13th Incident: Trust 信 

  "I'm sorry for losing myself. I-I wasn't thinking. Someone actually survived and I have yet to know his or her identity..." Kumalma na si Investigator Yamamura habang hawak-hawak niya ang kanyang mukha. Siguro nahihiya siya dahil nawala ang calm image niya or dahil naaasar siya sa sarili niya. Whatever it is, nag-iba si Investigator Yamamura. For a quick second, he appeared scary to me.

            "So you don't know the identity of that survivor?" tanong ko.

            Napayuko naman si Investigator Yamamura. In which, I assumed na hindi nga niya alam.

            "I don't know what to say..." sagot ko sa lahat ng nasa kwartong itong ngayon. "The very important file case that was entrusted to me is now missing."

            Alam ko naman sa sarili ko na wala akong kasalanan. Well, technically wala. Nawalan ako ng malay e. However, I still feel guilty about it. Ako ang huling taong may hawak ng file case and it is a fact na nawala 'yon nang hawak ko.

            "So basically dead end pa rin ang kinahantungan." Napabuntong hininga kong kinlaro sa kanilang lahat.

            Hinawakan ni Ayako ang balikat ko. Kitang-kita sa mukha niya ang pag-aalala. Her hand was warm. For a second, I felt comfort. Something that healed me for a bit.

            Pero bigla itong lumamig.

            Hindi ko alam pero nanlamig rin ako sa pagkakahawak niya. Inialis ko ang balikat ko sa kamay niya.

  Ayako, I'm sorry but right now... I can't trust you.

            "So three of us were the remaining people to tell about what we know." Sinabi ko ito habang nakatingin kay Daisy at Ayako.

            "Who's next?"

            "I want to tell what I know." Sabi ni Daisy na may halong takot sa boses nito. Siguro dahil kailangan na naman niyang maalala ang mga naranasan niya.

            "Please tell us." Sagot ko. Though this is a half-hearted answer.

            Aaminin ko, I am no longer interested sa sasabihin pa ni Daisy, I think she told me all I need to know nang makausap ko siya sa Private I Café. But still, for the benefit of all the people who are in this room, I will still listen again. Perhaps, I might learn something new.

            Daisy started to tell her side of story...

            "All of you might have read the blog entry of the 23:57 Urban legend that are circulating in the internet. And everyone already knew that it was taken from my journal because it was uploaded by the former waitress of Private I Café. However, there is one thing that I haven't told you yet..."

            Daisy paused for a while and looked to Oliver. Her brother responded with a confused eyes.

            "I am quite hesitant to tell you this dahil nandito siya ngayon. Kasama natin. Pero katulad ng sinabi ni Yuya, I have to set the awkwardness aside for me to be able to share my side of the story to you." Patuloy na kwento ni Daisy sa aming lahat.

            "I noticed that Oliver became strange a day after I encountered the 23:57 curse."

            "What do you mean?!" Oliver reacted. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya. Kitang-kita ko sa mukha niya na hindi siya nagustuhan ang huling linyang sinabi ni Daisy.

            "Parang hindi na ikaw ang dating kuya ko..." ramdam ko na nilalakasan ni Daisy ang loob niya. She's afraid. Sarili niyang kapatid ang pinaguusapan at pinagdududahan.

            "Ha? Paano mo naman nasabi yan, Daisy?!"

            "Nag iba na ang ngiti mo kuya. There's something dark and haunting everytime you smile. Nakakatakot."

            I saw it too. I really feel that there is something weird about Oliver. Pero dahil nga sa dami ng mga nangyayari at sa dami ng mga kailangan kong intindihin, hindi ko na ito nabigyan ng pansin. At saka, kakakilala ko pa lang sa kanilang magkapatid kaya ayoko namang magmukhang nangingialam ako.

            At nagpatuloy sa pagkwento si Daisy.

            "You've changed Oliver. There is something in you that feels strange."

            Natahimik lang si Oliver at nagkatinginan silang dalawa ni Ayako. Pakiramdam ko, napansin rin ito ni Daisy.

            "Hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mo, Daisy. Hindi ko maintindihan." Sagot ni Oliver sa kapatid niya.

            "Also..." at nagbuntong hininga si Daisy bago niya ipagpatuloy ang gusto niyang sabihin. "I don't want to mess things up with what I'm going to say next... But I felt the same way with Ayako."

            "Huh?" Ayako replied with a puzzled tone.

            "Ayako, you smiled at me in Shibuya station. Your smile resembles Oliver's smile!" sabi ni Daisy habang inaaalala yung nangyari bago ang aksidenteng nangyari sa kanya.

            "Daisy, I really have no idea on what you're talking about." Mariing pinabulaanan ni Ayako ang sinasabi ni Daisy.

            Tumingin si Daisy sa mga mata ni Ayako. Kahit takot siya, itinuloy niya ang pagtatanong.

            "Ayako, when was that last time we first met?"

            "I don't get any of this but...I will answer you. We first met at Shibuya Station. You were with Yuya and then – the accident happened..."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Of course! Saan ba dapat tayo unang nagkita Daisy?" Ayako is pissed off.

            "Sa Shibuya train station. Noong gabing una kong na-encounter ang 23:57 curse." Daisy replied na naluluha.

            "I believe you were one of the thirteen people, Ayako."

            Nagulat kami sa sinabing iyon ni Daisy. The truth is, I believed that Daisy has a point. From what I've experienced everytime I'm with Ayako, I can't just ignore what she had said.

            Sina Investigator Yamamura and Oliver ay tinignan si Ayako. I can sense na nagsisimula na rin silang magduda kay Ayako.

