CONNECTED

I was halfway through my lunch when I realized I'd been staring at the same bite of food for nearly five minutes. Siguro dala ng sobrang pagod. Kaunti na lang, at matatanggap ko nang hindi ako matatanggap sa kahit anong kumpanyang pinasukan ko. I sighed and leaned back. Pati ang ultimong pagtunog ng mga utensil na hawak ng mga nasa paligid ko ay nakaririnding pakinggan. Halos tatlong linggo na akong sumasabak sa mga interview. Ni hindi na nga ako nakakatulog, kaka-rehearse ng mga sasabihin ko sa mga posibleng itanong sa akin. But after all those efforts, all I got were polite smiles at ang pare-pareho nilang tugon — "We'll get back to you." Yeah, right. My phone was beside my plate, face down. I told myself I wouldn't check it until I finished eating. Ayoko nang umasang makakatanggap pa ako ng tawag. Gusto ko lang muna ng isang matiwasay na tanghalian, dahil halos hindi na ako kumain nitong mga nakaraang linggo. Ding. That familiar notification sound made my heart skip. Biglang napuno ang utak ko ng samu't saring emails na puwedeng matanggap. I made sure all my notification sounds related to job hunting were different from my other alerts. Pinagsabihan ko pa ang sarili na huwag muna itong tingnan. But my curiosity won. Baka mamaya dumulas pa ang pagkakataon na magkaroon ako ng trabaho. VALENTECH?! Parang panandaliang huminto ang t***k ng puso ko sa nabasa. Dear Ms. Cruz, We are pleased to inform you that your proposal has been shortlisted for presentation before the ValenTech executive board. My hands froze. I blinked multiple times. I even pinched myself para lang masigurong hindi ako nananaginip. I tapped the email open while my hands were shaking. Baka scam 'to. Pero hindi. It wasn't from some random job post or spam account — it was from Andrea Mendoza, the Talent Acquisition Coordinator of ValenTech Corporation. Nanikip ang dibdib ko. Dalawang beses ko pa itong binasa para lang masigurong totoo ito. ValenTech — the company every developer dreamed of joining. Hindi ito kasing tanyag ng ibang technology company noong una, pero through the years, the company rose. Its reputation as innovative, fearless, and untouchable dominated the industry — at sila rin ang ginagawang standard ng iba pang mga kumpanya. I've imagined myself working there ever since college. Halos magdamag akong nasa harap ng laptop ko, nagco-code. Sometimes, I'd picture my name on their email signature. Napatawa ako, hindi makapaniwala sa nabasa. "No way." "Totoo ba talaga 'to?" For the first time in weeks, I felt hope. Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto ko pang tinitigan ang email bago tinawagan ang ilang mahahalagang tao sa buhay ko. "Here I come, ValenTech." I practiced my smile in front of the mirror. I could barely recognize myself. Parang mas pinaghandaan pa ni Mama ang araw na ito kumpara sa akin. Paano ba naman? The moment I told her the news, she didn't even let me finish my sentence before rushing to the nearest boutique. Walang gusot na mababakas sa black formal blazer at trouser na suot ko. She also added a slim leather belt to cinch my waist and paired it with a minimalist black bag na hiniram niya sa kaibigan niya. I was rummaging through the bottom of my closet, searching for the black heels I used to wear for school presentations. As I slipped on my heels, I noticed that the soles were barely holding on. Napabuntong-hininga ako. "'Saka pa bibigay kung kailan ko kailangan." "Anak, try mo 'to." Napapitlag ako nang makita si Mama sa likod ko. May dala siyang pares ng bagong itim na heels na tila mamahalin sa sobrang kintab. "Mama, 'di mo naman kailangang bumili," halos pabulong kong sabi, ramdam ang bara sa lalamunan. Nginitian niya ako. She brushed my hair behind my ear like she used to when I was little. "Deserve mo, anak. Gusto kong habang nagpe-present ka sa loob, maramdaman mong doon ka nararapat — na hindi ka iba sa kanila." I blinked fast, trying to keep my tears from smudging the light makeup she helped me with. Niyakap ko siya. "Thank you, Ma. I love you." Halos hindi mahinto ang pagtunog ng cellphone ko habang nasa jeep. Jessie 💜: God bless sa'yo, Liaaa! Manifesting na 'di ka mabulol sa harap ng crush mo 🤞✨ Dynah: TEH, SA BOARD MEMBERS ANG TINGIN HA. WAG SA PANGA NIYA. I laughed at their chats despite the nervousness I felt. I put my phone on silent before tucking it away. I straightened my posture and clutched my manuscript. "Ms. Cruz?" Nilingon ko ang sekretarya, magalang ko itong nginitian. "They're ready for you now." Nagpakawala ako ng isang malalim na paghinga bago siya tinanguan. I stepped forward and followed her inside the executive boardroom. This is it. Napanganga ako nang tuluyang makita ang loob. The top floor of ValenTech was like something out of a dream. Mas mahal pa yata ang isang piraso ng upuan kaysa sa bahay namin. Each chair was perfectly lined up around a wide wooden table that had a long rectangular space in the middle. Pakiwari ko'y imported ang kahoy na iyon. Well, halata naman. Every board member had their own laptop, a neat stack of documents, and a sleek black pen that looked like it belonged in a commercial. Bawat isa sa kanila ay may tiglilimang portfolio na nakaayos sa gilid, na para bang hinihintay lang silang mabuksan, mahusgahan — either approved or forgotten. Mariin kong hinawakan ang manuscript ko. 'Saan kaya mapupunta ang portfolio ko? Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, lighting up the whole room. Kahit mismong ang mga chandelier sa taas namin ay nakabukas, kahit hindi naman kailangan dahil tirik na ang araw. It just makes the atmosphere more intimidating. Agad kong napansin ang malaking flat-screen TV na nakadikit sa dingding sa harap — siguro nasa 70 inches. It displayed the ValenTech logo in bold navy blue letters. Everything around me felt so polished, so professional, that for a second, I wondered if I really belonged here. Napatayo ako nang tuwid nang may tumikhim sa kanila. Agad siyang nahanap ng mga mata ko. Adrian Valle. 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃...