Kabanata 5

Kabanata 5

"You need a ride?"tanong ni Yair nang makarating kami sa labas ng restaurant.

Umiling ako. "No. I'm okay—"

"I can give you a ride, Ali—"

"I said I'm okay, Yair. I don't need a ride, okay? I can go home with my own at tsaka may pupuntahan pa ako."sabi ko sakanya, hindi ko mapigilan na pag taasan siya nang boses. Ang kulit kasi. Kanina pa siya.

Kinukulit ako kung sino raw ang mga kasama ko kagabi at kung ano ko si Mike. Mas gwapo pa raw ang kuya niya kesa sa lalakeng pinalit ko. Diba? Sino ang hindi maiinis sa lalakeng 'to.

"Chill! Chill! I'm just offering you a ride, Ali. You don't need to be mad."Yair said and raised his both hands. He shook his head and chuckled.

"I told you already that I don't need a ride. I can go home with my own, okay? Thank you for offering, Yair. But I'm okay."I uttered coldly.

He sighed. "Okay, then."

"Okay."I said too.

He nod his head and give me a little smile. "I'll go ahead, Ali. I'm hoping that you'll think what I've said. See you when I see you."

I pouted. "Okay. By the way, Yair can you do me a favor?"I asked him.

He raised a brow at me. "A favor? What is it?"

"Uhmm—"

"It is about me not telling to kuya or to anyone that I saw you here in Canada with a man?"He cut me off. 

I rolled my eyes. "I told you he's not my man!"

He rolled his eyes too. "Whatever."aniya. "Pero 'yon nga ang favor mo diba?"tanong niya.

Nagbuntong hininga ako at tumango. "Kung okay lang sayo h'wag mo muna sanang sabihin sa kuya mo o sa kahit sino na nagkita tayo? I'm not ready yet to see another faces, Yair. I know 5 years is enough but you can't blame me at tsaka h'wag kang mag-alala pag iisipan ko 'yung mga sinabi mo sa akin—"

"Dapat lang."He cut me off again.

I glared at him. "Pwede bang patapusin mo muna ako?"naiinis na tanong ko sakanya.

He laughed and nodded. "Go ahead, Young lady."

I glared more at him. "Just do what I'm saying Yair—"

"You can't just say that. Alison!"He said. "Do you really expect that I'll do that?"He asked then laughed. 

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. Save your words, Ali. Hindi mo ako mapipilit. I could say that I won't open my mouth once I go back to philippines but I won't defend you."He said.

Tinignan ko siya ng masama at tumango. Ang tigas ng ulo! Bahala ka dyan!

"Okay. Thank you. I'll go ahead, Yair. Goodluck on your flight."I said and give him a little smile.

Tumango naman siya pabalik. He sighed and pulled me into a warm hug. "You take care here, Ali."bulong niya sa akin.

Lihim naman akong napangiti. I hugged him back. "Ikaw din. Mag iingat ka."

Binigyan ko ng isang matamis na ngiti si Yair at pumasok na sa kotse na binook ko. I waved my hand to him the moment the car move. He waved his hand to me too.

"Good morning, Beautiful."Kate greeted. "How are you? Its been a while."

I smiled. Nakipagbeso ako at umupo sa tabi niya. Kate is one of boss Nate's secretary. 

"Good morning too. I'm good, Kate. How 'bout you?"I asked. "I know its not that easy to be with boss Nate for a week."I chuckled.

She laughed and pouted. "You're right, Alice but it's fine tho. I got more papers when you left for a mean time."She rolled her eyes playfully at me. 

I scoff. "Really? Boss Nate gave you a lot of papers to do?"I asked in disbelief.

Cuz knowing boss Nate he wouldn't ask Kate for a help. He wouldn't give Kate a work to do. Dahil ako lagi ang inuutusan ng isang 'yon. Favoritism din, eh.

"I'm sorry for that, Kate. Don't worry let's dine together. It's my treat."I said.

