by Rona Go
"I am not the new healer, okay!" Jonah answered angrily.
"It can be you or Jervais. The earlier you accept the possibility, the better we can consider your options," Xavier told her. They both continued to walk while Hugh lagged behind them.
When they reached Jonah's car, Xavier bent down to give her a kiss but instantly stopped. "Hugh will be you! I need to see Aunt Gilda for now," he said and looked back at Hugh.
Hugh quickened his steps and joined the two. He stretched out his palm for Jonah's keys, "Let's talk to the amazon, now!" Hugh said and chuckled.
"What did you just call Jervais?" Jonah asked, eyeing Hugh with laughter in her eyes.
Hugh went around the driver's seat without looking at Jonah. But he was still grinning from ear to ear.
"Will catch you at the house," Hugh told Xavier and waved off.
Jonah also waved off and climbed into the passenger's seat.
Hugh put the car in first gear and glided out of the building slowly. Jonah looked back to where Xavier was standing and found the spot empty. She saw Xavier heading back to the front and slowly disappearing.
Then, Jonah cried out, "Put on the brakes!"
The tires screeched as Hugh put on the brakes abruptly. The engine died too."What? Is something wrong?" Hugh demanded looking worriedly at her.
It's working… Jonah noted and grinned at her own silliness.
It was crazy. Although, Jonah's paranoia hadn't reached its highest gear, but ever since Jemmah's accident, she had developed the act of going off slowly and trying out the brakes if it worked.
"I'm sorry!" Jonah said apologetically. "My bad. It assures me to try on the brakes especially after Jemma's accident. You can drive off now!"
Hugh met Jonah's eyes compassionately and uttered, "Hey, I understand completely. But you have to get over the fear sometime."
Jonah just kept silent. She realized Hugh was right. The past few days, she had been fearful of almost everything including her own shadow. If she was the new healer, then there could be more fearful things awaiting for her.
Before Hugh speeded off into the street, Jonah caught a glimpse, from her side mirror, a Phantom Black Rolls Royce. The luxury car, which was parked not far from her own parking space, looked very much like the one which drove their mother when Rebecca was alive. Although, Jonah knew perfectly well that their Aunt Judith had prohibited anybody from ever using the car until their mother was buried… and until they knew who the next healer was. Jonah couldn't even remember the last time she saw it parked in their driveway. However, she felt scared again all of a sudden. Even the exposed skin on her nape felt tingly like someone had just blew a breath of air on it, creating goose pimples all over.
"Do you know I am a healer too?" Hugh said cutting through Jonah's thoughts.
"You are?" Jonah asked astonishingly.
"It's actually from my biological mother's side," Hugh said. "We can even be family, you know!"
"You mean, you and Xavier are not real blood brothers?" Jonah asked. She looked away from Hugh, feeling awkward all over. "I'm sorry if I—"
"It's okay," Hugh said. "It's an open secret. People are just too shy to ask directly. Gilda Byrne is my real mother. She is a healer too. If you trace her roots, she is half-sister to Rebecca Blood and your Aunt Judith!"
"No way!" Jonah was shocked to learn the piece of information about the three women. "So, we're like related?"
"I hope not!" Hugh exclaimed. "I mean we are already offspring from a thousandth generation."
Hugh narrated what Gilda told him and Xavier about her ancestry and how their feud started. "It's a wonder why your Aunt Judith stuck it out with your mother when her real sister was Gilda. There must have been fresher conflicts between the three of them as the years passed on. But I am not privy to it. "
"What about you and your real mother?" Jonah asked. "What happened between the two of you?"
"She didn't want me," Hugh casually answered Jonah back.
"I can't believe we never knew about this part of our family's story," Jonah uttered, diverting the subject matter away from Hugh's mother. "Not even Aunt Judith talks about it openly."
Hugh and Jonah became silent for a few minutes. Then, they both noticed as the Phantom Black Rolls Royce spookily glided from behind and seemed to be following them all the way to the hospital. With Hugh's eyes still concentrated on the road, Jonah fumbled for her phone from her bag next to her.
Jonah put on her earpiece and dialed Jervais' number which fortunately was on speed dial.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Jervais.
