Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by missflimsy
A Wattpad Featured Story (2014) and a Pop Fiction - New Adult Book (2017)
Sa storyang ito, malalaman mong hindi lahat ng tinatawag na "freak" ay dorky, nerd,
or just generally not nice-looking. Dahil minsan, may mga freak din na filthy rich. At
matalino. At gwapo - hindi lang pala gwapo, kundi saksakan ng gwapo. (At saksakan
din ng suplado.) At minsan pa, nagkakataong ang freak na 'yun ay ang iyo mismong
boss.
Meet Mirathea Custodio a.k.a Mira - isang accountant na ang tanging gusto lamang ay
ma-hire bilang ang next Accounting Department Head ng Medialink Marketing Inc.,
isa sa mga pinaka-high profile na company sa bansa. Ngunit dahil 'yata sadyang
unlucky day ni Mira nang mismong araw ng interview niya sa Medialink, isang
reckless driver na nakasakay sa isang sosyal na Audi ang sumira sa pangarap niya.
Meet Vren Andrei Ayala Montevilla a.k.a. Vren - kilala bilang ang notoriously good-
looking yet notoriously mean din na owner-slash-president-slash-CEO ng bigtime
company na Medialink Marketing, Inc. At ang number one sa kanyang everyday to-do
list: ang magsuplado. But in spite of being rich, mega-successful, and unbelievably
handsome, hindi pa rin siya nakaligtas from that one fateful morning na simula pala
ng pagpasok ng isang painfully annoying na babae sa buhay niya.
(11/24/2015)
This is sort of a foreword, pero sinulat ko siya two years after I
completed this story. Haha. Walang basagan ng trip, mga p're.
Okay, here goes nothing.
I wrote MBIAF way back in 2013 - when I was still someone na
maituturing niyong "neneng". Hahaha. This is my first story as an amateur writer, so
please excuse any error you may encounter - typo or grammatical (though minimal
lang naman sila), and more importantly, sa plot mismo. I know MBIAF 1 isn't your
perfect rom-com and I attribute that dun nga sa ka-immature-an ko habang
isinusulat ko ito. (Sorry naman, nag-try lang ding magsulat. Hehe.)
If you want to correct something in my story, please do so in a
NICE way. If you want to critique it naman, please do so UNOFFENSIVELY. Marami-
rami na rin akong napatulang readers dahil kung makakutya sila ng story, akala mo
nanalo na sila ng Palanca award. Seryoso. Okay naman ako sa corrections and
criticisms, but please remember na dyosa lang din po ako na marunong ding
masaktan. Charot. Hahaha. Dahan-dahan lang din po sa mga salita, okay? *insert
Maja Salvador's Dahan-Dahan as background music*
But kidding aside, if by any chance you decide that MBIAF is not
worth your precious time, just stop reading it. In the first place, hindi ko naman kayo
pinilit na basahin 'to. So 'wag na kayong dumada sa comment box na kesyo walang
kwenta ang story ko, blah blah blah.
Pumapatol po ako sa mga pangit. You have been warned.
Medyo korni ito, oo. May taglay na kabaliwan ang characters, yes.
May times pa na OA sila, lalo na ang babaeng bida. But I guarantee you, kapag
binasa mo ito (lalo na kapag pinagtiyagaan mo hanggang Book 2, kasi 'dun, I can say
I was improving na), mag-eenjoy ka naman kahit papaano. Itaga mo pa sa bato ni
Darna.
And here's another thing. I am starting to get really impatient with
all those "maganda sana kaso may paulit-ulit na scene" comments. For God's sake.
This story is dual-POV (point of view) - in other words, there are two narrators for the
story, first-person style. I have an author's note written way back before, solely
dedicated for explaining this stuff, pero dahil 'yata may mga hirap talagang
makaintindi ng Tagalog, uunahan ko na po kayo.
Kaya po may mga "umuulit" na scenes (sa bandang unahan ng
kwento) ay dahil gusto kong ipakita pareho ang POV/opinion of both the female and
male protagonists regarding a specific scenario. If you got any friggin' problem with
that, just stop reading MBIAF.
Kung makareklamo ang ibang readers sa repeating scenes, parang
hindi sila paulit-ulit na nagmahal sa maling tao, ah. Kaasar!
Like hello, nakikibasa na nga lang po kayo eh. Hindi ko naman kayo
pinilit at mas lalong wala po akong sweldo galing sa inyo, so why all the fuss? Don't
tell me that you expect na ako ang mag-aadjust sa reading preference niyo.
Pati ba naman ganun kaliit na bagay, pinoproblema? Problemahin
niyo muna ang mga love life niyo, oy! Hahaha.
Well, all things being said... If you are not the picky kind of reader
(which I sooo hate), I think pwede na po kayong magbasa ng story ko. Kung may
reklamo pa rin po kayo along the way, despite all my warnings and explanations here
and whatnot, aba. Magkita-kita na lang po tayo sa korte. Chos. Hahaha.
Hope to see you in MBIAF's Book 2! (Yes. Meron pong part two ito.
May author's note din about dito sa dulo ng story but of course, may mga hindi talaga
nakakaintindi ng Tagalog. Napakakukulit. Kaya inuunahan ko na po kayo. Ang
magko-comment ng "bitin" sa bandang epilogue, may ten counts of flying kick galing
kay Jet Li.)
Mula sa dyosang in-eject mula Mt. Olympus,
missflimsy
P. S. This story is to be published under PopFiction. Sa published
version, dun ko ita-try na ma-address ang flaws nitong Wattpad version. Abangan
niyo na lang ang improved MBIAF. Okay? Okay.
1: Mira
THIS IS IT!
Siguro mukha akong engot 'no? Kanina ko pa kasi kinakausap ang
sarili ko dito. Ganito talaga 'yata ako 'pag kinakabahan.
Sinubukan ko dati 'yung sinabi ng kaklase ko na kapag gusto mong
mawala ang kaba sa dibdib mo, bumilang ka ng one to one hundred, with a twist.
Pabaliktad. Okay naman sa simula, kaso, nung nasa 80 na ako, 'di ko namalayan na
pasulong na ulit ang bilang ko kaya nagtaka na lang ako kung bakit nasa 125 na ako.
Sa madaling salita, wa epek yung suhestiyon ng kaklase ko.
Ms. Mirathea A. Custodio, CPA. Medialink Accounting Department
Head
Ang sarap namang pakinggan ng soon-to-be-title ko! Siguro by
next week, ito na ang nakalagay sa name card ko. 'Yun ay kung maipapasa ko ang
job interview ko mamayang 9 o'clock sa Medialink Marketing, Inc. - one of the biggest
companies in the country. Kapag nagkataon, six-digit salary ang kikitain ko per
month. Matatapos ko na ang dream house namin nina Mama, mapupuno pa 'yung
bahay ng mga hi-tech na appliances. Mapapalitan ko na ang outdated Blackberry ko,
pati yung Sony Vaio ko na ilang dekada ko nang ginagamit. Medialink, wait for me!
Makabiyahe na nga.
Tawid, Mira, tawid...
"Aaaahhh!"
Anak ni Mang Gusting Kartero - loko 'tong driver na ito ah! Teka
nga at mabatukan!
Aba! Sosyal itong isang 'to ah. Naka-Audi! Mayaman...
O eh ano kung mayaman?! Muntik na akong mapatay nito ah!
Nakalips-to-lips ko pa tuloy ang semento. For heaven's sake! Mababawasan ang lahi
ng magaganda kung napuruhan ako!
"Hoy! Ikaw, driver ng Audi! Baba. Babaaaaaa!"
Aba, ayaw tuminag ha? Tingnan ko lang kung katukin ko na nang
bayolente ang bintana ng sosyal mong kotse!
"Hoy! Bakla ka ba? Bakit ayaw mong bumaba ha?" Wala akong
pakialam kahit gumawa man ako ng eksena dito sa highway! Aba! Naagrabiyado ako,
'no!
Aray! Napasama ata ang bagsak ko ah. Tsk!
"What the f*ck -" sabi nung engot na driver habang bumababa sa
Audi niya.
ABA! Kung makamura ito parang siya ang nadisgrasya ah!
"Hoy! Wag mo akong ma-WTF-WTF diyan ha! Kung maka-react ka
parang ikaw yung nangudngod sa kalye ah!"
Aray! Ang sakit talaga ng paa ko. Teka nga!
DUGO! Mamaaaaaa! Dumudugo ang paa ko!
Kung minamalas ka nga naman! Paano ako babiyahe nito pa-
Makati? Paano ang job interview ko? Tinamaan nga naman ng magaling oo! Ano ba
kasi ang itsura ng sira-ulong driver na 'to? Mapicture-an kaya at mai-report sa
LTFRB? O baka sa MMDA ko kailangang magreklamo?
*tingin sa taas. effort sa pagtingala, matangkad si Stupid Driver
eh!*
Aba, tingnan mo nga naman. Parang wala lang nangyari ah. May
gana pang mag-pokerface! Talagang ginagalit ako!
"FYI, you stupid driver, today is my job interview. And because of
you and your stupid driving skills, malamang ma-late na ako. Naku! Tatanga-tanga ka
kasi magmaneho eh! Anong feeling mo, exclusive subdivision ito na walang katao-tao
ang daan? O baka naman akala mo, nasa buwan ka at Moon Buggy ang minamaneho
mo? Hoy! Nasa gitna ka ng highway sa Cubao! Tsk! Paano ako pupunta ngayon sa
interview ko sa Medialink, ganito, iika-ika? Haharap ako sa CEO 'nung kumpanya na
mukhang sinumpang pilay? Sinira mo ang kinabukasan ko! Paano pa matutupad yung
pangarap kong maging controller ng Medialink? PAANO?! KAYO TALAGANG
MAYAYAMAN! Hindi porke magara ang kotse mo -"
Hindi ko na matatapos ang litanya ko, ever. My ghaaad! Bakit
ngayon ko lang na-absorb ang mukha ni Kuya in the Audi? Why? Siguro dahil sa
sobrang galit.
*clears throat*
Ladies and gentleman crossing the busy streets of Cubao, in front
of me stands the most drop-dead gorgeous man I ever saw in my twenty-four years
of existence.
2: Vren
Mga 550 seconds siguro akong nakatitig kay Kuya in the Audi bago ko na-realize na
nabangga nga pala ako. Kung hindi pa kumirot yung paa ko, baka hanggang ngayon
ay nakanganga pa rin ako sa harap ni Kuya In The Audi Na Mukhang Executive.
Sh*t. Kahit badtrip level 100 pa rin ako dahil sa nangyari, hindi ko
maalis ang tingin ko sa kanya.
Oo na, ako na ang malandi. Haha.
ANG GWAPO NIYA KASI! Tall, just the right tan, hair in a neat but
gorgeous cut, expressive eyes - hindi singkit pero 'di rin naman masyadong bilugan.
A while ago he clicked his tongue, and I had the chance to see his pearly white
perfect set of teeth. And he was wearing an expensive-looking suit with matching
ash-grey tie! Matching his ups were night-black slacks na walang trace ng gusot. And
look at his immaculately polished shoes! Who would've thought na makakakita ako ng
Sean O'Pry look-alike sa kalagitnaan ng highway na 'to? *beautiful eyes*
"ARAAAAAAAAY!"
'Yung paa ko! Ang sakit! Okay, galit na ulit ako kay Kuya. OUCH!
"Bloody hell. Miss, are you okay?"
ABA AT TINGNAN MO NGA NAMAN ITO. May utak ba 'to? Hanggang
mukha lang ata ito ah!
"TINATANONG MO KUNG OKAY AKO? IKAW KAYA ANG MABANGGA
SA GITNA NG HIGHWAY SA CUBAO, MANGUDNGOD SA SEMENTONG MALAPIT SA
MANHOLE, AT MAPILIPIT ANG PAA? TINGIN MO MAGIGING OKAY KA PA?! IDAGDAG
PA NA DAHIL SA KAENGOTAN NG ISANG TAO AY BIGLANG NAGLAHO NA PARANG
BULA ANG PANGARAP MONG TRABAHO. ANO? 'PAG SINABI MONG OKAY KA PA RIN,
MAPAPATAY KITA NANG 'DI ORAS!!!"
Mukha namang tinablan si Kuya sa high-pitched kong boses. Isabay
pa 'yung pagbusina ng mga sasakyan na nasa likod ng Audi niya dahil sa nag-go
signal na. HAHA! Spell TARANTA. Siguro mas bagay sa kanya ang nickname na Kuya
Tarantula.
"Okay. Okay! Hop in to my car."
ANO RAW?
"I said hop in! Go signal na, can't you bloody see?"
HALA. Narinig niya 'ata yung sinabi ko sa sarili ko.
"HOP IN! BLOODY HOP IN!" Sumisigaw na si Kuya Tarantula.
"ETO NA NGA! EXCITED KA?! SORRY HA, AKO KASI YUNG ENGOT
NA NAKABANGGA NG ISANG WALANG KAMALAY-MALAY NA PEDESTRIAN!"
Kumalma bigla si Kuya. HAHA! That serves him right.
Pagkapasok na pagkapasok ko, pinaharurot bigla ni Kuya Tarantula
ang Audi niya. BASTOS TALAGA! Nauntog pa tuloy ako sa may bandang gilid ng
kotse. Masakit din 'yung untog ha, in fairness?! And for the record, nakakarami na ng
damage ang lalaking ito sa akin ha?
Mamaya ka lang.
TEKA LANG. SAAN BA AKO DADALHIN NG UGOK NA 'TO?
4: Vren
Ang sakit sa tenga ng boses ng babaeng ito ha? Kanina pa niya ako sinisigawan, for
good measure. Pero di ko siya masisisi. Ikaw nga ba naman ang mabangga.
"Psst. Kuya Tarantula! Saan mo ako dadalhin???"
What did she just call me?
"Who are you talking to?" Sabi ko sa kanya with my most innocent
face.
"ABA TINGNAN MO NGA NAMAN ITO. Malamang ikaw! Alangan
namang yung manibela ang kausap ko diba?" She said, glaring at me.
"Will you just shut up?" I glared at her too; nakakarindi na ang
boses niya eh.
"HOOOOY! Wag mo akong ma-shut up-shut up ha? For your
information, may karapatan akong magtanong kung saan mo ako dadalhin. Mamaya
pala nito re-rape-in mo na ako eh." She said, with matching that-thought-is-scary
face.
Bukod sa pagkamadaldal eh may pagka-OA din pala ang babaeng
ito. Gagawin pa akong kriminal nang 'di oras.
****
FINALLY, WE'RE HERE. Makakawala na ako sa loudmouth na ito.
Thank goodness.
5: Mira
Isa pa, alam kong medyo bad boy ako sa hindi ko pagtawag ng
“kuya” kay Vince. Eh sa masyadong baduy para sa akin ang “Kuya Vince” eh.
Moreover, one year lang naman ang tanda niya sa akin so it’s not much of a
difference. And mind you, there are times na mas mature pa ako kay Vince.
“Bro, aren’t you done with her yet?” Di na ako nakatiis at bigla kong
sinabi 'yan kay Vince. I gave my voice an edge para ma-gets nung dalawa na naiinis
na ako.
“Bro, she’s already okay!” Sigaw ng kapatid ko. I went inside the
room instantly.
“C’mon Kuts, we have to go.” I shoot her a glance while she sat,
unmoved.
EPS?
HAHA. Just look at that priceless face. Epic. *evil grin again*
*BLAG!*
Lord! Ano po bang nagawa ko para sirain Niyo ang umaga ko? At
bakit ito pang si Kuts ang napili Niyong daan para isakatuparan ang misyon niyong
“Destruct Vren’s Day”?
Oo na, I’m mean para buhatin siya at ibagsak din naman in the
end. Eh kasi, ang ingay niya, makabasag eardrums. So what I did is buhatin ulit siya
since alam ko namang hindi niya pa kayang maglakad (See? May puso pa rin ako!)
kaya lang pinaghahahampas niya ako at binulyawan kaya I just did what she said, at
ayun nga ay bitawan siya. *evil laugh*
Nilingon ko ang abnormal kong kapatid, at ayun, nagpipigil ng tawa
habang inaalalayan si Kuts na tumayo.
7: Mira
Nasa isang mala-stretcher na platform ako habang ini-examine ni Doc Vince ang
balakang ko. Ang abnormal ba namang si Eps, binuhat-buhat ako tapos bigla rin
akong binitawan! May balak 'ata akong iparalisa ng isang ‘yun eh!
Buti na lang talaga, mabait itong si Doc Vince. Baka naman evil
twin niya si Eps. ‘Yung mala-angel-and-devil tandem lang? Ayaw lang siguro nilang
ibunyag.
Ay ampupu. Ang wafu niya naman pag naka-grin! Corny ‘yung joke
pero sige, pagbigyan na. Papable eh. *pa-cute face*
“Haha! You know what Mira, you amaze me.” Sabi ni Doc Vince.
“Hmmm... Siguro since we’re talking about Vren, I’ll say yes. Kasi
kung ibang tao lang siguro ‘yun, baka na-slaughter na niya.” Doc Vince said while
grinning.
Oh well papel, dapat wala akong pake. Kahit gwapo siya, ayoko
namang mamatay ng maaga. Dito na lang ako kay Doc Vince, kahit corny, pwedeng
pagtiyagaan. If you know what I mean. *insert hearts and roses background here*
“Ah, eh, okay lang ako Doc. Iniisip ko lang kung paano ako
makakauwi, eh ito at dispalinhado ang paa ko.” Nginusu-nguso ko pa yung injured
kong paa for a more realistic effect. Hay Mirathea, nag-login ka na naman sa
www.palusot.com.
Dahil hindi ko gusto ang ambiance sa room na kinalalagyan ng kumag kong utol at ni
Kuts, lumabas muna ako ng ospital at pumunta sa pinakamalapit na coffee shop. At
kagaya ng iba pang storya, siyempre ang shop na iyon ay Starbucks.
“Is it the usual order again, or will you opt to try something new?”
Something new? Let me see. Wala naman akong trip sa iba pang
nakasulat sa menu nila.
What? Ihahatid niya ang babaeng 'yun? I was just about to do that!
Badtrip talaga itong doktor na ito. Bahala nga sila! Like I care about that Kuts.
“Hey, where are you going?” Sigaw niya 'nung makitang aalis na
ako.
"Kung ikaw kalalaki mong tao pero duwag ka para hindi mapanindigan ang lumabas
sa bibig mo, pwes ibahin mo ako. Oo, sabi ko Eps, short for Epal. Hindi ka naman
siguro taga-Andromeda Galaxy para hindi malaman kung ano ang ibig sabihin 'nun.
Laking epal mo kasi eh! Kaunti na lang magla-land na ako sa dream job ko, tapos
bigla kang susulpot at sisirain ang lahat. Tsaka..." *insert pamumula ng face here*
Nairita ba kayo sa pagiging unli ng part na 'yan? Ako rin eh! Kanina
pa nga nagpe-playback 'yan! Kasi naman, kasalukuyang binabagtas namin ni Doc
Vince ang daan papunta ng apartment ko, and mukha siyang masyadong
concentrated sa pagmamaneho kaya libreng-libre kong nasusulyapan ang gwapo
niyang fes habang komportable akong nakapwesto dito sa passenger seat ng kotse
niya.
Pero tingin niyo, nahalata kaya ng magkapatid ang pamumula ko?
If there is one thing na ikinaiinis ko sa mukha ko, iyon ay ang hindi niya maitagong
pagba-blush sa tuwing mahihiya o kikiligin ako. Kasi naman! Ang idudugtong ko sana
sa line na iyon ay,
"...lagi kang umeepal sa tuwing magmo-moment kami ni Papa
Vince!"
O diba, nakakalurkey! Paano na lang kung lumabas talaga 'yun sa
bibig ko? Edi nabuking nilang may pagnanasa ako sa gwapong nilalang na naghahatid
sa akin ngayon pauwi?
I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
It's twelve o'clock and I'm stuck in the traffic. You really are great Vren. You've
wasted your Monday morning.
Kakatawag lang ng secretary kong si Lally to inform that I had
missed the hiring of employees. The minor positions were already filled dahil na-
handle na ito ng HR pero dahil kabilin-bilinan ko na huwag magha-hire ng accounting
department head na wala ako, pinostpone nila ang final interview sa tatlong most
qualified applicants. Mabuti na rin naman daw 'yun kasi hindi dumating ang "best bet"
ng HR among the three applicants sa hindi malamang kadahilanan. Tatawagan na
lang daw ulit nila to know the reason for her absence. Sayang, isang asset daw sa
company 'pag nagkataon ang aplikanteng iyon so it's worth to give her another
chance.
Kung alam lang nila na nakita ko na 'yung "best bet" nila.
Sa mga buffering pa ang utak diyan, oh yes, si Kuts nga ang
tinutukoy ni Lally na aplikanteng hindi nakarating dahil sa "isang hindi malamang
kadahilanan".
At kung alam lang nila na ang "kadahilanang" iyon ay dahil sa
nasagasaan si Kuts ng aking Audi.
Eh sino ba ang tatanga-tanga?
Ugh. Alam ko mukha na akong baliw dito. Kanina pa nagre-replay
sa utak ko ang mga pangyayari kaninang umaga eh. 'Yung pagkakasagasa ko sa
isang engot na pedestrian na isa palang bayolenteng babae na muntik nang sumira sa
perpektong salamin ng bintana ng aking Audi, 'yung pagkaka-realize ko na papunta
siya sa AKING company for final interview, hanggang sa aking pagkataranta nang
makitang napuruhan ang kanyang paa, the ride to the hospital kung saan talak nang
talak si Kuts, at ang pagkikita nila ng ugok kong kapatid which led to a happy
conversation between the two of them and ang ending, may paghatid nang naganap.
Palibhasa likas na palikero si Vince. Nakakainis.
Drive lang ako ng drive, gusto ko na ngang banggain 'yung
mabagal na BMW sa harap ko eh. Hindi ko namalayan, nai-park ko na pala ang kotse
ko saan pa, edi sa parking lot ng Medialink.
Yup, ganyan ako kawala sa sarili.
Badtrip, bakit ganito ang pakiramdam ko? Para akong naagawan.
11: Mira
“I must say, you have a sweet voice.” Sabi ni Papa Vince habang naka-smile sa akin.
Betcha by golly wow! Ang kilig ko, abot na hanggang outer space.
Ang gwapo naman niya! Ang sarap igapos at i-stock sa bahay ko!
“Ha? Ah, eh, hehe. O-okay lang ako Doc.” Sabi ko habang mautal-
utal. Huli na sa akto na nagde-daydream ako habang tinititigan siya.
“Good. Akala ko kasi kung napaano ka na eh. Para kasing ang tagal
mong nakatingin sa kawalan. Gutom ka na ba? Here, eat these brownies. Binili ko
talaga ‘yan para may makain ka while we’re on the road.” Inabot niya sa akin with his
free hand ang isang wrapper na puno ng brownies na amoy pa lang, halata nang
masarap.
“Mira, can I ask you something?” Muling sabi ni Papa Vince in his
gorgeous voice.
“Haha! Joke lang naman. Siya, ano ba ‘yung itatanong mo?” I said.
“It’s not that important, I know. Pero bago ka ma-hit ni Vren,
where are you supposed to go?”
“Oh. Sorry. That must be a real pain.” Papa Vince said, then he
clicked his tongue. “On behalf of my careless brother, ako na ang humihingi ng sorry
sa’yo. Pupusta ako ng sampu, hindi pa ‘yun nanghihingi ng tawad sa’yo.”
“Psssh. Ang galing, kilalang-kilala mo nga ang evil twin, este ang
kapatid mo.” He’s right, ni isang labas sa ilong na “sorry”, hindi ko narinig kay Eps.
