SAME TREE, DIFFERENT BRANCHES.
Life goes on in the annex branch of Café Moriartea. Maviel resumes her apprenticeship under Sigmund. Landice is still reading books at the barista's corner. Nikolai is still making sure that the shop is squeaky clean...
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MAVIEL
KUNG HAHAYAAN kong mabagabag ang aking sarili dahil sa pagbisita ni Mama sa cafe, hindi ko na magagawa ang mga dapat kong gawin. I might give our customers an incorrect change or I might serve them wrong drinks. Isa pa, meron din akong iniimbestigahang case. Hindi pwedeng distracted ako habang inaalam namin kung nasaan ang anak ng client.
By lunchtime, umalis na naman kami ni Sigmund ng cafe. Dahil sa trauma ko kaninang umaga, tumanggi na akong sumakay sa motor nang siya ang nagda-drive.
"Promise, I'll be much gentler this time!" He even raised his right hand to make that pledge.
"No thanks." My head shook. Hindi baleng ma-stress ako sa pag-commute, huwag ko lamang ma-experience ulit ang na-experience ko kanina.
"Don't you trust your mentor?"
"I can trust you in anything except motorcycle riding."
He still insisted, but I repeatedly declined. Ayaw ko nang malaglag ang puso ko sa sobrang kaba. Instead of riding Nikolai's motorcycle, sumakay kami ng taxi papuntang mall. Gusto kong mag-commute sakay ng jeep, but Sigmund told me na pwede naming ipa-reimburse ang pasahe.
Pasado ala-una na nang nakarating kami sa mall. Heto ang lugar kung saan pumunta at huling nakita si Charlize bago siya nawala. Some of our questions could be answered here. If we're lucky enough, we might find some clues to her whereabouts. Dumeretso kami sa security office kung saan kami binati ng kanilang chief of security. He was a man with dark skin and large build.
"Gusto po sana naming ma-view ang security footage last weekend," pakiusap ko sa kanya. "Meron kasing nawawalang babae na huling nakita rito."
"Are you with the police?" the chief asked as he crossed his arms. Nababagot ang tono niya na parang wala siya sa mood na makipag-usap sa amin. "Do you have a warrant?"
"We're not with the police, but we're private detectives . . . sort of," my voice trailed off. "H-in-ire kami ng mommy ng nabanggit kong babae para hanapin siya."
Tinitigan ako nang ilang segundo ng chief bago siya tuluyang natawa. "Ikaw? Kayo? Private detectives? E mukha pa kayong mga estudyante, eh. Why are you two playing detectives? You better focus on your studies instead of acting a role."
This was not the first time na may nang-insulto sa amin. Akala ng iba'y mga wannabe detective kami na hanggang roleplaying lamang ang alam. We might not look the part, but the results could speak for us.
"Pero hindi po kami naglalaro o nagpapanggap bilang detectives," paliwanag ko. "We really are investigating a missing person case. Makatutulong sa imbestigasyon namin kung bibigyan n'yo kami ng access sa security footage n'yo."
"Sorry, but I can't grant some wannabe detectives access to our footages," he replied. I had already suspected na gagamitin niya ang term na 'yon. "If I let you inside that room to watch the footage, I will definitely get fired."
