Play Pretend

Chapter 54

#OLAPlayPretend

Chapter 54
CCTV

Matagal bago rumehistro sa akin ang lahat. Ni hindi ko nga sigurado kung talaga bang naintindihan ko ang mga rebelasyong nalaman ko. I was already consumed by hatred when I learned about what his mother did to us. Kaya naman kahit nakuha ko na ang sagot na gustong madinig kay Xaiver, my brain short-circuited. I spaced out every so often.

Pinapasok din ni Xaiver si Atty. De Alban kalaunan. She filled me in with details about the case. It was so comprehensive that there was just too much information for me to take in. She patiently explained all the contents of the affidavit.

May pinanood din silang CCTV footage sa akin. She stressed how it was almost impossible for Xaiver to retrieve that clip dahil sa kagagawan ng sariling ina. They were on the verge of losing hope of finding that crucial piece of evidence. At kung paano nagtagumpay si Xaiver, hindi ko na rin alam.

Sa CCTV, kitang-kita ang pagsalpok ng sasakyang minamaneho ni Xaiver sa taxi ni Papa bago iyon tumama sa poste. Nasa passenger seat ng SUV ang kapatid niya. Art wasn't the one driving the car, but Xaiver was. Hindi rin si Papa ang nakabangga sa kanila kundi si Xaiver mismo.

Napapikit ako dahil hindi ko kaya iyong tingnan nang matagal. Parang hinampas ng hollow block ang puso ko. Sirang-sira ang harapan ng SUV na minamaneho ni Xaiver. Smoke kept coming out of the hood. It was a miracle that Xaiver survived the crash.

Xaiver wasn't under any influence. It was really just an accident, and that's why I couldn't understand why my stepfather had to suffer... kung bakit kailangan niyang madamay... kung bakit kailangan niyang magbayad sa kasalanang hindi siya ang gumawa.

In fact, it was no one's fault. Even when Xaiver was blaming himself, he wasn't at fault. It was an accident. Hindi niya ginusto ang nangyari. For some reason, hindi niya naalala na siya pala ang nagmamaneho until he saw the CCTV footage.

Hirap pa akong sundan ang lahat, but I tried my best. They gave me a copy of the affidavit and the CCTV footage to digest everything. They didn't pressure me to sign the papers right away. Alam nilang wala pa ako sa tamang kondisyon at pag-iisip para gumawa ng desisyon.

I really appreciate that. Kung noon ko pa siguro nalaman ang totoo, hindi ako magdadalawang-isip. I had a lot of things to consider. I needed to weigh my options.

Malalaking tao ang kakalabanin ko. Hindi lang isa kung hindi tatlo. Alam kong magiging mahirap at madugo. I honestly couldn't care less about my own well-being, but what about my daughter?

Ayaw kong madamay si Cami sa gulo. I didn't want to compromise her safety and security. Kung ikapapahamak niya ang pag-file ng kaso sa mga makapangyarihang tao, baka hindi ako sumugal. I could never risk her life. Ayaw kong masira ang buhay niya at maghirap kagaya ko.

"I know you're having doubts, and you might be hesitating a lot..." Xaiver got my attention once again when he spoke.

Mula sa platong hindi ko nagalaw, inilipat ko sa kanya ang tingin. Nakatitig pa rin siya sa huling frame ng CCTV footage kung saang kita ang sirang-sirang sasakyan. His eyes were wet with guilt, pain, and regret. Para bang kahit ilang beses niya 'yong panoorin ay hindi magbabago ang mararamdaman niya.

"I've already spoken to my mother prior to our meeting. She knows what's coming, but I want everything done with due process," paliwanag niya.

"Alam na ng Mama mo?" paninigurado ko dahil baka nagkamali lang ako ng dinig.

He nodded as he looked at me. "Bago ka umuwi, sinigurado kong maayos na ang lahat," he said. "If I could file the case myself, I would do it. I want to get this done as soon as possible. I want fair justice for everyone. But I don't want to take the right away from you. This case is mainly about your stepfather. Kahit papaano, gusto ko ikaw ang magdesisyon."