“If you want, I’ll ask Vren to hire you as the accounting department
head of his marketing company to compensate for the damages he brought you.
Recently, I heard they are in need of applicants and knowing the circumstances and
ang pagkapihikan ng kapatid ko, I’m pretty sure na hindi pa napupunan ang position
na ‘yun.”
“Ha? Naku Doc Vince, ‘wag na! Nakita mo naman, mainit ang dugo
niya sa akin. Tapos magtatrabaho pa ako sa company niya? Baka wala pang isang
linggo, na-fire na niya ako.” I replied. Promise, ‘yun talaga ang prediction ko once i-
push ni Papa Vince na i-hire ako ng menopausal niyang kapatid.
“Haha! Hindi naman siguro. Pero sige, hindi kita pipilitin. Alam ko
namang isang terrifying experience ang maging under ni Vren. But I can refer you sa
iba ko pang kakilala na in need of expertised accountants. How does that sound?”
Dapat ko pa bang uliting nakangiti siya? Nakakainlove naman ang doktor na ito!
"Lally! Hand me the papers of the applicants for our controller." Utos ko sa secretary
ko.
"Yes sir. Let me get them from the HRD." She said as she's leaving
my office.
I glanced at my watch. It's nearly six, and I can see the last trace
of sunset from one side of my office - the side which had glass as wall.
Just then, Lally stepped in. "Sir, here are the files." Nilapag niya sa
table ko ang tatlong puting folder.
Kuts
+639158089988
HALA! Sino naman 'yun? I'm sure hindi si Papa Vince 'yun. Ang
scary ng boses! At ano daw, gusto niyang buksan ko ang pinto ngayon din? NO WAY
MY WAY!
Paano kaya kung rapist 'yun? Magnanakaw? Drug addict? Kapre?
Tikbalang? Salvage victim na gustong maghiganti? Ayoko pang magbabu-earth, lalo
at hindi pa kami kinakasal ni Papa Vince! *panic mode activated*
That girl is a real pain. Nakita niyo 'yun kanina ha? Ha?! Did you see kung paano niya
ako sinigaw-sigawan? And she even called me a freak! A f*cking freak!
I can't believe I hired her. I can't believe I wasted a liter of gasoline
to go to her bloody apartment and tell her she's the new accounting department head
of my company, even if I am damned tired from a day's work. Talk about
ungratefulness!
Pero parang may mali eh. Tingnan niyo ha, last week bigla na lang
siyang sumulpot sa apartment ko to personally say that I was hired, eh pwede naman
niya iyong ipaalam sa HR para sila na lang ang tumawag sa akin? Tapos ito pa ha, he
waited for three hours kanina para lang maisabay ako pagpasok. And now, he told me
na ako pa lang ang ibang taong nakasakay sa kanyang pinakamamahal na kotse.
Although technically, pangalawang beses ko na itong makasakay dito. Remember the
day of the accident? Pero kung totoo nga ang sinasabi ni Eps na ako pa lang ang
“other entity” na nakasakay dito besides himself, that must be something.
Si Eps ba talaga itong kasama ko? Baka naman isa itong good robot
na nilikha para palitan ang evil na si Vren? Though medyo may pagka-villain pa rin
siya dahil ang hilig niya pa ring manigaw.
He just grinned at me, like what he always do, and said, “Diba sabi
mo freak ako?”
16: Vren
Nakakaantok naman. Bakit parang nag-iba ang ambiance this time na magkasama
ulit kami ni Kuts?
I would shoot her a glance every now and then, pero ganun at
ganun pa rin ang nakikita ko. She’s staring afar, like she was lost in her thoughts.
Ang lalim naman ng iniisip niya, parang fifty feet. Anla, ang corny
ko na naman. Di bale, like I said, I’m still awesome.
Si Kuts ba talaga ito? Baka naman clone lang ito ni Kuts dahil
sobrang ibang-iba ang weird na katahimikan niya? The idea of Kuts having twins and
clones horrifies me.
Baka naman masakit pa rin ang paa niya, and she just can’t find
the guts to tell me so? Siguro nga may pagka-bossy and mean ako, pero baka
nasobrahan naman ‘yata to the point na na-petrify siya because of me? Ang sama ko
naman ‘yata masyado.
Suddenly, as if she can’t contain this any longer, she yelled, ““Baliw
ka ba? O may balak ka lang magpakamatay? Wag mo akong idamay uy! Marami pa
akong pangarap sa buhay!”
For the finale, I gave her my signature grin and said, “Diba sabi
mo, freak ako?”
17: Mira
Whatever.
Dahil may lahing pagong 'yata talaga ang Mirathea Custodio na ito,
hinayaan ko na lamang siyang makipag-“socialize” sa mga bago niyang makakasama
every single moment of her working hours. Ako naman, dahil I am an awesome guy
who doesn’t want to waste even a millisecond, nagdire-diretso na ako papunta sa
awesome elevator ng aking awesome company.
Okay lang siguro kung sa ibang lugar niya ito ginawa pero hindi eh,
she did it IN MY VERY OWN F*CKING COMPANY. IN MY VERY OWN PREMISES. WHERE
I AM THE FREAKING MOST RESPECTED CREATURE.
“Ah, eh, Sir Montevilla, will you kindly wait for me?” Said the most
annoying creature the universe has ever produced. I just stared at her, the kind of
like I wanna eat her alive.
Tapos bigla siyang tumakbo papalapit sa akin. Nearing me, I can
see her face na pulang-pula.
I’m sure it will be another disgrace for Ms. Annoying kung hindi ko
siya naalalayan. She then looked up; her face was so flushed and at the same time, it
was flooded with relief and a look of thanks.
Seeing her like that made my mouth rush words I barely thought
about.
What the hell just happened to my fuming anger for her? Parang
kanina lang, gusto ko na siyang lamunin nang buhay.
Oops. Did I just call her by her real name? That’s not part of my
“to-do list”.
****
“How is your foot? Do you want me to bring you to the clinic before
doing anything else for the day?” Tanong ko kay Kuts. Naaawa rin naman ako kasi
kasalanan ko rin naman partly kung bakit nagkaganyan ang kanyang paa (Yes,
PARTLY lang kasi may kasalanan din siya, credits to her stupidity.)
“Then why are you looking weird again with all that staring?” Sabi
ko with a triumphant grin.
“I said, do you want me to bring you to the clinic so you can get
your foot checked?”
Yumuko si Kuts na para bang sinisipat ang paa niya. “No Sir, I think
I can manage.”
“I think your shoes are too high. Your right foot’s still a little bit
swollen, so you still should not wear stuff like this.” Sabi ko upon inspecting her shoe.
Mga 4 inches siguro ang heels nito.
“Mamili ka, you still get to wear those heels but I’ll literally carry
you to the clinic, or you just go barefoot and spare yourself from embarrassment?”
Like what happened a while ago.
“Sige po, magpapaa na lang po ako.” Sabi niya, her face looking as
if she lost her dearest pet puppy.
Ha. I just can imagine the looks of the people in the Accounting
Department upon meeting their new barefooted Department Head. Talk about being a
freak.
****
“Good morning. Can you please attend to this one hell of a stupid
woman?” Sabi ko dun sa nurse.
De, joke lang. Sa isip ko lang sinabi ‘yun kahit gusting-gusto nang
kumawala sa bibig ko. Instead, I said, “Good morning, nurse. Can you please attend
to our new AD Head’s needs? You see, her foot’s still a bit swollen.” Then tinulak,
este, inalalayan ko si Kuts papunta sa kanya.
I was about to walk out of the door, expecting Kuts to follow, kaya
lang biglang nagsalita ang most annoying creature.
“No, Miss Mira. Mamaya niyan mapasama ang hakbang niyo. Baka
matapilok kayo at lumalala pa ang maga ng paa niyo. Imbes na pagaling na siya,
baka ma-injure na naman.” Sabi ng nurse.
“Uhm, ano kasi eh... You see, I was about to meet the whole
Accounting Department after this. Nakakahiya naman kasing humarap sa kanila na
nakayapak.” Namumula ang mukha na sagot ni Kuts sa nurse.
I should have not brought her to the clinic. Kita mo naman ang
saya niya after the nurse said she was going to lend her those stupid boring doll
shoes. Pshh.
****
Bakit nga ba? I should’ve let this freaking girl go out on her own
and let her do all the introducing and talking.
I admit, there are really times when I don’t understand myself. And
I hate those times. Sarili ko na nga lang, hindi ko pa maintindihan?
Come on, Vren. It’s just the stress that work brings.
Yeah, I know it's gross. But it’s what doctors do. Nag-react naman
ang ilang maaarteng taga-AD, hindi dahil sa nakakadiri kong sinabi, but because may
isa daw gwapong halimaw, este, lalaki na tumambad sa harap nila.
What the hell? Was that supposed to mean, “Ilakad mo ako kay
Mira?”
“It’s simple, Vren. Gusto ko lang namang tulungan mo akong mapalapit kay Mira. You
could easily do that; you’re the boss. If you agree, only then will I forget about your
debt.”
If only I can ask Mom right now kung saan niya pinaglihi si Vince, I
will. Baka dahil ‘dun kaya naging abnormal siya.
This has to stop – my brother, pursuing for that Mirathea. Not just
because I don’t want to waste my precious time playing bridge for her and my crazy
brother, pero dahil din ayaw kong mahaluan ng isang lampa at maingay na babae ang
lahi ng mga Montevilla, in case magkatuluyan sila. It will be a nightmare having Kuts
as a sister-in-law.
The thing is, wala akong maisip na paraan kung paano matu-turn-
off si Vince kay Kuts. Bukod sa may pagka-maingay at careless ang babaeng ‘yun,
wala na akong maisip na downside niya as of now.
Hindi ko naman pwedeng sabihing, “Look bro, you and Mira don’t
look good together. She’s way too small for you”, o kaya, “I just heard that
accountants and doctors don’t make a sound relationship”. Makakakuha lang ako ng
batok galing sa kapatid kong baliw.
I have to think fast. The more I get delayed in finding a way to drift
Vince’s attention from Mira, the more those two will get closer. It’s way too obvious
that Kuts also has her eye on Vince.
But then, they say, “Know your enemies.” So I might as well spend
a little more time with that woman. Sooner or later, I will find something – something
that will kill Vince’s interest on her.
21: Mira
In my whole life, there had been only two people who I feared – my dad and my
mom. It’s more of the respect, actually, that made me never show them my negative
attitude.
When my dad told me that after graduation, he will be making me
the new owner of this company, I was like, “Hell yeah, like I can run an entire pool of
professionals into global recognition."
But when I finally learned the ways and turns of running Medialink,
I realized something.
Vren Andrei Montevilla has turned into something – someone – I
never knew before.
Back in my younger years, I wasn’t someone who feels dismal and
annoyed at practically everything and everyone I came to know. I was the happy-go-
lucky, come-what-may type of guy. I was always laughing, always into the gimmicks
that my friends drag me to go into. I was in love, madly in love.
But then, as if para bang sinasadya niya, Dad gave this company to
me just after graduation – ‘nung mga panahon na para bang malapit nang bumagsak
ang lahat ng pinundar niya dito sa Medialink. The company’s in a downward state, sa
madaling sabi. Investors were pulling out their money and creditors were demanding
for payment – everything is in turmoil. Alam kong ginawa ni Dad ‘yun para patunayan
ko sa kanya na may ibubuga ako. I was not born just to party with friends. I was born
to follow his footsteps. After all, he was kinda frustrated with my older brother for his
refusal na manahin ang company. Obviously, Vince had a knack of fixing someone’s
broken limb or getting out a stray bullet embedded on somebody’s cranium.
I was driven. I did everything I can to save the company. There
was even a time that for a couple of days, I stayed 24/7 in my office, thinking the hell
out of my brain about ways to generate money and win back the trust of the
investors. And I succeeded. Medialink is in glory once again, and I am making sure it
will be in this way forever – or at least as long as I can do something to prevent it
from falling apart. I surely made Dad and Mom proud.
But like everything, these actions of mine have a downfall. Before I
knew it, nawala na sa akin ang noo’y pinakaiingatan ko – my circle of friends. They
said nawalan ako ng oras sa kanila, it was too late to catch up, I’m already a stranger
to them. That was what I thought too – I barely knew them the first time again na
sumama ako sa barkada. It was like me being with people whom I met just seconds
ago. I, once the leader of the gang, became an outsider in my own group.
And that – my lack of time – was also the reason why she left me.
Before I knew it, I was alone. And I started shutting everyone else
out of my system.
missflimsy’s Note: Isang chapter ng pag-eemote ni Awesome Vren.
Para malaman nating hindi lang pala puro kasupladuhan ang ating bidang lalaki, may
pinaghuhugutan din naman pala siya. XD Para sa mga observant, sino kaya ang “she”
na tinutukoy niya? Hmmm... Clue: Nagbigay na ako ng hint sa isang chapter, POV din
ni Vren. ‘Yung pumunta siya sa... OKAY. STOP. SPOILER.
23: Mira
Patay!
“What the hell are you doing? I suppose Miley Cyrus isn’t concerned
about the financial state of the company you are in.” Sabi ng pinakasupladong
nilalang sa akin.
“We are going to AMMC.” Finally, nagsalita rin siya. Kaso matalim
‘yung tingin niya sa akin, as if nakagawa ako ng mortal na kasalanan. Baka naman
music hater itong si Sir Vren kaya nagdilim ang aura niya ‘nung madatnan akong
nagsa-soundtrip? Sabagay, mukhang galit naman ito sa lahat ng bagay.
I spent three whole days thinking of what on earth should I do to divert my stupid
brother Vince’s attention from that blabbermouth Mirathea Custodio.
“My head? Here, Sir.” Sagot niya, sabay turo sa sentido niya.
“Oh. She’s... She’s inside.” Tapos tinuro naman niya ‘yung pinto ng
office ni Kuts.
Just look at her face, shocked and scared at the same time. Ma-
picture-an nga at maipadala sa gag show.
But to my surprise, she flashed a smile and said, “Hi, Sir Vren.”
She’s smiling as if a photographer is bading her to say cheese.
Sabi ni Freak, este ni Sir Vren, pupunta kami sa Ayala-Montevilla Medical Center.
('Yun pala 'yung AMMC na sinasabi niya. Akala ko naman kung ano. Psssh.) So,
sumama ako, siyempre para makita si Papa Vince. Pagbigyan niyo na ako, please.
Sabi niya, AMMC. Maliwanag ang pagkakasabi. A-M-M-C.
Eh anong ginagawa namin ngayon sa condo unit niya? Siguro, may
kinalaman ito sa phone call na na-receive niya kanina habang nasa daan kami.
Eh siyempre, magugulat ako dahil instead na mag-landing ako sa
harap ng aking Prince Charming na si Doc Vince, nandito ako ngayon sa isang
building na mukhang replica ng Medialink dahil puro rin glass and metal ang makikita.
Sa madaling sabi, sosyal.
"Sir, akala ko po ba, sa AMMC ang punta natin?" Obviously, hindi
na nakatiis ang madaldal na si Mirathea.
Tiningnan niya lang ako while absentmindedly keying-in his
passcode para magbukas ang mala-elevator na pinto ng unit niya. 'Yung mukha
naman niya this time, parang nagsasabi na, Shut up. Ang dami mong tanong.
Mabuti naman at nagsalita rin siya. After all, he owes me an
explanation kung bakit niya binulabog ang matahimik kong pagsa-soundtrip kanina sa
office.
"Well, apparently, I forgot something so we have to drop by my
place to retrieve it. Ayaw naman kitang iwan sa kotse kasi baka mamaya, i-abduct ka
ng mga kamag-anak mong alien." Aba, tingnan mo nga naman talaga itong lalaking
ito! Pinanganak talaga para wasakin ang dignidad ko! "It will just take a few minutes
so don't worry. Alam ko namang you are more than excited to see my stupid
brother."
Hala, paano niya kaya nalaman 'yun? Tsaka ano naman sa kanya
kung crush ko si Doc Vince? Single ako, single din siya. At malapit na kaming
magpalit ng status. In a relationship. Hehe.
By the way highway, sumunod na rin ako 'nung pumasok siya.
Ayoko ngang maiwan dito sa labas! And what I saw literally stunned me.
His place is so neat, organized, and laid-back. By the little black
and white furnishings ng unit niya, you can see that he is both a minimalist and a
modernist at the same time. Black and white paintings hang on the immaculately
white walls. 'Yung black leather sofa niya, just enough space for two persons. May
isang white marble sculpture na hindi mo malaman kung anong figure ang gustong i-
depict na nasa sulok malapit sa wide glass window niya. Kita mo 'yung mga
nagtataasang building sa labas na nagbibigay ng urbanite feeling kapag nakadungaw
ka sa bintana.
I didn't expect this. Akala ko, isang mini-dumpsite ang bubulaga sa
akin - magulo at disorganized. Typical naman 'yun sa isang lalaki, hindi ba? Lalo na
kung kasing busy ng isang may-ari ng kumpanya na kagaya niya.
But this place, it's a haven. Obviously, I am seeing another side of
the ever-supladong si Mr. Vren Andrei Ayala Montevilla.
****
"Sir, ano po ba ang hinahanap niyo? Tanong lang naman po." Sabi
ko. Mahirap na, baka maka-bingo na ako dito eh! Kailangang maging magalang.
Pero ano ba 'yan, sabi niya, a couple of minutes lang? Eh kalahating
oras na 'yata siyang pabalik-balik pero hindi pa rin niya nakikita ang kung ano mang
hinahanap niya! Makita ko pa kaya nito si Papa Vince?
"It's my planner. I have personally listed all of my upcoming and
most important commitments in there, and now I've lost it. Where the hell can it be?"
Sabi niya na halatang frustrated.
Hmmm... Ginala ko ang paningin ko sa buong kwarto niya.
Nahalughog niya na ang halos lahat - drawers, table compartments, kahit nga ang
ilalim ng king-sized bed niya, sinilip na niya.
Just then, my eyes caught sight of the two black luggages just right
across me, naka-push aside sa gilid ng kanyang wardrobe. I looked at him, at para
bang nagkaroon kami ng mind connection, dahil nakatingin din siya sa luggages,
dumbfounded and perplexed.
"Oh bloody. Must be in one of my luggages, the ones I brought in a
conference in Singapore. Thank goodness. Mira, can you get it? It's a black notebook.
I think I placed it inside the smaller luggage. I'll just prepare something to drink; I'm
too agitated and exhausted to keep on hunting for that stupid planner. I hope you
don't mind." Mahaba niyang explanation habang medyo naghahabol ng hininga.
OKAY. Walang magagawa, utos ng boss eh. At tsaka halata mo
naman na napagod nga siya kakahanap. Medyo pawisan na siya, 'yung buhok niya sa
may noo, kita mong basa na rin ng pawis.
Ang cool niya palang tingnan 'pag pagod?
Aba, 'wag niyo akong tingnan ng ganyan! I'm just stating the
obvious. Siyempre, kay Papa Vince pa rin ako. 'Di hamak na mas hahaba ang buhay
ko kapag si Doc ang nakatuluyan ko, kaysa naman dito kay Sir Vren. Araw-araw
siguro kaming maghahagisan ng plato nito kapag tumira kami sa iisang bubong.
"Of course I don't, Sir." Pagkatapos kong sabihin 'yun, he turned
and headed to his mini-kitchen.
****
Binuksan ko 'yung mas maliit na luggage, gaya ng instructions niya.
*halungkat ng kaunti*
Wala naman dito ah. Siguro sa ilalim?
*kapa-kapa rin 'pag may time*
What the -
Wala namang planner dito ah! Puro white shirt, polo, at slacks.
Baka nasa kailaliman. Tinanggal ko nga 'yung mga nasa ibabaw, only to reveal
undergarments.
OO, MGA UNDERWEAR. Boxers at briefs, karamihan ay black.
Ramdam ko ang pag-iinit ng mukha ko. I'm sure, mapula pa ako sa
overripe na kamatis ngayon.
Ewan ko ba, hindi ko naman first time makakita ng brief ah? Pero
bakit napaka-awkward ng nararamdaman ko ngayon?
Maybe it's because of the person who owns all of this stuff. Baka
ang issue ay dahil isang more-than-eligible, high-profile bachelor ang may-ari ng mga
boxers and underwear na nakikita ko.
Ano kaya ang itsura ni Sir Vren 'pag ito lang ang mga suot niya?
HOY MIRA! TIGIL-TIGILAN MO NGA 'YANG KAMANYAKAN MO!
ERASE, ERASE! THOSE ARE BAD THOUGHTS!
Shemay! Lalo tuloy akong namula dahil sa mga iniisip ko. Enough,
Mira. They're just plain undergarments of a handsome twenty-six year-old business
tycoon.
Isasara ko na sana 'yung luggage para sumigaw kay Sir Vren na
wala naman 'yung planner niya sa pesteng maleta na 'to, kaya lang, naramdaman
kong may ibang presensya akong kasama. Dahil nakayuko ako, I looked up - only to
see him, grinning like crazy.
"Sorry, I think I dropped it in the wrong luggage." Sabi niya sabay
lapag ng tray na may dalawang baso ng orange juice.
KILL ME. KILL ME NOW.
26: Vren
"Hello Lally? What is it? I've told you that I've got to do something important so
whatever it is that you are going to ask, tell me about it later."
Right now I'm driving beyond the normal speed, I know, but I don't
care. This - the craziness of my brother - has to stop. Besides, I took a detour sa
daan na wala masyadong gumagamit, sort of a shortcut.
"Sir Vren, I'm sorry to disturb you but, this is about the Arcodas
deal. They said they are up for reconsideration."
"They are what?" Gulat kong sagot kay Lally. I didn't expect it that
she called because of Arcodas.
I can't believe this! We are winning back a key investor. This calls
for a toast.
"They are asking as to when you can meet with Arcodas' CEO
again." Boses ulit ni Lally sa kabilang linya.
"Of course they will. So, have you checked my timetable? Tell me,
what schedule have you allotted for them?" This is your lucky day, Vren.
"Sir... That's why I called you. Just a while ago, before the call from
Arcodas, the tablet containing your schedule, it... It crashed." Patigil-tigil na
explanation ni Lally. I can sense that she's unnerved.
"What about that blue notebook you've got; the one where my
schedule was written down?" Tanong ko ulit sa kanya.
"Sir, I'm afraid I haven't updated it yet; the last day written down
was for today." This time, her voice sounds more nervous than ever.
Sh*t.
"What on earth did you say to them? Oh Lally, talk about being
irresponsible." And if that irresponsibility causes me to lose Arcodas once again, I
swear I'm gonna kill you, Lally.
"I've managed to get my own way, Sir. I told them I'm going to call
them back once I personally asked you about your preferred schedule." Paliwanag ng
aking ekselenteng (take note of the sarcasm) secretary.
"Okay, okay. Lally, I'm telling you, this is the last time you do
b*llsh*t about my schedule. If you once again fail to do your job the proper way, you
know where you'll be." Irritated kong sagot sa kanya. Pasalamat ka Lally, awesome
ako. I know how to give last chances. "I'll be the one to call them back. Tell them to
wait for my notice." With that, I ended the call.
Did you just realize how harmonious my boss-employee relationship
with Lally is? I'm just doing this for Pete's sake. Si Lally lang kasi ang secretary ko na
hindi ako sinubukang i-seduce sa pamamagitan ng pagkulong sa akin at sa kanyang
sarili sa aking office, sabay strip down. I'm not kidding - all of my other ex-secretaries
are whores. They gave me a phobia, and I have sworn that once I found a decent
secretary, I will consider a million times before I end up firing her. Ang downside -
dalawang taon na akong nagtitiis sa kadaldalan ni Lally, isama pa ang paminsan-
minsang "irresponsibility attack" niya.
