Maaga ako kinabukasan para makauwi sa condo. Pinagbigyan ko lang si nanay Soledad kagabi na sa mansyon ako matulog. Wala rin naman sina mama at papa kaya ayos lang. Iginugol ko ang buong araw sa pamamasyal at pamimili sa mall. Bukas ang board meeting at bukas din ako pormal na ipakikilala bilang COO ng Lopez Hotels Inc.
I haven't visited the building in a year at masasabi kong may iilang pagbabago rito. I asked a close friend of mine who happens to be an architect to re-design the whole building lalo na ang office na gagamitin ko. The renovation started last year according to my liking. Mas pinauna ko nga lang ang magiging office ko kaya siguro hindi pa natatapos ang lobby ng first floor.
I find our building a bit boring at first given its close to ancient interiors at antigong mga sculptures and paintings. I wanted it to become more modern with a pinch of Western style designs kaya ko naisipang ipa-renovate.
Hindi ko pinansin ang mga empleyadong bumabati at yumuyuko habang papunta ako sa elevator. All of them knew me already since bumibisita naman ako rito minsan to oversee the operations of the hotels. Hindi nga lang madalas but I make sure I monitor them from time to time kahit nasa States ako.
I lazily pushed the 20th floor button at tahimik na naghintay. May 30 minutes pa ako bago magsimula ang board meeting at mabuti nalang at sa 20th floor din iyon. Hindi na ako mapapagod pang pumunta kung saan iyon. Maya-maya lang ay tumunog ang elevator hudyat na nasa tamang palapag na ako. Agad akong lumabas at namataan ang nag-iisang double doors na kulay itim sa dulo ng pasilyo.
The conference rooms are here at lahat ng iyon ay glass sliding doors. May blinds naman for privacy but that isn't really needed since ang office ko lang naman ang nandito sa buong floor. But then again kung may mga team meetings and board meetings madalas ibinababa ang blinds.
The corridors are quite so I suppose wala pang ni isang dumating. Kung gaano katahimik dito at walang katao-tao, ganoon naman ka busy ang floors na nasa ibaba. Dumiretso ako sa dulo ng pasilyo at pumasok sa aking office. A long glass table with the glass wall behind it overlooking the whole of Baler welcomed me.
The whole interior and furnitures are gray and white. A bookshelf on the right side, coffee table along with it. A large sofa in front of the glass table at iilang abstract paintings na nakasabit sa dingding. I smiled with satisfaction. Marahan kong inilapag ang aking handbag sa sofa at agad tinungo ang aking table. Sa likod nito ay makikita ang kabuuan ng Baler.
The clear blue sky gave an ounce amount of light into my dark office. Nakapikit kong hinarap ang kabuuan ng Baler. The busy streets, the tall buildings, and the people pacing back and forth. Surely this place have gotten busier than the last time I was here.
Marahang katok sa pinto ang pumukaw sa nagliliwaliw kong isip.
"Miss Eirene, five minutes po before the board meeting starts," seryosong anunsyo ni Bella.
She's my assistant. Hindi ko namalayan ang oras. Tinanguan ko lang siya at saka nag-ayos ng sarili at tinungo ang conference room.
Everyone's already here, well, almost. Nakipagkamay lang ako sa mga board members at agad nang nagtungo kay papa. He will be the one introducing me as the Chief Operations Officer of LHI. He hugged me and kissed my forehead.
"Are you nervous?" Baling niya sa akin nang pareho na kaming nakaupo.
"I'm fine, Pa." I smiled a bit and roamed my eyes around the people who attended.
Aside from the shareholders, naroon din ang mga managers ng iba't ibang branch sa iba't ibang lugar sa bansa. They came here all the way from those places para lang sa meeting na ito. I've met some of the executives and investors noon. Palapit sa akin si Armando Rodriguez, one of the major shareholders. He runs the Rodriguez chains of restaurants at may mga branches na rin all around Asia.
"We haven't met for a very long time, hijah."
He was all smiles while shaking my hand lightly. I smiled back.
"I was based in the States po, tito."
