MINT ACADEMY 5: CHAOS

CHAPTER 12: SD CARD

Nakatanaw ako kay mama mula dito sa labas ng ICU room niya. She's still in coma and I don't know what I'm going to do. Hindi ko rin alam kung saan ko hahanapin sila daddy at kuya. Hindi ko rin alam kung alam na ba nila ang nangyari kay mommy.

Naupo na lang ako sa upuan sa labas ng ICU ni mama. May hawak kasi akong laptop and since na bawal ang ibang gudget sa room ni mama ay wala akong pwedeng gawin kundi ang sa labas gumamit.

Ipinatong ko sa lap ko ang laptop at saka huminga ng malalim. I have to be strong this time dahil wala akong kasama. I can be weak but I choose not too. I should not make a room for being a weak lalo pa ngayon na nakatatanggap na naman kami ng mga criptic code from the organization.

Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit wala ngayon sila Henry. Gusto pa nga magpaiwan ni Jullia but she's also needed there so I did not bother her at all. Kahit sila Yana at Min nga gusto rin magpaiwan pero dahil sa naging cold si Henry ayun, sumama rin naman sila.

Huminga ako ng malalim, "No matter what, Kesia, you have to be brave," I told to myself.

Binuksan ko ang laptop at saka ko hinitay na matapos ang starting booth at nang matapos iyon ay naghintay ako ng isa pang minuto para sa pag loading ng mga files. Para maiwasan ang pag-lag ng laptop. Ganito lagi ginagawa ko para hindi matagal mag-loading ang mga files na i-o-open ko.

I inserted the SD card na nakuha ko kay mommy na nakatago sa sleeve niya sa SD card reader. Hindi ko malaman pero grabe talaga ang kabog ng dibdib ko sa laman ng SD card na ito. Hindi ko alam ang laman nito, obvioulsy, pero hindi ko rin naman pwedeng ipagsawalang bahala ito dahil halata namang tinatago ito ni mommy.

Naramdaman ko naman na may paparating kaya naman tinago ko muna ang SD card reader sa bulsa ko. Nakita ko naman na may lalaking pumasok sa ICU section ni mama at napatingin ako sa kanya. Hindi niya ako pinansin at para ngang wala siyang balak na pansinin ako. Tinitigan niya si mama mula sa labas. I can't really see his face ng malapitan pero nakikita ko ang repleksyon niya sa salamin. I can see the disgust at the same time pity on his face.

What the heck? What does this mean?

Inalapag ko ang laptop ko sa gilid ng upuan at saka ako tumayo at naglakad papunta sa lalaki. Hindi naman ako malayo sa kaniya dahil sa tatlong hakbang lang ang ginamit ko para makatayo sa tabi niya.

"Excuse me, who are you?" I asked.

He looked at me coldly and then his brow furrowed, "And who are you?"

I crossed my arms in my chest, "I should be the one asking you that. What are you doing her in my mom's ICU section?"

He raised his right eyebrow and then looked at me from head to toe. His stare made me feel the chill but then I did not show him the satisfactory of his stare. Hindi ko pinakita sa kaniya na naaapektuhan niya ako sa tingin niya.

"You're his daughter?"

Medyo naguluhan ako sa sinabi niya pero huminga ako ng malalim, "I am my dad's daughter, yes, also, I am my mom's daughter. Now, stop asking me. What are you doing here? Why are you looking at my mother with such expression?" I asked.

Sandali siyang natigilan pero ngumiti din naman siya, "What a twist." He said and then left.

Napayukom naman ako ng kamay ko nang makita ko na naglakad siya palayo. I used my emphatic ability and I felt his feeling.

Confuse, disgust, hatred, pity, and excitement.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya nararamdaman ang mga iyon pero alam ko na wala siyang magandang maidudulot sa mama ko. I can feel that he had this desire to kill her. Siya ba ang naghulog kay mama sa overpass?

I erased that idea. Just based from the height he's not the one. Hindi siya ang gumawa nito kay mama.

Napatingin ako kay mama at naramdaman ko naman na parang pinipiga ang puso ko. Napakagat na lang ako ng labi at napatingin sa kabilang section at katabing ICU room ni mama. Oh my gosh, I can feel the patient's feeling from here.

I immediately discharged my ability and walked toward the next ICU room. I saw a young man lying there but nobody was there to look for him. Since I am wearing an ICU uniform I entered and I saw how messy his machine was. I immediately push the button on his room and wait outside.

"Akesia,"

Napatingin naman ako sa tumawag sa'kin and I saw the doctor walking towards me with his nurse. The doctor graduated from our academy.

"Doc,"

"Ikaw ang pumindot?"

