10:55 P.M.
Manila National Police Station.
July 20th, the year 2018. Friday.
Abbey didn't even control herself from picking up her cell phone. She dialed her brother's number again. She put it right over her ear.
Carmela furrowed her eyebrows. Abbey disappointingly laid it down on her lap again as she heard several rings.
"Are you calling someone?" Carmela asked. Abbey opened her mouth slightly.
"Yeah. I was wondering if my brother was home or not," Abbey voiced out. The promise that Carmela granted. The last chance she gave. She sighed and turned to face Carmela.
"Carmela, about the promise---"
Abbey cut off herself as Carmela raised her hand. Carmela exhaled as if relieved by something and crossed her arms again.
"That argument made me sorrowful when I looked upon my daughter. How could I survive the day without going to work? I need to strive harder for us to get some money," Carmela muttered. The rays of the moonlight shone outside of the station. The reporters scrambled inside their vans and they called it a day. Abbey stared at her emotionless face and she was scrutinizing her eyes so deeply than ever.
"How can I live off with a child for my entire life without someone by my side? It's embarrassing to think that I have to grow up with Hannah without her father. I was thinking about it, hard. I don't know how I can cope up with it," Carmela confessed. She's careful with her words right now because Mina and Matthew were sitting across from them. Zoey was on their side, sitting alone on the wooden bench. She stared at the view of the lights from the vehicles towards the highway. Zoey probably thought of Katrina right now.
Carmela glanced at Abbey. She said, "We need this to be kept a secret, so when the time comes, we know how to explain it to our friends. And also for your brother."
"But, Carmela---"
"I know you haven't had the time to say it to your brother because you were so worried about how he would react. But, I promise, everything has its own time. We need to forget that argument we had on that day. I was a little carried away by my emotions towards my daughter," Carmela explained. Abbey swallowed back and felt that her mouth had gone parched.
"You have your own life too, and your brother has his own world. We should always keep in mind that every decision is worth thinking about. If we picked the wrong choice, we may not turn it back again," she breathed first before continuing.
"Regrets don't come beforehand. They will always wait at the finish line," Carmela mumbled to her. Abbey's tears fell down her cheeks without her noticing.
At those times, she tried to convince herself that she needed to say everything to her brother. Those were the times she knew it could totally ruin his brother's life.
Xyrelle was so precious to Abbey and she can't help feeling helpless about this situation. Being stuck in that hardship in the center of her best friend and her brother. She didn't know where the exit was. How can she release herself from this debacle she was facing? All she knew was that... she's prohibited to pick the incorrect options.
"Don't think about that for now. I can't see you crying your eyes out while your brother was behind that bar, Abbey. I regretted everything that I said from Katrina to Xian. If I relive every word that tumbled out of my mouth, I knew it was painful to hear," Carmela mumbled. Mina and Matthew talked to each other quietly as they both hissed and took turns sighing. Carmela and Abbey were still on that bench distance away from them. They were waiting for Marcus to go outside of the station after he questioned Xian.
"Xyrelle was a kind-hearted man, like you. You were the same. I can't deny that you two were siblings. And... the time Xian got admitted to the hospital hours after his accident. I saw how he smiled again," Carmela muttered. Abbey looked up from her lap and stared at her again. Carmela averted her eyes from the sky towards her feet. She beamed, the tears brimming.
"Xyrelle paid a visit to Xian while he was in the hospital?" Abbey asked. She hadn't heard from his brother about going out of the house the day Xian got into an accident. Carmela nodded as Abbey furrowed her eyebrows and got more puzzled than ever.
"Yeah. I immediately heard that Xian's admitted to the hospital when Margo dragged me. And also Katrina. I'm worried about him. Me and Katrina visit him for a few minutes," Carmela explained. She creased her forehead towards Abbey, who looked so baffled about what she was saying. Carmela shrugged it off for a few moments and told that Xyrelle had been in that hospital room.
"Margo and Katrina left for something to do that time. I was alone with him and Xian on the bed. His eyes shut tight," Carmela went on. The wind from the west gusted louder over the station. The place became eerily quiet except for a few chatters they heard inside the building.
The police must have been so busy with the cases that they needed to stay up all night. Even Marcus, who was there inside, was scrambling in and about the files they needed to arrange.
"Did he say something? Like, where would he go that day or what?" Abbey asked with caution.
"He said he has some errands towards your grandfather's house at the outside part of Manila. That was all he said because your brother brought Xian to the hospital. I asked him why he was there before the police," Carmela elaborated as Abbey got stunned in her place. How can Xyrelle drive with his arm cast?
"He can now drive his car without saying it to me?" Abbey whispered. Carmela peeked over her anxious face.
"He seemed okay based on how he lifted his arm over his chest when he was in Xian's hospital room. The cast will be much longer over his arm based on my observation," Carmela explained. She shifted her eyes towards Matthew and Mina. They were having a serious conversation.
"Xian mentioned something about meeting Xyrelle before he got into an accident." Abbey tilted her head to one side. She's so confused about the ideas that were surfacing into her consciousness. She stood up from her bench as Carmela grabbed a hold of her arm. Abbey quickly glanced at Carmela as she asked.
"Where are you going? We need to stick together. Someone else might watch at us right now," Carmela reminded her. Matthew and Mina got alarmed at how fast Abbey stood up from the bench. Zoey dazed back to reality again. She also stood upright from her seat as Abbey unclasped Carmela's hand from her arm.
"I need to check on my brother at the house. Maybe something happened to him. Xyrelle was not answering any of my calls." Abbey looked towards Matthew, Mina, and Zoey, who were staring at her with astonishment.
"Abbey, Marcus reminded us to stay here. We need to be careful of our move right now. It's the middle of the dead night, something might happen to you," Zoey butted in as she stood beside Carmela.
"It's okay. I can defend myself. I know how to do martial arts. Need to check on him. My parents were away for some trip. I promise I'll be back right away." Abbey announced. She sprinted towards her car parked at the exit of the station. She climbed in her car and started it as she zoomed out of the station without looking at her back.
"I need to tag along with Abbey. Something dangerous might happen to her now. We know that someone was watching us," Mina decided. Carmela clasped his arm that made him halted right in his place. Mina widened his eyes towards Carmela as she shook her head.