"JUST IN. Vice President Ellias Segundo died from a plane crash."

Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa bumungad sa akin matapos kong i-click ang link na si-nend ni Klaizer. May kung anong malamig na pakiramdam ang tila ba unang gumapang sa mga braso ko papunta sa aking ulo. Napalunok ako. And I tried heaving my deepest sigh but a strange heavy feeling is invading my chest. All I can do is to just swallow hard.

Pero ilang segundong pag-proseso ng mga nalaman ay agad rin naman akong bumalik sa aking huwisyo.

Si Yven!

Ang Presidente!

He has to know this!

Wala na akong hinintay pa na sandali. Dali-dali kong dinala ang mga paa ko patungo sa kwarto. Yven is still asleep when I reached him. Agad ko siyang tinapik sa balikat, nagpapanic akong ginising siya.

Mula sa pagkakadapa ay mabilis na tumihaya siya bago umupo. Natataranta niyang kinusot ang mga mata bago ako tiningnan. Bakas ng pagtatanong ang kanyang mukha, "why, baby? What happened?"

"VP Segundo just died this morning from a plane crash!" I exclaimed.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa narinig. Kagaya ko kanina ay tila ba kinilabutan siya. Matapos ay napalunok siya bago huminga nang malalim.

"What the fuck?"

I pursed my lips. I placed my hand on my chest. Doon ay nalaman kong mabilis na mabilis ang pagkalabog ng puso ko.

But it was a few moment of silence who won between Yven and I. I was just waiting for him to just recover from the most shocking news that no one expected to have this morning.

"We have to go back to the Philippines now," sambit niya sa akin bago ako hinawakan sa kamay.

Pagtango lang naman ang ginawa ko. Matapos niyon ay sinuot na niya ang kanyang boxers at bathrobe. He is only wearing those as he started maneuvering the yacht. Habang nag-da-drive siya ay may tinatawagan siya. Huli na noong ma-realize ko na si Denver pala uli iyon. Ngayon kasi ay tanaw ko mula sa dalampasigan ang helicopter na nagdala sa amin dito kagabi.

But all through out the whole drive, I was busy chatting with Thelma and Lijah. The both are anxious about the current shocking news. Kasalukuyan silang nasa Manila Doctors Hospital. Maraming mga media ang ngayo'y nandoon para makakuha ng inpormasyon patungkol sa yumaong na Bise Presidente.

Nang marating na namin ang dalampasigan ay unang sumalubong sa akin ang mga bodyguard ni Yven na sina Jacob and Rufido. Brione is not here which is suprising, he is always in the picture whenever the President is out of the country. I dared not to ask about him because there is much more important thing that needs to focus on right now than him.

Nang makasakay na kami sa loob ng helicopter ay tahimik lang si Yven. May bakas ng pagkabahala sa kanyang mga mata. I tried to shove it away for him as I hold his hands. Pinisil-pisil ko iyon. Thankfully, I managed to calm him down. I know he calmed down when he gave me a small smile.

"You should rest for now. Mamaya ka na mamroblema," I told him. Hinawakan ko siya sa ulo at pinasandal sa aking balikat.

Ramdam ko ang malalim niyang pagbuntonghininga. But he instantly closed his eyes. Doon ay hinalikan ko siya sa kanyang sentido.

"Everything's going to be fine. Just calm down for you to think clearly about your next move from this incident," I caressed his manly arms.

Isang pagtango lang naman ang kanyang itinugon sa akin. I just let him enjoy his silence. I centered my gaze to the window. I saw the blue skies. But as I continued staring at the fluffy clouds, my mind was invaded by my thoughts.

VP Segundo died . . . He died right after someone comitted to kill the President. Is this really an accident or there is much more than to this?

Huminga ako nang malalim.

But what I am really anxious about is the allegations and antagonistic theories that the bashers of the President might probably start. Bago kasi mangyari ito, isa si VP Segundo sa siyang nagpapasakit ng ulo ng Presidente. He strongly opposed the budget that was alotted for the President's travel. He pointed out that it was too much, but it was also then when someone tried to kill the President. Doon na natigil ang issue ng Bise Presidente. Pero muli siyang gumawa ng ingay nang mag-post siya ng cryptic post sa X.

The post goes like this:

"Manipulation. How can someone go further than faking his own danger just to gravitate the public's eyes away from his dirt?"

Obviously and instantly, kahit na sino ay maiintindihan kung saan patungo ang Bise Presidente, kung ano bang tinutukoy niya. Dahil para sa kanya, pineke lang ng Presidente ang insidenteng kinasangkutan nito noong nakaraan. Isa ito sa nagpataas ng tensyon sa mga nagpo-protesta. Isa ito sa nagpalakas sa pwersa ng Opposition.

Because in just a blink of an eye-just one cryptic statement, the quantity of haters of the President increased on a daily basis.

At sa kasalukuyang nangyayari, alam ko na ang unang issue na dapat kaharapin ng Presidente ay ang paglinis sa kanyang pangalan laban sa mga magbibintang na kagagawan niya ang trahedya ng Bise Presidente.