"I—" Jonah started to explain.
Jonah can totally imagine the smooth area between Jervais' eyebrows crinkled in a glower when her older sibling said, "Never mind, I totally get it. You've seen him again— so how did it go?"
"I did see him," Jonah answered. "But we didn't get to talk about things!"
"Yeah, right!" the other girl answered on the other end. "So how come you don't sound okay?"
"I think a car is following us," Jonah said urgently. "Please stay with me on the line until I get there."
"Us?" Jervais asked. Her panic was so obvious it almost leaped out of the phone. "Why do you always call me when you are in the middle of trouble?"
"Please Jervais, stay calm—" Jonah told her sister. "Or I won't be able to think straight myself. I am with Hugh. But I think it pays off to have other witnesses in case something terrible does happen to us!"
"Hugh, let's not lose it! We may be trapped somewhere," Jonah suggested. Even if it really gave her the creeps to see the car on the road, a few meters away from them.
Hugh kept on a steady speed and kept closely to the other cars on the road. "You are right, let's keep it close. Can you see the driver or anybody else? The plate number?"
"Okay," Jervais said on the other end of the line and sighed. "Just keep on the road until both of you reach the hospital. Can you see the driver or the license plate number?"
For a moment, Jonah's eyes left the road and took a quick look at the back. She caught sight of the hands gripping the wheel. But most part of the windshield glimmered with the shining light from the sun, it was impossible to see the face of the driver. She didn't bother looking at the license plate of the other vehicle when the hospital was nearing her view.
"Jonah, are you still there?" Jervais shouted.
"We are almost here," Jonah replied.
Jervais asked, "Where?"
"Meet us at the reception area—" Jonah said hurriedly.
After Hugh maneuvered the car in the basement parking of the hospital, Jonah's hurried steps almost didn't touch the ground. While her steps seemed heavier than usual, it was quite a mystery how fast she covered the spaces which seemed so near and yet so far.
Even when Jervais was anxiously waiting for her at the reception area and Jonah had reached out for her sister's hand, it was probably her nervousness which carried the three of them off from the hospital's lobby towards Jemmah's room almost as if Jonah had wings, that she didn't even recall other minute details like locking the car or seeing anybody else along the way or holding on to Hugh's hand and dragging him along with her. And although, her heart was beating like crazy, she wasn't breathless at all. Yet, when she was safe inside Jemmah's room, it was when the sweat came pouring in and she felt hot all over.
Instead of saying anything, Jervais just shook her head slightly with the corners of her mouth twisting in a grimace. "What was that all about?" she demanded, looking pale all over.
"A car which looked very much like your mother's seemed to be following us from the moment we left the Church," Jonah said, letting out a shaky sigh of relief. Her eyes darted off to Hugh who was panting as well.
"Darn it, Jonah—" Jervais stated, "I saw the damn car in the garage before I came here. And besides, if you recalled Aunt Judith warned us not to use it until your mother has been buried and the real healer known."
"I know, I know!" Jonah said. "But
remember the police report about the woman responsible behind Jemmah's accident? Jervais, don't you get—somebody is posing like your mother to scare the hell out of all of us."
"And kill us," Jervais added.
"I never knew you could fly," Hugh said good-naturedly. He was pausing from time to time and observing his side."You acted so fast I couldn't even remember using my feet."
Jonah immediately caught on. The smite… Hugh was keeping everything light to avoid the smite from appearing everywhere.
Jonah laughed. "Weren't you taught that the first great defense for any real danger is to run?"
"I was taught to hide," Hugh said.
Jonah looked over to where Jemmah was. She was still lying unconscious and breathing heavily. Jemmah had not, even once, opened her eyes ever since the day she was brought to the hospital.
"Let's go have coffee or something," Hugh suggested. "I never liked hospitals."
"You're in med-school, right?" Jonah asked. She was surprised that Hugh felt the same way she did. It was ironical but maybe all healers didn't like hospitals.
"That's a different thing," Hugh said. "But let's not talk here."
After informing the nurse on duty where they were heading, Hugh, Jonah and Jervais went back down to the hospital's cafeteria and ordered themselves cups of steaming coffee.
