Churchless Town

39 - Sela

SOLEDAD

"Gising," nakaramdam ako ng sunod-sunod na tapik sa aking pisngi.

Who the hell is disturbing my deep slumber?

I had no choice but to open my eyes. Magsasalita sana ako nang maramdaman kong may balot ng tape ang bibig ko.

I tried moving as well yet both my arms and my legs were tied on the chair where I was currently sitting on. Kung sinuman ang nagtali sa akin, that person knows how to tie an inescapable knot.

"Ayun, gising ka na rin sa wakas," hinawakan ng babaeng gumising sa akin ang baba ko at iniharap niya ang mukha ko sa direksiyon niya. "Good morning little sunshine. How's your espionage going on?"

A woman in her early thirties greeted me with a grin on her face. Nakakainis yung itsura niya, if only I am not detained like this, I would have done something fatal to her.

Like cracking her neck with a little combination of movement between my arms and my legs. Gusto ko nga sana siyang i-headbutt yet according to my calculation, if I will try to do that, baka mauwi lang ako sa pagbagsak sa semento.

"I was looking over your cute purse last night, at ang dami kong nakitang abubot sa loob nito," she walked away from me and went behind me.

Nakaharap ako sa isang puting pader at wala akong ideya kung nasaan ako dahil hindi ko maigalaw nang maayos ang ulo ko. I can't even check if there's a window around us, an opportunity to escape with.

Then I heard a zipper being unzipped and I know that woman is digging in my purse. "Mga identication cards, mga notepad, ballpens. You also have a taste with makeups, pero may isang bagay lang akong hindi ko lubos maisip kung para saan," she went back in front of me and showed me something.

It is my little pin with the Seruma organization's logo on it.

"This kind of pin, alam kong isa itong logo ng legitimate na grupo o kumpanya. Ngayon sabihin mo sa akin kung kaninong grupo o kumpanya ka nagtatrabaho," she reached out on the tape of my mouth and violently peeled it off.

"Aray! Magdahan-dahan ka nga—" hinawakan niya nang mahigpit ang mukha ko.

"Shh, shh, shh," she then put her finger on my lips. "Hindi ako bayolenteng tao pero mababa lang ang pasensiya ko pagdating sa mga pasyenteng hindi marunong makitungo sa mas nakatataas sa kanila."

"Hindi mo ako pasyente," aniko.

"Well, pasyente na kita, technically. Nakita mo kung ano ang nangyari, at alam kong ipagsasabi mo iyon sa iba kung hindi ka lang nakita ng isa sa mga staff ko. And who knows, walang makikinig sa iyo dahil sino bang maniniwala sa isang babae na kagaya mo na magsasabing bumuhay ako ng isang lalaking namatay?" she smiled at me. "Di ba?"

"You can't just do that to me. Hindi mo ako kilala—"

"Kaya nga kita tinatanong dahil gusto kitang kilalanin. Because you know what, you can definitely help us from what we were doing. Malaki ang potensiyal mo sa totoo lang," she was looking back on my pin that's on her hands. "That's why the end of this confrontation will will depend sa kung paano mo sasagutin ang mga tanong ko."

I didn't say anything. Wala akong sasabihin sa kaniya tungkol sa Seruma organization anuman ang mangyari. I swore an oath of secrecy and even if I die, I will never reveal that to anyone who is not worth of sharing it.

And this woman, whoever she is, does not deserve any single information about them.

"Now, tell me. Who you are working for?" she pointed me the logo of Seruma organization from the pin.