yung kuwento hindi ba? He manipulated Desiry." Tugon niya rito.

"Why were you inside his hotel? Hindi ba bumili tayo ng condo para doon ka tumira habang nandito ka sa Pilipinas?"

"Because I thought he changed." Saad niya rito. She'd like to believe that Charlie is only confused kaya ganoon ito magtanong.

"He changed and you would rekindle your marriage?"

That statement shocked her.

"What are you saying? That's ridiculous! Bumalik ako para makipaghiwalay so we can get married." She said defenseless. Hindi niya akalaing wala palang tiwala ang boyfriend sa kanya.

Charlie looked at her for a moment.

"I'm sorry. I thought when you didn't answer my proposal you still love him." He said breaking the silence.

Sa isang iglap parang nagbago ang tingin niya sa lalaki. Why would he think she liked what happened?

"That's crazy. Ihatid mo na ako sa bahay ng parents ko," saad niya rito.

"But Aubrey?" reklamo nito pero pinatigil niya ito sa pagsasalita.

"Please! I don't want another man distrusting me." She said averting her gaze. Napaluha na naman siya sa sitwasyon niya. She was forcefully taken by her ex-husband and her boyfriend seems not to believe her claim. Kung hindi ito maniniwala sa kanya, whom would she expect to believe her?

"Aubrey you're just vulnerable." Malumanay nitong saad.

Siya ba talaga ang vulnerable o ang lalaki?

"Let's just talk when I'm ready." She said with finality. Lumabas siya ng kotse at hindi na tiningnan pa ang lalaki.

She was about to walk towards her parents' car nang magsilabasan ang mga tao sa korte.

Umakyat ang galit sa dibdib niya nang makita ang asawa na palabas ng korte. May katabi itong dalawang pulis pero ni hindi man lang ito nakaposas.

Hindi niya napigilan ang sarili at napasugod dito.

"How dare you say that in court!?" galit niyang saad sa asawa. Vander was utterly shocked. She took that opportunity to slap him twice in the face so hard. She gave all her strength that it even stings. Namula ang magkabilang pisngi ng asawa.

"You know exactly what you did Vander!" nanggagalaiti niyang saad rito. She wants to slap and punch him more para makabawi sa lahat ng kasalanan nito pero nahawakan siya ng mga pulis at pinigilan.

"I'm sorry, Aubrey. Believe me...that happened because I love you." Maamo nitong saad. Maaawa siguro ang kahit na sinong tumingin rito pero kilala niya ito at hinding-hindi siya madadala sa pagpapaawa nito.

"Putang inang pagmamahal yan!" Nagpumiglas siya sa pagkakahawak ng mga pulis. Binitawan naman siya ng mga ito nang dumalo ang mga magulang niya. She saw her children's shocked faces. Gustoo niyang daluhan ang mga ito pero inakay na siya palayo ng mga magulang.

The police immediately took Vander to the police car kasunod ng mga kapatid nito.

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*Kapag lahat ay hindi na naniniwala, lalaban ka pa ba?*