"Are you staying here for good, then? Lalo pa ngayon at pormal ka nang ipakikilala sa lahat ng investors at shareholders," ang kanyang ngiti ay hindi nawawala.
"I guess so, tito."
Marami pang shareholders at investors ang bumati sa akin at nakipagkamustahan. Naroon din si Santi. Saglit kaming nagkuwentuhan tungkol sa negosyo nila sa Bulacan at kinamusta ko rin si Lola Gracia. Naagaw ang aming atensyon nang tumikhim si Papa hudyat na magsisimula na ang meeting.
"I would like to thank everyone for attending this meeting. I know most of you are from the different provinces of the country and some are even from other other countries that's why I warmly welcome all of you. The purpose of this meeting is for me to finally introduce to you my only daughter, and the Chief Operating Officer of Lopez Hotels Inc., Eirene Lopez."
Malakas na palakpakan ang pumuno sa kabuuan ng conference hall. My father, all smiles, welcomed me as I graced my way to him. Mataman kong pinagmasdan ang lahat ng tao na nakatanaw sa akin ngayon. Most of them seemed pleased, some are still formal with a hint of smile on their lips. I can see familiar faces particularly the members of the board na nakakasama ko na noon sa mga meetings tuwing umuuwi ako rito. I smiled a bit when the applause died down.
"Good morning everyone. I'm more than pleased to finally meet all of you. As you may all know I have been working for the company for quite some time now from the States. Now that I'm here, for good, I look forward to be working with you hand in hand from this day onwards. I hope for your continuous support for the company and its vision. Thank you."
They all clapped as I ended my short speech. I turned to look at my father who seems more happy than anyone in this room. I faked a smile as he hugged me tight.
"I'm proud of you," marahan niyang bulong habang nakayakap.
It's funny to think how I almost beg for him to say those words few years ago. How I wanted so much their attention na halos mamalimos na ako niyon. Now that I got older I realized how pathetic I felt back then. True enough time did its job to heal the wounds of the past na kahit ako hindi ko na halos maalala kung bakit ko nga ba naramdaman ang mga iyon. I learned that realizing your worth is way more important than the value people around you can give you.
When I look back at my pains during my childhood they all seem like a fading memory vanishing into thin air. I've learned about life now cause it taught me the hard way.
Iilang kamustahan pa ang naganap nang matapos ang meeting. Ang ilan sa mga shareholders ay nagpaalam na upang asikasuhin naman ang kani-kanilang mga negosyo. Some of the managers stayed for the resorts to be studied nasa ibang palapag nga lang sila. Nakipagkamay ako sa ilang mga investors at nakipagkuwentuhan na rin tungkol sa negosyo.
"I'm so happy and relieved you're finally staying here ffor good para pamunuan ang hotels hijah. It must have been hard for you to monitor na operations when you were in the U.S."
Mrs. Maxine Remus looked stunning as ever even in her formal suit. Hindi mahahalatang she's in her 50's already with the way she carries herself. Nga naman, it's already expected for a famous fashion designer whose works are acknowledged not just in Asia but also in Europe and United States. I looked at her with awe and respect.
"Yes po, tita. Though I would still prefer working from there pero sa maraming projects na kailangang asikasuhin kailangan pong nandito ako."
"Oh well I'm confident that you'll pull this through kahit pa man noong nandoon ka. Ngayon pa kayang nandito ka na," she laughed gracefully. "Nga pala, did you tell Denver about your stay here?"
She's Denver's mother. Nang makita ko siya ulit sa States at nalamang mommy niya si Mrs. Remus doon ko napatunayang ang liit nga ng mundo. Parehong school ang pinasukan namin though ahead siya sa akin ng isang taon. He was the very first friend I made in the U.S at hanggang ngayon we kept in touch.
"Yes po, tita." I smiled.
"Alam mo bang he couldn't stop talking about you when you met again sa States? He said he's a fan of yours. You were into Fashion designing pala, hijah? Why didn't you pursue it?"
Naroon ang panghihinayang sa kanyang boses. My fake smile faded in an instant. Naging uneasy agad ang pakiramdam ko that I had to mentally slap myself back to reality. I managed to flash another fake smile.