Tumango naman ako, "I felt something weird here." At tiningnan ko naman ang ICU room ni mama para makita na walang kung sinong pumasok o lumapit doon. "At nang makita ko na nagkakagulo ang mga machine pinindot ko agad ang button."

"Doc!"

"Coming!"

Hindi na siya nagpaalam pa sa'kin and I'm not bother with it. After all, he's still on his duty kaya hindi din naman iyon maiiwasan. Naglakad na ako pabalik sa harap ng room ni mama at kinuha ko na lang ulit ang laptop at naupo saka ko na sinimulan ang kanina ko pa dapat ginawa. I inserted the SD card reader sa laptop at saka huminga ng malalim. When I open it I found out na isang file lang ang nandito. A video file.

"Oh gosh, don't tell me na para sa akin talaga ang file na ito?" I bit my lower lip.

Humugot muna ako nang malalim na hininga bago ako naglakas ng loob at saka ko ako nag-click.

Hi,

Halos maiyak naman ako nang makita ko si mama sa screen. I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from crying. Before I continue hinanap ko muna ang earphone ko para naman ako lang ang makarinig. Baka kasi may confidencial part ang video na ito, mahirap na baka may magamit pa laban sa akin at laban kay mama. Nang nai-connect ko na ang earphone ay agad ko naman itong pinagpatuloy.

By the time that you saw this video I know that everything went like a s**t.

Mahina naman siyang natawa kaya naman napangiti ako kahit na nangingilid na ang luha ko sa mga mata ko.

This video might become your strength or baka maging kahinaan mo rin ito so please, if ever you're with someone you doesn't fully trust, then, please, leave this video as soon as possible.

Sandali siyang tumigil at nakatingin lang sa camera nang nakangiti. Feeling ko tuloy sinadiya niya ito if ever nga na may kasama akong hindi ko pinagkakatiwalaan. After two minutes she finally sigh.

If you're in this part of this video, meaning, you're alone. I want you to be brave, Akesia. I want you to understand us through this video. I want you to believe in us.

Pas lalo pang bumundol ang kaba ko habang naghihintay sa susunod na sasabihin ni mama sa video. Hindi ko alam kung dapat ba ako matuwa dahil alam kong may malalaman ako o maiyak dahil sa feeling ko lalabas na ang puso ko sa kaba.

I met your dad at our work. We're working at the same level. I know that work will put our life on line but since the money is what I needed the most for my mother I did not think that it will kill me one day. Nagsama kami ng daddy mo sa trabaho ng limang taon at sa limang taon na iyon, nagkaroon kami ng relasyon. Your dad wants to settle down and so we did. Since my mom that time was already dead and I have no reason to continue working there. We both want to retire but that was just a wishful thinking.

Your dad wasn't just a simple employee and that is the reason why he can't get away from his work. Hindi sila pumayag na dalawa kami ang mawawala sa trabaho knowing how versatile we are in work. They want me to stay but your dad argue with them and that is the reason why he's still in their hands.

Huminga siya ng malalim at ngumiti sa camera na parang ako ang nginingitian niya. Pero yung mga ngiti na iyon ay ang ngiti na malungkot. Ilang beses ko nang nakita na ngumiti ng ganoon si mama pero parang mas lumala ata yung ngiti na ito.

We got married and we're really happy for being married for two years that time. We became more happy when your brother, Karl, came into our world.

Ang mga luha na pinipigilan ni mama na bumagsak ay nagsibagsakan na kaya naman nadamay na ako at nagsibagsakan na rin ang luha na pinipigilan ko.

Not until this girl came. She's pretty and she's really into your dad. She knows that he's a married man and he, your dad, don't care for her. He's world really centered to our family and I know he will never cheated on me. But she's desperate for your father's love and the nasty thing happened. There's a party and your father must attend because he's the centered of it. Your father thought that, that girl won't bother him anymore but he's wrong, we're wrong. She made a move by putting a drug on your father's drink and by that he was knock out. Since she's one of his trusted co-employee they let her and your father's friend to send him to his hotel room.

Alam ko na kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari. Alam ko na.

When David, your father's friend left because his fiance called him which is the girl's accomplice. That is where it happened. The girl sleept with your fully knock out father.

Her cry made my cried also. How dare she, how dare she to ruin my family? It was a minute before she calmed down and then continue to talk.

After two months the girl came into our house with a smile plastered on her face telling us that she's pregnant and your dad was the father of that child.

Napasinghap naman ako at napatakip ng bibig sa sinabi ni mommy.

And that child was you, Akesia.