"Hugh and Xavier have this crazy idea that I am the new healer," Jonah blurted out.
Jervais almost spilled her coffee upon hearing this. "You can't be serious! Did you kill your mother?" she asked with an accusing tone.
"No way!" Jonah said.
"Then, it is indeed a crazy idea," Jervais said throwing Hugh a doubtful and challenging look.
"There's something you need to tell me, Jervais," Jonah said. "The night Aunt Judith came into Jane's room, what did you hear?"
"I told you it sounded like you were partying. A lot of people talking merrily. Music. It was a ruckus. I told you remember?" Jervais said.
"Jane and I didn't hear it," Jonah said. "But obviously, you and Aunt Judith heard it. And I should say whatever both of you heard, it was caused by your mother's habak."
"The missing habak?" Jervais asked.
"The exact thing, only half of it. Jane had it until her room was ransacked and the habak was stolen." Jonah confided.
"Boy, you have been busy!" Jervais said. "I thought we were the bloody duo. How come I didn't know about this?"
"That's not it," Jonah continued. "Hugh has the other missing half and it had an effect on me, although mine was different."
"It ought to be," Hugh said. "This is the half about destruction."
"Do you know what this means?" Jonah asked Jervais. "We were both affected by your mother's habak—one of us could be the new healer."
"And you know what this means?" Jervais' eyes were glowing with excitement. "Aunt Judith can finally put a stop to the stupid rumor that one of us is the new healer. I can surface and tell them it's me!"
"That's preposterous!" Jonah blurted out. "You'll be sacrificing yourself for the rest of us?"
Chapter 23
Predators Conservation Foundation
Hugh was rushing through the hall when he arrived. Xavier was already there waiting for him just outside of Gilda's study.
"Is she okay?" Xavier asked.
"She's in the hospital now. She's with the amazon — the sister." Hugh answered hastily. "But you will never guess what happened before we reached the hospital."
"You can tell me about it later," Xavier told Hugh. "We have not collaborated our story for Aunt Gilda yet."
"You know nothing," Hugh instructed. "That's it!"
"And you?" Xavier asked. "What will you tell her?"
Before Hugh could open his mouth to answer, Gilda rounded the bend to the study. She was surprised to see the two boys together. With her brows furrowed, she looked at them with a set of questioning eyes.
"Why are you two together?" Gilda implored. "My dear boy, Xavier, let me bless you first!"
Hugh rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and entered the study ahead of Gilda.
Gilda placed both of her hands on Xavier's face and muttered something to herself. She lightly touched his chest with her palm and listened for a while. Then, she smiled.
"You are doing well, my dear boy!" Gilda uttered. "Let me talk to the boy privately first and then you can tell me all about your visit to that Tibetan monk, okay?"
"Oh, I really want to talk to Hugh, Aunt Gilda!" Xavier said hesitantly. "I would like to know how Jonah is. He told me he saw her awhile ago."
"Of course!" Gilda said and entered the study in a huff.
Xavier sat on a chair positioned in front of the study. The door was slightly ajar. He could see from the small slit, the back of the tall chair where Gilda was sitting and a small fraction of Hugh's face particularly his eyes. They were talking in hushed tones.
There was a way Hugh avoided Xavier's eyes that was familiar to him. It was the same kind of look each time somebody knew of his condition. They averted his gaze like they were embarrassed or something. He realized later on, those people gave him the kind of look that bore so much guilt—they were guilty for thinking they knew he was going to die and they think he was clueless. Only then when pity followed and they can meet his gaze directly.
For Hugh, it was guilt—but not for the same reason. Xavier knew it had something to do with Jonah. And Hugh was probably guilty because he may not have said anything, Xavier wasn't clueless at all. Xavier always knew Hugh felt something special for Jonah.
Especially after he left Jonah…in Hugh's arms. Nobody could blame them if they fell for each other. Xavier thought.
"I told you to—" For a moment, Gilda's voice was raised in anger. But her tone quieted down and Xavier could barely hear what she said next.