"It's just my hobby po tita."
Agad tinalunton ng aking mga mata kung sino ang pwede kong gawing excuse para maiwasan ang kanyang mga tanong. I felt relieved when I saw my cousin talking to three businessmen on the right side of the hall. Malumanay akong nagpaalam kay Mrs. Remus at walang lingon-lingon na tinungo ang kinaroroonan ni Santi.
To be continued...
"Is a welcome party really necessary?"Kanina pa ako nakikipagtalo kay mama over the phone. She wants to throw a welcome party in our hotel here para sa akin. I kept on insisting for like hours that I'm fine without it pero ayaw niyang paawat."It's for you to get acquianted with everyone in the company, Ei." Her stern voice suggests that I can never win this argument.Great! It's just 6:00 in the early freaking morning and it's freaking ruined already! Mariin kong hinilot ang aking sentido para kahit papaano ay kumalma at baka makita ko nang husto ang katuturan sa mga pinagsasabi ng nanay ko."Wasn't it enough that I was already introduced to the board, ma?" Ang diin sa aking boses ay naroon.Akala ko iyon na iyon. I tried so hard to suppress my frustration towards the topic. All I want is to work in peace kaya bakit kailangang may mga ganito pa? I'm already so worn out sa mga trabahong kailangan kong habulin at transactions na kailangan ko pang a
Para akong nabingi sa aking narinig. No! This can't be serious! Okay, I know I'm overreacting but I don't give a damn! I don't want to see him all the more be a part of LHR!"Kung ganoon bakit hindi ko siya nakita sa shareholders' meeting?"I was trying really hard to suppress my anger and frustrations. I know I should be cool about this. Wala na sa akin lahat ng iyon at dapat hindi na ako apektado ngayon. I've changed at siguro naman ganoon din siya. Yeah, I'm cool with this. I should be."He was in Singapore po with his team para sa isang conference doon. I don't know the details po of the conference at iyon lang naman po ang sabi ng kanyang assistant."I inhaled deeply at pinutol na ang tawag. My lost poise is now back. Buti nalang walang ibang tao rito sa loob habang para na akong bulkan na sasabog. I put on my facade again ang went back to our table. Malayo pa lang ay ramdam ko na ang kanyang titig, pinapaso ako niyon. I didn't look at him and
The first week of work was hectic and tiring. Sobrang daming paperworks unang araw ko pa lang. Iyon ang una kong inasikaso at sa ibang mga araw naman ay palipat-lipat ako ng lugar, checking all the transactions ng bawat hotel sa iba't ibang lugar. Kaya naman kahit weekend ay nagtratrabaho pa rin ako. Ngayon ko lang narealize talaga na lumalago na ang LHR. We're also starting to expand in Asia.Umaga ng lunes nang ipatawag ko si Bella para sa aking schedule para sa araw na iyon. Kauupo ko lang mula sa paggtitimpla ng kape nang pumasok siya."What's my schedule for today?""You will attend a proposal presentation po ng Architectural firm ni Mr. Tan for the architectural design ng itatayong hotel sa Taguig along with the directors mamayang alas diyes. Next is lunch meeting with Mr. Balmaceda for the supplies po ng mga kakailanganing furnitures for-"Nabilaukan ako sa kanyang sinabi! Agad kong naibaba ang aking kape at nagpunas ng bibig. Damn!"W-What
Patakbo akong yumakap kay Aurora nang makarating sa bar na sinasabi niya. Silang dalawa pa lang ni Santi ang na VIP lounge nang dumating ako.“Where are your friends?” Baling ko sa kanya matapos makipagbeso kay Aurora.“Malelate ng konti. Nag order na kami ng drinks.” Iminuwestra niya sa akin ang iilang bote ng beer at hard drinks na hindi pamilyar sa akin. I’m not a heavy drinker at hindi rin magandang ideya ang uminom ngayon dahil may trabaho pa bukas. May cocktail naman kaya iyon ang ininom namin ng dahan-dahan.
