"The surprising circumstance"

JANG

Kinaumagahan ay na gising ako dahil sa nakakalising na ring ng telepono ko.

"Is this Sang Jang Yoe?" I heard a woman's voice as I answered the call.

"Where did you get my number?" Inaantok kong tanong sa kabilang linya.

"I'm Margaux your twin's best friend and I got your number in Yang's notes-." I didn't let her finish speaking dahil pinatay ko na ang tawag.

What does she need from me?

Tumingin ulit ako sa phone ko ng mag ring itong muli, bumuntong hininga ako at sinagot ito.

"We have nothing to talk about." Tipid kong sabi saka pinatay na ulit ang tawag but just a few seconds later my phone rang to indicate that I had received a message.

Nag taka ako hindi dahil sa pag message niya kundi dahil sa lugar kung saan niya akong gustong makita. Bakit do'n?

Maybe it's not bad if I'm just there for a while?

Kaya naman nag madali akong maligo at mag bihis, yeah bihis lang talaga dahil hindi ko naman kailangan pang mag ayos ng mukha.

After a long trip I also arrived at the morgue, yeah the morgue is the place Margaux says in her text.

Nang makapasok ako ay nakita ko ang isang babaeng mukhang amirikana, naka itim siyang dress na abot hanggang tuhod. Maganda siya pero ang mukha niya ay parang 'yong mukha ng mga kontrabida sa movies and I can say that even with that face I am sure she is a kind woman.

"Jang..." Lumuluha itong tumingin sa akin pero walang gana ko lamang itong tiningnan kahit pa nag tataka na ako kung bakit siya umiiyak.

"Why are you sending me here?" I seriously asked to her pero mas lalo siyang umiyak.

"J-jang, s-si Y-yang." She stammered, she slowly opened the freezer. Ang freezer dito sa morgue kung saan pwedeng ilagay ang bangkay na hindi pa ipinapalibing at para mag mukhang fresh pa ang bangkay at hindi maagnas kaagad.

As she slowly opened it, her crying grew louder and when she finally opens it biglang nanlambot ang tuhod ko, dahan dahan akong nag lakad papalapit sa kanila.

"Jang...Y-yang is gone." Dahil sa sinabi niya ay umiling iling ako.

No! No! This is not true, it is not possible!

"Is this a prank? If so, stop it because it's not fun." Walang emosyon kong sabi kay Margaux pero tumango lamang ito at patuloy paring lumuluha.

I looked around in case there was a hidden camera but my shoulder just sagged when I saw nothing.
I shook my head and stared at my twin.

"Stand up Yang because I know this is another one of your jokes." Malamig kong sabi, si Yang mahilig siya sa mga pranks palagi niya akong pinaprank noon kaya hindi niya ako maloloko sa gimik niya ngayon but she's still no response.

No! Hindi 'to pwedeng mangyari. Hinding hindi dahil kaya nga ako umalis para hindi na mag dala ng gulo o kapahamakan sa kaniya/kanila pero bakit? Bakit naman ganito? Umalis na ako eh, bakit kailangang mangyari ito?

Pumikit ako ng maalala ko ang masasayang alaala naming dalawa.

"Jang! Chase me!" Yang yelled at me while we were having fun playing here in the park.

"You are deceitful Yang, you run so fast!" I yell at her too and she was laughing because I couldn't catch up with her.

"Bleh! Bleh! HAHA."

"Jang..." Dinig kong sabi ni Margaux at naramdaman ko ang pag tapik tapik niya ng mahina sa likod ko habang ako naman ay nakapikit parin at inaalala naman 'yong mga panahong binabalewala ko si Yang.

"Jang please talk to me, I know it's hard for you to what happened but it's same goes for me and appa so please Jang talk to me, so that you can be okay somehow." But I ignored her at that time.

"I know you can get through this, you're strong." Pero wala ulit siyang nakuhang tugon mula sa akin.

"I hope you go back to where you used to be because I can't bear to see you like this."

"I love you my twiny..."

Nag mulat ako ng mata at tumitig ulit kay Yang pero kahit ganito ang nangyari hindi ko parin magawang lumuha. Siguro nga ay wala na akong pakiramdam na kahit wala na ang mahal kong kakambal ay hindi man lamang tumutulo kahit katiting kong luha.

I looked at Margaux who was looking at me, her face was already full of tears, unlike me, no emotion could be seen on my face.

"She was killed." Margaux said suddenly so I looked at her.

"WHO KILLED HER?" Mariin kong binigkas ang katagang 'yon kaya nagulat si Margaux at namulta dahil mababakas ang panganib sa boses ko.

"There is no clear evidence yet, her execution was clean and according to the detectives handling the case, it was not in the vacant lot where her body was found, she killed," Mahabang salaysay niya.
"Pero..." Dagdag nito kaya tumitig ako sa kaniya.
"Pero may hinala akong si Aeon ang pumatay sa kaniya."

"Who the hell is Aeon?" Dumagundong ang boses ko sa loob ng Morgue kaya nanlaki ang mata ni Margaux at mas lalong namulta.

I only raise my voice once but when you hear that, make sure all the hairs on your body grow.

"S-si Aeon ang boyfriend ni Yang and Yang told me that they went to the philippines together," Hindi ako umimik sa sinabi niya at bahagyang kumunot ang noo ko ng lumuhod siya sa harapan ko.
"I need your help, Jang." She said saka pinatayo ko siya.

"What should I do?" Alanganin siyang tumingin sa akin bago sumagot.

"Your father is in the healing process because he just had heart surgery last month that's why he can't know what happened to Yang, not yet especially justice has not yet been served on her death," Hindi ko alam na nagkaroon pala ng sakit sa puso ang matandang 'yon, well paano ko ba naman malalaman kung pinutol ko na ang koneksyon ko sa kanilang dalawa at mukhang hindi ko gusto ang kalalabasan ng sinasabi niya.
"So, I'm begging you Jang, please pretend to be Yang." Umiling iling ako sa sinabi niya.

It's not possible especially if I can see and be with that man.

"No." Tipid kong tugon sa kaniya.

"I know your father is not okay with you, I know you have a grudge against each other but please help me, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko Jang gulong gulo na ako." Yumuko siya at napaupo na sa sahig.

"Jang please pretend to be your twin even until your father recovers and justice is done for Yang's death." Kumapit siya sa paa ko at nag angat ng tingin sa akin, punong puno ng lungkot at sakit sa kaniyang mga mata. The love she gives to my family is amazing that she could do it kneeling before me but the wound that my father inflicted on my heart is too deep to give her what she wants to happen.

"Mag mula ng lumayas ako sa buhay nila, wala na akong pamilya." Pag kasabi ko 'non ay nag lakad na ako palabas ng lugar na 'yon pero bago ako lumabas ay nakita ko ang kasawian sa kaniyang mga mata na minsan ko ding nakita sa sarili kong replika.

I don't care about him anymore.

~To Be Continued...