"It's not that easy—" Hugh's tone matched the older woman. Then, Xavier could not hear a thing they were both saying.
Xavier's eyes darted towards the study again. He couldn't see Hugh anymore. For a few seconds, Hugh reappeared. This time, Hugh met his eyes and a quick, mischievous smile spread through his face.
In a short while, Hugh stood up and was heading for the door. Without looking back at Gilda, Hugh tapped Xavier by the shoulder and urged for him to stand and go.
Without saying anything to one another, Hugh and Xavier were like reading each other's minds as they both headed outside towards the direction of the pond. But they did not go any further as darkness had already fallen. With ample trees and distance to cover themselves from anybody who may hear them, they started to converse again about Jonah.
"Are there any other healers you know that we can trust?" Xavier asked. "We need to help Jonah."
"None!" Hugh replied. He looked around him. It was getting really dark and it was impossible to see any outline beyond the spot they were standing on. "I was never interested before."
"Do you think Dad knows about this?" Xavier asked.
"You've got to be kidding me. Dad can't keep anything from mom. And mom can't keep anything from her. And before we know it, everybody knows," Hugh said.
"I know," Xavier said excitedly as an idea came to his mind. "Fr. Ulysses! He knows something. I trust him." Xavier quickly narrated to Hugh the conversation he overhead a few days back.
"They're all in it together, man!" Hugh said. "We can't just trust him easily even if he's a priest."
"The seal of confession," Xavier said.
"That's a good idea!" Hugh replied.
The next day, Hugh and Xavier woke up earlier than usual. Even Gilda was surprised to see both boys already dressed and ready to go. After Gilda blessed Xavier, the two boys dashed for the door in haste.
Hugh and Xavier agreed the latter will take the confession. But when they reached Fr. Ulysses' office, he wasn't around. They found a plump girl with twinkling blue eyes and short blond curls up and about in the office.
Xavier recognized her as Jonah's sister. Unfortunately though, he could no
t remember her name at all.
"Hello! I'm Jenssen! I am the new Chairperson of the Predators Conservation Foundation organized by Fr. Ulysses. How may I help you?" the girl greeted Hugh and Xavier warmly. She indicated the monobloc chairs that were neatly stacked up to the ceiling in one corner of the office. "Please do grab yourselves chairs so that I can introduce to you the program. Actually, we had our volunteers' orientation yesterday, but if you missed it, it's okay. And we are just getting organized as you can see and sharing Fr. Ulysses' office until the renovation is done. Although, we don't really need a physical office because we will be travelling a lot." She chattered on bubbly. She began taking out leaflets and brochures from the table's drawers and handed them to Hugh and Xavier.
"Actually, we came here to see Fr. Ulysses!" Hugh said while taking the brochure Jenssen was handing to him.
"Oh, I see!" Jenssen said, sounding really disappointed that Hugh and Xavier did not come for the program. "But there's no schedule for confession now!"
"Oh, I see!" It was Hugh's turn to sound disappointed.
"Hey, I know you—" Jenssen addressed Xavier. "Aren't you my sister's boyfriend?"
"Xavier," Xavier offered.
"Oh yes, Xavier!" Jenssen said and giggled. "So how about listening for a while about PCF while you wait for Fr. Ulysses? It's a worthy cause. And you may never know who you'd meet who'd be interested about this. You can say a word or two and refer them to us!"
"Of course," Xavier said and started to grab one of the chairs from the lowest pile. He nudged Hugh to do the same.
"Yeah, why not?" Hugh said, giving in which brought a triumphant smile across Jenssen's face.
For the next half hour, Hugh and Xavier listened intently on Jenssen's explanation about conserving predators like crocodiles, wolves, sharks, hyenas and more through education. Jenssen explained that knowing these predators' behaviors will likely save them from being endangered and managed well. Jenssen mentioned of sponsorship by the diocese to fly people to the natural habitat of these predators so that they can have first-hand experience on how to care for them.
"We are looking for funding now to send a few of our volunteers to Africa," Jenssen concluded her carefully crafted speech about the program. "Some of our volunteers are willing to shoulder the expenses for fare and accommodation. But still, there are other expenses that the program must consider."