Being alone made me strong even when I was still a kid. I try to act tough in front of people not to feel good but to protect myself. I learned not to depend on anyone kahit pa sarili kong magulang. Kasi alam ko, wala akong ibang maaasahan sa mundong ito kundi ang sarili ko. People come and go.I watched the city lights as they illuminated the whole of Baler. Tila iyon mga mumunting bituin sa lupa, nagkikislapan at binibigyan ng ilaw ang kabuuan ng bayan. They remind me of someone I know from a long time. His eyes use to sparkle like these little stars everytime I see them. Kaya naman ang makitang malungkot ang mga iyon ay hindi ko kaya. O ayokong makita.Tahimik ang corridor kung nasaan ang aking office. Well hindi naman na nakapagtataka iyon dahil office ko lang naman ang mayroon dito maliban sa mga conference rooms. But it felt strangely quite this time. Binalewala ko ang naramdaman at nagpatuloy sa pagpasok sa office.I was busy signing some papers when my a
"What the hell are you doing?!""Hindi ako aalis dito hangga't hindi ka kumakain," he said firmly.I struggled to get out of his hold. Lalo lang niyang hinigpitan ang pagkakayakap sa akin."Eh hindi nga ako nagugutom. Ano ba'ng mahirap intindihin doon?"Itinukod niya ang dalawang kamay sa magkabilang gilid ko, cornering me. He stared at me intently. I rolled my eyes to avoid his gaze."Ano rin ba ang mahirap intindihin sa kailangan mong kumain? You didn't go out for days and you haven't eaten a proper meal since you got here. What do you want me to do? Watch you starve yourself?"Napalunok ako sa galit niya. I have so much in my head these past few days na kahit ang gutom ay hindi ko na maramdaman. The way he said those words made me freaking guilty. Kahit hindi ko alam kung malaking kasalanan ba ang hindi pag kain, pero pinaramdam niya sa akin na oo. Na kasalanan ko kung bakit nag-aalala sila.Alam ko naman iyon, pero pwede bang kahi
I was dumbfounded when I saw him. Paano niya naman kaya nalaman na nandito ako sa bar na ito?"Let's get you home," marahan niyang bulong.Hawak niya ang dalawa kong braso habang inaalalayan ako patayo. I didn't even find the chance to protest dahil mabilis niya akong nahila palabas ng bar na iyon. I stopped midstep at natigil siya sa paglalakad."Why are you here?"Kanina ko pa iyon gustong itanong. He turned to me. He looked weary and angry at the same time. Naka long sleeves pa siya at halatang galing pa ng trabaho. I took my hand out o his hold. Mukhang ayaw niya pang bitiwan ang kamay ko pero wala rin siyang nagawa."Paano mo nalaman na nandito ako?"Hindi ko na maitago ang inis sa boses ko. Bakit niya ba ginagawa ito?"Sinundan kita. I saw you walking out of your building kaya sinundan kita," restraint was evident in his voice.He took one step closer and I step back. Natigil siya sa paglapit. He sighed."Now, why
Maaga akong nag-impake kinabukasan. I'm quite excited sa isiping makakapagbakasyon ako nang mag-isa. Kahit nagawa ko naman ang mag solo flight vacation noon, iba ang excitement na nararmdaman ko ngayon. I don't know why.Patapos na ako nang may nag-doorbell. It's probably Aurora. Sinabihan ko na siya kagabi pa lang na pupunta ako ng Tagaytay."Au, you didn't have to come here..." Nabitin sa ere ang iba ko pang sasabihin nang bumungad sa paningin ko ang nakangising si Rylle. "What are you doing here?""Ihahatid kita sa Tagaytay," tuloy-tuloy siyang pumasok. "Ito ang mga dadalhin mo, right?"Walang pasubali niyang binitbit ang travelling bag na dadalhin ko. So much for going in a vacation alone!"Wala ka bang trabaho?" I said as I followed him outside.Taranta ko pang hinablot ang aking handbag para lang maabutan siya. Saka ko lang naalala ang sinabi niyang susunduin niya ako ng maaga. Napailing na lang ako at nagmadali para maabutan siya.