FALLING FOR FILIPPINA

Chapter 7 HIRED

FILIPPA

I haven't been in a group interview. Well, there will always be a first sabi nga nila.

Pinagsabay kaming interviewhin ni Ma'am Gillian. I mean it's odd pero kung ano ang trip niya wala naman akong say, 'di ba?

Ma'am Gillian is one precise person. Sinabi niya lahat ang ayaw niya at sinabi niya rin kung ano ang ine-expect niya sa aming dalawa ni Jessica—siya iyong babaeng pinahiraman ko ng jacket kanina.

Ma'am Gillian told us that we are hired and that she doesn't have time to waste other people's time.

I have a hunch that she is one cool boss.

"Sure po kayo Ma'am?" tanong ni Jessica. I want to laugh kasi napansin ko na siya iyong tipong sasabihin ang nasa isip niya, irregardless if it's appropriate to tell or not. Siya iyong transparent na tao. Napaka-inosente kaya feeling ko ay gullible rin ito.

Ma'am Gillian eyed her for a while. "Did you reckon I was joking?" sagot niya kay Jessica.

Jessica flushed an apologetic smile. "Ah—" she stuttered.

"It's just weird Ma'am, you hired us so easily," ako na ang nagsalita. Jessica can't express freely what she wants to say, siguro kung Tagalog pwede pa, but Ma'am Gillian spoke to us in English the whole time kahit na Tagalog kung kausapin siya ni Jessica.

" Ah that—" she waved her hand.

Pareho kaming naghihintay ng susunod niyang sasabihin.

"You have time to prove yourselves while on the job," walang anumang expression ang mukha niya habang sinasabi niya iyon.

"Ok girls, for your piece of mind I want to tell you that I have read a lot of books and have read a lot about companies looking for this and that everytime. What I was trying to say is companies nowadays tend to be objective in hiring. But I am my own person and I am subjective most of the time so I can say that I am different, My resto-bar is a service oriented business so I am just looking for staff who could do that job and I can see that you both have your limbs functioning, you can communicate and are physically good looking so should I complicate things?" she asked.

Iyong sinabi niya ay may basehan naman. She is practical she doesn't go with the norm.

" But—" she added after a while.

"Unless you are applying to be a manager then it requires a managerial knowledge, and everyone knows that in order to have it, it's either you have years of experience or you have a masters in managerial,"

Hindi kami umimik ni Jessica at nakatingin na lang kami sa magandang mukha ni Ma'am Gillian. She is like a porcelain doll with auburn hair.

"So if you do not have anymore questions, I want you two to be back later at about nine for your training only if you don't have appointments prior," she said while looking at her wristwatch.

"Sige po," Jessica said so Ma'am Gillian looked at me.

"Ok din po sa akin," I said at saka kami tumayong dalawa ni Jessica nang tumayo na si Ma'am Gillian kasi nagtungo na siya sa may pintuan.

"Later girls," she said kaya mabilis na kaming lumabas ni Jessica.

Pagkatungtong namin sa labas ng restaurant ay narinig ko ang malalim na buntong hininga ni Jessica.

"Hindi ako makapaniwala," she said kaya napatingin ako sa kanya.

"Na-intimidate agad ako kasi foreigner si Ma'am Gillian, mabuti na lang at kasabay kita sa interview, feeling ko saviour kita," hindi ko man maintindihan kung bakit naging saviour niya ako bigla ay pinakinggan ko pa rin siya.

"Una sa jacket, tapos sa interview, ikaw sumasagot kapag hindi ako makapag-English," she explained.

Nagkibit lang ako ng balikat sa sinabi niya. At saka naghanap ng pamasahe sa bag ko.

"Ay iyong jacket mo pala," Jessica said kaya napatingin ako sa lukot-lukot na jacket ko.

"Hindi ko na iuuwi iyan para malabhan kasi baka manakaw lang sa sampayan." she said kaya kinuha ko na lang iyon. I was mentally thinking on how I am going to wash it well later.

"Thank you Filippa," she said kaya napatingin ako sa nakangiti niyang mukha.

"Ok," I just said at naglakad na ako papalayo. Pero ramdam kong nakasunod siya sa akin. Of course iisa lang naman ang sakayan sa area, taxi lang iyong allowed pumasok.

"Hindi ka ma-kwento ano?" I heard her say. Rinig ko ang mabigat niyang yabag dahil sa sapatos niya. I know she must be hurting with her heels on pero kung ako man ang nasa sitwasyon niya ay hindi ko rin naman nanaisin na magpaa na lang. The idea of the germs that I would probably have stepping onto made me cringed.

"Magta-taxi na lang ako, hindi ko na talaga kaya!" she said kaya napahinto na naman ako para matignan siya.

"Mauna ka na," she said pero hindi ako umalis.

"Magta -taxi ka rin ba?" she asked. Wala na akong nagawa kundi ang sagutin siya.

"No," I answered.

Kumunot ang noo ni Jessica sa sinabi ko. I swear hindi ko ugaling mag-explain kung bakit ko ginagawa ang mga bagay-bagay but I need to answer her kasi maayos naman siyang magtanong.

"Eh bakit ka huminto? May sasabihin ka ba?" she asked.

"Kukunin ko lang iyong plate number ng taxi." I sighed.

"Bakit–"

Kumunot ang noo niya bago niya marealize kung bakit ko kailangan kunin iyong plate number ng sasakyan niyang taxi.

Umiling ako sa naging reaction niya. "It's my responsibility to atleast make sure your body will be recovered if the taxi you hailed turned out to be a murderer," siryosong saad ko.

Napa-sign of the cross siya sa sinabi ko. "Grabe ka naman!" she said na nanlalaki ang mga mata.

"Realistic lang! Oh, you can have this, balutin mo iyang katawan mo," bigay ko sa kanya ng jacket ko.

Mabilis niyang isinuot iyon.

Hanggang sa nakasakay siya ay hindi kami nag-imikan.

"Thank you miss suplada sa concern!" sabi niya at saka tumatawang nagseatbelt.

I literally frowned at what she said. Suplada? Does she even know what suplada mean?

Hindi ko na siya inisip pa at dumeretso na ako sa sakayan ng jeep. I was immersed in my own thoughts planning on my agenda for tomorrow. Kasi bukas ay enrolment na.

When I got home ay naligo ulit ako. I ate light dinner kasi ayaw kong mabigat ang tyan ko habang nasa trabaho. I wanted this job kasi feeling ko talaga cool iyong boss ko. Hindi siya demanding. Something that I should be grateful about lalo na at major subjects na ang aaralin ko this year.

Nagsuot ako ng all black outfit kasi iyon 'yung sinabi ni Ma'am Gillian na suotin namin ni Jessica.

Matapos akong makontento sa ayos ko ay agad na akong umalis ng apartment. Making sure I locked everything kasi ayaw ko rin namang mapasukan ng magnanakaw. Kahit wala namang nanakawin sa apartment ko, the thought that they will rummage on my things and create disorder already started to make me sweat.

Inside my pocket is a pepper spray. Gabi na. Kahit medyo safe sa lugar ng apartment ko at marami pa ring tao na pagala-gala. Hindi ako sure kung kailan ako mamalasin.

It's better to be safe than sorry.