Chapter 3 Dealing with the Problem
Lakad takbo ang ginawa ni Andy pagkabukas ng elevator sa floor nila. She doesn’t even care if she looks like a mad woman. Over an hour na syang late and Sam have been worried about her. Nagising sya sa tawag ng kaibigan dahil hinahanap na siya ito to have their usual morning coffee. She hurriedly hang up and told Sam that she’ll be late. Agad agad syang bumangon at naligo para makapag ayos papasok sa trabaho.
Pagdating sa kanyang workstation, nagmamadali nyang binuksan ang computer to check if she missed anything. Palihim nyang tiningnan ang kanyang mga officemates and everybody seems to be working, minding their own business. Bahagya syang nakahinga ng maluwag at nagsimulang magtrabaho. She immersed herself with her work and luckily, sa sobrang busy, bahagya nyang nakalimutan ang nangyari sa knila ni Gavin.
It was already in the afternoon nang makatanggap sya ng text message mula sa kaibigan.
Sam: Hey, office ka pa?
Tiningnan lamang ni Andy ang kanyang cellphone. She’s not really in the mood to talk to anyone.
Sam: Andy? Everything ok?
Sunod na tanong nito. Maybe she took a bit long in replying at nainip na ito. She put it in silent at muling binaba ang cellphone. She’ll deal with it later and continued working.
It’s been a long day for Andy. Bukod sa sobrang na late sya knina, may mga trabahong naka assign sa kanya na kelangan nyang madaliin. Most are just simple marketing ads sa social media but it took much of her energy still. She can’t imagine how she looked like. Napansin rin nya yung mga secret glances na binabato sa kanya ng ibang officemates. Marahil sa pamumugto ng mata nya na di kayang itago ng eye glasses na lagi nyang suot. May iilan ding lumapit sa kanya and asked kung ok lng sya. Simpleng “ok lng, thanks” ang naging sagot nya sa mga ito. She must have looked so pathetic for them to ask her that.
It was almost 8 na ng gabi nang isend nya ang huling email confirmation para sa kanyang boss. Prompting na natapos na nya lahat ng pinapagawa nito. Nakaramadam na rin sya ng bahagyang gutom. She remembered na simpleng yogurt and saging lang kinain nya nung lunch. Pagod na unti unti syang nagliligpit ng gamit sa table para makauwi na rin.
“Oh thank God you’re fine” Pabiglang napatingin si Andy sa nagsalita only to see her friend Sam walking briskly papunta sa kanya. Agad itong napahinto when she fully saw how Andy looked like. Black rings under her eyes, obviously dahil sa wala halos tulog ng maayos, and red rimmed eyes.
Walang salitang niyakap nito ang kaibigan. Andy was surprised but hugged her back nonetheless. She felt Sam’s sincerity kaya hindi nya napigilang umiyak ulit.
“Let it out hon… It’s ok… Just let it out.” Bulong nito sa kanya habang marahang hinahagod ang kanyang likod. Sam didn’t ask anything. Pilit lang nyang pina-pacify ang kaibigan, there will always be time for questions but now is not it. After a while, nang bahagyang tumigil na sa pag iyak si Andy, she guided her to sit down. Tahimik na sumunod naman ito and nakatungo pa rin ang ulo nung nagsalita.
“Thanks Sam.” Mahingang sambit nito.
“Always hon.” Sincere na sagot nito.
“Let’s go, hahatid na kita pauwi. Late na, baka mhirapan ka pang sumakay.” Dagdag ng kabigan.
“Wag na, mabilis lng naman sumakay ngayon.” Tanggi ni Andy.
Sam just looked at her and feeling resigned, Andy just answered. “Ok fine.”
Satisfied na napangiti at tumango lamang ang kaibigan.
“That’s more like it.” Simpleng sagot nito at tinulungan na syang magligpit.
Tahimik silang nagliligpit ng biglang kumalam ang sikmura ni Andy. Nahihiyang tinakpan nito ang tiyan sabay tawa naman ng kaibigan.
“Tara na. Mag drive thru muna tyo bago kita ihatid. Mukhang nagwawala na mga alaga mo sa tyan.” Pabirong sabi nito. Napatawa na lng sya sabay bitbit ng bag.
She felt a little better with Sam being there. Naglakad na silang papunta sa parking para sumakay sa sasakyan ng kaibigan. Iilang beses na rin syang hinahatid ni Sam pauwi especially pag may mga event silang inaattendan. She’s always her ride kaya naman nakaramdam sya ng konting guilt sa hindi pag reply sa mga messages ng kaibigan nung umaga.
——————————————-
They ordered their usual Large fries and burger meal nung nag drive thru. Habang kumakain sa loob ng nakapark na sasakyan, kaswal na nagkwento si Sam kung san sya nanggaling. It turned out, she’s out with a client meeting. She’s mostly a freelancer nowadays. Andy was aware na inaalok ng company nila ang kaibigan for a full time position pero tumanggi ito. She prefers to work with them on a per project basis. But since halos sya ang go to person ng company, parang regular na empleyado na rin sya kung tutuusin. Nung tinanong nya ito bakit ayaw nyang tanggapin ang regular position, kibit balikat na sinagot lang sya.
“I don’t want to be restricted. I don’t think the regular 9-5 job is for me. I enjoy going out too much to sit around inside an office. I just want to do what I want to do when I want to do it.” Paliwanag nito.
Anyway, it’s not as if that her friend needed to work. On their third month of being friends, Andy found out na galing sa mayamang pamilya si Sam. Though her friend always carry the aura of a socialite, hindi mo kakakitaan ng pagiging snob. Ilang beses na nyang inaya kumain ng kwek kwek and fishballs sa tabi tabi at walang arteng sumasama ito. And kahit sino pa makilala nito na galing sa prominenteng pamilya, or kilalang mga celebrities, Sam always stuck with her. That’s why she’s so thankful to have a friend like her.
