Chapter 2

Jane peeked out of the cubicle she was in and saw that the curtains around the one next to hers were still closed completely. So, she slipped out into the corridor and back to the reception area. She did not want her mom to see her there, so she used the stairs to go up one floor where the wards for sick children were. She knew that she would not be seen by her mother in that area because X-Ray Department was on the fourth floor. Although Jane had been asked to come in to work because of staff being off sick, when she arrived, the Charge Nurse had told her that they needed help in a number of wards, so she was free to choose whichever she liked to help on. The first ward she went to was the geriatric ward with elderly patients who were ill and who had no family to take care of them, so they would probably remain in the hospital until they recovered or died. The atmosphere on that ward was depressing, so Jane had asked if she could change before she went for her break, and her request was granted. So that’s why she was able to remain hidden from her mother on the children’s ward until the shift change at 6 am. There was very little to do during the remainder of the night until it was time to go home, so Jane had a lot of time to reflect on what she had seen and heard earlier in the night. Jane had a logical mind, so she ticked things off mentally as if she were making a list.

First was the fact that her mother had somehow received the injuries she had described. Her face was swollen and she may have dislocated her jaw. She had a cut on her forehead.

Second, and the most disgusting thing, a man had pissed on her face and hair.

Third, where had this taken place because it definitely had not happened in their home? It was possibly somewhere near the hospital because Cherry would probably have been ashamed to let any driver see how she looked. So, she had probably walked to the hospital.

Fourth, who had been responsible? It was obviously a man or men who had done this.

Fifth. Why?

Jane looked at all these points one by one, but she was unable to come up with any explanation about what had happened. The only point she could manage to find a possible answer was the third one – the place where this had happened. Jane knew that her mother was a singer in a band, but she did not know where the band usually played. She had asked her mother before, but the answer was vague. Cherry had simply replied “We play in a lot of different clubs” and then changed the subject.

When 6 am came, Jane was free to leave her duty as soon as the next shift had arrived. Actually, the nurses on that shift arrived early because they had to be briefed on anything that had happened during the night, but, as Jane was only a trainee, she was not responsible for any handover. This meant that she was free to leave the hospital at 5.45 am.

At that time of the morning, Manila was just starting to come alive. There were a number of people on their way to work, but being Sunday offices would be mostly closed, so the streets were quite quiet. This gave Jane the opportunity to investigate the neighborhood of the hospital which she had not been able to do on her previous visits during the day.

She remembered the discussion the two older nurses had had about the putas whose pimps sometimes beat if they did not earn enough money. They had said that the women and girls always walked in to be treated, so, logically, there must be someplace nearby where these whores worked.

Outside San Lazaro Hospital where she had just completed her first night shift, Jane opened her cell phone and started to search for places where whores might be found. She had never had any reason to suspect that her mom’s job was anything other than as a singer in a band, but having heard what happened last night she was starting to wonder whether this was the full story.

What she found was one street where there were several bars which was not unusual in Manila, but in the same street were two sex shops. That was not so common, so Jane decided that she should investigate further. Looking around, she saw a row of toda tricycles parked near the hospital entrance. These were small motorbikes with an attached covered sidecar just big enough for 2 people (or 3 if they were small). This type of transportation was used for short distance trips as they were much cheaper than jeepneys or taxis, and they could be found everywhere. So, without thinking what she would do there, she approached the toda rank and asked how much to take her to Borgas Street.

At the mention of the street name, the half-asleep driver in the first toda in the line looked up slightly puzzled at seeing Jane in her nurse’s uniform. He leered at her and muttered ‘puta’ under his breath. Jane barely heard what he had said, so she did not make a huge scene, but she told him to have some manners and stop using such language with a decent girl who was a paying customer.

Although Jane was 23 and still a student, she had a hot temper at times, especially if she was tired like she was then. The toda driver looked embarrassed, and spitting on the ground, he gestured to Jane to get into the toda, started the engine, and began the short drive to Borgas Street that she could actually have walked to if she had been familiar with the way.

When they arrived at Borgas Street, Jane told the driver to stop at one end as it was a short street that connected two larger streets. After paying the driver the small fare, Jane got out of the toda, and waited until the machine had driven off before starting to investigate the street.

Borgas Street had a slightly seedy and rundown look about it. The buildings were older, and some even had roofs made of corrugated iron. The pavement was cracked and broken in places, and weeds had grown up between the cracks. There were potholes in the street and rubbish was strewn about in a few vacant lots. Overall, it did not make Jane feel comfortable being there, so she was thankful that it was still early in the morning and there were no other people in sight.