Buti na lang talaga, hindi ako 'yung type ng boss na inaasa na lang
ang lahat sa secretary. I have my own planner, a thick black one, where I list all of
my priorities once I get noticed of them. I have a picture of my to-do's and schedule
even without a Lally reminding me.
Which reminds me, nasaan nga ba ang planner ko? Most of the
time, nasa kotse ko lang siya. But now it's nowhere to be seen. Ang tanging nandito
lang ay ang most annoying creature na nakilala ko, na ngayon ay akala mong
pinainom ng "Keep Quiet Potion" sa sobrang tahimik.
Between Vince's craziness and the Arcodas Deal Part Two as to
importance, I choose the latter. So I guess I have to go back to my unit and find my
planner, which I think is on my study table.
****
"Where the hell are you, handy dandy notebook?" Para na akong
tanga dito. Kanina ko pa hinahanap ang planner ko pero hindi ko pa rin makita.
Oo nga pala, kasama ko pa rin si Kuts. Nakakatawa 'yung mukha
niya kasi alam ko namang atat na atat na siyang makita ang kumag kong kapatid,
pero na-delay pa. Poor Mirathea. Wala siyang magawa kundi manahimik habang
hinahanap ko ang mahiwaga kong planner. *evil laugh*
Just as susuko na ako sa paghahanap sa aking mapagtagong
planner, I caught sight of my luggages. The ones I brought to Singapore. At naalala
ko, dinala ko nga pala ang missing-in-action na notebook sa out-of-the-country
conference ko.
Pagtingin ko kay Kuts, I realized na nakatingin din siya sa luggages.
Being exhausted and drained of all energy, maayos ko naman siyang pinakiusapan na
kung pwede, siya na ang magbukas ng mas maliit na luggage to retrieve my planner.
Whereas me, pupunta sana ako sa kitchen to make two glasses of fresh orange juice.
I'm not that mean to let her die of thirst.
Luckily, she said yes. So here I am in the kitchen, squeezing the
oranges to death.
Nang makuha ko na ang perfect na timpla ng pinaghalong tubig,
orange juice, at asukal, I immediately placed the glasses on a tray. Mabalikan na nga
si Kuts sa kwarto, baka hindi na 'yun humihinga. Napakatahimik eh. Isa pa, I think
I'm the one who's going to die of thirst right now.
To my surprise, I found Kuts na pulang-pula ang mukha habang
nakayuko slightly. Sinundan ko ng tingin ang kung ano man na nakapagpa-blush kay
Kuts na akala mo ay pinaliguan ng red food coloring ang mukha, only to see a pile of
clothes laid down on my bed, and the open luggage - containing some of my
underwear.
It turned out, mali pala ang naituro kong luggage sa kanya. The
planner must be on the larger bag.
Unconscious of what I did, namalayan ko na lang ang aking sarili na
naka-grin dahil sa pagka-amuse sa aking nakikita. Si Mirathea Custodio, ang pinaka-
high pitched na taong nakilala ko, ay natameme dahil sa underwear.
She looked up, and when she realized that I must be watching her
silently, nanlaki ang mata niya na akala mo ay nakakita siya ng multo. So ganito pala
ma-embarrass si Kuts. Medyo...
Cute.
MEDYO LANG, OKAY? SHE'S STILL THE ANNOYING GIRL WHO
VIOLENTLY KNOCKED ON MY PRECIOUS AUDI'S WINDOW.
"Sorry, I think I dropped it in the wrong luggage." Hindi ko naman
talaga sinasadya na bigyan siya ng heart attack sa pamamagitan ng boxers at brief
ko, so don't look at me that way.
"Sir... Wa- wala po 'yung planner niyo dito." She said stammering
while avoiding my gaze.
"'Must be in the other luggage." Binuksan ko ang front pocket 'nung
isa pang maleta, and out popped my little black planner. Then I went and gulped my
glass of juice.
****
"Drink your juice and we'll head back to the office. Vince can wait."
I said. I looked at her, only to notice that something is wrong.
Kung kanina, napakapula niya, ngayon naman, napakaputla niya.
Medyo kinabahan ako kasi parang nagha-hyperventilate siya.
"Mira, are you okay?" She's breathing faster than normal. Sh*t.
Forget about the Arcodas for a moment.
Magsasalita pa sana siya kaya lang, naunahan ko siya. "Hang on,
okay? AMMC's just a few blocks away from here." Tumango lang siya.
It turned out, matutuloy rin pala at magiging double-purpose pa
ang pagpunta namin sa ospital. But hey, I never knew na nakaka-hyperventilate pala
ang underwear ko. What's with them, anyway? They're just stupid boxers, you know.
But then, dahil si Kuts naman ang pinag-uusapan dito, hindi na rin
nakakagulat. Aside from being the loudest, she's also the weirdest person I know.
This is the first time I've encountered someone who got sick of seeing a guy's
underwear. Is she that - pure?
Maybe that's the reason kung bakit interested sa kanya si Vince.
There's something in her that other girls don't have.
27: Mira
I know that the drive to the hospital wasn't that long, but I am feeling exhausted. It
must be because of my nervousness. Throughout the drive, I was watching Mira even
from my peripheral vision. I want to make sure she's not getting any worse.
Upon arriving, inalalayan kong makababa si Mira ng kotse, saka
inakay siya papunta sa loob ng ospital.
Sinalubong kami ng isang nurse. "Sir, any emergency?"
"Please check on her." Sabi ko sa nurse. "I think there's something
wrong with her breathing."
I watched as the nurse inspected Mira. This time, I decided to keep
an eye on her. Mukha namang nag-normalize na ang paghinga niya, but I can never
be so sure. Maputla pa rin siya, and it means she's still not a hundred percent okay.
Just as I was about to approach Mira, Vince entered the room. He
was wearing a white garment and his stethoscope was hanging from his neck. Halata
mong gulat siya.
"Vren? Mira? What brought you here?" Tanong niya na para bang
nag-aalangan.
"It's Mira. She sort of, hyperventilated." Agad kong sagot. Hindi na
niya kailangang malaman 'yung isa ko pang pakay. I don't know why but I suddenly
found it unnecessary to tell them to keep me out of their business, because in one
way or another, I was involved from the start. I was the reason why Vince met Mira
in the first place.
Lalapitan na sana ni Vince si Mira but I found myself gripping
Vince's arm tightly. I inched my face towards his, and when I'm sure that he can hear
what I'm about to say, even through an edgy whisper, I spoke.
"Bro, back off. She's mine."
****
It's nearly evening. Here I am, driving Mira home. She's fast
asleep, nakahilig ang ulo sa salamin ng bintana ng passenger seat.
That leaves me, wide awake, thinking of how I acted a while ago,
sa ospital. That part when I told Vince to back off.
Nagulat siya sa sinabi ko, for sure. But I know that because Mira is
watching, he tried to act as if I said nothing unordinary. That was one of the few
times Vince actually used his brain.
"Don't worry bro. Mira will be okay." Sabi ni Vince na parang 'yun
talaga ang dapat na isagot sa sinabi ko. Then he went on checking on her.
To be frank, I don't know why on earth I said those words. Pero
wala rin naman akong makapang pagkagulat, o pagsisisi, sa sinabi ko, which feels
kinda weird. I kind of feel like it was as if I really meant to say such thing from the
start.
Yeah, even if I just started a "secret war" between me and my
brother.
To be honest, kaya ko lang naman ayaw si Mira para kay Vince ay
dahil may kakaiba akong feeling na nararamdaman 'pag nakikita ko na magkalapit
'yung dalawa. Parang gusto kong sapakin 'yung kapatid ko.
It annoys me, this weird feeling of mine, dahil kapag naman naiwan
kaming magkasama ni Mira, para namang gusto ko na siyang ipatapon sa kabilang
dulo ng mundo dahil all she does is irritate me. And what confuses me most is the
realization that this dummy I first found while I was speeding along the highway,
racing for time, has two sides.
The first side is the usual Kuts - maingay, palasigaw, bayolente -
Mira's amazona side. Of all people I met, I admit na siya lang ang nagkalakas ng loob
na tawagin ako ng kung anu-ano, sigaw-sigawan ako, at tangkaing sirain ang
property ko. It was just barely a month ago at 'nung umpisa, kapag naaalala ko ang
kabaliwan ng babaeng ito, I wanted to throw her to outer space, seriously. But now,
looking at her, natatawa na lang ako habang inaalala ang first encounter namin.
Mira's other side is the one giving me troubles now - her being a
clumsy, sickly, helpless girl. Malay ko bang behind that annoying creature is a damsel
in distress? And what annoys me the most is that everytime something undesirable
happens, I was the only one available to rescue her. Me taking her to the hospital
even if I can easily leave her fuming in the highway; my act of hiring her as our new
AD head despite of the hassle she caused me and even giving her a ride on her first
day to Medialink, bearing her foot's condition in mind; and just before this
hyperventilating of hers, my just-in-time prevention of her falling in front of her co-
employees even if she just called me "Eps" in my own premises - it was like being a
knight in shining armour. It feels stupid, but each time I see this other side of her, I
can't help but soften towards her.
One second she had me grinning like crazy, seeing her staring at
my undergarments like an ignorant; the next moment she nearly gave me a heart
attack with all her weird breathing and all.
The first time I met her, she was just about to turn me into a
murderer. And now, by giving me all this weird feeling, it's like she's turning me into
a bipolar. Thanks a lot, Mira. Sarcasm included.
The traffic light went red so I had to stop the car. Again, I allowed
myself to look at her, still fast asleep. She sure is tired.
Napailing ako habang nakita ko kung gaano kahimbing ang tulog
niya. Kanina, sabi sa ospital, may kung anong gamot na pina-take sa kanya. I guess
that is the reason kung bakit tulog-mantika siya ngayon. Baka side-effect ng drug ang
drowsiness. I remember Vince saying that there are certain medicines that cause
sleepiness when taken.
I don't know what's with this silly, annoying, blustering girl, but
she's giving me this mixed-up feeling I myself cannot have a grasp on. But one thing
is for sure, she is unlike any other girl I met.
29: Mira
“Come on, Mira. You have to try this!” Pamimilit sa akin ng baklang si Alexia.
“Yeah, I think it suits you. You should always wear baby pink. It
highlights your fair complexion.” Pag-eksplika naman ni Hannah.
“Ang ganda mo naman, Mira. Kaya ka gusto ni Dr. Vince eh. Hihi.”
Sabat naman ni Mavi. Hindi naman siya gaanong fan ng Mira-Vince loveteam, ‘no?
I never knew na ganito pala kakukulit ang mga kaibigan ko. Yup,
we are officially a group – me, Hannah, Mavi, and Alexia. Kaming tatlo nina Mavi at
Hannah ang Powerpuff Girls. Tapos, si Alexia naman ang Powerpuff Gay. Hehe.
“Sige nga, kayo ang magbayad. Tingnan niyo ang presyo oh. 8, 899
pesos. Nasa lagpas benteng dresses na ito kung sa Divisoria ka bibili eh!” Sabi ko sa
kanila. Eh sa talaga namang sooobrang mahal ‘nung damit. Sayang ang pera!
Shoot.
“Besides being weird, kuripot ka rin pala.” Sabi niya habang naka-
grin. “You should take that dress, like what your friends are telling you. You look
human when you wear it.”
Sabagay, this is news. Nilibre lang naman ako ni Mr. Vren Andrei
Ayala Montevilla ng isang pink casual dress.
30: Vren
“Hello Lyka? I need you to buy me new suits and ties. I’m getting tired of my
wardrobe.” Utos ko sa personal shopper ko. Of course I do have a personal shopper
because I’m awesome. And being busy as hell, I don’t even have the time to buy
myself some office attire. Good thing Lyka knows the difference between corporate
elegance and looking dumb.
“Uhm, good day Sir Vren... As much as I would like to furnish your
wardrobe with new additions, I’m afraid I couldn’t do it at the moment. You see, I’m
in Japan right now, attending a fashion convention.”
But just what on Earth will I wear to the business conference I’m
about to attend next week – a garbage bag?
“Looking forward to it, Sir Vren. Again, I’m sorry if I can’t attend to
you at this moment.” Pag-apologize ulit ni Lyka.
****
I stepped in, about to call the sales lady to get the particular suit I
eyed, and to get some cool ties too. And that’s when I heard it. Her voice.
‘Yung pagka-high pitched ng boses niya – siyang-siya. Hanggang
dito ba naman, mukha niya pa rin ang makikita ko? Oh Lord.
So it’s really her. The surprising part is that she wears a light pink
dress, knee-length, and what else can I say? She looks like a highschooler waiting for
her prom date.
She is also with the most old-fashioned creature I’ve ever seen. I
think she’s also from the Accounting Department.
Oh Mira, what a good friend choice you have. A gay, a weirdo, and
a jerk. Plus you, the loudmouth. What a creepy combination.
I was like a madman here, talking to myself (sa isip lang naman),
when I realized that she's already looking at me.
Too much Mirathea for today. Time to grab a cup of espresso, drive
home, and get some sleep. I just hope she will stop invading my dreams.
“Hoy bakla, tigil-tigilan mo nga ako!” Tiningnan ko si Alexia with my eyes narrowed.
“Eh... Sige na... Let’s call this game, “The Big Reveal”. Go na Mira!”
Naka-puppy eyes na sagot naman ni Baklita.
“Oo nga Mira, minsan lang naman tayo magkabukingan eh. Tsaka if
we really are friends, we have to be transparent to each other.” Pangungumbinsi ni
Mavi.
“Ewan ko sa inyo! Basta ako, what you see is what you get.” Sabi
ko. “Ikaw naman kasi Alessandro, kung anu-ano ang pumapasok sa utak mo. May pa-
Big Reveal-Big Reveal ka pang nalalaman diyan!” Tapos inirapan ko si Baklita.
“Hala tayo, what you see is what you get daw? Malalaman ba natin
by just simply staring at each other kung ano ang type natin sa guys, kung naka-
ilang dyowa na ba tayo, o kung sino ang first kiss natin? Ano tayo, psychic? And
correction, it’s Alexia. Capital A-L-E-X-I-A.” Kontra naman ni Alexia.
“YES NAMAN! Okay, dahil akey naman ang may pakana ng lahat ng
ito, you can start with me.” Pagpapakadakila ni Baklita. “Remember, only one
question per person. So ask wisely.”
****
“Eto na nga! Hmmm... ‘Yung mudra ko, hinimatay. Ako lang kasi
ang may XY chromosomes sa mga junakis nila eh. Lahat XX. Tapos si father dear
naman, ayun, hinabol ako ng taga. ‘Wag daw akong babalik hangga’t hindi ako
tumitino. Eh asa naman sila na matitiis nila ako. After one month, ayun. Pinauwi na
ako. Tanggap na daw nila ako.”
“Kung wala kang naging girlfriend, ibig sabihin lalaki ang pinatulan
mo?” Pagpu-push ko sa issue, kahit nga may rule kami na one question per person
lang.
WOAH.
“Okay, ako naman.” Sabi ko. “Sa tatlong ‘yun, sino ang
pinakamahal mo?”
But after a while, she said, “Pero okay lang ‘yun ‘no? Ang dami pa
namang pwedeng gawing boyfriend diyan.” Nakangiti siya, pero ramdam ko na hindi
totoo ang ngiting ‘yun. She must be madly in love with that George.
Poor Hannah. Sa kabila ng pagiging bubbly at mataray in a funny
way, may tinatago rin palang kadramahan sa buhay.
“Napaka talaga! Siya, eto na ang Q ko. Pwedeng akin na lang ‘yung
dalawa mo pang papa? Tutal si George naman pala ang true love mo eh!”
“Ah, ‘yun ba?” Nakatungong sabi ni Mavi. “It’s because of... Fix.”
“Si Fix Castillero...” Pagtulong ni Alexia kay Mavi. “First love ni Mavi
na ni-reject siya. Hindi niyo naitatanong, campus beauty queen itong si Nerd dati.
Kaya lang, after ng rejection sa kanya ni Fix, nagpaka-tibong nerd na itong si Maria
Eva.”
“Ay ako Mavi may tanong sa’yo. Kung talagang matagal na kayong
magkasama nitong si Alessandro, paano mo siya natiis na hindi paslangin? Kung ako
sa lugar mo, matagal nang nasa ilalim ng lupa ang kaibigan mo.” Sabi ni Hannah na
nakakaloko ang mukha. Napatawa naman kami pareho ni Mavi sa tanong ni Hannah.
Si Alexia, hindi maipinta ang mukha.
Parang masyado naman 'yatang scary ang tingin nila sa akin ah!
Mukhang hindi ko magugustuhan ang mga itatanong nila.
Aba...
“Ha? Ewan ko... Hindi pa naman niya tinatanong ‘yung “Will You Be
My Girlfriend” thingy eh.” Inosente kong sagot.
“Oh my, have you been living under a rock? NBSB means No
Boyfriend Since Birth!” Explanation ni Hannah. Then out of nowhere, biglang may
nagsalita.
SHOOT.
****
“The four of you, what the hell are you still doing outside the
company’s building? Lunchtime is over by twenty minutes.” Take note ha, malumanay
ang pagkakasabi niya ‘nun. Stressed ‘yung part na, “what the hell”. Favorite
expression niya na ‘yata ‘yun eh!
I'm such in a cheery mood dahil finally, nai-close ko na ang Arcodas deal. That means
lots of bucks for Medialink and a stronger global connection for the company. And
kung itatanong niyo kung ano ang "cheery" para sa akin, 'yun lamang ay ang hindi
pag-susuplado sa mga taong makakasalubong ko. There's no thing such as smiling
and laughing for me. My being civil is enough.
Anyways, dahil nga I'm in a rather good mood, I decided to give
myself a break from the tons of reviewing proposals I am doing. After all, lunchbreak
naman. Well, technically, lunchbreak in the office is already over but still, I'm the
boss. Who's going to scold me for violating my own rules?
I strode towards the nearest coffee shop for a cup of espresso and
a slice of cheesecake. But just I am about to cross the street, my phone gave a faint
beep.
One message received.
From: My Stupid Brother
Good day, Mira! Have some commitments later? I was thinking if
you could have dinner with me. Gonna fetch you after the office hours. Take care. -
Vince
What the hell. Kailan pa naging Mira ang pangalan ko?
Like I've always known, tama lang na "My Stupid Brother" ang
pangalan ni Vince sa Contacts List ko dahil talaga namang stupid siya. Imagine
sending a text for Kuts to me?
And just what on earth did I read? He's asking Mira to a dinner
date?
I suddenly felt my good mood melting away. I told you, I will never
be a fan of the Mirathea-Vince loveteam. I'd rather be buried alive.
Anyways, I decided I will still get the espresso-cheesecake duo.
Baka sakaling masalba pa ang good mood ko.
I pushed the door open, heard the tinkling of the wind chime, and
then, I saw them.
Sino pa ba ang laging umi-eksena sa mga solo moments ko kundi
'yung apat na creepy creatures? Yup, si Hannah Marvilla, si Temples at ang kakambal
niyang si Nerd, and of course, the leader of the gang, si Mirathea.
They are doing the gossip thing again. What's with girls? (And
gays?) Besides being vain, they are also living for gossips. I am very lucky to be born
as a man. Women are nothing but pure lunatics.
At dahil tuluyan na rin namang nasira ang good mood ko, I decided
to wreck their happy time too. After all, I should scold them because they should be
right back to work. Like I said, lunch break is over.
I inched closer to their table and like what I want to happen, hindi
nila namalayan na nasa likod na pala nila ako. Masyado kasi silang engrossed sa kung
ano mang pinag-uusapan nila. Must be why they haven't noticed the time.
Still, an offense is an offense. And it's obvious that what they are
talking about is not work-related.
Sorry, I know eavesdropping is unethical. But with Mirathea, there
is no such thing as ethical. Sarcasm clearly included.
"First Q. Mira, who is your first kiss?" Oh, so they are interrogating
her. 'Yung mukha niya pagkatanong ni Temples 'nun, biglang namula na parang
kamatis. Malapit-lapit sa kulay ng mukha niya 'nung nadatnan ko siya na nakatingin
sa underwear ko.
"Ha? First kiss? Ah, eh, wa - wala!" She said. This is not surprising.
Who will attempt to kiss this girl? I mean, she looks like a gradeschooler.
"Wala? You mean you've never been kissed?" Si Hannah Marvilla
the Crazyhead naman ang nagsalita.
"O - oo! Never pa nga akong nagka-boyfriend eh!" Her answer. So
'pag nagkataon, magiging si Vince ang first boyfriend niya. Sorry Mirathea, that will
never happen. Not with me spoiling your dinner date. Blame it on my silly brother
who sent his text message to me instead of you.
"What? So hindi lang pala si Mavi ang walang bahid ng kasalanan dito ha?" Of course.
Sa porma ba naman ni Nerd (Mavi pala ang name niya), may manliligaw ba naman
diyan? Guys will definitely freak out.
"Bakit Mira? Imposible namang walang nanliligaw sa iyo. Ako nga
sandamakmak eh. Well, that's when I was still a campus beauty queen." Sagot ni
Nerd. What? She was a campus beauty queen? That's impossible! Okay, maybe kung
hindi talaga siya nerd from the start, I think there can be a possibility na maging
beauty contender siya. Well, I can say she looks a bit human. Even more human than
Mirathea.
"M-meron naman. Kaya lang hindi ko sila type." Ugh. So ang lagay
ay nagpapaka-choosy lang pala si Kuts? That I will never believe. I'm more than a
hundred percent sure na si Vince pa lang ang nagkamaling manligaw sa kanya.
"O sig,e ganito na lang. Sino ang super-duper-ultimate-crush mo
ngayon?" It's Hannah the Crazyhead again.
Si Kuts, nag-isip. Like she will have a hard time choosing, eh alam
naman nila pare-pareho na si Vince lang naman ang lalaking may kaugnayan sa
kanya ngayon. What a freak.
"Ano na Mira?" Temples said.
I can't believe they're interested with Kut's dull lovelife.
"Si... Si Doc Vince siyempre! Tinatanong pa ba 'yan?" She finally
answered. Come on, like I said, who else will it be?
May kung anu-ano pa silang side comments and being the most
impatient person on earth, I decided it's time to drop the bomb.
"So you've never had a boyfriend. No doubt you've never been
kissed." I said in a rather loud voice. Sabay-sabay naman silang lumingon sa
direksyon ko, just like what I wanted to happen.
"The four of you, what the hell are you still doing outside the
company's building? Lunchtime is over by twenty minutes." Bakit ba lagi na lang gulat
ang expression ng apat na ito ha? But hey, I'm enjoying this.
Magsasalita sana si Kuts but I didn't let her. "This whole thing is so
irresponsible of you - two department heads gossiping with co-employees during
office hours. This is not supposed to happen and I know all of you are aware of that."
"Sorry, Sir Vren." Sabi ni Temples.
"Better be. Now go back to the company."
Agad namang tumayo 'yung apat to head back to work.
"Mirathea, I think you should remain." I said bago pa man sila
makalabas nang tuluyan. As expected, she looked shocked. "We are going
somewhere."
****
Kung saan man ang "somewhere" na sinabi ko kanina, hindi ko rin
alam. Basta all I want to do is to get this woman away from Medialink, probably until
the office hours are over, para kapag sinundo siya ng kumag kong kapatid, voila!
Wala siyang madadatnan.
"Somewhere, Sir?" 'Yan ang sabi ni Kuts habang nakataas slightly
ang kanyang dalawang kilay.
"Yup. Somewhere. At some place. You've got to see something." I
said to her, matter-of-factly. Nahalata ko rin naman na umuulan ng "some" 'yung
sentence ko. Eh sa hindi ko naman talaga alam kung saan ko siya dadalhin at the
moment eh! Without giving her another chance para magtanong, kinaladkad ko na
siya, I mean, pinasunod sa akin, papunta sa parking lot ng Medialink.