“Gavin broke up with me” Andy blurted out, interrupting Sam.
That made her friend shut up. Andy felt her tears building up again at maya maya lamang, tumulo na mga ito. Marahan namang hinahagod ni Sam ang balikat ng kaibigan at hinayaan itong umiyak. Silently, she let her friend cry and never said a thing.
Eventually, nung humupa na pag iyak ni Andy, bahagya na itong nahimasmasan. Tinanggap nya yung tissue na inabot ng kaibigan at pinunasan nya ang kanyang mukha.
“What do you want to do?” Tanong ni Sam habang nakatingin sa kanya.
“What do you mean?” With a questioning eyes na sagot ni Andy.
“I mean, do you want to go somewhere? Gusto mo bang uminom or do you want to go out at maglibang?”. Paliwanag nito.
“Aren’t you gonna ask why we broke up?” Pabirong sagot ni Andy habang pinupunasan mga mata nya.
“If you want you can tell me.” Kibit balikat na sagot nya. “I never been a fan of him. Whatever the reason is, you deserve someone better than that loser.” She continued.
“You know what, I never really understood why you never liked him. Why is that?” Andy curiously asked.
“Well?” Patuloy na tanong nito nang hindi sumagot ang kaibigan.
Sam just sighed and exasperatedly looked at her friend. “Do you really want to know?”
“I asked right?”
“Fine, I don’t like the way he treats you. As if wala kang sariling isip. Like kung ano sabihin nya, yun ang kelangan mong gawin. At first I didn’t understand why you’re letting him do that. But when I asked you then, sagot mo lng that you love him. And that’s how relationship should work.”
Tahimik lamang na pinakinggan ni Andy ang sagot ng kaibigan.
“I may not have a relationship that have gone beyond the first date, but I know that it should not be like that. Love should make you feel over the moon. It should not make you feel tired. And for 3 years, I saw how tired you get whenever you spend time with him. Yes, the excitement was there at the beginning but it should not feel like a chore.” She looked at her friend seriously.
“You’re the kindest and most humble person I’ve met. Kahit minsan na gusto na kitang tuktukan for letting people go over you sa trabaho and sa relationship I can’t fault you for that. Because you’re so annoyingly a good person Andy. And you deserve someone who treats you as you are.” Jokingly yet seriously Sam said.
Sobrang na touch at napaluha na naman si Andy sa narinig. Bahagyang naibsan yung loneliness na nararamdaman nya sa narinig. Maya maya lamang at napangit na lng ito.
“Thanks Sam. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” Nakangiting sagot nya.
Her friend just rolled her eyes and snarkily said. “Ok, I’ve reached my year long quota for being a sap. I’ll just dropped you off at kelangan ko ng mag beauty sleep.”
Napatawa na lng si Andy sa sagot ng kaibigan. Niligpit na nya ang pinagkainan habang nag drive paalis ng parking lot si Sam
—————————————–
Pagod na binaba ni Ralf ang mga folders na hawak sa center table ng kanyang condo. Ilang araw na syang late nakakauwi dahil sa pagbuo ng proposal for their first big client. His team have put a great material but he can’t help but keep finding faults on it. Ilang revisions na gnawa na team nya dahil sa mga feedback nya but he is not yet satisfied. He knows it’s missing something but he can’t figure out kung ano yun. So tonight, he’s planning to go over it again and see if he can find anything.
He begrudgingly took a shower to take the day’s work off at baka sakaling mas lumiwanag ang isip nya. When he went to his kitchen to have something to eat, npansin nya ang message notification sa cellphone nya.
Lexie: Call me when you can. Simpleng message nito.
Ralf opted to finish eating before calling his friend. He grabbed a beer and went to his balcony to relax a while, phone on his hand. Checking the time and knowing that his friend will still be up this late, he decided to call Lexie habang nagrerelax.
Lexie picked up on the third ring.
“Hey Ralf, are you home?” Bungad na sagot nito.
“Hello to you too dear friend.” Natatawang sagot nya.
Natawa na lng din si Lexie sa narinig.
“I’m just checking on you as I heard from reliable sources that you’re starting to be Mr. Grouch,”.
Ralf just sighed.
“Talk to me Ralf.”
“It’s nothing really. I’m just being frustrated with our project.”
“The CLM one”
“Yeah. I want to make sure that everything will be perfect. It’s our first big project and I don’t wanna mess this one.” He honestly answered.
“I don’t wanna let you down.” Mahinang dagdag nito.
“I trust you. You’re one of the most talented person I know. I wouldn’t have partnered up with you if I have even a little doubt.” Lexie answered.
“Look, why don’t I drop by the office sometime this week and we can get over with what you have gathered so far. Maybe another set of eyes will help you find out what you think is still missing. Ok?”
“I think that’s a good idea. I’m starting to lose my confidence here.” Ralf dejectingly said.
“Alright then. I’ll let you know tomorrow when I’ll be able to come and meet you. In the meantime, stop driving your team crazy.” Lexie jokingly said.
Tumawa na lng si Ralf sa sabi ng kaibigan at inend ang call ng mkitang tinapos na rin ng kaibigan ang tawag.
Tahimik na binaba nya ang cellphone at nag relax while enjoying the silence of the night. Pagkaubos ng iniinom na beer pumasok na rin sya para matulog. He decided to continue reviewing their proposal the next day instead. He’ll just follow his friend’s advice for now and take a rest. A fresh mind might do him a lot of good. Tomorrow is another day.
With that on his mind, Ralf drifted off to sleep
0 thoughts on “Hello Again”