            "Stop! As I've told you before, I am not her!" depensa ni Ayako. At sa tono ng boses niya, mukhang galit na rin siya. "I am not her!"

            At na-curious ako.

            "Then who is 'her', Ayako?!" sumingit na ako sa usapan. "Who is this creepy girl who looks exactly like you?!"

            Biglang napatakip si Ayako sa bibig niya. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba nadulas siya sa sinabi niya o baka ayaw lang niyang magsalita.

            "You can tell it to me. If you're not comfortable with everyone just yet, I can listen to you."

            "Hey! That's not fair, Yuya!" Inspector Yamamura intervened.

            "I think so too! We have been honest with you. So no secrets now!" Daisy protested.

            At natahimik si Ayako. I was waiting for her to speak up. I think everyone is waiting for her to speak up. However, she did not say anything at all.

            "Damn it, Ayako! I don't know what to do! You have to tell us what you know!" pikon na ako. Hindi ko alam na aabot sa ganito. Hindi ko akalain na mapipikon ako ng ganito sa girlfriend ko.

            If your girlfriend is not being honest with you and seems to be hiding a lot of things, no matter what her reasons are, how can you go on with your relationship? I know someone's history doesn't matter in a relationship. I am not that kind of person who digs someone's past but... I just need her to be transparent with me.

            Ayako covered her face with her closed hands. She started to cry.

            And— I made her cry. Great.

            Now I don't know kung kanino ba ako magagalit. Kay Ayako, sa sarili ko o sa mga taong nandito ngayon? Pero ang alam ko galit na galit na ako. Siguro nagagalit ako sa mga nangyayaring ito. Nanginginig na ako at nakasara na rin ang kamay sa pagpipigil.

            "Okay." Bigla kong sinabi sa lahat. "I will tell my side."

            " I don't think you will learn that much dahil kaming dalawa ang pinaka bagong na involve sa sumpang ito." Kasabay nito ang pagtingin ko sa kamay ni Ayako. Hindi ko siya matignan sa mukha dahil ngayon pa lang nagkakasamaan na kami ng loob.

            "It all started when Ayako wanted to publish her article. I worked as her partner. I took the photos for the articles that she wrote. Until, we both encountered 23:57. Last train ride na yun at nakawala kami sa train station. Pero una kong na encounter ang kamukha ni Ayako. At sunod-sunod na ang mga kakaibang napansin ko sa girlfriend ko."

            Sorry Ayako pero hindi ko gustong isalang ka sa ganitong situation pero kailangan ko rin maging honest sa mga kasama natin dito.

            "Maraming instances na naging kakaiba si Ayako. All are paranormal. All are supernatural. Ayako smiled creepy. I even saw her bleeding and smiling."

            Magsasalita n asana si Ayako but my emotions are stronger that I kept speaking.

            "Ayako, just please... Tell us what you know..."

            As I looked directly to her eyes, I reminisced every single scene where Ayako became different. Not just different but someone who is haunting. The same way I felt whenever I encounter those people in surgical masks.

             Nanlamig ako.

            "Who are you?"

  One year and three months na nang maging kami.

  Hindi ko akalaing itatanong ko ito kay Ayako.

            Ito ba ang epekto ng sumpa? Ang sirain ang bond ng dalawang taong naisumpa? Kung iisipin kong maigi, si Tetsu-san hindi niya ibinigay ang file case kay Investigator Yamamura. Si Daisy naman, may duda kay Oliver. At ako, hindi ko na kilala ang girlfriend ko. Ang pinagkapareha naming, nawalan kami ng trust sa isa't isa. .

            Sa kwartong ito, kahit nagsasabi kami ng lahat ng mga nalalaman namin, mapagkakatiwalaan ko ba ang isa sa kanila?  

  Ayako.

            I want to restore this bond between us, magsabi ka lang ng totoo.

            Parang awa mo na

            Ayako sat on my bed and holds my hand. Naramdaman ko ang basa niyang kamay. Ito yung mga luha na iniyak niya kanina.

            Nakaramdam ako ng awa sa kanya. Pati na rin sa sarili ko. Nakakaawa ang tulad ko na ginaganito ang girlfriend niya dahil sa gulong nangyayari. Maski ako naiinis sa sarili ko. Pakiramdam ko pinaglalaruan ako ng sitwasyon.

            Ayako started to speak...

            "I really wanted to keep this as a secret to everyone..."  panimula niya matapos ang malalim na pagbuntong ng hininga.

            "I originally investigated the 23:57 urban legend for someone I knew. When I got the opportunity to write it as an article, I found a valid reason and motivation to know more about 23:57. Dahil wala akong mahanap na trace tungkol sa 23:57 urban legend bukod sa blog entry na kumakalat sa internet..."

            "Gusto kong malaman kung bakit nawala ang bangkay niya..".

            "I have a sister. She wanted to be me. She died in Shibuya Station four years ago. I believe she was one of the thirteen people who committed suicide."

            Matapos niyang ikwento ito ay bigla siyang humagulgol. Hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin at gagawin ko sa mga nalaman ko sa kanya.

            Pero isang bagay ang ikinagulat naming lahat...

            The moment she finished telling us about what happened to her sister four years ago, I saw the smiling woman who looks exactly like Ayako.

            Nakangiti siya. Yakap-yakap si Ayako mula sa likuran. Dumudugo.

            At tumingin siya sa akin

  Nanlamig ako mula sa higaan ko at hindi na ako nakapagsalita. .

  Hihihi.