Churchless Town

22 - Abby

We stayed silent for a short moment, letting the information sink in inside of our heads. If it is true that the mayor had burned the original copies of the map, then she's really trying her best to bury the town's history.

Ang nakapagtataka lang, paano niya nagawang ilihim ang gano'ng pangyayari? I don't know anything about laws regarding with maps of a specific town, pero sa palagay ko ay hindi naman tama ang ginawa ni Lara.

I am also thinking about the reason why its townspeople kept the information from the people outside. Like they let it happened and never talked about that again. Posible kayang natatakot sila kay Lara?

Am I really having my guesses right? Dahil kung sa simula pa lang ay kontrolado na ni Lara ang bayan ng Wichita, magagawa ba naming pagkatiwalaan ang mga taong tutulong sa amin dito kung sakali?

Like Abby...

I looked straight into her eyes, trying to sense if there's something inside of her mind. Like the same fear I have seen from Mr. Calicdan's eyes.

Ayokong pati ang inosenteng receptionist na ito ay mauwi rin sa nangyari kay Mr. Calicdan. I don't want another life to be gone once again.

After almost a minute of complete silence while staring at the maps of Wichita, I heard a sigh coming from Abby's direction.

"Baka totoo ngang may naganap na witch hunt noon sa bayang ito," Abby caressed the surface of the old map. "But I wasn't so sure about that. Kasi hindi talaga ako tiga-rito. I moved here to settle down dahil may trabahong inalok sa akin. At dahil sa trabaho kong 'to, I've learned some things na hindi ko alam kung paniniwalaan ko ba. Like the reason behind the burning of the maps. All I know from listening to others are about the churches. Tapos meron ding tungkol sa witch hunts."

Umiling-iling pa siya. "Would you mind telling me the reason why you two are here? Hindi naman kayo mga turista, di ba?" Abby asked the same thing about tourists.

Then she leaned near us again to whisper. "Sinabihan kasi talaga ako ng management na 'wag 'tong sasabihin sa mga customer na turista. Bad publicity raw."

I smiled. "No, we're not tourists," tumingin ako sa direksiyon ni Verm at maging siya ay tumango at ngumiti rin. "I'm a journalist."

Abby's eyes widened. "Journalist? Magsusulat ba kayo ng article tungkol dito sa bayan namin?"

I slowly nodded my head, way to go to divert the topic. "Oo, gano'n na nga. Kaya marami akong tinatanong tungkol sa bayan ninyo."

Abby smiled. "At dahil parehas naman kayong hindi turista," she lend her hand for a handshake that I willingly accepted in return. "Magsasalita ako."

~~~

Moment later, another girl came in to the hotel to replace Abby in her position. Sandali lang sila nag-usap para sa mga habilin nila sa isa't-isa at may pinirmahan pa si Abby sa logbook na kanina lang ay pinasulatan niya rin sa amin ng aming mga pangalan.

"Si Anna 'yon, kapalitan ko. She's insomniac kaya graveyard shift lagi ang pinipili niya," sabi pa sa amin ni Abby nang makalabas siya ng hotel patungo sa direksiyon namin ni Verm na naghihintay lang sa kaniya sa tapat ng van ng aking team.

Tumingin ako sa direksiyon ni Anna at nakita kong naglabas siya ng isang makapal na libro mula sa dala niyang bag kanina at nagsimulang magbasa nito.

"She looks fine I guess," bulong ko. "Anyway, puwede mo na ba kaming dalhin dito?" Holding the old map of Wichita, I pointed at the exact location where Margot can be located.

Abby smiled. "Hindi na yan ang Hilltop apartment. It's now called Scarlet Inn, kilala ko ang may-ari niyan."

I nodded. "Pero puwede mo naman kaming dalhin dito 'di ba?"