And here I am with her, driving and headed to nowhere.
"Ehem! Sir, saan po ba talaga tayo pupunta?" Dahil sadyang
usisera ang kasama ko ngayon, hindi na siya nakatiis na hindi magtanong.
"WILL YOU JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT? I'M STILL DECIDING
AS TO WHERE I WILL BRING YOU!"
Oops. Did I just tell her, "I don't even f*cking know where we are
going to?"
Agad namang nanlaki ang mata niya pagkarinig ng sinabi ko. "WHAT? Meaning to
say... Wala naman pala talaga tayong destinasyon, ha Sir Vren?"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST HEAR, HUH? KAILANGAN PA BANG ULITIN?"
I answered back to her.
"EH ANO NAMANG PUMASOK SA UTAK MO AT BIGLA MO NA LANG
AKONG HINILA PARA SAMAHAN KA, HA?" You know what, guys, I really hate it when
people are yelling at me. But I can't blame her. PERO, hindi ko rin naman pwedeng
sabihin sa kanya na ayaw ko lang naman na maabutan siya ni Vince to take her to
their dinner date. That would be... Embarrassing.
I forced myself to calm down. "Nothing. I just want to... Get away."
Ugh. Too dramatic, Vren.
Saglit namang siyang napaisip sa sinabi ko. Then as if by miracle,
bigla na rin siyang huminahon. "Bakit Sir, may pinagdadaanan ka ba? Kailangan
mong lumayo, at kailangan mo ng kasama?"
I didn't say anything. I just looked at her. Tutal nasimulan ko na
naman ang pagdadrama, panindigan na. Para naman tumigil na sa kakasigaw ang
isang ito.
"AHA! Meron nga." Sabi niya na akala mo eh naka-bingo. "Broken-
hearted ka siguro, 'no?"
"Dummy. Of course not." I smirked at her.
"Kunwari ka pa Sir. Pero sige na nga, hindi na kita pipiliting
umamin. But I know a place kung saan makakalimutan mo 'yang problema mo." Sabi
niya with a mischievous look on her face.
"And where the hell is that? Siguraduhin mo lang na matino 'yang
naiisip mong lugar. Because honestly, I found myself suffocated by the ambiance of
Medialink." I answered her.
"Ayan kasi, napaka-workaholic mo. If it's okay with you, Sir, you
drive according to my directions. And I'll tell you if nakarating na tayo sa sinasabi
kong lugar." Sabi niya na ngiting-ngiti. Nababaliw na talaga ang babaeng ito. Pero, no
choice ako because I honestly have no idea on where to go.
"Alright. Where's your place?"
****
"Nandito na tayo!" She said.
"Holy heavens! Why didn't you tell me that it will take us hours
before we arrive at your stupid destination?" Yup, you read it right. When I looked at
my watch, it was almost six o'clock.
"Eh hindi ka naman nagtanong eh!" Sabi niya habang nakangiti ng
ngiting nang-aasar. Seriously, can I slaughter this woman?
"WHATEVER! Teka nga, ano ba naman kasi itong lugar na ito at dito
mo pa naisip pumunta, ha?" Call me a freak but I didn't even bother looking out at
the windows to check out where we are headed to. I'm just looking ahead, driving
according to her directions.
But now, habang nakatingin ako sa labas ng bintana ng passenger
seat, I can't help but widen my eyes. So, this is the place she's been referring to as
"nakakawala ng problema"?
Kung tinatanong niyo kung ano ang nakikita ko, sige, I will describe
it. May mala-kastilyong façade lang naman ang tinutukoy kong lugar, tapos akala mo,
sinabuyan ng kulay violet na pinta ang suot ng isang malaking mascot na may
mahaba at puting balbas na nasa gitna ng sinasabi kong ma-kastilyong façade. May
hawak siyang magic wand at may mga batang patakbong lumalapit sa kanya.
My first impulse is to look back at Kuts, and here she is, ngiting-
ngiti na parang batang binigyan mo ng isang pack ng Hershey's chocolate. Then, she
suddenly exclaimed,
"WELCOME TO ENCHANTED KINGDOM!"
****
"Okay, enough of your craziness. I'm not going inside that place,
Mira."
Sa gulat ko, bigla na lang niyang hinablot ang susi ng kotse ko,
then she went out of the car.
"Sige, bahala ka!" she said. "Hintayin mo na lang ako kung kailan
ako lalabas ng park ha?"
Naisahan ako 'dun ah. "Hey, you! Wait for me!"
'Nung mahabol ko na siya, she said, "O, akala ko ba, hindi ka
papasok ng park?"
"Shut up, will you? I'll go in with you. Just give me the the car
keys." I glared at her.
"In one condition - I give you your keys, tapos sagot mo ang ride-
all-you-can ticket plus snacks and souvenir items. At para sure, I will just give you
these keys on our way out of the park."
"What the f*ck did you just say? That's not fair! Spend your OWN
money! In the first place, YOU were the only one who wanted to go to this stupid
amusement park!"
"ABA! Mr. Montevilla, sino ba ang bigla na lang humila sa akin
papunta sa kawalan, ha?"
"FINE! I'LL BE THE ONE TO PAY FOR THE TICKET AND THE FOOD.
HAPPY NOW?"
"Not yet. My condition includes the souvenir items. I want a wizard
plush to take home later."
"OKAY! I'LL BE IN CHARGE WITH THE TICKET, FOOD, AND YOUR
STUPID STUFF TOY. CAN WE GET IN NOW?"
"Tara na!"
33: Mira
I can't believe it. After 9085 light years, nakatapak ulit ako sa isang amusement park.
Nang libre. Sagot ng boss kong freak.
Aba, hangga't may oportunidad tayong magpakasaya, dapat
sinusunggaban 'diba? Tsaka nakita niyo naman kanina kung gaano kalungkot si Sir
Vren 'nung tinatanong ko siya kung may pinagdadaanan siya. He's so crestfallen he
can't even find the words to express his loneliness. Imagine, sobrang desperate niya
na kaya ako na lang of all people, ang pinakakinaiinisan niyang creature sa Solar
System, ang naisipan niyang hilain papunta sa kawalan just to escape his problems?
(Oo, tama kayo, I am aware of how he loathes me. He said it to my face a million
times already.)
That's why I, grabbing the chance for another paid day-off courtesy
of my very own boss, gave him directions to Enchanted Kingdom. Pampawala na ng
kalungkutan ng boss ko, pang-tweet ko pa on our way home!
"Hey you, freak. Can you sit beside me?" Biglang nagsalita si Mr. Suplado out of
nowhere.
Anong freak ang pinagsasabi nito ha? Ako ba ang tinutukoy niya, eh
siya nga ang freak sa kwentong ito! My Boss is a Freak nga diba? Tsaka anong can
you sit beside me ang sinasabi niya?
Pero dahil nga boss ko siya at kaya lang naman ako nakapasok ulit
dito sa EK ay dahil sa siya ang bumili ng ticket, wala akong choice kundi sakyan ang
trip niya.
So umupo nga ako sa tabi niya, and to my surprise, bigla niyang
nilabas ang phone niya (Sony Xperia Z, shemay. Sarap arborin). Tapos may pinindot
siya sa screen, then he extended his right arm at bigla ko na lang nakita ang mukha
naming dalawa sa screen ng phone niya.
"Smile!"
Hey, what?
Smile daw!
*click!*
UNBELIEVABLE! MARUNONG PALANG MAG-SELFIE ITONG SI SIR
VREN?
"Para saan naman 'yan ha Sir?" Tanong ko. Medyo gulat pa rin kasi
ako sa biglaan niyang pagpi-picture taking. Nakatingin kami pareho sa shot na kuha
ng front cam ng phone niya, and oohlala. Ang gwapo ni Mr. Suplado, in fairness!
Ngayon ko lang siya nakitang nakangiti, 'yung as in TUNAY na ngiti. Most of the time
kasi ay serious ang mukha niya, at kung hindi naman, naka-grin. Pero this time, it's a
genuine smile.
"Hmmm... Let's just say I want to capture the first time I've been
to a Ferris wheel ride." Sagot niya habang may cryptic smile sa gwapo niyang mukha.
****
"Di nga Sir, first time niyo pong sumakay ng Ferris wheel kanina?"
Amazed pa rin ako sa nalaman ko. Kasi naman, hindi naman laking Bundok Arayat
ang boss ko para hindi makapunta sa mga ganitong lugar. So inuusisa ko pa rin siya
habang naglalakad kami papunta sa hotdog stand na malapit lang sa binabaan
naming Ferris wheel.
"Yes. Do I look like I'm lying?" Sabi niya habang nakataas ang
parehong kilay.
"Pero bakit? Sabi mo hindi mo naman first time makarating sa
isang amusement park. So ano 'yun, iniisnab mo lang talaga ang Ferris wheel?"
"Yup."
"Eh bakit nga po?"
"DO I REALLY HAVE TO TELL YOU?" Jusme. Tumaas na naman ng
one octave ang boses niya.
"KUNG AYAW NIYO PO, EDI WAG!" Siyempre sisigawan ko 'din siya.
Papatalo ba naman ako?
"OKAY, FINE! It's because of this stupid story I read when I was
seven."
Story?
Tumahimik lang ako so he went on. "It says that of all rides, the
Ferris wheel is the most magical. When you are to ride it the first time, you should go
with the person you think is worth keeping a lifetime."
Ano daw? Ang nosebleed naman 'nun!
"ARE YOU SATISFIED? NOW GO BUY US SOME HOTDOGS TO EAT!
I'M STARVING!" Sigaw ulit niya sabay hatak sa akin palapit ng hotdog stand.
Ano ba 'yan, eh dini-digest ko pa 'yung ni-reveal niya tungkol sa
story kanina!
Dahil medyo slow-brained na ngayon ang lola niyo, I just let the
thought escape my mind. Kumukulo na rin ang tiyan ko eh! I'll think about it later.
****
"Miss, regular hotdog or jumbo?" Tanong sa akin ni Kuya Hotdog
Vendor. Nilingon ko si Mr. Suplado who's about a foot away from me, and he
mouthed the word 'jumbo'.
"Jumbo po." Sagot ko kay Kuya Hotdog Vendor.
"Mayo, ketchup, mustard?" Tanong ulit ni Kuya Vendor.
Nilingon ko ulit ang aking boss, who mouthed 'mustard'. Yikes. Weird 'yata ang
tastebuds ni Mr. Supladito.
"Yung isa po, mayo and ketchup, tapos 'yung isa, mustard."
"Drinks, Miss?"
"Two diet soda."
"TWO JUMBO HOTDOG SANDWICHES, ONE WITH MAYO AND
KETCHUP, ONE WITH MUSTARD. TWO DIET SODAS!" Sigaw ni Kuya Vendor sa
kasama niya na naggi-grill ng hotdog. "Next! Sir, may I take your order?"
"Dalawa nga pong cheesedog-on-stick, tapos dalawang Coke-in-
can." Sabi ng kuyang nasa likod ko. Ang gwapo naman ng boses niya! Malingon nga,
sana kasing-pogi ng boses niya ang fes niya.
EMERGHED!
Ang gwapo ni Kuya! Kamukha lang naman po ng isa sa aking mga
Hollywood crushes na si Nicholas Hoult.
Sa gulat ko, biglang nagsalita si Kuya Nicholas-Lookalike. Like,
natulala ba talaga ako sa kanya?
"Mira? Ikaw ba 'yan?" Sabi niya in a super-papable voice.
OH MY GRACIOUS GOD. KILALA PO AKO NI MR. NICHOLAS-
LOOKALIKE!
"Uy, Mira! Ang bilis mo namang makalimot? It's me, Chase. We're
in the same block in college, remember?" Natatawang sabi sa akin ni Mr. Nicholas-
Lookalike.
CHASE? Isa lang naman ang kilala kong may ganun ka-weirdong
pangalan na kapag naririnig ko, habulan at takbuhan agad ang pumapasok sa isip ko.
Could it be him?
"UY CHASE! Ikaw pala!" After 800 seconds, na-realize ko rin kung
sino ang kaharap ko. It's really Chase Constantino, my blockmate-slash-seatmate in
fourth year college.
Noon pa man, gwapo na talaga itong si Chase. Pero ngayon, after
some years, who knows na magiging mala-Hollywood ang looks niya?
O sige na nga, may-I-spill-something na ako sa inyo. Loveteam po
kami ni Chase noong college. Medyo nagkagusto din ako sa kanya kasi bukod sa
gwapo na ay nasa varsity team siya, so handsome na, athletic pa. Pero since fourth
year na kami naging blockmates, hindi na kami nagkakilala nang lubusan (lalim
diba?) kaya nawala rin 'yung crush ko sa kanya. Ewan ko ba, isang taratitat na
classmate ko 'yata ang nagpasimula ng Chase-Mira loveteam just because we are
seatmates.
"Miss, ito na po ang order niyo." I was brought back to my senses
nang iabot sa akin ang mainit pang sandwiches plus diet soda na inorder ko kanina.
"Yup, ako nga. So, kamusta? Sinong kasama mo?" Sabi ni Chase
habang ngiting-ngiti.
What the. Sasabihin ko ba na MONSTROUS BOSS ko ang kasama
ko? Dahil di ko alam ang gagawin, tinuro ko na lang si Mr. Suplado na noon ay
pinapanood ang mga batang tuwang-tuwa sa carousel.
"Oh, I see. He's your boyfriend, I guess?" Tanong ulit sa akin ni
Chase.
"Naku, hindi. Uhm, kaibigan ko lang 'yun." Kaibigan 'pag tulog.
"Ikaw, sinong kasama mo?"
"Ako? I'm with Molly, my three-year-old niece. There she is, with
her nanny." Sabay turo sa isang cute na bata na nakasakay sa pink na kabayo sa
carousel na tinitingnan nga din ni Sir Vren. "I took her out because she said she
misses her favorite uncle."
"Aww. Sweet naman." Nakangiti kong sagot sa kanya. "Ah Chase,
saglit lang ha? Ihahatid ko lang itong pagkain sa kasama ko."
"Aalis ka na agad? Well, alright! You do look like you're in a hurry.
But wait, do you still have the same contact number?" What, may number ako sa
kanya? Weird. I don't remember me giving him my phone number back then.
"Ah oo, same number. So, see you when I see you!" Sabi ko
habang nakangiti. Sorry Chase, baka kainin ako ng buhay ng boss ko 'pag nagtagal
pa ako eh.
****
Half-walking, half-running, pinuntahan ko ang bench malapit sa
carousel kung saan nakapwesto si Sir Vren. He looks so lost in thought kaya naman
hindi niya namalayan na nakalapit na ako sa kanya. So, kinalabit ko siya.
"SIR! Ito na po ang sandwich niyo at drinks." Sabi ko sa kanya
sabay abot ng pagkain sa kanya.
"What the hell took you so long?" Sabi niya. Uh-oh. Patay tayo dito.
Kanina pa nga siya nadaing ng gutom.
"Ah, kasi po.." May pogi akong nakita. Hehe. Dahil hindi ko naman
masagot sa kanya 'yan, tumahimik na lang ako.
"It's that guy, don't bother making up a weak excuse." Sabi niya,
eyes narrowed at me.
HALA. Akala ko sobrang engrossed niya sa panonood sa mga
batang nakasakay sa kahoy na kabayo, kaya di niya na kami mapapansin ni Nicholas,
este ni Chase.
Just then, may tumawag sa pangalan ko. "MIRA!"
Paglingon ko, nakita ko si Chase, papalapit sa akin.
"O, Chase. Bakit?"
"Nakalimutan mo 'yung sukli mo. Pinakiusapan ako 'nung nagtitinda
na kung pwede, ako na ang maghabol sa'yo tutal kakilala naman kita at hindi niya
maiwan ang stall kasi maraming bumibili. Here." Sabay abot sa akin ng tatlong one-
hundred peso bills at kaunting barya.
Kamamadali ko na lang, nakalimutan ko pala ang sukli ni Freak. At
kahit nakatalikod ako sa kanya (kay Supladito), dinig na dinig ko pa rin ang
pagbulong niya ng salitang "dummy".
"Ay ano ba 'yan, ang engot ko naman." Talaga Mira! Accountant ka
pa naman tapos nakakalimot ka ng sukli? "Salamat Chase."
"Wala 'yun. Paano, maiwan ko na kayo ha? Hinahanap na ako ni
Molly." Naku Chase, palusot.com ka pa. If I know, kanina pa siya tinititigan ng
kakaibang tingin ng nilalang na nasa likod ko. Ganyan naman lagi 'yang si Freak
kapag may estrangherong biglang sumusulpot, suplado nga kasi diba? Kaya hindi ko
masisisi si Chase kung awkward na ang pakiramdam niya habang pinagmamasdan
siya ng aking monstrous boss a.k.a fake-friend-for-the-sake-of-not-telling-Chase.
Aalis na sana si Chase kaso hinabol ko siya. Nakokonsensiya kasi
ako dahil parang ang rude ng treatment ko sa kanya. Si Freak kasi eh! Kung wala
lang siyang attitude problem na taglay, if only he's more civilized when it comes to
other people, walang kaso kung mag-attempt man ako na maki-join si Chase sa
amin. Kaso, hindi nga 'yun ang sitwasyon.
"Chase, saglit! Diba, may number ako sa'yo? Text ka na lang ha,
para naman makapagkwentuhan tayo about each other and our college friends as
well."
To my relief, ngumiti si Chase which caused his dimples to show.
"Sure, Mira. And please do note that this is not the last time we'll be seeing each
other."
****
Tumabi na ako kay Freak na mukhang ewan habang kumakain ng
hotdog sandwich niya. "Who's that ugly creature?" Tanong niya pagharap niya sa
akin.
Jusme. Ugly creature daw, eh ang gwapo nga ni Chase! Sabagay,
nagtaka pa ako eh para naman dito sa MB (monstrous boss) ko, sarili niya lang
naman ang gwapo. Sus, if I know, threatened lang siya kasi alam niya namang hindi
lang siya ang gwapo sa balat ng lupa. There's Chase and of course, my Papa Vince na
ilang dekada ko nang hindi nasisilayan. *insert sad face* Hindi naman lingid sa akin
na no matter how hard guys try to look tough, madali rin silang nate-threaten.
"Ah, 'yun ba? Si Chase PO 'yun, college classmate ko PO." Sabi ko
sabay inom ng diet soda.
"Chase? His name is Chase, as in 'chase someone running'? What
an ugly name, suits his ugly face." Sagot ni MB. Ang dami ko na pong bansag sa
kanya, I know. Sorry po. *curtsies*
"Yup, Chase Constantino. School heartthrob, star athlete, academic
scholar." Conceited kong sagot sa kanya.
"The hell I care." Sabi niya habang naka-smirk. Haha. Ang sarap
palang badtrip-in ng isang 'to!
"Bakit Sir? Don't you agree that Chase is quite a man? If I were to
have a boyfriend, I would go for someone like him." HAHAness. Lalong nagsasalubong
ang kilay ni MB. Nakakatawa talaga ang mga lalaki kapag nakakakita ng someone
their level, or worse, someone who exceeds their level. Talk about ego.
No wonder inis ang isang ito kay Doc Vince. Kasi kahit sabihin man
na mas successful siya sa kapatid niya, 'di hamak na mas chic magnet ang aking
Papa V dahil mas mabait at mas approachable ito kaysa sa kanya.
"Yeah, maybe he is. For girls with low standards." Sagot naman sa
akin ni Freak bago isubo ang last bite ng hotdog sandwich niya.
Bumaliktad ang mundo dahil ako ang biglang nainis sa sinabi niya.
Aba, anong ibig sabihin niya, na isa akong babae na may mababang standards? How
dare he! At sino ang magugustuhan ng mga babaeng may "high standards", SIYA? Oh
please!
Nakakainis, kasi dapat ako ang master of the game ngayon. Ako
dapat ang mang-iinis sa kanya. Pero bakit nagawa na naman niyang baliktarin ang
sitwasyon?
At dahil nga sa nainis ako, naglakad ako palayo sa kanya. Bakit ba,
eh feel kong mag-inarte ngayon! At tsaka I'm sure, hahabulin niya rin ako kasi
duuuh, nasa akin pa ang car keys niya.
"HEY! Where are you going?" Biglang tayo si Freak mula sa bench
na kaninang inuupuan namin.
"Sa Andromeda Galaxy! Sasama ka?" Irritated kong sabi sa kanya.
"Oh, for God's sake. What's with that Chase? You asked for my
opinion, so I gave you an honest answer. And now you are going to walk out on me?"
He half-yelled.
"Eh ang yabang mo kasi! Siyempre maiinsulto ako for Chase,
kaibigan ko siya eh!" Nakapamewang kong sagot sa kanya, with matching I-so-hate-
you face.
"OKAY FINE! YOUR CHASE, HE'S DAMN PERFECT. HAPPY NOW?"
Frustrated niyang sagot.
Hala. Sumigaw na talaga siya! Pinagtinginan tuloy kami ng mga tao
sa paligid. 'Yung iba, nag-speculate na nage-LQ daw kami.
Ugh, excuse me. Quarrel lang, minus the L.
Pinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad.
Bahala ka diyan, Monstrous Freak.
34: Vren
How do you tame a raging woman? For heaven’s sake, that Mirathea snapped. What’s
with that Chase, anyway? He looks like an ordinary earthling to me, so bakit siya
nagalit when I told her what I think about that guy?
Or else what, Vren? What are you gonna do to her? Quick, think of
something!
“Or else I’m not gonna buy you your stupid wizard stuff toy!” Ugh,
Vren Andrei. What a lame threat.
I almost flashed a grin, kaya lang, nagulat ako nang pandilatan niya
ako, sabay sigaw ng, “EDI WAG! PERO WAG KA NA RING UMASA NA MAKIKITA MO
ANG SUSI NG AUDI MO! BLEEEH!”
“Hey, wait! Okay, I’ll buy you the biggest stuff toy in this park’s
souvenir shop, you give me back my car keys, and we’ll head back home together.
Deal?”
Oh my. She’s really angry. Right now I’m seeing her face as the
fuming one back when I accidentally hit her on her way to her job interview. That
seems like an era ago, when in fact I’ve known her for just several months.
Okay Vren. One last move. Do it, even if you’ll feel like throwing up
after saying those two words.
“Please Mira. I’M SORRY. About what I said about your friend. Now
can we have at least a truce? Ceasefire? Peace na tayo.” I said with a solemn tone of
voice.
THERE, I SAID IT. Even if saying sorry was not my thing. I guess
I’m to proud to apologize most of the time. Fine, ALL OF THE TIME.
We’ll, that’s ages ago. And that story, it’s none of your business.
“Ano ulit ang sabi mo?” She said it calmly, thank goodness.
“You heard it, didn’t you? Please, don’t make me repeat it for I
might throw up. Seriously, saying it once is enough.”
Can you guys tell me what really is with Mirathea? ‘Cause with all
honesty, she’s making me do all sort of stupid things FIRST TIME.
****
“Yehey! Ang cute naman ng stuff toy na ‘to! Life-sized plush! Thank
you Sir Vren!” Tuwang-tuwa na sabi niya habang bitbit ang binili naming toy version
‘nung wizard na naka-violet na nasa bungad ng amusement park. I heard that
wizard’s name somewhere, but the heck I care to remember it. All I wanted to do
now is to drive home and take a full rest.
“Oh sure.” I said minus any hint of enthusiasm. And making sure
she can’t hear me, I added, “anything for the safety of my car keys.”
I must have said it a bit louder than I should because she said,
“Ano po ‘yun Sir?”
“Nothing. I said let’s now head home ‘coz it’s already late.”
