Take Me to Isaiah

Chapter 04

Chapter 4 – Painting

Napamulat ako sa isang mata dahil sa narinig na sigaw mula sa labas ng kwarto. Base sa tinis ng boses, sigurado akong si Irene ito.

"Isaiah! Inspector Cha! Help me!" sigaw nya pero binalewala ko ito at mas idiniin ang yakap-yakap na pillow hotdog sa tenga upang bumalik ulit sa pagtulog.

"Isaiah! Inspector Cha! Pag di nyo ko tinulungan susunugin ko ang apartment na 'to!" Ayan na naman siya sa pamba-blackmail niya, eh hindi niya naman magagawa. Wala bang bago, Irene? Puro na lang susunogin ko ang apartment na 'to.

I lick my lips and scratch my face due to irritation. That's when I smelled something. I immediately stand up on my bed and felt the dizziness in my head. Yawa, hangover.

Napahawak ang isa kong kamay sa bubong bilang suporta sa katawan ko, habang ang isa naman ay nakahawak sa ulo ko dahil sa sobrang sakit nito.

Unti-unti akong naglakad palabas ng kwarto, subalit halos wala na akong makita dahil sa usok na nanggagaling sa kusina. Nagluto na naman si Irene?

"Isaiah! T-Tulong . . ." rinig kong bulong ni Irene malapit sa'kin. Another yawa, asan ba kasi si Inspector Cha? Bakit hinayaan niyang magluto 'to?

Irene naman eh, nagluto ka pa pero imbes na pakainin kami, papatayin mo pa talaga kami!

"Irene! Nasa'n ka?" sigaw ko habang umuubo pa rin dahil sa kapal ng usok. "N-Nandito!" sagot niya pabalik. Kahit masakit ang ulo ko ay pinilit ko pa ring maglakad ng mabilis papunta kung nasaan siya.

Patuloy lang ako sa paglalakad kahit hindi alam kung nasaan itong daan na tinatahak ko. That's when I heard Inspector Cha's voice, "I've got this!" sigaw niya na doon din mismo nanggagaling ang boses ni Irene.

Here comes the hero, phew. "Ano? Tapos na ba?" sigaw ko sa kanila nang nakapikit ang mata. Hindi ko nakayanan ang usok, namumugto na nga ang mata natin dahil kagabi, mas lalo lang itong mamumugto dahil sa usok ngayon. Ano ako, soon to be a human panda?

"What are you doing?" I heard Irene's voice at my side. In a quick snap, I opened my eyes and saw what happened. Inspector Cha was holding a fire extuingisher in his hand while Irene looks like a normal person, and by the looks of her, she's mocking at me in her mind.

"I thought you're not going to wake up, Isaiah." She crossed her hand on her chest. Anong nangyayari? Akala ko ba mamamatay na 'to?

An idea popped on my mind. "You," dinuro ko siya, pati na rin si Inspector Cha na nagkibit balikat sa'kin. It was all a lie! They were teaming up to mock me! And they did!

"So you did that just to wake me up?" galit na galit kong tanong sa kanilang dalawa kahit alam ko na ang sagot. "Sorry man," Inspector Cha apologized showing me the fire extuingisher.

"How about that? Pang-AMA awards na ba ang acting ko?" sabi naman ni Irene at tumawa ng malakas. Inis ko silang binunggo at pumunta na sa kusina para kumain. They better feed me a delicious cuisine!

"Uy, galit ka ba? Sorry naman," bungad agad ni Irene nang makaupo siya sa tabi ko. Nakita kong tinapos ni Inspector Cha ang niluluto ni Irene kanina. Kinuha niya ang apron sa gilid ng refrigerator at nag-umpisang magluto.

"Sinong hindi magagalit?" singhal ko sa kanya. Natatawa na naman siya sa galit kong ekspresyon, kaya hindi siya makapagsalita. Nagsalita si Inspector Cha habang nagluluto, "Ginawa lang yun ni Irene para gumising ka na. Baka nakakalimutan mong pupuntahan natin ngayon ang bahay ni Veronica."

Just by saying her name shifts my mood, "Paano ko makakalimutan yon?" sarkastikong sabi ko at hindi na nagsalita pagkatapos. Hindi na rin nangulit pa sa'kin si Irene, tahimik kaming kumain nang inihanda ni Inspector Cha ang kanyang niluto sa lamesa.

"So . . . I did some research about what happened to Veronica's case. According to the report I've read this morning, witnesses's said no one entered the house before the fire started. As the fire started, Veronica was in front of the canvas on the easel, painting her masterpiece. I mean, bakit hindi siya tumakbo o humingi man lang ng tulong? That's very strange! Maybe that's the reason it ended up as suicide case." Irene explained and chew her food. I didn't respond of what she said, I continued to eat.

Sumagot naman si Inspector Cha, "Baka hindi nya alam na nasusunog na pala. The house is big. How did the fire started?"

Uminom muna ng tubig si Irene bago sumagot, napapailing ang ulo, "No! That wouldn't happen. Alam nyo ba kung saan nagsimula ang sunog?" The last sentence was almost a whispher and she gestured her hands to listen very carefully. "Doon sa kanyang painting. Gash, kinalibutan tuloy ako!"

