“Fred, pull over in front of that clothes,” Euclid told his partner when they passed by a market along Quiapo. “Stay here, Maria. I’ll get clothes for you to change. Fred will be with you.”
Maria shyly nodded her head. When Euclid went out of the car, she released the breath that she’s been holding while with him.
“What’s that for?” Fred asked. He was looking at him in the rearview mirror. “Are you still afraid of us?”
Maria shook her head. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said casually. She doesn’t have to pretend soft and weak in front of this man. “I know that Euclid would help me out of the police station.”
She heard Fred laugh. “Wow, you suddenly transformed into a cat,” he said and looked over his shoulder. “Tell me, who are you?”
Maria studied his face. Even she showed him the dark side of Magdalene, his expression doesn’t show any judgment to her. He’s just looking at her, with a warm smile on his face. Maria knotted her forehead, she has seen this man before, and his name sounded familiar.
“Your eyes are so beautiful that I might think you’re seducing me with that stare,” he said and looked away from her. “I don’t wanna die young.”
“Have we met before?” Maria asked him. “I think I saw you somewhere—”
“Ah, stop it,” Fred grunted. “Don’t try to flirt with me, Magdalene. Euclid likes you, and I don’t want him to think that I’m stealing you from him—”
“I’m not interested in you,” Maria cut off. “I was just asking if we had met before because you looked familiar.”
Fred looked at her again. He raised his eyebrow at her. “You talked like Euclid. No wonder why he’s attracted to you.”
“Do you think he likes me?” Maria asked hesitantly.
“Don’t you see it? He bid one million pesos just to get you, isn’t it enough reason to know that a man likes you?”
Maria leaned on her seat. “Maybe he’s just sexually attracted to me.”
“That’s it. What else do you think?” Fred returned his gaze in front of the car. “You’re sexy, young, and beautiful. If you’re not a…” he hesitated to continue. “If you’re not a—”
“A prostitute,” Maria continued. “If I’m not a prostitute, you might think that Euclid is attracted to me romantically. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
Fred didn’t answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and focused his eyes outside the window.
“I’ve thought about that, too…” Maria said in a lower voice. “But, I could not change myself anymore. Being a prostitute, a tramp, a whore, a slut, or whatever people called women working in a club, has been marked on my skin.”
“There’s still a second chance, Magdalene,” Fred said, looking at her over the rearview mirror again. “And I can see that you’re a good mother. You’re doing that job for your daughter, right? There’s still a new life waiting for you after this.”
Maria lowered her head. “Or, maybe… there’s death waiting for me.”
A few minutes have passed before they saw Euclid coming out from the market. During this time of the day, the market is crowded with people hurrying to get the freshest vegetables. In his hand were two plastic bags of clothes that she threw at her on the window.
“Fred, get out of the car. Let her change first,” Euclid told Fred. “Come on!” He opened the driver’s door and dragged Fred out.
Fred swept his hand. “Why are you always humiliating me in front of a beautiful woman?” he heard Fred complained before Euclid closed the door.
Maria checked the clothes that Euclid bought for her: a plain white T-shirt, stretchable pants, and one pair of undergarments inside a separate sealed plastic. Maria thought that maybe Euclid bought the underwear from the nearest convenience store. She smiled when she imagined him with a confused and scowled expression while choosing which is which to buy. Euclid was the type of guy that doesn’t like to go shopping with a woman.
After changing her clothes, she looked outside the car. She saw the two men standing beside the car, smoking and seemed preoccupied with their conversation. Maria thought of escaping. She will run from that alley and hide in the sea of people.
“I don’t want him to see again…” she said and touched the door handle. “But, if I will escape now, I’ll be a wanted person. That will make Sara’s world smaller.”
She let go of the handle. Maria was so confused and occupied that she didn’t hear the knocks on the window shield.
“Are you done?” Euclid repeated and knocked on the window. “Maria?”
Maria blinked her eyes. She knocked back on the window. “Yes… You may come in.”
A few seconds later, the car unlocked, and the doors opened. Maria bit her lip, even if she tried to escape, she would fail because the doors are locked from the outside. She shook her head for her stupidity.
“What is it?” Euclid asked her as soon as he sat beside her again. “Are your clothes uncomfortable?”
Maria looked at him in surprise. “Huh? Ah, no… it suits perfectly, actually.”
