Unbinding Ties of Sloth

Epilogue

(Lady's POV)

Seven years. Seven years na pero hindi pa rin nahahanap si Joya. Ang bilis lumipas ng panahon. Parang kailan lang, ah. Kung patay na talaga siya o kung buhay pa, si Lord lang ang nakakaalam. Kung buhay man siya, kung nasaan siya at kung bakit hindi pa siya bumabalik, wala akong ideya.

I am standing in front of the stones as a memorial place for those who died in accidents along the curve road. I really missed her. Hanggang ngayon wala pa ding lead sa kanya. No confirmation if she's missing or dead.

I remember how we unlocked the mystery behind everything that messed up my memories with Joya, my friendship with the girls and with Paco, and my relationship with God. I almost backslide because of baseless assumptions, misled reports, and mistaken information.

I've learned the lesson of trust and faith in the hardest way. It destroys my relationship with everyone. It clouded my decisions and actions. Anger will take you nowhere.

Good thing. He was there. He's always there. He has provided me friends who helped me unveil the truth behind Joya's accident. I remembered how I discovered the truth and regret everything I said and did in the past.

Dinig ko ang usapan ng SPA girls sa may garden. Alam kong sinasadya nilang iparinig iyon sa akin. Since I've been locking myself in the four corners of my room for 3 days already.

"Do you have it?"

"Yeah. Ako pa ba? The whole report is written there. Napagtagpi-tagpi ko na ang buong kuwento."

"Is this real? How come this happened?"

"Someone has been manipulating the information since Day 1. And I promise, aalamin ko kung sinong nasa likod nito."

"So, Joya is not Joya?"

Those lines caught my attention. What does Cleofe mean? Kilala ko ang mga boses nila. Joya is not Joya?

"Ha? What do you mean?" Tanong ni Ivana na kagaya ko ay naguguluhan din.

"Hay naku Ivana, hindi mo ba binasa 'yong report?"

"Bakit ko pa babasahin, pwede ko namang itanong."

"Ano nga?"

"Joziah Yasmin Sevilla died...."

Natigilan ako sa binitawang pahayag ni Dionne. Tumayo ako at lumapit sa may bintana to hear them clearly. Hindi kasi gaanong malinaw dahil mahina ang boses niya.

"Oh my God!"

"So, sino si Joya?"

"Iyon ang hindi ko pa alam."

"All traces have been removed. Pati CCTV footage ng BCA. Nabayaran nga yata pati  ang lahat ng witness. Napakalinis ng  trabaho."

"Bakit?"

"I have this hunch na gustong palabasing imagination lang ni Ladyma ang lahat."

"Why would they do that?"

"Hindi ko din alam."

"So, this is the real Joziah Yasmin? Patpat at sakitin?"