"Defend Me, Attorney." (Law Series #1)

PART ELEVEN: THE GAME CONTROLLER

"UNA NA 'KO HA."

I looked at the owner of the voice, it was Newt. We were outside the detention building, going home. It was 11 in the evening.

"Ingat," I said.

In no time, his car departed and I was left, watching it vanished from my sight. I put my hands inside the pockets of my coat, seeking for warmth.

"Uuwi ka na?" Tyler asked me as he was standing beside me.

"Yup," I said weakly.

He grinned. "Ayos ah, 'di ka pabalang sumagot ngayon."

"ANO?" I asked, with slight change of tone.

"Ayan pabalang na," he laughed. "Wala."

I looked at the sky, billion of stars were scattered, twinkling as they showed themselves.

I sighed.

"Iniisip mo pa rin ba 'yung kanina?" Tyler asked me.

As I looked at him, he was staring at the stars too. That's when I noticed his features. His neck and adam's apple were contributing factors of his masculinity. He was no longer wearing his coat, in fact he's holding it and just wearing a long sleeve white polo, with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his arm and with few buttons opened, tucked inside his slacks.

"Don't be," he added, and he met my eyes. "I know my dad. He seems like a manipulative person, but he's not. He judges people based on facts and nothing but the facts."

That's the case. I know the prosecutor's dad judged things objectively and rationally. I know my friend's mom had principles I admire, so she won't testify on something that ain't real.

My mom case was a clinical malpractice, and the article said it was intentional. My mom killed someone, intentionally, taking advantage of her profession. The article however did not reveal who the victim was, and did not provide necessary information for me to have a full grasp of the case.

But seeing the people inclined, the judge, and witness, I have this feeling that caused me chest pain. What if, my mom did it? And what if mom really did it? I studied law, and has high principle of obeying the law but on the other side of the coin, I was a daughter of a criminal.

I sighed again.

"Pwede ba tumigil ka na kakabuntong hininga?" he said. "Para kang kambing."

I looked at him sharply.

"Kidding," he said. "I was just trying to lift up the mood. Ang unusual ng atmosphere, saan na napunta 'yung maldita kong ka-trabaho na kahit witness n'ya i-s-strike n'ya?"

"I'm not in the mood to fight back," I said, feeling now a much heavier chest pain. "I wanna go home."

"Alright," he said. "Uh...my car is parked on the other side," he said awkwardly, pointing at the car on the other lane.

I looked at him. "So?"

"And...I only bought that last month. It has a nice air con, you won't even sweat unless you'll do something that would make you sweat-" he stopped himself. "Wait, that sounds so wrong..."

"Stop overtalking, you're no help," I said emotionless and turned my back but then in my great shock, he blocked my way.

"Uh...you...don't really wanna...uh...ride me?"

My eyes grew bigger.

"No, no!" he said, defensively. "I mean, my car. It's brand new."

"If you wanna talk about your car, how much you bought it or how classy it is, wala akong panahong makipag yabangan, okay?"