Pagkasabi niya noon ay humagugol siya. Parang nawala ako sa sarili ko. Natulala ako at hindi ko maproseso ang sinabi ni mommy. What? What is she talking? I'm not came from her womb but rather came from a desperate woman?

No, how? How did it happened?

Tuloy tuloy ang pagbuhos ng luha ko nang ma-realize ko at ma-absorb na ng isip ko ang sinabi ni mama. Napahagulgol na rin ako.

She died giving birth to you. But, Akesia, I really treat you as my own, I really treat you as my real daughter. I really love you, Akesia. I do. I really do.

While saying it I can feel her love.

I realized that I really never felt that I am not her daughter. Hindi ko naramdaman na iba ako sa kanila. They really treated me as part of their family.

"I know mom, I know you love me." I mumbled and trying my best not to sob.

Knowing that you already watching this video makes me cry hard. And she really did cry hard and I cry with her. I just let my tears escaped from my eyes. I promised that I won't tell you this since it was your dad wants but I can't. I really can't. I told him that once that everything seems out of our hands we will tell you this. When you go accepted by the academy we're really happy since we finally can rest assured that there will be someone that can protect you. We're grateful for that, that is the reason why I pursue you to enter even though you don't have a courage and confidence to do so. But look at you now, you even cured me.

"Are you proud of me, mom?" I asked even though I know na hindi niya rin naman iyon masasagot.

I'm proud of you, my dear, little brat, KeCy. I'm proud of you. We're proud of you.As if it's the cue I cried so hard. I paused the video and let myself cried. I don't know but the emotions were to much to handle. It's hard to handle but I did my best to calm myself. When I finally catch my breath I played it again.

Now, it's time to know our work. When they informed us that our daughter were our enemy I felt like I want to kill them all. I'm no saint, KeCy. I'm not the perfect mother you thought I was, so do your dad. I am once a part of inner circle of Black Organization, the organization specialized in killing. Yes, I killed too many people to count. I was promoted to white organization due to you and your group. Should I thank you for that?

And then she chuckled. Even though the tears were still escaping from my eyes I still smiled at her even though it's just a video.

Your dad was against it since it was more dangerous that in the Black Organization but we can't do something to it. They was once granted him a wish so they will never do the same again. Once is enough for them. They won't set you free, they will kill you, when your brother- Karl realized how dangerous it is he volunteered to be in your place. Your father and your brother fought for that but in the end it's your brother's victory. Your father wants to protect you both but only one he can protect.

Huminga siya ng malalim saka nagsalita ulit.

Akesia, your brother, your father, and I really wanted to protect you. We were so in love with the way how you see the world, we're in love how you smile and how you loved everything in this world. We want to protect it, so please do believe in everything we does. Everything was for you to be safe. Sorry for keeping everything a secret.

Napahawak naman ako sa dibdib ko dahil feeling ko naninikip ito sa sobrang pag-iyak ko. Nawawalan na ako ng hininga.

Do you remember our rest house?

"I do, mom."

May secret compartment doon. Kung gusto mo malaman kung anong klaseng tao ang daddy mo, you can go there. You have his permission. The key was in your room at the pharmacy.

And the screen went black.

"Wala na? No, mom, tell me more. Please," I said.

Napasabunot na lang ako at naiyak na lang ng todo dahil sa nalaman ko. I was really not my mom's daughter. I am the daughter of that desperate woman.

Hello,

I heard a robot voice so I looked at the screen and I saw the AI version of my mom.

"AI mom?"

So you already knew.

I nod, "I do."

That great then, it will be easy to explain. Your mom was not really dead. She was the one who created me and kept the intelligence from the organization. Ang akala ng organization ay under ako ng order nila but your mom, my creator, kept on telling me that I have to keep it a secret. When they tried to kill your mom I was there. All I can do is to watch her and it aches my heart since she doesn't want me to intervine. They want me to stay still para maniwala sila.

"By you mean, sila..."

The organization. They're ruthless and merciless group of people. Aside from your mom, dad, and your brother, of course. That time they thought she's dead I put him on a secret compartment hidden on her office and there, I did the first aid. When your father knows about it he went mad. He nearly kill everyone, well, just half of the organization was killed.

Napasinghap naman ako, "Dad did that?"

Yes, he did. When he finally knows about your mother's condition he's the one who healed her. He can heal everyone, Akesia. That is the secret he's been trying to hide to everyone. Aside form that, he can control the water. He's much more into the water since that's the ability he showed to everyone.

"Is that the reason why I have a water ability?"

Yes,

"Then, mom.."

She's a normal person. She's just skilled in killing, like an assassin. Para naman akong nabunutan ng tinik. "And my biological mother?"

She died because of the cursed on your father's family.

"The cursed? What is it?"