Agad naman lumiwanag ang mukha ng babae. Hindi makapaniwala niya akong pinagmasdan. "Are you really fine, Alice? I think your sick."She just said.

I glared at her. "Stop with tha look, Alice. I just can't believe it. You know, its your first time to treat me."She said.

I pouted. "Whatever. Anyway is boss Nate already here? I need to talk to him."

Hindi kasi ako nakapagpaalam na hindi ako papasok ng isang linggo. It's been week since Yair flew back to philippines. I make my self busy than before cause as much as possible. I don't want to remember Yair's words. Kinokonsensya lang ako ng mga salita niya. How dare him!

Siguro naman hindi niya sinabi sa mga magulang ko lalo na sa kapatid niya na nagkita kami rito sa Canada. Isang linggo na rin ang nakalipas pero wala nangyaring kakaiba sa paligid ko. Wala akong nakitang familiar na mukha sa loob ng isang linggo na 'yon. Salamat naman dahil may pake pa rin pala si Yair sa akin.

"Not yet. I don't know if he'll go here cause I heard from Jeanneth later that boss Nate have some errands to do today."Aniya. 

Jeanneth is one of boss Nate's secretary too. Apat kaming secretary ni boss Nate dahil apat ding kompanya ang hinahawakan niya kaya halos mag mukhang matanda na 'yon. Laging naka-busangot.

"Okay. Thank you, Kate. I'll go inside na. I have some papers to review pa."nakangusong sabi ko sakanya.

Tumango naman siya. I excused my self again and enters boss Nate's office. Ako lang ang naka-assign dito sa loob ng opisina ni boss Nate. Si Kate ay sa tapat ng opisina ni boss Nate. Habang si Jeanneth ay sa kabilang kompanya pero pumupunta lang siya rito para sa mga papeles na pinapa-pirma niya kay boss Nate. Si Jean naman ay ang huling secretary ni boss Nate na nasa pilipinas. May isang kompanya kasi roon si boss Nate. Si Jean ang nag aasikaso ng lahat doon sa tuwing wala si boss Nate. 

Pagpasok ko sa loob ng opisina ni boss Nate ay pumunta agad ako sa desk ko. Napabuntong hininga na lang ako ng makita ang mga papeles na nakatambak sa lamesa ko. Sa sobrang dami ng papeles na nasa lamesa ko parang isang buwan akong di pumasok. Huminga ako ng malalim at sinimulan na ang trabaho ko.

Napatingin ako sa pinto ng opisina nang bigla itong bumukas. Nakangiting sumilip ang ulo ni Kate roon. Akala ko si boss Nate na.

"Yes, Kate?"I asked her.

"Aren't you eating for lunch? Its already 2:30pm."aniya. "I'm kinda hungry. Lets eat together? Downstairs?"sunod-sunod na tanong niya.

Napatingin naman ako sa orasan na nasa lamesa ko. Tama nga si Kate, 2:30 pm na. Hindi ko man lang namalayaan ang oras. Halos kalahati rin ang na-review ko. Kinuha ko ang phone at wallet ko at tumayo na.

"Lets go."I said and walked towards her.

Sabay kumunot ang noo namin ni Kate nang napunta sa amin ang atensyon ng mga tao sa lobby. They are looking at us intently na para bang di sila makapaniwala sa nakikita. What's happening? May mga iilan pang empleyado na nakatingin sa akin gamit ang nandidiri nilang mga mata.

"What's happening? Why are they looking at us?"Kate us.

Nagkibit balikat ako. "I don't know."tahimik na sagot ko sakanya.

Nagkibit balikat na lang rin si Kate at hindi na pinansin ang mga mata ng mga tao. Nagpatuloy na lang kami sa paglalakad hanggang sa makarating kami sa cafeteria ng kompanya. Napangiti pa ako nung makasalubong namin si Jeanneth. Palabas na siya ng cafeteria. Mag isa niya lang. 

Napatigil sa paglalakad si Jeanneth at nag angat ng tingin sa amin. "Oh! Hello my two sis. You both going to take your lunch?"tanong nito. "But its already late huh?