****
Any minute I think I’m going to doze off to sleep while driving. And
because I can’t bear the silence any longer, I opt to play my car’s stereo. Tiningnan
ko muna si Kuts na nasa passenger seat karga ang stuff toy niya, and by the looks of
it, inaantok na rin siya.
Ang pinagtataka ko lang, after ages of not hearing this song, bakit
wala akong maramdamang sakit now that I’m listening to it again? And from what I
remember, everytime I listen to this song, mukha ng ex-girlfriend ko ang instantly
pumapasok sa isip ko.
But now, it feels that the song’s connection to that woman is gone.
It seems that I could dedicate this song to someone else. It’s telling me to forget the
pains of the past. The agony of her leaving me, it seems like it never occurred.
Yes, she’s all that I see and she’s all that I need
And I’m out of my league once again
That’s why it’s better to try to kill this flicker of affection before it’s
too late.
35: Mira
"Mira! Pssst!"
"AH, GOOD THING YOU MAKE PAALALA TO ME! I was just trying to
make pa-kwento sa'yo about your tweet three days ago! Like, did Papa Vren really
treat you with free entrance to EK? So swerte! All the Medialink employees got gulat
because of your tweet! Imagine, Papa Vren going to an amusement park with a girl?
Some of them were nagsasabi na maybe Papa Vren is courting you, but I and Mavi
and Hannah baby know better. So we told them that your real suitor is Papa Vince,
the gwapong doctor." Walang hinga-hingang sabi ni Baklita.
****
"Oh... So that's the reason pala kung bakit ka biglang hinila ni Papa
Vren to go somewhere. Because may pinagdadaanan siya. Sana pala, I was the one
na lang na sinama niya 'no? I'm sure I can do something para mapasaya si Papa
CEO."
"Anong sana ikaw na lang ang sinama para mapasaya mo siya? At anong Papa CEO
ang pinagsasasabi mo diyan? Mangilabot ka nga Alessandro Pinpin!" Ito talagang
baklang ito, puro kalandian ang pumapasok sa isip!
"AYY! You naman, so KJ! I hate you na!" Pag-iinarte na naman niya.
"OWW. What did you just call me? Lex? Make it Lexi! Not Lex! Lex
sounds so macho!" Hinaplit ako ni Baklita sa braso.
"Okay, I'll shut up na. But wait, are you not gonna make tanong,
where the heck Mavi and Hannah are?" Sabi niya with matching nang-iintriga look on
her face.
"HMMM... Sabagay. The two of them bond, then it will be the two of
us naman. Come on, Sister, where are we going to make tambay?"
"Ah, nawiwili ka na eh. Akin 'yan, uy." Sabi ko nang mahina while
faking a smile.
"Pssh, ito naman. So madamot." Pasimple ring bulong ni Alexia.
"Uhm Mira, sorry if I came here without any notice. I just want to
ask you out for dinner, if you don't mind. Kasi last time, maybe three days ago, I sent
you a message asking you to go out with me kaya lang you didn't respond. When I
came here after office hours, the guard said you left early. So..."
Three days ago? 'Yung time na bigla akong hinaltak ni Sir Vren
papunta sa kawalan? What a coincidence.
"Oh, sure Doc! Sorry kung hindi ako naka-reply, kasi I can't
remember receiving a message from you three days ago."
"Ganun ba? Well, don't think about it anymore. Maybe that's just a
glitch on the part of the network carrier. Magpalit na kaya ako ng number?" Confused
na sabi ni Papa Vince.
"Ah, baka nga. Hehe." 'Yan na lang ang mga salitang naisipan kong
isagot sa kanya.
"Ah, eh, hindi na Papa, este, Doc Vince. May lakad din kami ng
jowa ko. Enjoy kayo ni Sissy Mira!" Kunwari cheerful pa si Baklita pero halata mo
namang hinayang na hinayang siyang hindi niya makakasama ngayong gabi ang
gwapong nilalang na si Vince Allen Montevilla.
"You sure? Well, we better go out of your way. Let's go, Mira?"
Sagot ni Papa Vince My Loves sa kanya, bago tumingin ulit sa akin.
To: Alexia
+63927000000
HAHA! Pagigyan mo na ako Sis? Pretty please? xoxo
36: Vren
"I just came here to ask if it would be alright if I take Mira out for
dinner, tonight I guess?"
"Why the f*ck are you asking me? The hell I care about that
woman."
"Stop cussing, Vren. I just thought you should know; I don't want
to give the impression that I'm side-stepping you. You're the great authority, you
know."
"Mocking you? I'm not mocking you! Totoo naman diba? You're the
great boss, in this company and even when it comes to our family."
"F*CK IT, VINCE! If you can't control your jealousy over me, then
just go kill yourself, will you? Hanggang ngayon ba naman, you still can't get over the
fact that between the two of us, I turned out to be the more successful one, kaya mas
natural lang for Dad and Mom to recognize me more? Kasalanan mo naman ang
lahat, ikaw ang gustong pamanahan ni Dad ng kumpanya but you turned him down
by insisting to go to that bloody med school! So why the hell are you still bringing up
this whole issue? Damn it!"
"Bro, si Mira lang naman ang gusto ko eh. I don't care kung nasa
iyo na ang lahat; I'm more than happy with what I am now. You know why? Kasi ako,
pinili kong sundin kung ano talaga ang gusto ko. Look at you, alam naman natin
pareho na kaya ka lang naman nagpumilit na maging isang renowned businessman
ay dahil sa gusto mong i-satisfy ang kagustuhan ng parents natin, especially Dad. But
hey, are you really happy to be what you are today? Are you happy na pinatay mo
'yung dating Vren na kilala natin pareho? 'Yung Vren na sobrang saya na basta
makasama niya ang bandmates niya na nagpe-perform ng mga composed nilang
kanta? That Vren, he was killed by the tyrant brother I now have!"
"Stop talking like you know me a hundred percent. And by the way,
what does that woman got to do with all of this sh*t, ha Vince?"
"Remember your line, ha Vren? The "Bro, back off. She's mine."
line? Hell, bro. Si Mira na nga lang, aagawin mo pa? Gusto mong kasama rin siya sa
mga "controlled possessions" mo? Please naman, Vren. Leave it to me pagdating kay
Mira. I'm serious with her."
"You can have her, for all that I care. Vince, believe me. I don't
want a war between us, especially nang dahil lang sa isang napakababaw na dahilan.
If that Mirathea, siya 'yung makakapagpawala ng lahat ng bitterness diyan sa kaloob-
looban mo, then go grab her because I have more important things to mind than your
petty romance."
That conversation between me and Vince, hindi pa rin mawala-wala
sa utak ko. Mabuti na lang, nangyari 'yan kaninang lunchtime while all my employees
are away. Kung hindi, baka trending na ngayon between the company gossips ang
naging sagutan namin.
Tch. Nalaman niyo pa tuloy na dati akong miyembro ng isang
banda. Well, I don't care. That was eons ago.
"Isang shot nga ng vodka martini diyan, 'pre." Said a familiar voice.
Who could that be? Must be the effects of drinking kaya nag-iilusyon na ako.
Still, nilingon ko 'yung pinagmulan ng boses na ngayon ay nakaupo
sa katabi kong stool habang naghihintay ng order niya from the bartender. What I
saw slightly surprised me. It's the guy Mira met at the amusement park. Kaya pala
pamilyar ang boses niya.
"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" Napansin niya na rin pala
ako.
"We've met. Mira. Amusement park." Sagot ko without even
bothering to look at him.
"Cool! Kaya pala familiar ka. Say, what are you and Mira doing back
then? Tinanong ko si Mira, she said you were just her friend."
Somehow what he said annoyed me, especially that "just her
friend" part. So hindi man lang pala ako pinakilala ng babaeng 'yun as her boss?
She's really annoying. And so are the people around her like Vince, and this stupid
guy. Naalala ko na ang pangalan nito, and it's just as stupid as him. CHASE. Pahabol
ko 'to kay Kamatayan eh. 'Pag mga ganitong panahon na badtrip ako, mas
nababadtrip ako sa mga ganitong pagmumukha.
"Oh, did she? She must be joking. Or probably, she just doesn't
want to disappoint you. It will probably dampen your spirit had she told you the truth,
that I'm her boyfriend."
Ha, just look at that stupid face. I knew you would look like that if I
tell you na boyfriend ako ni Kuts. Tch. Halata naman na kursunada nito ang babaeng
'yun eh.
Well, sorry ka na lang, bro. Binadtrip mo ako, kaya mas babadtripin
kita.
"So, how's life Mira? It's been quite some time when we last saw each other."
"Ahmmm..." Naku, paano ko ba sasagutin si Papa Vince? "Okay
lang naman, Doc." Most of the time, pinagpapantasyahan kita. Haha.
Kasalukuyan kaming kumakain ng mga uber-sosyal na food sa
high-end restaurant na pinagdalhan sa akin ni Papa Vince. Grabe, todo-effort siya sa
pagpapakagentleman sa akin ha? Parang gusto ko biglang kumanta ng Suddenly It's
Magic.
"Lally, I won't be able to go to work today. My headache's terrible. You take care of
my appointments, okay?" Utos ko sa secretary ko.
"I will, Sir Vren. Get well soon po." Sagot naman ni Lally from the
other line.
"Thanks." I hung up.
UGH. The thing I hate about drinking, well, the thing most of us
hate about drinking is this - hangover. And when it comes to me, that means the one
hell of a headache it brings me.
That's what you get from a late-night drinking spree, Vren.
Oh, shut up, my bloody conscience.
I retrieved my phone from the table beside my bed. I tried to scroll
through my contacts list, looking for someone na pwede kong hingan ng pabor. And
that favor is to go buy me some medicine for my throbbing temples and some food to
calm my roaring stomach.
Tatawagan ko na sana ulit si Lally para sa kanya na lang ako
magpabili ng gamot at ng almusal ko. (Believe me, kung hindi lang talaga umiikot
ang paningin ko sa sobrang hilo at sakit ng ulo, I could've done those things myself.
It's a miracle na nakapagpalit pa ako ng damit-pantulog in my current state.) Kaya
lang naisip ko, siya na nga pala ang haharap sa mga naiwan kong meetings and
appointments and a ton of other stuff.
Just then, may isang taong pumasok sa isip ko.
No way. She's my company's AD head, not my secretary-slash-
personal slave.
But aside from Lally, siya lang ang nakakaalam ng address ko.
Remember when I brought her once here, to retrieve my planner (which turned out to
be one of her hyperventilation attacks)? Ayaw ko namang ipagsabi pa sa iba ang
address ko, takot ko lang na dumugin ako ng mga stalker.
No, not today, Vren. Diba lalayuan mo na siya? Look at you now,
ikaw pa ang nagpapalapit sa kanya sa iyo. That's very stupid of you.
OH, F*CK IT! STOP ACHING, YOU DUMB HEAD!
ITO NA NGA DIBA? TATAWAGAN NA NGA SIYA! SO STOP GIVING
ME THIS SH*TTY HEADACHE!
"Hello Sir Vren? Napatawag po kayo." She picked up on the third
ring.
"Hey, will you come over to my unit? I badly need your help."
****
One message received.
Kuts (+639158089988)
Sir, nandito na po ako sa labas ng unit niyo.
It took me a great amount of effort para makabangon at pagbuksan
si Kuts ng pinto. I feel like Christ on His way to the Calvary. Yup, ganoon kahirap ang
dinanas ko to make it to my unit's entrance.
Pagbukas ko ng pinto, andun nga siya, wearing the Accounting
Department uniform.
"Hey. Sorry to disturb you, but I can't think of anyone else to ask
for help. Will you buy me some medicine for headache, and some food to eat for
breakfast? My hangover's killing me." I retrieved a one thousand bill from my PJ's
pocket.
"Okay po, Sir. Hintayin niyo po ako, magtetext ulit ako kapag
nakabili na ako."
I watched as she turned her back, ready to enter the elevator. I
surprised myself when I hear me calling out her name.
"Mira!"
Lumingon naman siya. "Sir?"
"Thanks for helping me out. I owe you one for this."
39: Mira
Calling...
Sir Vren
+639159090099
ASDFGHJKL bakit tumatawag naman ang isang ito? All those days
of OBVIOUSLY avoiding me, and suddenly tatawag siya JIT (just in time) to ruin my
magandang morning?
"Excuse me, Mico. I have to take this call." I looked apologetically
at him.
"No problem, Ma'am. I'll go ahead." He half-spoken, half-mouthed
the words.
"ANONG PROBLEMA MO AT NAPATAWAG KA?" The moment I
answered the call, 'yan ang sabi ko sa kanya.
Pero siyempre, imagination ko lang 'yun. In my dreams ko lang siya
pwedeng sigaw-sigawan like I did before - before I officially became his employee.
"Hello Sir? Napatawag po kayo." Walang gana kong sagot.
He sort of made a grunt before letting out his words na para bang
sobrang napipilitan. "Hey, will you come over to my unit? I badly need your help."
BADLY need my help? Uh-oh. Ano ito, hinostage sa sarili niyang
condo unit?
Part of me wanna say "No, you're way too old enough to handle
whatever it is that's bugging you." Pero as usual, no choice na naman si Mirathea
dahil isang malaking "INUUTUSAN KA NG BOSS MO" ang sumalpok sa noo ko.
So all the enthusiasm draining on me, I head to the elevator, and
once out of it, I made way out of the building and took a taxi to my freaking boss'
place.
****
"Mira, really, no need to do that stuff. I just asked for medicine and something,
anything edible as breakfast. You can resume your day now."
Ayt, napakaarte naman nito! Siya na nga ang inaasikaso eh! Hindi
na lang ako sumagot at iniwan na lang siya para ilagay ang carrots (organic, sosyal
like I said earlier. Five times ata ang presyo sa carrots sa palengke) sa niluluto kong
soup.
After what seemed like twenty minutes, naluto na rin si Mr. Sopas
at nilagay ko na siya sa nag-iisang available na matinong glass bowl sa dish cabinet
niya. Kaya lang, habang nilalapag ko ang soup sa table sa gilid ng kama niya,
napansin kong natutulog na siya.
Namalayan ko na lang na tinititigan ko na siya.
Maamo naman pala ang mukha niya, 'pag tulog nga lang. Matangos
ang ilong - hindi 'yung OA na nakaka-distract na katulad ng sa iba especially some
foreigners from Western countries na puro nosebridge na lang nila ang makikita mo -
'yung sa kanya, tamang tangos lang para masabi mong dugong mayaman ang isang
tao (hehe), tapos mahaba kumpara sa karaniwan ang mga pilikmata niya. Mapula ang
labi, may kaunting stubble sa may upper lip ganun din sa may baba niya na parang
ilang araw na siyang hindi nagse-shave, and as expected, napakakinis ng mukha.
He's tanned in a gorgeous way, enough to make him more masculine (I honestly find
too much white males gayish). From what I see, medyo makapal na ang buhok niya
as oppossed to the clean cut he obviously prefers.
Just then, he opened his eyes, sabay sabi ng, "I know my looks are
perfect, but then again, staring is rude."
Buti na lang, nilapag ko na kanina sa mesa sa gilid ng kama niya
ang sopas dahil kung hindi, baka naitapon ko pa sa kanya dahil sa gulat, being the
clumsy girl I always am.
"Ah, eh, Sir! Nakakagulat naman kayo. Chine-check ko lang kung
super tulog na kayo, kasi FYI, luto na ang soup niyo."
A small smile formed on his lips (tell me it's true kasi baka nagha-
hallucinate lang ako), then he said, "Thanks. Big time."
Susubuan ko na sana siya (Hoy, don't give any malice. Nakita ko
lang kasi na muntik na siyang matapunan ng mainit na sabaw when he accidentally
swatted his hands at natamaan 'yung bowl of soup). Kaya lang, sabi niya, "It's fine.
I'm good. Why don't you get some and join me? I feel stupid, eating here with you
staring like a dimwit."
Kung hindi lang 'to masama ang pakiramdam, hinataw ko na ito eh!
Tawagin ba naman akong dimwit?
Tiningnan ko siya, only to see him smiling and this time, hindi na
tipid. "Come on, you should taste it because you obviously have a knack for cooking."
Namalayan ko na lang na nakangiti na rin ako, and before leaving
for his kitchen, I said "Whatever, Mr. Hangover", to counteract him calling me a
dimwit.
Tinaasan niya lang ako ng kilay but I didn't take it seriously 'cause
all the while, he is smiling.
****
"Hello Alessandro Pinpin!" Sagot ko sa tawag ni Alexia. Kung kailan
kukuha na ako ng sarili kong soup (sa mug ko na lang ilalagay kasi like I said earlier,
isa lang ang matinong soup bowl ni MB), tsaka pa nag-ring ang phone ko.
"HOY! I told you not to call me that ugly name! Eeewie!" Pag-iinarte
na naman ni Baklita sa kabilang linya.
"Whatevs. Ano ba naman kasi ang kailangan mo ha?" Sagot ko sa
kanya.
"Aba, I just called to remind you, our dakilang AD Head, na may
meeting po tayong buong department scheduled this 9:30 AM."
Ooops. Nakalimutan ko na ang about sa meeting na 'yan.
Kasalanan ito ng dakilang boss ko eh!
Well, since departmental meeting lang naman 'yun, ipo-postpone
ko na lang. (Babala: Wag niyo pong tularan ang "exemplary" performance ko bilang
empleyado. Sarcasm included. Hehe.)
"Psssh. 'Yun lang pala. Bukas na 'yan. Same time." Walang kaabug-
abog na sabi ko sa kanya.
"Aba, so ganun na lang 'yun ha Mirathea? Postpone na lang kung
kailan magustuhan? Hmmmp! 'Asan ka ba kasi?"
"Sa lugar na ako lang ang nakakaalam. Haha. Sige na, continue
doing your stuff there. Bukas na ako makakabalik. There's been an emergency."
"So meaning postponed din ang club hopping natin? Ano ba naman
'yan friend, nangako ka eh." Lungkut-lungkutan na sabi ni Baklita.
"Bukas na! MY TREAT." Sabi ko para matigil na ang kaartehan ni
Alexia. "Tsaka pwede 'wag na 'yang club hopping na 'yan, hindi naman talaga ako ang
tipo na nagpupunta sa mga ganyang lugar eh. Malling na lang tayo. Ako ang bahala
sa dinner."
"K. Payn. Babush!" Alexia said before the line went dead.
****
"Someone called you?" Tanong sa akin ni Sir Vren habang papasok
ako sa kwarto niya dala ang Star Wars mug na kinalalagyan ng soup ko. Teka nga
pala, kailan pa nahilig sa mga ganitong bagay (Star Wars) si MB?
"Ah, opo. Si Alexia po, internal auditor natin."
"The gay one?" Tanong niya ulit habang nakataas ang mga kilay.
"Yup. May scheduled meeting po kasi ang AD later, kaya lang
pinostpone ko na para..." Bigla akong natigilan.
"Para?" Tanong na naman niya. Ano ba naman kasi ang meron at
bigla akong inusisa ng taong 'to?
"Paramaasikasoka." Kaya ganyan ang pagkaka-type ay dahil tuluy-
tuloy talaga ang pagkakasabi ko niyan. And sure ako na after saying that ay namula
na naman na parang kamatis ang mukha ko.
Kasi naman, hanggang ngayon ay kaawa-awa pa rin ang lagay
nitong si Sir Vren. Ilang galon kaya ang ininom nito kaya nagkaganito 'to? Panay pa
rin ang hilot niya sa sentido niya na para bang wala man lang epekto ang gamot na
ininom niya.
And the big question is, ano kaya ang problema nito? I'm more
than a hundred percent sure na hindi si MB ang tipo ng tao na magpapakalasing dahil
lang sa trip niya. He's way more decent that those types of people. Tsaka kita sa
mata niya ang lungkot. PLUS, naalala ko na kaya nga pala niya ako hinila several
days ago sa kawalan (na naging Enchanted Kingdom because of my brilliant idea) ay
dahil nga may pinagdadaanan siya.
Hindi naman ako evil para hayaan na lang na ganito siya. It's okay
for me to stay here at least until he feels better.
I'm lost in my thoughts kaya lang, napansin kong naka-grin na
naman ang mokong habang tinititigan ako na nakatulala. So, no choice, kailangang
magtaray. "O, bakit ganyan ang mukha mo, ha?" Sabi ko sa kanya sabay taas ng
kilay ko.
"Nothing." Sagot niya sabay lingon ulit sa pinapanood niya (sa
kanyang super elegant na flat screen TV) na noon ko lang na-realize kung ano:
SPONGEBOB.
Natawa naman ako bigla kasi NEVER kong na-imagine na nanonood
ng mga kababawan itong monstrous boss ko. "Sir, seryoso ka? Nanonood ka ng
Spongebob? HAHAHA!"
He glared at me and said, "I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH
WATCHING SPONGEBOB. RESPECT MY FAVORITE CARTOONS."
Tinigilan ko na lang siya at pinilit pigilan ang aking mapang-asar na
tawa, sabay upo sa couch habang tinitikman ang niluto kong soup. Pero napapangiti
pa rin ako habang tinitingnan siya na titig na titig habang nagkakarerahan si
Spongebob at Plankton papunta sa Krabby Patty.
So, ito pala ang "other side" ng aking supladong boss.
May kababawan, marunong din palang ngumiti (NGITI, hindi 'yung
grin na obviously ay pang-asar lang), at nangangailangan din pala ng tulong
paminsan-minsan. Hindi naman pala siya lagi ang super-seryoso, laging
expressionless ang mukha, at akala mo ay kaya nang gawin ang kahit ano, na boss
namin sa Medialink.
I'm sure na kakaunti lang ang nakakakilala sa ibang version ng
Vren Andrei Montevilla na nasa harap ko ngayon. And I'm more than glad to be one of
those very few people.
40: Vren
I'm feeling a lot better because of the medicine I took, plus that perfect-tasting soup
Mira made for me.
Tapos ko nang panoorin ang Spongebob the Movie nang mapansin
kong wala na siyang kibo and that's when I realized na nakatulog na pala siya sa
couch across my bed. The Star Wars mug lies on the floor while there she is, eyes
closed and sleeping peacefully. I checked the digital clock on the table beside my
bed: 11:30 AM. It's almost lunchtime.
I'm still a little dizzy but I figured out it will go away when I take a
quick shower. So I gathered up my stuff and entered the bathroom for a soak. Just as
I predicted, the first spritz of water calmed my throbbing head and wore away last
night's traces of my drinking spree.
****
Tulog pa rin siya paglabas ko galing sa shower. (Hey, I'm all
dressed. I don't wanna be an ungentleman in all cases.) Dressed in white shirt and
jeans, I made my way towards the couch para gisingin siya.
Then I stopped, and even if I said staring is rude, I still did it.
Napaka-peaceful ng mukha niya habang natutulog. Long lashes,
small but chiseled nose (yeah, it's cute), and not-so-thin pink lips. Her long black hair
frames her face just so nicely.
I can't help but smile. Kahit gaano kataray ng babaeng ito, you
can't help but eventually soften towards her. She has a childish but very feminine
face.
Conscious of what I'm doing, I inched my face towards her and
planted a quick kiss on her forehead.
Then I stood, shook her shoulder slightly, and said when it's clear
that she's awake, "Hey, get up. We're going out for lunch."
41: Mira
Aish, ano ba ‘yan! Nakatulog pala ako? At hindi lang ‘yan ha, nanaginip pa ako.
Meteor shower.
“Hey, get up. We’re going out for lunch.” Sabi niya.
“O, bakit ganyan ang mukha mo? You look like you’ve been robbed
of something. What’s wrong?” Sabi niya, eyebrows raised.
“Hey, it’s okay. Now fix yourself before we go out and have our
lunch.” Sagot niya. Aba, mahinahon siya ngayon ha? In fairness. Tsaka base sa aking
nakikita, mukha namang nilubayan na siya ng sakit ng ulo na dala ng “drinking spree”
(that’s how he called it) niya kagabi.