Natigil ako sa malalim kong iniisip nang bigla, inalis ni Yven ang pagkakasandal ng kanyang ulo sa aking balikat. He is now staring at me.

"I never been so stressed out like this my entire life, baby."

I heaved a deep sigh. And then I reached for his face. I caressed his cheeks using my thumb.

"JUST stay calm, alright? Malalampasan mo rin ito. Para lang din itong isa sa mga issues mo na bigla na lang naglaho mula sa mapanghusgang mga mata ng publiko," I told him as soon as he finished changing his clothes. Ito ang una niyang inatupag nang makarating na kami sa condo unit ko.

Isang malalim na hininga ang kanyang itinugon bago tumayo sa sofa. Tumayo rin ako at hinawakan siya sa kanyang mga braso. Minasahe ko ang mga iyon. Nagbabakasakaling mapapakalma siya niyon.

"Don't stress yourself too much. Everything's going to be okay. All you have to do is to just calm down," those are my encouraging words for him before he left me here in my condo unit.

Dito ay naghanda na rin ako.

I am about to meet my friends. I need to know their insights regarding this issue.

"HMMM, you know what? Hindi ako writer, ha? Pero parang may plot hole kase," ang panimula ni Thelma.

Ngayon ay nasa Bilibid Prison kaming tatlo nina Lijah, binisita namin si Walter. Dito kami dumiretso matapos naming i-cover ang pagkamatay ni VP Segundo.

"Like, what?" I responded while munching a chocolate bar. I was really exhausted the whole day that all I want is to just devour myself with nothing but sweets.

"Someone tried to kill the President, but it was followed by the death of the Vice President. We know the past of these two. We know how these two tried hard to drag each other's down. We definitely know that a single attack by one will always follow with a massive revenge by another."

Matapos ay natigilan siya nang ilang segundo, tumingin muna siya sa aming tatlo bago muling nagsalita, "what if the Vice President's tragedy is a fowl play? More importantly, what if the President is behind the reasons why he died . . . why he faced his sudden unfortunate death?"

Dito ay naubo ako bigla. Nabulunan ako mula sa kinakain na chocolate. Agad nila akong inabutan ng tubig.

"You're hilarious, Thelma," sambit ko habang uubo-ubo pa rin. "I doubt that. Yven will never do such things."

"Ay hala, si First Lady oh! Defensive naman," natatawa niyang sambit. "No offense, Zabi. Okay? Just sharing my cents here because it's really fishy."

"Crazy," I laughed, "it's fine."

Matapos niyon ay minabuti ko na lang na ibahin ang topic. Nauwi kami sa pagkamusta sa kalagayan ni Walter. Sa kung ano na bang pinagkakaabalahan niya lately dito sa bilangguan.

But the whole time, my mind is crowded by what Thelma just said.

Paano nga kaya kung may kinalaman talaga si Yven sa pagkamatay ni VP Segundo?

But . . . I doubt that. I know that he can't do that. Alam kong kahit gaano pa siya kagalit sa isang tao, hindi niya iyon magagawa. I have seen his most sensitive version and I can assure anyone that he can't turn himself into that kind of monster.

Pero . . .

Pero paano nga talaga kung siya nga ang nasa likod ng trahedyang iyon?

Napangiwi na lang talaga ko mula sa aking isip. I hate my mind right now. I hate the chaos that my thoughts are giving me.

"Pero ewan ko ba kung napapansin niyo rin. Bawat issue ng administrasyon, parang laging may mas malaking issue na nanganganak," si Walter. Dito lang ako bumalik sa katinuan.

"Like, what?" It was Lijah. He is busy munching his burger.

"Example, 'yung nangyari sa akin. 'Di ba bago ang issue ko, maingay noon ang kinasangkutang kurapsyon ng mga nasa administrasyon? The eight senators who claimed to receive a huge amount of money before the national budget of the President's travel was approved by the Senate Office?"

Napalunok ako.

I know where he is coming.

"One issue is always followed with another one. It was a cycle. It was a trend. And it's really fishy, I agree with Thelma."

"Oh, 'di ba! Gets mo ako!"

Huminga ako nang malalim, "I really don't know guys. But you know me, right? I will always stand with my idea of delivering nothing but authentic news. And as someone who is really close with the President, I'll be the first person in line to correct him if ever he really did something wrong."

Ngumiti sa akin si Thelma, "yas, girl. Continue to mother!"

Matapos pa niyon ay nag-usap pa kami ng ibang bagay. Mukhang naramdaman din naman nila na ayoko nang pag-usapan pa ang bagay na iyon. Hindi na kasi nila muling brining up ang Presidente.

Pero naputol lang ang aming pag-uusap nang matapos na ang time limit of visit namin. Dito ay nagpaalam na kami kay Walter. We promised him that we will visit him again next week, just like what we always do every single week no matter how busy we are.

Thelma, Lijah and I parted ways when reached the parking area.

I was on my way towards my condo building when all of a sudden, my phone rang. At dahil nasa gitna ng traffic, walang hirap kong binuksan ang message na nag-notify.

But to my surprise, it was from an unknown number . . .

We need your help, Ms. Zabi. Please, meet us in the coffee shop near your condo unit.