Sabay naman kaming tumango ni Kate. "Yeah. Boss Nate gave us a lot papers to do."Kate answered.

Jeanneth laughed. "Its okay. You both can do it. I'll go ahead girls. Enjoy your lunch."aniya at tuluyan nang naglakad palabas ng cafeteria.

"What's your orders, Madame?"the waiter asked us.

"Just give me half honey roasted chicken. Give me the leg, okay? And a one cup of rice and Ice tea too."Kate said.

"How about you, madame?"tanong sa akin ng waiter.

"Just give me pasta and garlic bread. And Ice tea too with a lot of Ice."I said.

When the waiter got our orders. She excused her self to us to prepared and get our foods. Of course, we let her to. After a few minutes of waiting. Finally our foods arrived. Gutom na ako at halos hindi na mapakali sa gutom ang kasama ko. Like we usually to we prayed and thank god for giving us these blessings and for guiding us. Kate and I eat happily. We talked about us getting our salary next friday until we finished our foods. Kate and I decided that will go to the known bar when we get our salary. Nung una ayoko pang pumayag dahil syempre bar 'yon pero nangako naman si Kate na kakain lang kami roon. Hindi rin daw kami mag tatagal doon dahil may klase si Kate kinabukasan. 

After eating our lunch we go back to our work. Wala akong ibang ginawa kundi ang ireview lahat ng papeles na nasa lamesa ko. May mga papeles din na kailangan ng pirma ko. Pagkatapos ko ireview ang mga papeles ay ipinasok ko na ang mga ito sa loob ng drawer at nag linis ng buong opisina ni boss Nate. May janitress naman na naka-assign na mag linis ng opisina ni boss Nate pero wala rin naman akong gagawin. Tapos na ako sa trabaho ko kaya mag lilinis na lang ako. Sa tuwing nagpapahinga kasi ako ay naiisip ko lang ang mga taong naiwan ko sa pilipinas. Kasalanan 'to ni Yair, eh!

It took me an hour cleaning the whole office. Mabuti na lang hindi gaano karumi kaya hindi ako inabot ng ilang oras. Hindi tulad nung last month. Inabot ako ng tatlong oras sa pag lilinis ng buong opisina. Kaya minsan ang sarap na lang mag request kay boss Nate na dagdagan ang sweldo ko kasi hindi lang ako basta-bastang sekretarya. Janitress na rin ako ng opisina na 'to. Pag talagang nakita ko si boss Nate mag de-demand ako na pataasin ang sweldo ko.

"Open!"I shouted when I heard a knock.

The door opened immediately. "Oh Jeanneth! Come inside."pag-aaya ko sakanya.

Nakangiti naman siyang pumasok ng opisina. "Did you clean again?"She asks.

I nodded and chuckled. "Yeah. I'm was bored that's why."I replied.

"Your being janitress again, Alice."She jokes.

I pouted. "I told you I was bored, Jeanneth."

She raised a brow. "Okay, okay. Anyway the reason why I'm here cuz I want to ask you if you can hand these papers to the Vice president?"She asked. "I was about to give it to Mr. Vice but he is currenly in the meeting and I badly need to go. My daughter is waiting for me. I promised to treat her a sweet dinner."She explained.

"I'm really sorry, Alice. I just really need to go. Kate is kinda busy with her papers that's why I'm here—"

"It's okay, Jeanneth. Go to your daughter and I'll give these papers to Mr. Vice. I got you girl."I cut her off.

Her face shined. "Really? Oh god! Thank you so much, Alice."She said happily and pulled me into a hug.

I smiled and hugged her back. Jeanneth is so sweet. "You're welcome, Jeanneth. Go fetch your daughter. Kiss  her for me."I said.

She nod her head. "I will, Alice. Thank you so much. You're the best! You're the kind as in!"She stated.

I laughed. And shook my head. Babaeng 'to. Ano-anong pinagsasabi.

"I know now why he fall in love with you."She said and giggled.