Calming

Chapter 17. Calming

NAMI was having a taping for her latest endorsement—a toothpaste. Because of her pearly white and almost perfectly aligned teeth, she received a lot of offers from variety of oral care companies to endorse their products. Ngayon lang talaga siya pumayag, at ang pinili niya ay ang matagal na niyang ginagamit na brand.

Mabilis lang na natapos ang photoshoot noong nakaraang araw at ngayon nga ay ang para sa ipapalabas sa TV ads.

She received a video call during the break, and she realized it was her sister. Hindi niya naabutan ang tawag kaya rumehistro iyon sa missed call, at nagulat siya nang mapansing tambak siya ng missed video calls mula rito kanina pa. Nagtaka pa siya dahil hindi naman ito mahilig makipag-video call. Miminsan nga lang silang magkausap via video calling, mas madalas na sa chats sila nagku-kumustahan.

She immediately called her back.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"H-help me..." puno ng takot at garalgal ang tinig nito nang sumagot. Kinabahan siya nang mapansing madilim ang paligid, at mukhang nakasiksik lang sa kung saang sulok ang kakambal niya. "Tulungan mo ako!" she was almost whispering and she could sense the urgency in her voice.

Tumuwid siya ng upo. "Nasaan ka?"

"Please, c-call the police! He's going to kill me. He's going to kill my child—"

"Nasaan ka?!" ulit niya sa tanong, mas diniinan ang tinig. She didn't need the details about what was happening now. She had to make sure her twin would be saved.

"Putangina, sino iyan?!" She heard a man's voice on the other line. Napasinghap siya at tila minamaso ang kaniyang dibdib sa sobrang kaba.

"Camarines—" Biglang naputol ang tawag.

"Glaze!" hiyaw niya; mas kinabahan. Napalingon pa sa kaniya ang ilang staffs na nasa studio.

She wasted no time and immediately left the location. Bahala nang isiping unprofessional siya sa ginawa pero nasa panganib ang kakambal niya! She could sense it in the voice of that man who was with her.

Sinalubong siya ng driver ng company van na gamit niya palagi pero mabilis niyang hiningi ang susi rito nang hindi na sinasagot ang mga tanong nito.

"Fuck!" Nahampas niya ang manibela nang pagkasakay niya ay taranta niyang isinasaksak ang susi. "Get a grip of yourself, Nami!" matigas na bulalas niya sa sarili.

Bumuga siya ng hangin bago pinaandar ang van. While on the road, she put her phone on the cellphone holder and dialled Romano's number. She still had it even if they lost in touch with each other. Minsan lang sila kung magkita, at palaging natataong sa Phoenix iyon, o sa MI Ent.

Hindi rin naman niya nakikita sa tuwing magkasama ito at si Glaze noon, lalo naman ngayon. Mula nang makapagtapos kasi sila ng kakambal niya ay naghiwalay na sila ng landas. She became occupied with some missions and her schedules, being an actress, while Glaze went abroad almost six months ago. Nakipagsapalaran ito sa Dubai bilang isang waitress.

But she's doubting that now. Glaze mentioned she was in Camarines before the video call got interrupted.

"Nam?" hindi makapaniwalang bungad ni Romano sa kabilang linya.

She cleared her throat before responding, "Do you know where Glaze is?"

He didn't answer right away. Mukhang nagtaka sa biglaang tanong niya.

Nagtagis ang bagang niya nang maalala ang mga katagang namutawi sa nanginginig na bibig ng kakambal kanina. Nagdidilim ang paningin niya dahil maaaring si Romano ang tinutukoy nito. "She called me, and she told me you're going to kill her! You're with her, aren't you?" Mabilis ding tumutol ang kalooban niya sa mga inakusa rito. If the latter was with her, then, her twin must be safe, right?

"What are you saying?" madilim na untag nito.

May nag-overtake na sasakyan sa kaniya kahit pa nga ba nag-o-overtake na rin siya. Muntikan na silang magkabanggaan ng sedan na iyon. "Fucking shit!" Binusinahan niya nang malakas iyon at nagmura ulit.

"Are you driving?!" Romano shouted.

"Huwag mong inililigaw ang usapan, Rome! Saan mo dinala ang kakambal ko?!"

"Can you slow down first? Calm down, Monami. You're driving."

"Fuck! Ikaw ba ang nagtatangka sa buhay niya?" Nanlalabo ang mga mata niya dahil gulong-gulo na siya.

"Slow down, you don't like driving, don't you?"

Totoo iyon. Kaya lang siya natutong nag-drive ay na-engganyo siya ni Stone. Malaking bagay raw kung marunong siyang magmaneho. Pero ayaw pa rin niyang nagmamaneho. She wondered how did Romano know it, but it's not the time to think of it.