Kinuha niya ang car keys niya sa table na katabi ng kama niya at
tsaka pa lang niya ‘yata naramdaman na may ibang presensyang nakatingin sa kanya
kaya lumingon siya sa direksyon ko tsaka nagtanong ng “All set?”
****
Beef stroganoff? Ano ‘yun? Teka, ‘yun ang kinain namin ni Doc
Vince ‘nung nag-dinner kami ah?
“Do you really like my brother?” Sabi niya na para bang hirap na
hirap i-pronounce ang mga salitang ‘yun.
Oo, crush ko si Doc Vince. Pero biglang na-realize ko, other than
those random things na napag-usapan namin kagabi, wala pa akong masyadong alam
tungkol sa kanya.
Hindi ko pa siya kilala. Not in the way a girl should know her self-
declared “future boyfriend”.
What’s with the “lang”, Mira? The last time I checked, patay na
patay ka pa kay Papa Vince mo ah. (‘Yan ang sabi sa akin ng konsensiya ko. Shatap,
Konsensiya.)
“You act as if you are madly in love with him.” Sagot niya na
seryosong-seryoso pa rin ang mukha.
Ang weird ko naman ngayon. Ay, ewan! Siguro, sabi lang ng aking
subconsciousness (charing lang), hindi tama na magsabi ako ng mga ganung bagay
sa harap ni Sir Vren, who is, as we all know, the younger brother ni Doc Vince na
obviously ay hindi masyadong in good terms sa kanyang kuya. Like duh, baka
mamaya, maging 100% certified cheap at easy-to-get na ako sa paningin nitong si
MB. Ayoko namang bumaba ang dignidad ko bilang babae.
BUT THEN AGAIN, parang biglang may nagbago in the way I like
Doc Vince. Pakiramdam ko, walang patutunguhan ang crush ko sa kanya. Naman kasi
‘yung panaginip ko kanina eh, kung anu-ano tuloy ang naiisip at nararamdaman ko
ngayon!
“Tell me, what happened to your wizard stuff toy?” Sabi niya
habang nakangiti nang nakakaloko.
Inubos ko ‘yung beef noodles tapos uminom ng iced tea tsaka siya
sinagot. “Kaya pala trip na trip mo ‘pag napagmumukha mo akong tanga.”
Bigla niyang pinigil ang tawa sabay sabi ng, “Hey, that’s not the
way it is. It’s just because I like getting you pissed off. You look cute when you’re
annoyed.” Tapos bigla niyang iniwas ang tingin niya sa akin na para bang may sinabi
siyang nakakahiya.
Pero para hindi niya sabihing feelingera ako, binato ko siya ng table
napkin.
We just finished our lunch (and our fight) when I asked Mira on where the hell shall
we go next. She asked me if I could drive her back to the office and I glared at her
and said something like, "I thought you just told that gay friend of yours that you will
be back in no less than tomorrow?" She turned beet-red and replied, "SORRY NAMAN,
NAKALIMUTAN KO!"
I thought she was just twenty-four. She has the memory of an
eighty-year old woman.
"Mall na lang tayo, Sir!" Sabi niya na parang batang maliit.
"Fine. Anywhere but in my boring unit and my company. I'm too
tired of being in those places."
"Yehey!" She said with a triumphant look on her face. Ano ba
naman 'tong babaeng ito, parang bata.
"Are you gonna be buying something?" I asked her. Of course it's a
connotation that once a person goes to the mall, that someone's up for a buy.
"Ha? Wala na nga akong pera eh. Papalamig lang, tapos kaunting
snack, mga ganun lang. Porke ba magmo-mall, may bibilhin na agad?" She said and
rolled her eyes.
"Whatever." I muttered under my breath. "Come on, ride and
buckle up."
****
The mall's crowded, all right. I looked at Mira and found her looking
satisfied. Pina-park ko pa lang ang Audi ko but she's in such a rush to enter the mall -
she dragged me once she's out and I almost tripped while making our way to the
entrance.
"Lamig talaga dito! Sarap tumambay. Miss ko na tuloy ang pagmo-
mall." She said with no one to address in particular.
"So, what are we gonna do here?" I asked her. "Don't tell me you're
a window shopper."
She gave me an awful look. "Anong masama sa pagiging window
shopper? Kayo talagang mayayaman, porque marami kayong pera, ang hilig niyo
nang manghamak ng mga maralita."
"DID I SAY SOMETHING FOUL?" I scowled. "You always tell on me
as if I'm doing horrible things all the time." I told her while giving her a grim look.
She somewhat calmed down. "Eh talaga namang lagi mo akong
pinapagtripan, inaaway, at inaalipusta eh."
"Because you do the same to me." I told her, then I let out a sigh.
"Okay, let's have a deal. This day, let's try to make it normal. No fights, no glaring,
no shouting. After this, you can yell at me until your throat gets sore. I'm just asking
you to let me have a break. And that includes a break from your evil attitude."
"K." Her only reply.
"Good. For being such an obedient pet," I said with a grin, and as
expected, she gave me a murderous look. "Hey. I said no fighting. I'm just kidding. I
mean an obedient companion - for being that, I'm giving you a reward."
"Reward?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"Yeah. I'm giving you a shopping spree." I winked at her as I
retrieve my wallet and picked out one of my credit cards.
"HOY! Vren Andrei Montevilla, tigil-tigilan mo nga ako! Shopping
spree ka diyan, mamaya masaid ang credit limit mo tapos pabayaran mo sa akin
lahat 'yan. No thanks, kaya kong pumasok ng mall na hindi gumagasta."
"OKAY, FINE. I'm just trying to be nice." I gave her a "you-are-silly-
to-let-my-offer-go" look.
And that's when we both saw it. The stuff toy stall, full of gigantic
plushes of all colors and forms. I looked at her and confirmed what I instantly
thought. If there is one thing Mira is addicted to, it's an enormous-sized stuff toy.
I decided to tease her. "Look at that oversized pink teddy bear.
That will give you a nice night hug, I'm sure of it. But since you are a thrift, I figure
out you can get by with just taking one last look on it." I said with a huge grin.
I saw her face, and seriously, she's near tears. But she managed to
take a look at me to roll her eyes.
Taking in her pitiful look, I finally conceded. "Enough of that drama.
'Lika na, we're going to buy you a new sleeping companion."
Even without taking a look at her, I know she's smiling like crazy as
we head to the stuff toy store.
****
I swear, she looked like a three-year old after she finally took hold
of the giant pink teddy bear, I can't help but smile.
"What are you going to name her?" I asked her while we head to
the counter to pay for the bear.
"Hmmm..." She seems to be serious in thinking for a nice name for
her new plush. Finally, she said, "Alam ko na. MB!"
"MB? As in the letter M and the letter B?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yup!" Sabi niya with a delighted look on her face.
"And what was that supposed to mean?"
"Secret!" She foolishly tucked her tongue out at me.
"Whatever." I said, unable to hide my smile. I can't believe Mira can
be so childish. And yeah, she's REAL cute.
"Hello MB. Be a good girl and don't go after your owner." I
pretended to be talking to the stupid stuff toy.
"CHE!" She gave me a cruel look and in spite of myself, I started to
laugh.
This is one of my best days since God knows when, and surprising
as it may seem, I'm glad to spend it with her.
I don't care anymore who Mira likes, or whoever is after her - even
if it's my own stupid brother. I just want to be happy once in a while, and I know,
only this girl can brighten my day, even if it started with me having a brain-whacking
headache.
43: Mira
But no, hindi ‘yung taong MB ang sinasabi kong masarap yapusin. I
mean, this stuff toy na super laki, super lambot, at nagmamataray na baby pink ang
kulay, na binili sa akin ni Sir Vren (ang taong MB).
“What if I pick my top three and then you help me narrow it down
to one?” Tanong niya ulit sa akin with matching “disagree-and-I’m-gonna-send-you-
to-Pluto” look.
****
After eight zillion light years, lumabas na siya suot ‘yung final
choice niya. “I think I’ll take this one.” Sabi niya habang may satisfied look sa
kanyang mukha. “The first two suits feel heavy on me. I may as well die of heat if I
wear those.”
Jusme naman Vren Andrei Montevilla, kahit ano ‘pang isuot mo,
kahit siguro basahan, gwapo ka pa rin.
HOY! Hindi ako ang may sabi niyan ha?! Si Konsensiya, siya ang
may sapat na kalandian para sabihin ‘yan! Ewan ko ba, pero simula kaninang umaga
na first time kong makitang ngumiti ng wagas – as in WAGAS, hindi ‘yung pang-asar
– ‘yang mokong na ‘yan, hindi na ako pinatahimik ng mga bulong ng kalandian ng
aking konsensiya.
“Hey Mira, are you okay? You seem to be spaced out.” Back to
reality ako when I heard Sir Vren's voice.
“Ah, okay lang ako Sir. ‘Yan na po ang kunin niyo, bagay na bagay
sa inyo.” Sinabi ko ‘yun na kalahati ay dahil gusto ko nang lumabas sa boutique na ‘to
para bumili ng dark chocolate pearl shake para pamatid-uhaw at kalahati ay dahil
totoo namang bagay na bagay sa kanya ‘yung suit.
I swear, ‘yung aura niya ngayon habang suot-suot ang suit na napili
niya (na hindi ko na binalak alamin ang presyo dahil baka malula lang ako), parang
nagsasabi ng, “Hey, look at me. I’m an impossibly handsome, rich, and matter-of-
factly successful entrepreneur. No one can resist me.” (JUSKO. Ano po ba itong
pinagsasabi ko? Uhaw lang ‘yan, Mira!)
“Okay. Wait for me; I’ll just pay for this thing.” Halata mong
puzzled siya dahil sa kanyang expression.
****
So, ayun nga, binayaran na ni Sir Vren ‘yung suit na nakakalula ang
halaga. Ang sakit sa ulo kung isipin na sa isang bagsakan lang mawawala ang ganun
kalaking halaga ng pera, pero wala eh, barya lang ‘yun sa boss ko. (Oo, alam kong
sabi ko, wala akong balak alamin ‘yung price ng suit pero anong magagawa ko,
paglingon ko sa cashier, naka-flash ‘dun ang presyo niya. Napalunok ako sa gulat.
Share lang.)
Tiningnan ko lang siya. Wala akong masabi eh! Kakaiba rin itong
taong ‘to, parang kanina lang, halos ibaon na niya sa lupa ang sarili nang dahil sa
sobrang sakit ng ulo, tapos ngayon, pa-shopping-shopping na lang ng mga designer
suit.
“Tch. Wait for me here, I’ll go get us something to drink.” Sabi niya
sabay lakad palayo sa akin. Pinagmasdan ko naman siya habang papalayo. Bakit kaya
kahit nakatalikod, ang gwapo pa rin ni MB?
“Dark chocolate for you, coffee latte for me.” Sabi niya habang
inaabot ang isa sa akin.
“I see. So, this activity of your studio, it’s all about shots of
couples, obviously.” Sabi ulit ni Sir Vren habang nakangiti. Teka, bakit parang
sinasakyan niya si KMB? Sa pagkakakilala ko kay Sir Vren, sa mga ganitong panahon,
ang isasagot niya ay isang malutong na, “Go to hell, you idiot, we’re not a couple.”
“Yes, Sir!” Naningkit lalo ang mata ni KMB nang ngumiti siya na
para bang sobrang saya niya na na-gets agad ni Sir Vren ang gusto niyang iparating.
“Kayo ang napili ng studio namin na Couple of the Day, so if you won’t mind,
kukuhanan ko sana kayo ng girlfriend mo ng isang shot showing a sweet moment. In
return, makakatanggap po kayo pareho ng gift certificates na magagamit niyo in
exchange for our studio’s services.”
****
Nilingon ko si Sir Vren, and he’s grinning like crazy. Well, obviously,
pinagti-trip-an niya ako.
“Ma’am Mira, Sir Vren, bale kailangan niyo lang pong umupo diyan
sa setup natin, and it’s up to you to pose and it will be best if you will show us the
gesture you think will best express how you love each other.” Kinikilabutan ako
habang nagbibigay ng instructions ang buhay na replica ni Buddha.
“ONE!” I gave the camera my prettiest smile, just in time to feel Sir
Vren’s soft lips giving my right cheek a sweet kiss.
44: Vren
She smells of roses. I wonder what fragrance she dabs on. I swear - she smells better
than a fresh bouquet of flowers.
"Sir Vren, ito na po ang picture niyo ni Ma'am Mira." The tubby
photographer said as he handed me a notebook-sized shot of me giving Mira a peck
on her right cheek. "Ito naman po ang GCs niyo for free services from our studio,
valid for one year." This time, he handed me a couple of gift certificates with a fancy
logo of Magic Moments.
"Thanks." I flashed a smile on him, then glanced sideways to see
Mira wearing an expression only one word can fit on - dumbfounded.
"HEY! You look stupid." I told Mira while having a goofy smile
plastered on my handsome face. "Take a look at this; our photo's nice."
To my annoyance, she didn't seem to notice that I'm already
talking to her - not a single trace of response from her frozen-like body. Anong
problema ng isang 'to?
Not knowing another better alternative to catch her attention, I
snapped my fingers just a shy inch away from her face while saying, "Hello, Earth to
Mira! What the hell is your problem?"
Bigla naman siyang napatingin sa akin sabay sabi ng, "HA? May
sinasabi ka?"
Good gracious. So I was really talking to thin air a while ago.
"I said, what the heck is your problem? Bakit bigla ka na lang
natutulala diyan?" Sometimes Mira can be really annoying.
She didn't even bother to respond to me. Pagkatanong ko niyan,
balik na naman siya sa kanyang pagkatulala. I sighed.
"Sir?" She turned to me after about a minute. I looked at her and
she's still wearing that same dumbfounded expression she had a while ago. Kaya lang
ngayon, mapula pa 'yata sa kamatis ang mukha niya. Suddenly, I remembered that
day when she hyperventilated, back in my condo unit.
"Hey, are you okay?" I'm starting to panic here.
To my relief, she nodded.
"No hyperventilating?" I asked, still worried that she might actually
have again that breathing problem, in a mall crowded with people.
"No hyperventilating." She assured me. Then, to my surprise,
tiningnan niya ako na para bang lalamunin niya na ako nang buhay. Literally.
"What have I done wrong this time?" Tanong ko sa kanya, aware of
my suddenly - widened eyes. At kung ano naman ang kina-bilog ng mata ko dahil sa
pagkagulat, siya namang paniningkit ng mga mata niya.
"Now what?" I stupidly asked.
"Bakit mo ako hinalikan kanina?" She slowly asked me, still looking
at me with that scary murderous look. Then I noticed that she raised her right arm
which was holding that picture of ours from Magic Moments.
Oh. THAT. So 'yun pala ang dahilan kung bakit para kasimpula siya
ng overripe na kamatis ngayon.
I suddenly found myself doing my stupid habit - grinning like crazy.
"Secret." I answered her, still wearing the mischievous grin that
most women find as alluring on me. At para mas mainis siya, I even gave her a wink.
Hindi naman ako nabigo dahil mas lalo pa siyang namula.
As a final step sa pang-iinis ko sa kanya, unti-unti kong nilapit ang
mukha ko sa kanya at dahil sa gulat, siya naman ngayon ang nanlaki ang mga mata.
And just as my face was about half an inch away from hers, I slowly whispered to her
in my best seductive voice.
"Besides, it was just on the cheeks. And that makes you lucky.
Because if that kiss was made here", I bit my lower lip and made sure she saw the
gesture, "you surely would have been crazy by now."
Tapos, nilayo ko na ang mukha ko sa kanya to fully see her
expression. And it was so priceless it instantly made me laugh.
Mukha namang nagpabalik sa kanya sa realidad ang tawa ko.
Almost as sudden as my laugh, hinampas niya ang braso ko.
"HEH!" She yelled while glaring at me, her face still red with
annoyance.
"HEY! Now you've gone from just verbal abuse to physical assault!"
I teased her habang sinusubukang pigilin ang tawa ko.
"Dapat lang 'yan sayo!" Sigaw niya ulit sa akin. I just grinned at
her, then turned my back and started walking away.
"UY! Saan ka pupunta? Sir!" Kahit may ilan nang nagtitinginan sa
amin, she obviously still didn't mind dahil tuloy pa rin siya sa pagsigaw at parang
batang maliit pang humabol sa akin.
"Home decor. I'm going to buy a nice frame for that picture." I
pointed to our photo still clutched in her right hand nang maabutan niya na ako.
"Care to come with me?"
Reluctantly, she said yes. And as I shifted my look from our photo
to her face, I swear that I saw a smile forming on her lips.
45: Mira
Isang taon.
Isang taon ko nang yapos sa pagtulog si Baby MB. Isang taon na
rin akong hinahatid-sundo ni Doc Vince mula sa aking apartment papunta sa
Medialink at kapag tapos na ang office hours, automatic na nandun na siya, hinihintay
ako para muling ihatid pauwi.
Isang taon na mula nang araw na 'yun na tinawagan ako ni Sir Vren
para bilhan siya ng gamot sa sakit ng ulo at almusal dahil hindi siya makakilos dala
ng matinding hang-over, at ang ending, nag-mall kami at napagkamalan pang isang
"beautiful and happy couple". Ang ebidensya ng epic na araw na iyon: isang 8R
picture naming dalawa, ako habang ngiting-ngiti at siya naman, sweet na sweet na
nakalapat ang lips sa aking kanang pisngi, na nakalagay sa isang frame na puro pink
and yellow hearts ang design.
Isang taon ko na ring hindi nakikita ang aking saksakan ng gwapo
pero saksakan din ng sungit na boss.
****
"Good morning MB!" Bati ko sa stuff toy ko matapos kong patayin
ang eskandalosa kong pink alarm clock. Tiningnan ko ang oras. 5:50 am. Talagang
sinakto ko 'yan para magkaroon ako ng enough time para gawin ang mga ritwal ko
kada umaga (kain, ligo, kaunting pa-pretty) bago bumiyahe papuntang Medialink.
Ewan ko ba kung bakit pero excited akong pumasok ngayong umaga. Siguro, dahil sa
mall tripping naming ni Sir Vren kahapon. Nakalibre na naman ako ng gala dahil sa
malakas na trip ng freak kong boss.
Papunta na sana ako sa kusina ng aking cute na apartment
(wallpaper: pink and yellow polka-dots on a cream background) nang biglang nag-
ring ang aking phone (ringtone of the week: 22 by Taylor Swift).
"Hello Mavi?" Anong meron at nambubulabog na ang babaeng ito
nang kay-aga-aga?
"MIRAAA! OMG! Have you heard the news?" Teka, anong news ang
pinagsasabi nitong si Mary Eve Alegre? At kailan pa ito nag-OMG?
"Jusko naman Mavi! Anong news ba 'yan at kailangang i-deliver
nang ganito kaaga?" Parang nanay kong sermon sa kanya.
"Si Sir Vren, papuntang Canada. 6:30 this morning ang flight niya."
Medyo hindi ko na-gets ang sinabi ni Mavi. PAKIULIT, please?
"H- ha? Si Sir Vren? Canada? Bakit? Anong meron?"
Nagsalita ulit si Mavi. "Business matters. Idi-discuss niya raw sa
international partners ng company ang possibility ng expansion ng Medialink. Chismis
straight from Alexia's baul. Alam mo naman 'yun, basta tungkol sa crush niyang
Montevilla brothers, laging updated."
Ilang saglit din ang lumipas bago ulit ako nagsalita. Kasi naman,
nakakagulat! Ano 'yun, kahapon lang ang lakas pa ng trip ni Sir Vren at kung anu-
anong pang-aasar pa ang ginagawa sa akin, tapos ngayong umaga, pupunta na siya
sa kabilang ibayo ng planet Earth?
"Gaano daw siya katagal 'dun?" Medyo mabagal ang
pagkakatanong ko niyan.
"Siguro, mga isang taon. Ganun. Highly probable na raw kasi 'yung
expansion project kaya malamang, mag-stay na siya dun nang medyo matagal to
oversee the company's branching out."
Hindi ko alam kung paano pa ako nakapag-segue ng mga joke sa
usapan naming 'yun ni Mavi hanggang sa pareho kaming natatawa na in-end call na
ang tawag na 'yun. Kasi, nang marinig ko kung gaano katagal maglalagi sa Canada si
Sir Vren, ang pakiramdam ko, parang nasa tuktok ako ng isang matarik na hagdan at
bigla akong nahulog.
Ginawa ko pa rin ang mga usual kong ginagawa bago pumasok sa
trabaho, at nagulat ako dahil pagkalabas na pagkalabas ko mula sa aking apartment,
andun si Vince, naghihintay sa labas ng nakaparada niyang kotse.
"Mira! I came here to drive you to work." Sabi niya habang naka-
flash na naman ang pang-toothpaste commercial niyang ngiti. "And hey, I have news.
My brother, right now, is on his way to Canada. Usual business stuff. Alam mo naman
'yun, personification ng salitang 'workaholic'."
"May nakapagsabi nga sa akin." Matamlay kong sagot kay Vince.
Hindi niya naman napansin ang malamya kong itsura at tuwang-tuwa pang nagsabi
ng, "Guess what? I've adjusted my work schedules so that I can fetch you here and
drive you to work, plus, masusundo pa kita after work hours."
Binigyan ko lang siya ng tipid na ngiti, at habang bumabiyahe kami
papuntang Medialink, iniisip ko kung ano ang pakiramdam na wala si Vren Andrei
Montevilla, ang freak kong boss na nagkataong ang kaisa-isang nilalang na
nakakakilala ng tunay na Mirathea Custodio.
46: Vren
****
“Hey, we’re already here.” Marahan kong tinapik ang braso ni Mira
dahil tulog na tulog siya habang bumabiyahe kami pauwi galing sa mall. Siyempre,
hinatid ko siya pauwi.
“Ano pa bang gagawin ko, edi ‘yun na nga.” Sabi niya habang
inaabot ang teddy bear niya galing sa back seat ng kotse ko. Gaya kasi ng mga
naunang sakay niya sa Audi ko, sa passenger seat siya nakapwesto.
“HEH! ANG DAMI MONG ALAM! Good night na talaga! Salamat sa libreng gala, tsaka
dito kay MB.” Ngiting-ngiti na siya sa part na sinasabi niya ‘yung thank you para sa
pink teddy bear niya.
“No problem. Now go get inside your house, it’s getting late.” Utos
ko sa kanya.
****
Nang nasa kwarto ko na ako, agad kong napansin ang isang bagay
na buong araw ko palang hindi nadala – my phone. There it is, left unattended on my
bed.
Napaisip naman ako bigla. What made Dad leave me messages and
even forced him to make calls? I checked the messages.
From: Dad
+639173385888
Vren, I need to talk to you.
From: Dad
+639173385888
Vren, why aren’t you replying to my messages?
From: Dad
+639173385888
Call me back ASAP.
Some moments passed bago ako nakasagot ng, “He told you
what?” Iniisip ko kung kailan pa naging concerned ang magaling kong kapatid sa
Medialink. I instantly felt a great annoyance for Vince. Somehow, it occurred to me na
hindi lang simpleng concern sa kompanya ang dahilan kung bakit naging instant
reporter ni Dad ang sira-ulo kong kuya.
“You heard me, Vren. He was thinking that it was probably because
of that woman you spend most of your time with. Nag-aalala si Vince na baka
napapabayaan mo na ang kompanya kakasama kay..." Natigilan si Dad at para bang
nag-isip. "What was that girl’s name?”
