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CURSE's POV
Calm... but solemnity.
Silence... but with pressure.
And, a night... but with heavy rainfall.
These are the things that filled with our surrounding right now. This was the atmosphere we currently feel inside of the storage room. Everyone is in a weighty state na animo'y nagpapakiramdaman. Wala halos nagsasalita at parang naghihintayan lang kung sino ang mauuna.
I sighed.
Brother Vile is currently sitting on his own signature chair while sipping on his coffee. Zeor is standing near the door. Also, Radge is standing also near Brother and I, I'm standing while leaning on the wall across them. I'm crossing my arms while thinking deeply. I declared to call them kasi nung makaalala ako. Nung magising akong nakaalala na, tinawag ko sila para magkaroon ng linawan. Para mashare ko ang thoughts ko and para maclear ang lahat.
"You're saying that Marucci has nothing to do with it?" Si Kuya Vile ang bumasag ng katahimikan.
Ilang sandali pa muna akong tahimik bago sumagot. "Yes.." I nodded. Nakita kong natatawang umiling-iling si Kuya, halatang hindi benta sa kanya ang sinabi ko. Kinagat ko tuloy ang aking ibabang labi bago magsalita ulit. "Brother, I need you to clarify what you know about this. Tell me what you really know. Elucidate it for me. Ano ang mismong alam niyo patungkol rito? Kayo nila Mama?"
Hindi siya agad nakasagot. Ilang sandali niya pa muna akong sinuri bago maliit na ngumisi. "Do you want to know it all, sweetie?" Tanong niya, mabilis naman akong tumango. "Fine..."
"Be honest and clear." Aniya ko pa.
Natatawa naman siyang tumango. "Why would I lie?" Mahihimigan ang sarkastiko sa tinig niya. Napapahiya naman akong napaiwas nang tingin at natikom nalang. Again, he proceeds. "After the arson, Me and Sin, saw you on the ground crying, while everyone was making you calm. However, on your side, there's Marucci, he's unconsciously lying down." Sabi niya. Mas nasigurado ko lang tuloy na tama nga ang naalala ko. It's obviously accurate of what I've vision.
"And?" I lowly asked.
"Sin brought you home, para magamot ka. On the other hand, I'm the one who left to investigate." Bumaba ang tingin niya. Hindi siya agad nakasagot kaya naging tahimik ulit ang paligid. Parang bumubwelo pa siya. Halata kay Kuya na dinadamdam at nahihirapan siyang balikan ang nakaraan. "But, it's too late. Angel wasn't breathing anymore when we found her." Malumanay na sabi niya, narinig ko pa ang kaunting pagbasag ng kanyang tinig. "Kaya sana siyang maisalba kung wala siyang asthma. But, well, unfortunately, she had... kaya nahirapan na." Nakita ko ang malalim niyang pagbuntong-hininga. Uminom pa muna siya ng kape bago ulit nagsalita. "On the time that we were having the investigation, we asked the Marucci family to show up— to clear things up. Tutal sila naman ang may-ari ng mall." Nilingon niya si Radge. "Nalaman rin kasi namin sa mga sales clerk ng appliances, na ang tao raw roon na naiwan ay lima. Isang clerk sa front desk, dalawang mag-pinsang Marucci and of course, kayong dalawang kapatid ko." Paglilinaw niya pa. "There's also a CCTV kaya nilapitan namin 'yon para makasiguro. Totoo namang sila lang ang naiwan roon..." Suminghal siya at mabigat na huminga. "But then, there's another conflict again. Habang nag-uusap kayong apat because of what Charles had been holding, naging static na ang CCTV at nawala." Bahagya siyang umiling-iling. "Useless or sabotage?"
"Kuya..." Panunuway ko.
Again, he proceeds. "Yet, we still didn't give up. We continue to investigate at tinanong ang mga clerk roon pero ni-isa, wala talagang nakakita sa kanila. Walang nakakita sa mga sunod na nangyari dahil inutusan raw sila nung batang Charles na kumilos para sa mga walang kwentang bagay." Bahagya siyang natawa. "What a spoiled, right?" Asik niya kay Radge pero napaiwas lang ito ng tingin. Nagsalita ulit si Kuya sa akin. "But, we are all aware na may balak talagang sunugin nila Charles and Radgeon ang appliances due to the things that they had that time. Habang nag-uusap kayong apat, nakita namin ang galloon and matche kaya sure kaming may balak talaga sila—"
