“Thank you.” he added then end the line. He kept on thinking where Grace could be. “If she’s not with somebody I was expecting, then…” he made a deep sigh and cover his face using his hands. “Where are you?” he kept on asking spontaneously. He can’t imagine his self without Grace in his life, being away for years is enough to endure.
One week had passed and yet still she doesn’t appear. He was sitting inside the court and waiting for his turn to explain the victim’s condition. He was looking at the witness who’s stating what he saw but he’s not listening. Everything hearing he attends makes him stiff and stone. He can’t believe what his ear hears. It makes him feel mix emotions. He feels jealously, anger, pity, sadness, insecurity, agony and all the endless pain he feels on his heart. After the hearing, he felt his knees were shaking. He’s jealousness made him weak. Every statement he hears hits him.
“We were chatting and eating that time because we got to the university early than our class so we decided to go out and sit near the school, it was seven-one in the morning when a motorcycle parked in front of us, me and my friend. Since we’re chatting, we had this attitude to observe and mock the rider until I saw the eyes of the rider, it’s close-open as if the rider is nervous. My friend told me that the rider’s hands on the wheel as if its itchy.” said the first witness.
“As my friend told you, we’re here not because we’re making stories; if we are then it’s just good for us to write it down on a sheet of paper. While we were having fun on the rider who’s clueless, we begun to talked serious as we observe the rider. I felt that the itchy hands aren’t itchy, it’s hesitant. We stood-up because the time of our class is about to start. We were about to stand-up when a group of students passed through the rider.” said the second witness.
“Me and my friends were about to enter the university. I’m the one who’s at the last because I’m reading. They passed through the rider while I stopped because I dropped something after I picked what I’ve dropped, I heard something. It’s weird because when I saw the rider’s chest, it seems like it’s going to explode and I can hear the wild beat of the rider’s heart.” said the third witness.
“I was waiting for my girlfriend, when I saw someone caught my attention. It was a bike, the model I really want to buy and I find it cool, as I observe the bike I didn’t noticed that my girlfriend came. She thought I was cheating until I realized that the rider is a girl. I saw the rider’s shoes, it’s pink and girly, that’s why I confirmed it’s a girl and why my girlfriend felt jealously.” said the fourth witness.
“I was with my friends and smoking near the university when I saw my classmates behind a bike with the rider. At first, I didn’t mind the rider until I saw the rider’s bracelet, while I was staring at the bracelet made of shells and pink beads, I noticed that she has birth mark near her thumb, the birth mark is tiny, it’s obvious because it’s dark brown and her complexion isn’t that tanned.” said the fifth witness said.
“I was about to cross the road when suddenly a bike crossed the road and about to hit a guy but a girl saved him. She stopped and I write the plate number.” said the sixth witness.
“Hey, are you okay?” Hael asked.
“Y-yes.”
“I’m not convinced. This is the last hearing. Our last witness may explode more. Are you ready for that? I guess, not.”
“I’m not like you who doesn’t even have any emotions of shock. I’m not used to death like you do.”
Hael tapped his shoulder. “You must, you’re a doctor besides I’m not used to it.” he said the leave him with a smile.
He can’t avoid moving on the chair due to uneasiness. He saw an unfamiliar face that looked at him. The man sat next to Prosecutor Leal. After few hours, he was stunned when he heard a familiar voice.
“Tell me, what you are doing on the crime scene?” asked the victim’s lawyer.
“I wasn’t really at the crime scene, I’m standing in front of the university while waiting for the photo copies I need.” he starts. “I heard some scream so I looked at where was that and there I saw a girl lying on the floor. Without thinking, I ride on my bike and followed the bike that runs after hitting someone.”
“Tell me more about what you saw.” said the victim’s lawyer.
“I followed the rider until it stopped on a store. The rider removed the helmet on his head and there I saw her face.”
“Have you thought of confronting the suspect?” asked the victim’s lawyer.
“No.”
“Is the rider you saw is in this room?”
“Yes.”
“Can you point where the rider is?”
The man points a girl in front. The girl stood-up. “You’re lying! You’re making stories! Liar!” she yelled.
“Order on the court.” commanded by the judge.
He saw the girl cries, catching her breath while crying. “I didn’t want to hit him. It’s not intended to be like that. I just want to know whom is he with. I didn’t mean to run but I had to go because I don’t want JL to see me.” she said between her sob.
He looked at JL’s reaction. He can tell by JL’s expression that he’s shocked. JL’s best friend Anne was sentence as guilty. The case of Grace is now solve and closed. He was about to get out of the court when someone called him.
“Yes?” he said to the other line.
“I know where she is. If you want her to live, you must let go of her and come with me.”
He was stunned and stocked on where he stands. He can feel the wild beat of his heart and can clearly hear his heartbeat. His hands are shivering and his knees are shaking until he just noticed his self-kneel down while tears kept on falling in his eyes. He can’t imagine himself turning his back to the girl he love. He doesn’t even dream of leaving her.
“Rovi, are you okay?” he can’t see who is it but he’s sure it’s Hael.
“Investigate the accident you said Grace encountered four years ago.” he begged.
“That case is closed now.”
“Then, open that case.”
“I can’t do that, unless the family requests it.”
“I can’t leave her; I won’t give her up that easily. I think the one who called me before and the one who called me today is the same.” he said.
“I get it now. If the family requests it, there’s a possibility that case could be opened.” Hael explain.
“I see… Then, I should tell her family. I have this feeling that the nurse you chased before has something to do with the incident years’ ago.” he whispered.
He heard him sigh. “Grace, what does this mean? You chose the person who is connected to the person who can commit a crime? If one day, you will choose just one of them, choose me. You won’t have any accident problem.” Hael murmured.