“And in case you still don’t believe me, may I tell you that the first
thing I am going to do tomorrow morning is to fly to Canada to start that goddamned
company expansion project!” Hindi ko na pinag-isipan kung ano man ang mga sinabi
ko. Basta ang alam ko, galit ako.
****
“What do you want, Vren? Nasa OR ako, were you not informed?”
Nilapitan ko siya at sinuntok. Wala eh, mainit talaga ang ulo ko.
Lumuhod ako at tiningnan siya sa mata. “What the f*ck are you
telling Dad, ha Vince?”
His face hardened. I knew right away na alam niya kung ano ang
tinutukoy ko. “The truth, Vren. I told Dad the truth, na pinapabayaan mo ang
company, na wala ka nang ginawa kundi bumuntot kay Mi—"
****
But like what I also said to Vince, I intend to come back. I’m
coming back for Mira.
47: Mira
"Sis, anong problema? Parang hindi ka talaga okay. Tsaka, ang tagal mo nang
matamlay eh. Look at your fes! You look like you're pinagsakluban ng heaven and ng
Earth! Para kang..." Saglit na tumigil kakatalak si Alexia.
"Heartbroken?" Dugtong ni Hannah.
"Eksakto!" Parang nanalo sa lotto si Alexia.
"Mismo!" Pagsingit naman ni Mavi.
"ANO BA KASI TALAGA ANG PROBLEM, HA MIRATHEA?" Sabay-
sabay na sabi nung tatlo.
"Wala... Wala. Wala. Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa inyo na
walang problema?" Tiningnan ko sila isa-isa habang sinasabi 'yan.
"Do you think maniniwala kami sa'yo?" Pagmamatigas ni Hannah.
"Ano ba 'yan, family problem? Utang problem? May pangmatagalang LQ ba kayo ni
Doc Vince?"
"Hannah..." Bumuntong-hininga muna ako bago itinuloy ang pag-
eexplain, "Okay kami ng parents at ng kapatid ko. At excuse moi, wala akong utang.
Tsaka wala kaming LQ ni Vince. Paano naman mangyayari 'yun, eh hindi naman kami
lovers nun."
"NAKU, LOKOHIN MO ANG MGA NINUNO MO, MIRATHEA
CUSTODIO! Anong pinagsasabi mo na hindi kayo lovers ni Papa Vince? Eh daig mo pa
nga ang may mga sariling kotse dahil araw-araw kang pinagda-drive ng isang
gwapong doktor to and fro Medialink! Kung anu-ano pang pakulo ang ginagawa
tuwing tatanungin ka ng "Will you be my jowa?"! If I know, isang taon mo na
sigurong nililihim sa amin ang relasyon niyo. ANONG KLASE KANG KAIBIGAN?!"
Pagsi-speech ni Baklita with matching actions pa.
Tinuktukan ko si Alexia. "ARAY NAMAN SIS! KAUNTI NA LANG,
HIHIWALAY NA ANG ULO KO SA LEEG KO! MAKABATOK KAYONG TATLO SA AKIN,
WAGAS! ESPECIALLY YOU!" Sabay turo ng kanyang daliri kay Hannah na noon ay
busy sa pagfa-file ng kuko niya.
"Eh kasi naman, ikaw ang pinakamakulit sa lahat! Sinabing hindi
kami ni Vince eh! Ilang beses ko na ngang sinabi sa kanya na itigil na ang paghatid-
sundo sa akin, pati 'yung mga gimmick niya, kaso laging hindi niya ako pinapansin.
Panay pa rin ang pag-aabang tuwing umaga at pagkatapos ng office hours. Alangan
namang tanggihan ko, eh todo-effort 'yung tao? Ayokong maging rude."
"Really, Mira? Sa pagkakatanda ko, matagal mo nang pangarap na
ihatid-sundo ka ng iyong Prince Charming." Pange-extra ulit ni Mavi.
Tiningnan ko naman siya. "Dati 'yun, Mavz."
"Hmmm... Sige na nga, hindi ka na naming kukulitin. Basta, 'pag
kailangan mo ng kausap, nandito lang kami ha?" Sweet na sweet na sabi ni Mavi.
"TRULALU AT WALANG HALONG EKLAVU! Tara nga, group hug tayo.
Lagpas one year na kaya tayo, ang Power Puff Girls plus Power Puff Gay! HOY,
HANNAH MARVILLA! MAMAYA NA 'YANG MGA KUKO MO! GROUP HUG NA MUNA
TAYO!"
"Salamat, girls..." Mangiyak-ngiyak na sabi ko sa kanila. Soon
enough, makakahanap din ako ng tiyempo para sabihin sa inyo na ang matagal ko
nang dini-deny sa sarili ko ang siya palang dahilan ng pagiging emo-emohan ko
ngayon - na miss na miss ko na si Sir Vren.
****
Ilang beses ko ring sinubukan na i-text at tawagan si Sir Vren.
Kaso, napagod na lang ako, dahil ni isang reply sa text ko o sagot sa tawag ko, hindi
niya ginawa.
"MB..." Parang tanga ako habang nakahiga at kinakausap ang teddy
bear ko, "...kailan kaya siya babalik, 'no?"
Kanina, imbes na idiretso ako dito sa apartment ko mula sa
Medialink, sinundo ako ni Vince para dalhin sa lugar na ang kanyang tawag ay,
"somewhere special".
Nilagyan niya pa ako ng blindfold at tinanggal lang ito nang nasa
loob na ako ng espesyal niyang lugar na isa palang yacht. Nagkalat ang roses sa
sahig 'nung yate at may mga musicians na tumutugtog ng slow instrumental ng
"Everything" ni Michael Bublé. May special dinner din na hinanda para lang sa aming
dalawa.
"Mira, it's been over a year. Don't get me wrong, I'm still willing to
wait. But I just want to try and ask you again this time." Hinawakan niya ang kamay
ko. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Sorry, Vince..."
Ngumiti lang siya ng tipid at matapos naming kumain ng dinner (na
hindi ko naubos dahil wala akong gana), inihatid na niya ako pauwi.
Sa totoo lang, naaawa na rin naman ako kay Vince, dahil tama siya,
lagpas isang taon na siyang nanliligaw sa akin. Paulit-ulit na lang niyang
pinaghahandaan ang mga "somewhere special" na pinagdadalhan niya sa akin sa
tuwing susubukan niya akong tanungin kung pwede bang maging more than friends
na kami.
Paganda nang paganda ang mga pinipili niyang venue at kung anu-
ano na lang na gimmick ang ginagawa niya para mapasagot ako ng "yes" - fancy
restaurants, e-billboard sa tabi ng Medialink na may nakalagay na "Mira, I love you.
Be my girlfriend.", flash mob na sa dulo ay hawak ang gigantic letters ng "I LOVE YOU
MIRA", jet plane na habang lumilipad ay may nakakabit at may nakaladlad na banner
na may picture ko at caption na "I love this girl!", at 'yung kanina nga, isang romantic
dinner date sa isang yacht.
Paulit-ulit ko rin siyang tinatanggihan at sinasabihan na itigil na ang
panliligaw sa akin. Kaso, masyado talaga siyang persistent. Sinasabi niya lang,
"Maybe, you're not ready yet."
Siguro, trip na akong sabunutan ng ibang babae na
nagkakandarapa sa panganay na Montevilla brother dahil napakamanhid ko para hindi
pa ma-fall sa lahat ng sweet efforts ni Doc Vince para sa akin. Kaso wala eh, kahit
anong pilit ko na ibaling ang feelings ko sa kanya, ayaw pa ring sumunod ng aking
engot na puso.
Hinihintay pa rin kasi ni Stupid Heart na bumalik ang mas
nakababatang Montevilla.
48: Vren
"Leimar, when are you going to launch the celebratory program for Medialink's
Canada Annex?"
Ganito kami ni Leimar, VP ng Medialink, laging nag-uusap through
video chat and sometimes, email. This way, I can still monitor the company's
condition from a thousand miles away.
"The board has made a decision, Sir Vren. The program's going to
be on the 25th of this month. Mediamen have also been informed of the event."
"Good. Keep me posted about the company, okay?"
"Guaranteed, Sir."
I ended the conversation with a thumbs-up for Leimar.
****
After I have been assured that Medialink is still in an excellent
state, I grabbed my phone and composed an e-mail to the only person na nagsisilbing
taga-monitor ko sa kalagayan ni Mira.
To: mea_AD@medialinkmarketing.com
From: vmontevillaCEO@medialinkmarketing.com
Hey, how is she?
Napangiti ako sa reply ng kaibigan ni Mira. So, for the nth time,
busted na naman ang siraulo kong kapatid kay Mira.
****
It was already one in the afternoon nang matapos ko ang lahat ng
kailangan kong gawin - ang pangangamusta sa company, ang pakikipag-usap sa
kaibigan ni Mira to keep on being updated on her life, at ang mga last minute talks
and deals na may kinalaman sa pagbubukas ng Medialink Canada Annex. Without
anything else to do, humiga na lang ako sa kama ko at tiningnan sa phone ko ang
first ever picture namin ni Mira - the one taken way back on our stroll in the
amusement park, while riding the Ferris wheel. It was funny how on that day, unti-
unti na palang nagbabago ang tingin ko sa kanya - from some just annoying creature
to someone who takes me "out of my league". It was as if she gave another meaning
to that song by Stephen Speaks na ayaw na ayaw ko dating mapakinggan.
When I grew tired of looking at that "Ferris wheel shot", kinuha ko
naman ang framed Valentines picture namin from Magic Moments. And I was
instantly taken back to the day I last saw her.
Naramdaman ko na lang na pipikit na ang mga mata ko with Mira's
face clear in my memory.
****
"Hello, Mr. Montevilla? Yes, it's me, Suzanne. I'm the secretary of
Mr. Bosch, CEO of Arcodas." Nagising ako sa ring ng aking phone and I immediately
picked it up only to see an unfamiliar number calling me.
"I see. Is this about Mr. Bosch's video speech for the celebratory program on the
25th?" Tanong ko 'dun sa Suzanne.
"Yes, Mr. Montevilla. He told me to inform you that he already sent
the video via email." She answered me with her crisp Canadian accent.
"Good. Thank you for letting me know, Suzanne."
"No problem, Sir. Mr. Bosch wants to congratulate you for the
company annex's coming opening."
"Tell him I said thank you, okay?"
"Okay. Have a nice day, Mr. Montevilla." Pagtatapos ni Suzanne. I
immediately ended the call.
Bigla naman akong napangiti dahil naalala ko ang aking madaldal at
isa ring baliw-baliwan na secretary, si Lally. Napakalayo ni Lally kay Suzanne, dahil
bukod sa halata mong napaka-professional ni Suzanne, pupusta ako ng sampu,
sigurado akong never pa niyang naiwala ang schedule ng kanyang boss, kagaya ng
nangyari dati sa amin ni Lally. Still, I treasure my own secretary dahil
napakamatiyaga niya for someone whose boss is as ill-tempered as me.
Kamusta na kaya si Lally? I asked myself while still smiling at the
thought.
My life here in Canada isn't as easy while I was back in my own
company. For a while, Mr. Bosch, Arcodas' CEO, sent me one of his office staff para
magsilbing secretary ko while we are working on establishing Medialink's Canada
Annex. Pero most of the time, I'm working on my own - coordinating with Leimar as
Medialink Philippines' acting President and relaying the information to Mr. Bosch
himself, planning strategies para mas maging effective ang partnership ng Medialink
at Arcodas, and a lot more other stuff.
I met new people, hang out with a few others, and not surprisingly,
got a bunch of girls interested in me. Pero I hardly gave the effort to look at them. No
one was as bubbly, spirited, and crazy as the AD Head I know back in the Philippines.
The last twelve months I spent here are nothing but a cycle of
business meetings and longing for the things and people I left at home.
****
I opened my email inbox, and just as what Suzanne said, there is
the message containing an attachment, Mr. Bosch's video speech for the people of
Medialink Philippines.
I took my time to watch the video. Nang matapos na ito, I started
to record my own video - my message to the whole staff of my company. Mamaya
lang, ise-send ko na ito kay Leimar at siya na ang bahalang mag-decide kung saang
part ng celebratory program niya ipapalabas ang videos namin ni Mr. Bosch. But I'm
almost a hundred percent sure na sa program opening pa lang, makikita na ng mga
taga-Medialink ang kanilang "missing-in-action" na boss.
****
I was already bored to death after realizing that I have already
done everything I have to do for work today. I glanced at my vintage Rolex watch
and realized that it's just barely seven o'clock. Still too early to sleep.
Without anything else to do, I walked to the nearest café.
"A cup of organic French roast."
After ordering, I glanced around the area. Even at eight-thirty, the
place is still buzzing with people. Where the hell will I sit to drink my coffee, then?
Having no other choice, I decided to just share a table with
someone.
"Hi there." I sheepishly greeted the only girl without company na
nandito sa café (and henceforth, the only one I can share a table with.) "Mind if I
share your spot?"
Umiling naman siya sabay sabi ng, "No, not at all." Just then, nag-
ring ang phone niya at ako naman, I started sipping my drink. Napansin kong ni hindi
man lang niya tiningnan kung sino ang tumatawag sa kanya.
A couple of minutes passed but the girl continued to ignore her buzzing phone.
Nagsimula na ring magtinginan ang mga tao sa café para tingnan kung sinong baliw
ang walang pakialam at hinahayaang mag-eskandalo ang cellphone niya. Finally, I
decided to take action.
"Uhm, Miss? Sorry to barge in, but will you not answer your
phone?" Sabi ko sa kanya.
To my surprise, she rolled her eyes and gave me an odd look. "Why
do men like you tend to be painfully stupid?"
"Excuse me?" Tama ba ang narinig ko, tinawag niya akong stupid?
What is this girl's problem?
"Psssh. Do you think I'll let this call go unanswered if I really need
to take it? FYI," she dramatically sighed before continuing, "that stupid caller is my
boyfriend. And I don't want him bugging me."
Somehow this stubborn girl amuses me, so I decided to play along.
"Then why not just end the call? Do you actually enjoy the funny looks people gave
you, all because of your peace-disrupting ringtone?" Para sa inyong kaalaman, ang
call alert tone niya ay Dangerous by Before You Exit. I happen to know the song
because funny as it may seem, a neighbor of mine adores BYE and therefore plays
the song full blast on her speakers.
Napaisip naman bigla 'yung babae sa sinabi ko. After a short while,
she spoke. "Uh-huh. I do, actually. I looove attention." Then she winked at me.
"But for your pleasure, Mister..."
"Vren."
"OK, for your pleasure, Mister Vren, the next time my bugger of a
boyfriend calls, which approximately will be about five seconds from now", sabi niya
since kusa nang nag-end ang tawag dahil nga hindi niya naman pinapansin, "I will
answer it."
I grinned and started the countdown with her. "Five. Four. Three.
Two. One."
"Hello? Yup! Ako nga. Psssh. May iba ka pa bang Audrey Jorge na
kilala? Diba I told you not to bother me anymore? Ayoko na! Sawang-sawa na ako
sayo Daniel John! We're over!" And in that instance, she ended the call and put the
phone down.
"Satisfied?" She gave me a tight smile.
"Did you just break up with your boyfriend?" I asked, shocked by
her crudeness towards her boyfriend.
"After he cheated on me five times in a row? Yes." She said before
taking a sip of her iced coffee.
OK. That guy deserves his ex-girlfriend's callousness, after all.
Just to drive the topic away from the cheater-of-a-boyfriend thing, I
decided to feign the I'm-proud-to-be-a-Filipino-front. "So you're from the Philippines,
huh?"
She raised her eyebrows as if by surprise. "Yup! You're familiar with
our country? Anyways, nevermind. Let me guess. You're Spanish?"
I smiled. People more than always think I came straight from
Spain. "Actually, I'm a Filipino too. But I am from a Spanish descent. Both my parents
are half-Spanish, so technically, yeah, you're half-correct."
"Nakakaintindi ka ng Tagalog?"
"Of course. But I seldom use the language. I actually think I sound
funny when I speak the local language, so I'm better off with English." I grinned.
"Hmmm... A Hispano-Filipino here in Canada. Paano ka naman
napadpad dito?" Audrey inquired.
"Business stuff. You?" I said after half-emptying my cup.
"Hmmm... Ganun din. Work-related reasons."
"Uh-huh." Suddenly, I found myself lost for words.
For a while, neither of us spoke. It was Audrey who broke the
silence.
"So, Vren..." She said, followed by a dramatically long pause,
"...wanna hang out with me?"
I almost choked while I take my last sip of coffee. And to my added
shame, Audrey bursts out laughing.
"Geez. I'm kidding."
"You're impossible! You just met me. And you just broke up with
that Daniel John." I haughtily replied.
"I know. Hey, are you aware that jokes are half-meant?" She
winked at me. Kung ako, I have my trademark grin, this Audrey I bet is famous for
her winking.
"I don't think you are joking. I think you are flirting."
Straightforward kong sabi sa kanya.
Tumawa na naman siya. "Masyado ka namang grumpy. What, are
you married? I don't see any ring."
I don't know why I suddenly had the vision of Mira in a wedding
dress walking down the aisle, when Audrey mentioned the word "married".
"Yeah, I'm still a bachelor." I played along and did the winking thing
with her. "But..."
"But?" Audrey leaned forward. "Go on."
"There's this girl I love. Her name's Mira."
There, I finally said it.
"Oooh. Lucky girl. Is she with you here? I mean, did she move to
Canada with you?"
"Nope. Thing is, it's a bit complicated. You see, my dumb brother
sort of wants Mira for himself. He's tough when it comes to competing with me. For
everything. He's a jerk."
Audrey gave me a quizzical look. Then to my surprise, she stood
up, smiled a b*tchy smile, and said, "One advice, Vren. Fight for her." Then she
headed to the door.
Just as she is about to open the door, nilingon ulit ako ni Audrey.
And for the millionth time, she winked at me.
"See yah around, Vren!"
Yup, Audrey. Fight I will.
49: Mira
"Guys, remember that at exactly nine o'clock, we must all be gathered sa Media Hall
for the celebratory program of Medialink's Canada Annex opening, OK?" Pag-iinstruct
ko sa mga katauhan ng Accounting Department.
"Got it, Ma'am Mira!" Parang mga bata namang sagot ng mga staff
ko.
Napangiti naman ako. Sa lagpas-isang taon kong pagtatrabaho
bilang AD Head ng Medialink, na-memorize ko na ang ugali ng halos lahat ng mga
taga-Accounting Department. Andyan si Mico, ang super-palikerong cost accountant,
si Tammy, ang kikay auditor at AD version ng the one and only Hannah Marvilla, si
Amper, ang super-tahimik pero masarap kausap na credit analyst, si Ruby, si Lester,
si Chixx, si Danne, and several more people - at proud ako dahil lahat ng mga
kasamahan ko dito sa AD, masisipag at responsable.
Pero, sa lahat ng mga co-workers ko dito sa company, hindi ko
talaga ipagpapalit ang mga original friends ko - sina Mavi, Alexia, at ang katulad kong
department head, ang kanina ko pa na-mention na one and only Medialink Pasaway
sa Outfit Legend, si Hannah.
Together, they made my first year in this company a happy and
fulfilling one. And it almost made up for the absence of the very person na naging
dahilan kung bakit nakilala ko ang mga kaibigan ko dito sa Medialink.
Dahil nga sa matinding pagka-miss ko kay Monstrous Boss, naging
allergic na ako sa kantang Jet Lag.
"To formally begin today's occasion, may I call on Mr. Leimar Alonzo, Medialink
Philippines' officer-in-charge and acting President, to give us his warm welcome."
Nagpalakpakan kami habang umaakyat sa stage si Sir Leimar. Dahil
nagdadaldalan sina Alexia at Hannah, siniko ko sila at sinenyasan para manahimik
dahil nagsasalita na ang aming OIC.
"Good morning everyone, and welcome to Medialink, the country's
leading marketing company. This day marks a very important milestone to us
because it is no less than the day that Medialink's very own Canada Annex, made
possible through our partnership with international marketing company Arcodas, will
be opening." Nagsimula nang i-relay ni Mr. Leimar ang history ng company at dahil
hindi ko na masundan ang pinagsasabi niya, naglaro na lang ako ng Subway Surf sa
cellphone ko. (Babala: 'Wag gagayahin ang palihim kong pagiging unprofessional.
Hihi.)
"...I think it's time for us to all listen to Mr. Kenvick Bosch, Arcodas'
CEO, as he gives his message with regards to Medialink and his company's
partnership."
Mula sa pagkakayuko ko dahil sa paglalaro ng Subway Surf,
tumingala ako upang ma-sight ang sinasabi ni Sir Leimar na Mr. Kenvick Bosch. Sakto
naman dahil kasalukuyang nagpe-play ang isang video na pino-project sa gigantic
screen na nilagay sa stage at pinapakita ang isang lalaking kamukha ni Hugh
Jackman habang nagsasalita ng hindi ko masyadong masundan na message (in
English siyempre). Eh sa ang bilis niya magsalita eh! Pero, nage-gets ko naman ang
ibig niyang iparating. Hehe.
"...no doubt that it is a privilege for Arcodas to partner with
Medialink, Philippines' top marketing entity..." Tuloy pa rin sa pag-play ang video
message ni Mr. Bosch.
"...this will just be the start of the many ventures that Arcodas and
Medialink will do together..."
"...the Canada Annex is expected to increase Medialink's global
influence..."
Habang tuloy ang pag-ere ng boses ni Mr. Bosch, sige lang din ang
paglalaro ko ng Subway Surf, at nang mataya na ako with a score of 108,542, sakto
namang nagpalakpakan ang mga tao sa paligid ko. Ibig sabihin, tapos na ang
nosebleed-inducing speech ng Canadian business tycoon na 'yun.
Tumingin ulit ako sa stage habang nagsisimula na ulit magsalita si
Sir Leimar. "It is indeed a privilege for us here in Medialink to set up a partnership
with Arcodas, just as what Mr. Bosch said, right folks?"
Tumango-tango naman ang mga tao sa Media Hall, kasama na si
Baklitang Alexia. "Yeah, yeah, it's a privilege." Sabi pa ng luka-luka na para bang
naintindihan niya nang lubusan ang pinagsasabi nung Canadian.
Nilapit ko ang mukha ko sa kanya tapos bumulong ng, "May pa-
yeah-yeah ka pa diyan, eh asa namang naintindihan mo 'yung sinabi niya sa video
speech."
Ngumisi naman si Baklita at sumagot ng, "Hayaan mo na sis,
minsan na nga lang akong magmukhang si Athena eh!"
"Athena? Ano namang kinalaman ni Athena sayo ha?" Bulong ko ulit
sa kanya.
"Siyempre, siya ang the one and only goddess of wisdom 'no! At
siya ang peg ko ngayon."
"Naku, ewan ko sayo bakla ka." Natatawa kong sagot sa kanya.
Binalik ko na lang ang tingin ko kay Sir Leimar na nagsisimula na namang magsalita.
"And now, from the respectable Chief Executive Officer of Arcodas,
let us now hear the message of the man who made Medialink global, no other than
our company's very own Mr. Vren Andrei Montevilla!"
Muntik na akong mapanganga nang marinig ko ang pangalan ni Sir
Vren, at lalo na ng magsimula nang i-play ang sarili niyang video message sa stage.
Lumakas naman ang bulungan sa paligid ko. Sigurado akong
katulad ko, hindi rin nila ini-expect na magbibigay rin ng message ang supladong
boss namin na lagpas isang taon na naming hindi nakikita.
"Good morning, my fellow Medialink people." Pagsisimula ni Sir
Vren sa kanyang video speech. "I know it's been a long time since you saw my
handsome face." Sabi niya habang nakangisi. Natawa naman ang mga tao sa
kahanginan niya.
"OH MY, SIS! LOOK AT PAPA VREN! LALO SIYANG NAGING PAPABLE
SA CANADA!" Natatarantang bulong sa akin ni Alexia.