"It means she knows it already that there was a fire and she was still standing in front of the canvas?" Inspector Cha asked and Irene gave him a thumbs up, "Right! There are a lot of witnesses and it gives a reliable testimony." Irene added.

Inilapag ko ang kubyertos sa mesa at napatalon naman silang dalawa dahil sa gulat, "Isaiah! Where are you going?" sigaw sa'kin ni Irene nang umalis ako at kinuha ang coat na nasa sofa.

"Isaiah! Wala ka pang ligo!" dagdag pa na sigaw ni Irene. Napahinto ako sa paglalakad, "Sasama kayo sa'kin o hindi?" tanong ko sa kanila habang nakatalikod. Bigla naman silang nagsitakbo sa kani-kanilang kwarto upang magbihis.

I don't care about my looks. All I care about is to find out the truth behind Veronica's case. I strongly believe it's not suicide because we had a promise before.

We promised to see each other in person before we die.

+ + +

I went out of the car and saw Veronica's house all burned up. Nakita kong agad pumosition ang mga policemen para magbantay sa harap ng bahay habang may dala-dalang riffle na nakasampay sa balikat. Binigyan kami ni Inspector Cha ng white plastic gloves, isinuot namin ito at naglakad na papasok sa bahay.

"Nasa'n si Inspector Ricardo?" tanong ko sa isang police na naga-assist sa'min papunta sa crime scene.

"Sir?" He asked in confusion. Napakamot naman ako sa mukha dahil nakalimutan kong nasa Spain pala kami. "Where is Inspector Ricardo?" I asked in hard accent. I also asked him what's his name.

"Sir! I'm SPO1 Flavio Demerquez!" He saluted to us, most especially to Inspector Cha beside me. Irene introduced herself to him and shook hands. I also did.

Then, when Inspector Cha told him to speak, he answered my question. "He has something to do with Veronica's funeral. He said he can't go with you that's why he sent me here." He answered. I just nodded and wander my eyed to the entire house.

It's only a one-storey house, but it's big enough to accomodate one person. "Who's house is this?" tanong ko kay Flavio. His brow creased, "It's Ms. Picasso's house." I smirked, so she wasn't married huh?

"What I mean was this is not her family's house? She only lived here?" tanong ko at tinignan siya ng maigi upang makakuha ng sagot. He nodded, "Yes. She was alone living in her house. Ms. Picasso doesn't have a family anymore except Inspector Ricardo, her older brother, who lived next block of the village."

I frozed at the thought, her family died? I never thought she suffered such a loss through the years after we stopped messaging.

"Why aren't they living together in this house? How was the relationship between Veronica and Inspector Ricardo?" tanong naman ni Irene sa kanya habang hinahalungkat sa kanyang bag ang notebook at ballpen upang magsulat.

"Ms. Picasso was rich enough to buy her own house, same with Inspector Cha. They aren't close with each other especially when Ms. Picasso was still alive. Everytime they meet, they keep on arguing," sagot nito sa kanya, isinulat naman agad ito ni Irene.

I observed the scene, wala ka nang halos makita na valuable na gamit dahil nasunog na ito lahat. Nangungulay itim ang buong paligid at bubong.

Naningkit ang mata ko nang may nakita ako sa sahig. How come it wasn't stained as black just like the other parts of the floor?

Itinukod ko ang isang tuhod sa sahig para tignan ito. I wipe it using my hands and look at my gloves. This ain't right. Ang parteng ito ay hindi sunog. Paano nangyari yun?

"Was there a thing in this part?" tanong ko kay Flavio at itinuro ang sahig na hindi man lang nadungisan. Hindi niya ito tinanaw at sinagot agad ang tanong ko,"Yes. It was the canvas on the easel of Ms. Picasso's painting."

Naningkit ang mata ko sa kanyang sagot. Bago pa ako magtanong ay inunahan na ako ni Irene, "Wait, if there was Veronica's painting on that part of the floor. How come it didn't stained as black when the fire exactly started on the canvas?"

"That's . . ." Nauutal na sabi ni Flavio sa'min at hindi makasagot. I smirked and lift up my bended knee. Hinarap ko si Flavio na may pagtatakang mukha, siguro ngayon nya lang din ito naisip. I asked him, "Where's the painting?"

Nagtataka niya naman akong tinignan, "The fire started on the painting. Of course! It was burned up!" sagot niya sa'kin.

"Really?" Natatawa kong sabi sa kanya. I licked my lower lip due to irritation and looked at Flavio in the face, "You scratched the tip of your nose. Psychology says this is one of the indication if a person lied. You answered my question easily as if you know it already that what I pointed on this part of the floor has Veronica's painting. Now, let me ask you again. Where is the painting?" seryoso kong tanong habang titig na titig sa kanyang mata.

Matangkad si Flavio pero mas matangkad ako sa kanya. He was about 5'11 tall. Well, I am way 6'ft. taller than him. I could see his eyes twitching because of uneasiness. There must be something he was hiding.

"I really don't know, Sir," he insisted. I looked at Inspector Cha and nodded at Flavio. He spoke to him, "Tell us the truth. Don't worry, we're not going to tell others what you know. It's only  between the four of us."