"I'll call Dice. I'm going to tell him to track Glaze's phone. Dumiretso ka na sa Phoenix. I'll be there by four."

"Glaze told me she's in Camarines. I just don't know where exactly. Otherwise I would have been on my way there if I know it." Bahagya na siyang kumalma nang kausapin ito. Walang mangyayari kung patuloy niya itong sisigawan at aakusahin.

Before ending the call, he firmly told her to slow down, but she did otherwise.

Three-thirty na. At dahil nasa daan pa siya ay mga four o'clock na rin siyang makakarating ng agency. Mabuti at medyo malapit lang sa location nila kanina.

Mas binilisan niya ang pagpapatakbo ng van. She knew she exceeded the speeding limit and would not be surprised if she'd be on the flash news for reckless driving since she's certain she got caught already by the traffic enforcement cameras, but, heck! Glaze needed her.

Ang tatlumpung minutong tantiya niya ay naging halos dalawampu lamang. Pagkarating niya roon ay dumiretso siya sa ICT Department kung nasaan ang ilan sa mga computer geeks ng Phoenix. Wala pala si Dice roon kaya iba ang nag-locate kay Glaze.

"Can we do something so someone would go to the house?" She thought of her father, but she couldn't let him go there alone. Baka pati ito ay mapahamak.

Mas lalo pa siyang nataranta dahil namayani sa isipan niya ang sitwasyon ni Glaze doon ngayon.

Shit naman kasi! Ano ba'ng ginagawa mo riyan? Bakit ka nariyan? You were supposed to be in Dubai! She said in her mind as if she's speaking with her twin.

Maraming katanungan ang kaniyang nasa isipan, lalo na ngayong nalaman niya ang eksaktong lokasyon nito sa Camarines Norte—it's in their hometown, San Lorenzo Ruiz.

"Leave that to me," anang kanyang kasamahan sa Phoenix na isa ring hacker. She went back on her desktop, and the clicking sound of the keyboard could be heard. Ilang sandali pa ay tumayo ito. "There. Some riders will deliver foods to that address. Don't worry, the foods are already paid." But she's not thinking about the payment.

"Mga ilang minuto?"

"Fifteen to thirty minutes."

Napapikit siya ng mariin. She just hoped that Glaze was still alive. "Where's Stone?" tanong niya. She needed a chopper right now. They shouldn't be wasting time. Also, she'd be needing backups.

"Wala siya," sagot nito.

She tried to stay calm.

"Si Vince ang nandito. Nasa office niya."

Napatango siya at umalis doon. Dumiretso sa opisina ni Vince, ang co-founder ng Phoenix.

She was surprised seeing Romano in there; still panting.

Ni hindi siya nakabati kay Vince para masabi rito ang pakay nang hawakan ni Romano ang kaniyang kaliwang braso at iginiya palabas doon. Halos patakbo nilang tinahak ang elevator at pumasok doon.

"Where are we going?" She asked when she noticed they're going up.

"Helipad. The chopper's ready."

She sighed and closed her eyes when she heard that. Nakuha na niyang nahanda na nito ang lahat para makarating sila kung nasaan ang kakambal niya.

She was already tapping her right foot on the floor because she felt that the elevator was going too slow.

"Calm down, Nam, we will make it on time," seryosong untag ni Romano. Though his voice was that serious, she felt assurance. Pero hindi pa rin dapat siya magpakampante. Ni wala pa nga sila sa Bicol.

Marahas muli siyang napabuga ng hangin at mas hindi na mapakali. Gusto niya nang hilahin ang oras.

Natigilan siya nang bumaba ang pagkakahawak ni Romano mula sa kaniyang braso papuntang kamay, saka ginagap ang kaniyang palad. If he didn't do that, she wouldn't even notice he's still holding her; as if he's supporting her.

Was that the reason why even though she felt her knees weakened while thinking of her twin's situation, she could still stand straight?

Napabaling siya rito at nagtama ang paningin nila, parang narating nito ang nababalisang parte ng kaniyang utak para pakalmahin. There was really something in his eyes that's very calming.

Lalo na nang marahang pinisil nito ang kaniyang palad ay tuluyan siyang kumalma. Subalit segundo lamang ang itinagal niyon dahil mas lumakas ang pagtambol ng dibdib niya ngayon. Gayumpama'y mas luminaw naman na ang kaniyang isipan kaysa kaninamg wala siyang ibang maisip kundi ang nasa peligro ang buhay ni Glaze. She could now focus and think of some possible plans on how could they save her twin.