Fortunately, hindi na ako kailangang sabihan pa. Dahil nang mga
sandaling iyon, walang kakurap-kurap akong nakatingin sa stage, sa mukha ng
mismong taong lagpas isang taon ko nang gustung-gustong makita.
Kung may una kang mapapansin sa kanya, 'yun ay lalo pa siyang
gumwapo. Mas naging maangas pa ang aura niya, pero lalo lang itong
nakapagpalakas ng appeal niya. Andun pa rin ang mga mata niyang nakakalunod
tingnan, ang matangos niyang ilong, ang mapula niyang labi, at ang hindi mawala-
walang grin niya. Lalo pa 'yatang pumuti ang mga pantay-pantay niyang ngipin -
halos masilaw ako habang tinititigan ko ang ngiti niya. Kagaya ng last memory ko sa
kanya mula sa pagbabantay ko sa kanya habang may hang-over siya, may kaunting
stubble sa kanyang upper lip at sa kanyang baba, at yes, uulitin ko, lalo siyang
naging appealing dahil dito.
At that moment, parang gusto kong sumigaw ng, "HOY, VREN
ANDREI MONTEVILLA, MISS NA MISS NA KITA! NARIRINIG MO BA AKO, HA? SABI
KO, MISS NA MISS NA KITA! BUMALIK KA NA!" Pinigilan ko ang mga pasaway kong
mata dahil pakiramdam ko, maiiyak ako bigla.
Dahil wala naman akong magawa, pinakinggan ko na lang ang
gwapo niyang boses habang nagpe-play ang kanyang video speech.
"...though I was reluctant to leave you all, I had to take this once-
in-a-lifetime opportunity of partnering with international company Arcodas, because it
is no doubt that it will lead to our company's betterment and excellence..."
"...I am very happy that even without me, you have continued to
maintain Medialink's excellent status. Thank you, Leimar, for leading in my
absence..."
"...to all the department heads, good job, guys. Without your
efforts and leadership skills, Medialink will not continue to thrive..."
Siniko ako ni Alexia pagkarinig niya ng "department heads". Si
Hannah naman, pasimple niyang sinabunutan. Nagkatinginan naman kami ni Hannah
at nagkasundo telephatically na mamaya ay papaslangin na namin si Alexia.
"...as we reach a very important milestone for Medialink, the
opening of our company's Canada Annex, I hope that all of you are still more than
willing to contribute to our beloved company's success..."
"...I look forward to seeing Medialink being hailed as one of the
best global marketing companies, and I hope that you are with me in that goal..."
"...it may take quite some more time before I return, since the
Canada Annex needs to be stabilized first, but soon, guys, we'll see each other
again..."
Pagkarinig na pagkarinig ko ng part na some more time before I
return, naramdaman ko na naman ang feeling nang sabihin sa akin ni Mavi sa tawag
na 'yun na isang taong mawawala si Sir Vren. Para ulit akong nahulog mula sa isang
mataas na lugar.
Mas matagal pa pala akong maghihintay para sa kanya.
Sana, makaya ko pa.
50: Vren
"Here's your mocha latte, Sir." The barista handed me my drink and I proceeded to
take an unoccupied place inside the coffee resto. Dahil wala naman akong ibang
gagawin, I decided to fiddle with my phone once again.
To: mea_AD@medialinkmarketing.com
From: vmontevillaCEO@medialinkmarketing.com
Did the celebratory program proceed as planned? How's Mira?
There she goes again with her funny smileys. Instantly, I typed a
reply.
Charing lang!
Napaisip ako nang sure na akong si Vince ang nasa harap ko. Bakit
kaya wala sa ospital ang isang ‘to? Mamaya, may kung anong love confession
gimmick na namang gawin ito at pag-usapan na naman kami dito sa company. After
seeing Sir Vren's video, I am more than sure na wala ako sa mood to entertain
Vince's "courting strategies".
“Mira, I want you to finally meet my Mom and Dad. Mom, Dad, this
is Mira. She’s Medialink’s Accounting Department Head.” Sabi ni Vince with his
toothpaste commercial smile.
Napalunok ako nang ‘di oras. Sheeeet. So ito pala sina Mr. and Mrs.
Montevilla.
“Hello there, hija. You are beautiful!” Sabi niya habang hawak ang
magkabilang braso ko at mga dalawang ruler lang siguro ang layo sa mukha ko. “Just
call me Tita Vina. I hear a lot about you from Vince.”
“So, you’re the girl.” Impassive na sagot naman ni Sir Armand. The
girl?
“Totally.” Poised na poised na sabi ni Tita Vina. “So, isn’t our Vren
brilliant? Imagine, he made Medialink Canada Annex possible, all by himself! What do
you think, Mira?” Nakangiting tiningnan ako ni Tita Vina.
Sa gulat ko, tumango-tango si Sir Armand. “I’ve always believed that Vren will do
even greater than me.”
****
If it is, then their sibling rivalry is worse than I thought. Dati kasi,
akala ko ay OA lang talaga ang warfreak genes ni Sir Vren dahil siya lang naman ang
laging mainit ang dugo sa kuya niya. Now, I know better.
“We’ll meet again, right hija?” Sweet na sabi sa akin ni Tita Vina
bago sila sumakay sa super-posh car nila. Hindi kasi talaga nagpaawat ang Queen of
the Montevilla Family at talagang kinaladkad pa ako hanggang sa parking lot na para
bang ayaw akong pakawalan at ikakamatay niya na magkahiwalay kami ng landas.
“I see that you’ve finally met the family.” Mala-Cherie Gil na sabi
niya na akala mo ay ako si Sharon Cuneta na anytime ay handa niya nang tapunan
ng wine pagkasabi ng “You’re nothing but a second-rate, trying hard, copycat!”
Tsk. Kahit kailan talaga ang dalawang ito. Wala na siguro kaming
magiging papel dito ni Mavi bukod sa pagiging referee.
****
Handa na ba akong aminin, once and for all, na imbes na kay Doc
Vince ako ma-fall, ang ending ay sa freak naming boss pala ako mai-inlove?
52: Vren
The first thing I did upon waking up is take a glance at the calendar hanging on my
wall.
December 2. A few more days to go.
****
"So, I guess it will be some time before we see each other again,
Vren."
Nandito ako ngayon sa office ni Mr. Bosch, CEO of Arcodas, na
somehow ay naging kaibigan ko na rin. Paano ba namang hindi, eh halos siya lang
ang nakakausap ko dito sa Canada. About business stuff, obviously.
"Who knows? I may come back again just after some months.
Medialink Canada still needs some enforcement. And there's always the chance of you
making business trips to the Philippines." Nakangiti kong sagot kay Mr. Bosch.
"Sounds reasonable." Mr. Bosch took a sip of his coffee. "Tell me, is
Mr. Leimar Alonzo aware that it is him that you'll be sending here to manage the
annex?"
"Yup. I already told him a couple of days ago. He is actually thrilled
with the idea."
A couple of silent minutes passes. And to my slight surprise, Mr.
Bosch gave me a cryptic smile.
"Do I get to attend your wedding?" Muntik na akong masamid ng
kape dahil sa nakakalokong tanong sa akin ng no less than my serious fifty year-old
Canadian business partner.
Lalo namang natawa si Mr. Bosch sa reaction ko. "I know why you
are in a hurry to leave, son."
A puzzled look crossed my face. "Whoever told you that I am
getting married is nuts."
"Well, maybe now you are not going home to marry, but am I not
right when I say that you are going home for the woman you want to marry?"
Nakangiting tanong sa akin ni Mr. Bosch.
"How do you get to know stuff about me?" Hindi makapaniwalang
sagot ko sa kanya.
"Let's just say that young people like you are fairly predictable. All
you have to do is hang an I miss my girl sign around your neck to confirm everything.
You always have the lovesick look on you, young man."
Nakatingin lang ako with an I-can't-believe-this-is-actually-
happening look kay Mr. Bosch na lalo niya namang ikina-amuse.
"You must really love this girl." He has a genuinely happy smile on
his face.
I know I don't have to say "yes, I do" out loud. It's all over my
face, after all.
I'm more than excited to finally see her again.
53: Mira
"Mira, please. I know you're just confused. Hindi ka pa ready to commit. And I'm
more than willing to wait. Just please don't put an end to this. Please?" Inabot ni
Vince ang kamay ko from across the table.
Nandito kami ngayon sa isang restaurant. Tinext ko kasi si Vince na
mag-meet kami this lunchtime dahil may importante akong sasabihin sa kanya.
"Vince, hindi mo na kailangang maghintay. Kasi... Kasi, wala ka
namang hihintayin. Hanggang friendship lang talaga ang kaya kong i-offer sa'yo."
Matagal bago ulit nagsalita si Vince. "So you are really rejecting
me. Bakit Mira? Is there something wrong with me? Don't I look good enough? For
God's sake, I'm an accomplished person. I own a hospital. I'm a renowned doctor.
What on earth do I not have, ha Mira?" He said with a frustrated look on his face.
"Wala, Vince. Please naman. Wag na nating pahirapan ang mga
sarili natin, okay?"
He gave me a defeated look. "Do you have an idea how ridiculous I
will look after this? Mom is more than thrilled whenever I talk about you. Even Dad
seems to be happy for me. And Vren? I can just imagine kung gaano niya ako
pagtatawanan when he learns that even after giving me a generous whole year, hindi
kita napasagot!"
Nagulat ako sa huling sinabi ni Vince. Mukha namang na-sense niya
ang reaction ko. He smirked.
"Yeah, you heard it right. Vren went away not for his freaking
business, but to give way for me. And you know what my brother said? He told me
that if I fail to win you, he said he'll come back for you." Vince let out a sarcastic
laugh. "He's a delusional moron. Since when did he came to own you? Kung ako nga,
hindi nakaporma sa'yo, siya pa kaya?"
Bigla akong napainom ng madami-daming iced tea dahil sa mga
sinabi ni Vince. Paano ko pa sasabihin sa kanya na kaya ko nga siya nire-reject ay
dahil mismo sa kapatid niya na tinawag niyang "delusional moron"?
Pero teka.
Ano ulit ang sabi niya kanina?
Vren went away not for his freaking business, but to give way for
me.
He told me that if I fail to win you, he said he'll come back for you.
Ibig sabihin...
Kung pwede lang umiyak at tumawa nang sabay ngayon, ginawa ko
na.
54: Vren
From: mea_AD@medialinkmarketing.com
To: vmontevillaCEO@medialinkmarketing.com
Sir! Pwedeng 'wag praning? I said, okay na ang lahat. Presence
niyo na lang ang kulang. Relax ka na diyan.
Hola! Me llamo Alexia! Ako na ang papalit kay missflimsy dahil pinaslang ko na siya sa
kadahilanang ngayon niya lang ako binigyan ng POV.
Charing lang!
Pagpasensyahan niyo na kung masyadong cliché ang ginawang
surprise kay Mira, kay Mavi kasi ang walang kwentang utak na nag-isip niyan. Ewan
ko nga ba kung bakit aprub kay Papa Vren ang kakornihan ni Mavi eh! Pero in
fairness, super sossy at romantic naman ng setting ng reunion date ni Mira at ni Papa
Vren kaya keri na rin. At imagine, talagang tinapat pa ni Papa Vren my love sa
Geminids ang dinner date nila? Swerte lang si Mavi na pinaniwalaan pa ni Mira ang
alibi niya na may emergency na nangyari dito sa bruhang si Hannah Marvilla. Ano
naman ang 911 nitong si Chinita, 'yung paglagpas ng pulang-pulang lipstick niya
habang ina-apply niya? Oh please.
Anyways, kung may gumagana kayong brain cells ay dapat na-
realize niyo na agad na si Mavi nga ang sidekick nitong si Papa Vren habang nasa
Canada siya. Hello? meaAD@medialinkmarketing.com nga diba? As simple as Mary
Eve Alegre from the Accounting Department. Pssh.
At ang bruhilda, nakikipag-chikahan pala kay Papa Vren My Love
thru email! Buti nagka-common sense pa siya na ipaliwanag sa amin ni Chinita ang
truth and nothing but the truth dahil habang kaming dalawa ay nagtataka kung anong
masamang espiritu ang sumapi kay Mirathea at biglang naging waley sa kanya si Doc
Vince ay heto siya, alam pala na si Papa Vren pala ang true na mahal ni Mira!
"Masyado lang kasi kayong oblivious ni Hannah sa totoong feelings
ni Mira. At masyado kayong engrossed sa mga sarili niyong kalandian. Look at me.
Being Mira's true friend, nahalata ko agad na kay Sir Vren pala siya na-fall." Paninisi
sa amin ni Mavi nang talakan namin siya ni Hannah dahil nga nilihim niya sa amin
ang tunay na kadramahan ng buhay ni Mira.
"Nalaman ko kasi 'yan nang tawagan ko siya the morning of Sir
Vren's flight to Canada. Nang sabihin ko sa kanya na aalis nga for a year or so si Sir
Vren, super-obvious na nagulat at nalungkot siya." Pagkwento pa ng manang kong
bestfriend.
Oh well papel, OK much lang naman sa akin kung si Papa Vren ang
type ni Mira dahil andyan naman si Papa Vince. Any of the Montevilla brothers will
suffice. Pareho naman silang rich and bonggabels ang kagwapuhan. Dibuuh?
And for the finalé, may-I-tell-you ang chika sa akin ni missflimsy na
balak niya raw gawan ng second part itong MBIAF. Bale tungkol naman sa love story
namin ni Papa Vince. Echos lang!
But seriously, ang sabi niya kasi sa akin, marami pang unexplained
sides ang story na ito like, sino ang girlalu na laging ini-emote dati ni Papa Vren na
first love and first heartbreak niya and the reason kung bakit nagsuplado na siya
nang bongga, tapos ano na lang ang mangyayari kay Papa Vince (or, in other words,
magtatagumpay ba ako na akitin siya?). Marami pa raw siyang plano for the story.
Ewan ko ba ditey kay missflimsy, masyadong maraming alam. Hmmph.
So, xoxo! Hayaan na muna nating mag-rest sa 55 chapters ang
Vren-Mira love story. Masyado nang mahaba ang exposure nila, 'no?
O, paano? Sinasabunutan na ako ng author dahil lahat daw ng
gustong sabihin niya, chinika ko na sa inyo. Magdi-disappear na ako bago pa malagas
lahat ng extensions ko sa buhok.
Adios! Hasta la vista, beybeh! Mwwwuaaaahhpppxxxzz!
Author's Note
Sa'yo na nagbasa ng MBIAF: Maraming salamat! You are awesome! Isa ka sa mga
dahilan kung bakit nakaabot ng million reads ang story ko. I owe you a flying kiss. :*
If you enjoyed reading Mira and Vren's story, I have a good news
for you. My Boss Is A Freak will be published under Summit Media's PopFiction
imprint. (Yay!) There's no definite date yet as to when it will hit the shelves, but as
soon as scheduled na siya for release, I'll let you guys know.
Again, thank you sa'yo, my dear reader, for spending your precious
time in reading MBIAF. For more of Mira and Vren's story, you can now read MBIAF 2,
entitled "My Boyfriend Is A Freak". Just go to my profile, check my work list, and you
can find the story's continuation there. Or maybe you could try this link:
http://www.wattpad.com/story/22115226-my-boyfriend-is-a-freak
Shameless plugging (haha!): For those asking for my social media
accounts, check these out:
FB: /jezza.msd
Twitter: @maeisflimsy
See you on MBIAF's Book 2, gorgeous!
Lovelots,
Jezza xx
09.16.2017: Save the Date
Hi TropangMiren,
Miss me? ;)
Alam kong kakatanong ko pa lang, pero magtatanong ulit ako
(haha). And this is a very important question, trust me.
Who's ready to "meet" Mira and Vren?
It's been more than two years since I announced that "My Boss is a
Freak" will be published by PopFiction. I know that the wait has been very long (trust
me, pati ako, sooobrang naghintay), but guys, our wait will be over soon!
Hope to see you guys at the Manila International Book Fair, this
coming September 16, 2017. Magdala ng pera na matagal ko nang ipinaipon sa inyo.
Haha!
Kitakits, my dear readers!
Mula sa author na may gandang 'di niyo inakala,
missflimsy
UPDATE: Excuse my face (haha) but here's the official sched of my
book signing for MBIAF (note the time, 10 am to 12 nn). Hope to see you there,
awesome peeps!
Photo courtesy of PopFiction
MBIAF: Now Published under Pop Fiction (yey!)
09.07.2017
Finally, after a quite long wait, I'm happy to announce na released
na po ang My Boss is a Freak! Published under Summit's Pop Fiction imprint, it's
available in bookstores, newsstands, and even online thru Buqo. Thank you so much
sa lahat ng sumuporta sa MBIAF from Day 1 - kayo po ang reason kung bakit na-
achieve ko at ng MBIAF ang lahat ng ito. Love you all! :)
MBIAF will also be available sa 38th Manila International Book Fair.
September 16 (Saturday), 10 am to 12 nn, ang sched ko sa #POPFICATMIBF.
Kitakits, guys! I'll be signing your MBIAF copies. Pictures, hugs, kisses, and freebies -
nakahanda na 'yan para sa inyong lahat. :)
For updates, go follow me on Twitter (@maeisflimsy), FB
(/jezza.msd) and on IG (@missflimsy - yes, may IG na ako! Haha). Can't wait to see
you all, #TropangMiren!
xoxo,
missflimsy :)
P.S. If you have read the original version of MBIAF here in Wattpad,
marami kayong mano-note na changes sa published version, especially sa narration.
Bakit? Ni-rewrite ko po ang MBIAF before submitting it to Pop Fic. The story is
essentially the same, with just some tweaks. Sana magustuhan niyo rin ang published
version, like how you loved MiRen dito sa Watty. :)
THANK YOU!
Photo credits to Pop Fiction
(Ako 'yung dyosa na nasa pinaka-right. Chos! Haha)
09.21.17
Hello, my dear readers! :)
Hindi pa pala ako nakakapag-post ng appreciation post ko rito sa
Wattpad so allow me to thank each and everyone of you guys sa pagsuporta niyo sa
akin (at sa iba ko pang co-authors) last September 16 sa book signing event namin
for Pop Fiction / MIBF.
Sa mga nagtiyagang pumila last Saturday kahit sobrang daming tao
sa SMX Convention Center, sobrang thank you! I'm really happy na na-meet ko kayo,
na-hug, at napasalamatan sa pagsuporta niyo sa published version ng My Boss is a
Freak. I've been saying this a lot lately pero guys, uulitin ko pa rin: I love you all.
Promise. Sobrang naappreciate ko kayong lahat. Salamat sa pagsuporta kay Vren,
Mira, at siyempre sa akin. :)
Sa mga Team Bahay at Team Malayo naman diyan, thank you pa
rin dahil kahit wala kayo dun ay ramdam ko pa rin ang support niyo through your
heartwarming messages. Maraming salamat! Sana maulit pa 'to para magkaroon
naman tayo ng chance na magkita-kita. Love ko rin kayo!
And lastly, sa lahat ng nagbasa ng MBIAF mula umpisa hanggang
sa ngayong nasa After All na tayo, thank you. Kung wala kayo, hindi mapapansin ng
Pop Fiction ang MBIAF. I owe this to you, guys. This is not just my achievement.
Achievement nating lahat 'to.
Remember na nandito lang lagi si missflimsy, handang
makipagkulitan sa inyo. I've always been known as the author na namamansin ng
readers niya, and guys, promise na hindi ko 'yun babaguhin. Saan man ako dalhin ng
writing journey ko, I promise na isasama ko kayo, every step of the way. :)
Love,
Ate Jez
[Sa mga wala pang copy ng MBIAF, mabibili na siya sa National
Bookstore/Booksale/Powerbooks/other bookstores and newsstands nationwide, and
even online thru the Buqo app. Hope you can all grab a copy for just Php195!]
Facebook: Jezza Mae Dajac
Facebook: Missflimsy WP
Twitter: @maeisflimsy
IG: @missflimsy
Who wants a signed copy of MBIAF? :)
I will be giving away two signed copies of "My Boss is a Freak" for two lucky people
who don't have the book yet. Read on for the mechanics! :)
****
MINI-GAME 1: #TeamBahay at #TeamMalayo last MIBF kaya
walang signed copy ng MBIAF? Do you have a Twitter and/or IG account?
1. Go follow me here on Wattpad kung hindi ko pa kayo follower,
then on Twitter (@maeisflimsy), and on Instagram (@missflimsy), kung meron din
kayong account. This is a necessary step!
2. Drop me a DM (direct message) on Twitter and/or IG para alam
kong you're entering this mini-game. If you can't DM me on Twitter, say hi na lang to
me by tweeting na naka-tag ako haha :)
3. 'Yun lang po ba? 'Yup! I'll choose a random follower na mananalo
ng isang signed copy ng book ko. :)
****
MINI-GAME 2: #TeamBahay at #TeamMalayo ulit last September
16? Nabasa mo na ba ang MBIAF on Wattpad? Post na sa FB!
1. Follow me here on Wattpad (@missflimsy) if you still haven't,
and add me as a friend on Facebook (Missflimsy WP). Necessary step ulit, dudes!
2. Just answer this question: "If you are to choose one character
from MBIAF na magiging best friend mo, sino 'yun and why?" (Ang conyo hahaha!
'Yaan niyo na!)
3. Post your answer as a Facebook status and tag me. Lagyan na
rin ng hashtag na #MyBossIsAFreak.
4. The best answer will earn a signed copy of MBIAF. :)
****
I'm giving you until the end of September para sumali sa mga mini-
games ko. And yes, you can enter both para more chances of winning! Char. XD
Good luck! Comment down kung may tanong kayo. :)
xoxo,
missflimsy
Where Can I Buy a Copy of MBIAF?
Credits to the owners of these awesome pics. Only got five for a
quick edit hehe
Hi guys! Para sa mga nagtatanong, I have here a list of locations
kung saan kayo pwedeng makabili ng copy niyo ng MBIAF. Special thanks to my
friends in Facebook and Twitter na nag-inform sa akin about this!
As of 16 October 2017
NBS - SM Rosario (Cavite)
NBS - SM Megamall
NBS - Mall of Asia
Booksale - SM Manila
NBS - SM San Lazaro
Booksale - SM San Lazaro
NBS - Robinsons Place Gen. Trias
NBS - SM Bacoor
NBS - SM North EDSA
SM Clark Pampanga
Pandayan - Alaminos, Pangasinan
NBS - SM East Ortigas
NBS - Robinsons Place Cainta
Sta. Lucia East (Rob or SM?)
NBS - Robinsons Metro East
SM Fairview
NBS - Robinsons Galleria (finally!)
NBS - Cubao (SM din ba?)
Victory Mall Monumento
NBS - SM Southmall
SM Marikina (both in NBS and sa magazine/newsstand in the supermarket)
SM Pampanga
Booksale - Emall (Cebu)
Booksale - Robinsons Fuente (Cebu)
NBS Fuente - Cebu
NBS - Ayala (Cebu)
SM Calamba
Booksale - SM Dasmariñas
NBS - Cogon, Cagayan de Oro
SM Baguio
NBS - Robinsons Imus
SM Sucat
NBS - Robinsons Forum
NBS - SM Light Mall
Booksale - SM North EDSA
Pandayan - Batangas City
NBS - Bay City Mall (Batangas)
I will update this once I get news of MBIAF on display in other
locations. I also have a Facebook post that I regularly update for this purpose. If you
want to view it, add/follow me on:
www.facebook.com/jezza.msd
www.facebook.com/missflimsy.wattpad
Let me know kapag may copy na kayo!
Cheers,
Ate Jez
Book Signing Events for 2018 (See you!)