Euclid’s face turned red. “Really? I don’t know what your sizes are, that’s why it took me an hour to return.”
“I thought you decided to run from this mission,” Fred said and laughed. “Magdalene—I mean, Maria, was about to cry when you’re still not showing up.”
Maria glared at Fred. “I didn’t…”
“I’m sorry, Maria. I wasted an hour of your time to get home,” Euclid said as he folded the coats that she took off.
Maria snatched them from his hand. “I will wash it first.”
Euclid knotted his forehead. “You don’t have to—”
“I insist, Euclid…” she said and put the coats inside the plastic bags. “I will bring this to the dry cleaning tomorrow then return it to you after.”
Fred cleared his throat. “No problem with me if you wanted to bring my coat to the dry cleaning tomorrow. The only problem is—”
“If you’ll be freed from the police station tomorrow,” Euclid continued. “We have to find you a lawyer—”
“I will get myself a lawyer,” she cut off. When she saw that Euclid was surprised by her reaction, she looked away and tried to explain. “I-I don’t want to be a burden to you, Euclid…”
Euclid touched her hands. “I told you, I’m doing this because I wanted to protect you. But, you also have to stick with your promise that you will help us in this investigation.”
She’s right. Euclid is just doing all of these because he needed her to accomplish his mission. She’s so stupid to entertain her feelings again. His profession is much important to Euclid, just like what he did before.
Maria looked on the window. She saw Robert’s tricycle behind them, but she doubted that he saw her inside the sedan. The windows are tinted, and to look inside the car, you have to press your face on the window.
“Uhm, T-Fred… can you turn over that alley? There’s a small parking space behind that building,” she said, pointing at the building a few meters away. “Wait for me here, I’ll be quick—”
“We’re coming with you,” Euclid cut off. “We can’t let you walk outside alone. There might be some of the assassins around, waiting for the perfect timing to shoot your head.”
“No one knew that I live here—”
“You won’t know, Maria. A lot of our targets escaped.” Euclid loosened his tie. “Fred, stay in the car.”
“There’s no way that I’ll stay here, dude. I’m starving, and I need a healthy nap,” he said and parked the car like a pro that Maria didn’t notice the vehicle has stopped. “Come on. Is there a lomi or mami vendor here? My stomach is shouting for a steamy pasta soup.”
Euclid got out of the car first. He held opened the door for her, and she stepped her feet out. The cold pavement made her flinched. Euclid looked at her feet and groaned.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you don’t have slippers?” he said, shaking his head.
“It’s fine,” she said and looked around. When nobody noticed them, she let out a sigh. “I will go first then you’ll follow me discreetly—”
“We will escort you—”
“Please, Euclid,” she cut off. “And, with your attire, I’m sure all my neighbors will look at you.”
“And they will start to wonder why we’re with you,” Fred said. “Your neighbors aren’t nice to you, am I right?”
Maria lowered her head and nodded. “I never talked to anyone here… that’s why—”
“They hate you and gossip about you.” It was Fred again. “Been there done that.”
Euclid sighed. “Okay, you’ll go first. But, don’t look back at us.”
Maria nodded and started walking towards their street. She was in the middle of the road when she heard Robert calling her name.
“Hey, Maria!” He smiled at her. “Wendy just called me a while ago—”
“Why? Has something happened to Sara?” she asked. Her chest suddenly hammered in panic. “W-what happened?”
“Nothing happened to your daughter,” he replied. “Wendy called me to pick you up at work… where are your slippers?”
“I-I lost it…”
Robert got off from his tricycle. “What happened? Did someone harass you again?”
Maria shook her head. “No—”
“Maria! I’m trying to call you, but you’re not picking up!” Wendy ran towards her. She was carrying Sara on her arms that she transferred to her. “Sara has a high fever—”
“What? Did you call Connor?” she asked and put her hand on Sara’s forehead. “Did you give her paracetamol?”
Wendy nodded. “She’s getting better now—” She looked over her shoulders. “Hey, I think I know you.”
Maria turned and saw Euclid and Fred were already standing behind her. Fred was smiling and waving at Wendy, while Euclid’s gaze is focused on her daughter, Sara.
“Is she Sara?” he asked, not taking her eyes off her daughter. “Is she okay?”
***