Trust starts with truth and ends with truth. - Santosh Kalwar
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Riel
Tinapunan ko ng tingin si River habang tahimik lang siyang nanonood ng TV dito sa quarters ko. Re-runs ng Tom and Jerry ang pinapanood niya at napapangiti ako kapag naririnig ko siyang tumatawa. This was the first. The first time that I had seen him not being serious. The first time that I saw him smile. The first time that I heard him laugh.
The first time I met this kid, I knew right there and then that he was full of hate. I could see myself from him. Aloof. No friends. At hindi na bago iyon. Ganoon din naman ako noon. Galit sa mundo.
Muli kong itinuon ang pansin ko sa binabasang report na ipinadala ni Ghost. May kaso sa hospital ni Perry. May nagrereklamong pamilya dahil sa namatay na pasyente. According to this report, the patient died because of severe allergic reaction. Hindi daw sinabi ng pasyente na may allergy ito sa antibiotics na ininom.
Mukhang may sabit dito ang ospital ni Perry. Sinasabi pa ng pamilya na ayaw i-release ng ospital ang death certificate ng namatay na pasyente. Ang katwiran naman ng ospital, malaki ang bill na dapat bayaran ng pamilya. At ang isa pang ipinagwawala ng pamilya ay nalaman ng mga ito na na-harvest ang halos lahat ng internal organs ng pasyente nang hindi ipinaalam sa mga ito.
Tinawagan ko si Ghost at gusto kong magpamisa nang sagutin niya agad ang tawag ko. Himala ito. Mukhang nagsawa na sa hapi-hapi ang isang ito.
"You're not in a bar." Paniniguro ko.
"I am resting in my home. What do you need, Riel?" seryosong sagot niya.
Napakunot ang noo ko. Seryoso ang timbre ng boses niya. "Are you okay?"
Kahit maikli pa lang ang panahon na nagsasama kami ni Ghost, kabisado ko na rin naman ang moods niya at never ko pang narinig na ganito siya kaseryoso. Oo nga at ang persona niya ay nababalutan ng misteryo, hindi ko pa narinig na ganito kaseryoso ang boses niya.
"No. I am not okay," napahinga siya ng malalim nang sabihin iyon.
Tumayo ako at lumabas saglit ng silid ko. Ayaw kong marinig ni River kung ano man ang pag-uusapan namin ni Ghost.
"What's the problem?" Nag-aalalang tanong ko.
Matagal bago siya sumagot. "Nothing. It's just about an old case. I just couldn't believe what I found out."
"Mukhang seryoso. Is there anything I can help?"
Tumawa siya pero halatang peke lang iyon. "Don't worry about it. Kaya ko na ito. How are you there? Any progress?"
"I got the files that you sent. Are you sure kagagawan ito ng ospital ni Perry?"
"Yeah. They harvested the organs. Everything that they could get. I was trying to track all the transactions about this. The heart was sold to a rich businessman. The kidneys, to a young girl. Of course, the parents are rich. The corneas were sold to a senator. Other parts, I don't know where it went. Perry got rich selling those organs."
"But don't you think this is okay? I mean, the guy was dying. Puwede naman nilang sabihin na makakatulong naman para madugtungan ang buhay ng iba. You know, those doctors were trying to save more lives." Sagot ko.
"But that man doesn't want to die. Perry and his group are killing patients just to sell their organs in the black market."
"Anong mangyayari kina Perry? Malaking ospital ang pagmamay-ari niya. He can easily pay those people who are trying to sue him."
ČTEŠ
PERFECT LIE (COMPLETE)
BeletrieI followed every rule, every code that was taught in me at the academy. I was blindly following those men that I looked up to. Until someone made me open my eyes and let me see how dirty the police department was. The corruption. The red tape. Th...
