15. Smarter
1206 Words
LYRA
Hindi ko na alam kung ano pa bang sasabihin ko.
Nagsisimula pa lang pero...
“You underestimated me.”
Ang linaw pa rin ng boses niya sa utak ko.
Gusto kong sumagot.
Pero wala akong maibato pabalik.
He already knew.
“Ano?” tanong niya nang hindi ako nagsalita.
“Wala ka nang maidahilan?”
Napairap ako sa kayabangan niya.
“Ang yabang mo!” Inis kong sambit.
“Hindi ako mayabang,” sagot niya agad.
“Mas smart lang talaga ako sa'yo." Dagdag wika niya habang nakangisi.
Tumigas ang panga ko pero hindi ako umatras.
Lumayo siya ng kaunti, inayos ang cuff ng polo niya.
Nanatili siyang calm habang ginagawa iyon.
Ang kapal talaga! Parang meeting lang ang pinuntahan at hindi confrontation.
“Anyway,” sabi niya, parang casual lang, “you start on Monday.”
Napatingin ako sa kanya. “Excuse me?”
“Monday. Eight AM. Main office, kaya ka nga nagpaparty ngayon dito, 'di ba, cause you're celebrating about you NEW JOB!" Paglilinaw niya.
May diin pa sa pagkakasabi niya ng NEW JOB.
Fvck him!
Naintindihan ko naman, it's just after ma-exposed ni Vera. This is a disaster, umpisa pa lang ay nagkabukingan na.
Kailanman ay hindi ko pinangarap na maging isang hamak na empleyado lang. My life was not supposed to be like this.
I clenched my fists.
“Ayoko na, hindi na ko pumapayag. I changed my mind.”
“You will work for me, whether you like it or not.”
Flat. Final. Sounds authoritative. Boss na boss ang pagkakasabi.
Kung makapagsalita siya para bang isa lang akong bagay na kayang niyang kontrolin. Para may hawak siyang remote at isang pindot lang ay mapapasunod na niya ako, and I bet ang una niyang gagawin ay ang i-mute ako.
“You don’t decide for me.”
“Hindi,” sagot niya. “Pero alam mo sa sarili mo na kailangan mo ng trabaho.”
His eyes scanned the room.
“And I doubt your friend will let you stay here forever."
"Wala ka ng pakialam du'n, problema ko na 'yon!"
"But you wanted a share."
Bigla naman ako napatahimik sa sinabi niya.
That was one of my conditions, pero hindi pa malinaw kung pumapayag na siya na bibigyan niya ko ng share.
“Don’t pretend,” dagdag niya. “You asked for equity.”
I lifted my chin.
“Yes. I want a share in the company.”
Diretso. Walang paligoy-ligoy.
He didn’t react.
“Half,” dagdag ko.
That made him look at me fully.
“You’re not even employed yet.”
“Hindi ko kailangan maging empleyado dahil anak ako ng founder.”
His jaw tightened.
“And the mansion,” dagdag ko pa. “I want it back.”
That is my condition if he wants me to work for his company: an equity share and the mansion.
Now he smiled.
Pero hindi umabot sa mata.
“You’re demanding assets you didn’t build.”
“I grew up in that house, and that mansion is mine,” sagot ko.
“It was collateral, and you grew up in states, remember?” he corrected me.
His voice remains calm.
“Whatever, basta, I want that house." Pagmamatigas ko.
Ayoko ng condo na ibinibigay niya, kahit hindi ko pa man nakikita ay paniguradong sobrang liit lang nu'n dahil it's only a one bedroom unit, kasing liit lang siguro ng tinitirahan ni Vera.
The air shifted.
Cold.
“You’re in no position to negotiate, Miss Dominguez.”
“Then why are you still here, Uncle Silas?” I shot back.
Silence.
He stepped closer.
“You want equity?” he said quietly.
“Earn it.”
“I’m not asking for a salary raise."
“Good. Because I’m not giving you ownership out of guilt.”
I folded my arms.
“So that’s it? I work under you while you enjoy everything my father built?”
His eyes darkened.
“For a hundred times, I will say, and I will say it again, until you understand. Lyra, I didn’t steal from your father.”
Yeah, he said it a few times pero hindi pa rin ako naniniwala sa mga sinasabi niya.
“You benefited.”
“And you think I didn’t sacrifice?”
We stared at each other.
Parehong hindi aatras.
He walked toward the door and opened it. Bumalik ang ingay ng party.
Huminto siya bago tuluyang lumabas.
“Listen carefully.”
I crossed my arms tighter.
“Pagdating mo sa office, this ends.”
“Ends what?”
“This.”
He gestured between us.
“You report to me. Directly. No games. No manipulation. No emotional leverage.”
“And my share?” tanong ko.
Hindi pa rin kasi malinaw kung talagang ibibigay niya.
“If you prove you’re capable, we’ll talk equity.”
“And the mansion?”
“Earn back what your father risked.”
That stung.
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you stay exactly where you are.”
Walang galit. Walang pananakot.
Mas mabigat kasi totoo.
My original plan was to seduce him, manipulate him, to control him pero wala, I failed, and it sùcks.
Masakit man isipin pero talagang ganito na siguro ang magiging buhay ko. I'm a poor person now, and how can I live my life like that!
Sa buong buhay ko hindi ko pa naranasan magtrabaho, and the worst part is siya pa ang magiging boss ko.
“One more thing,” dagdag niya.
Matanda na talaga dahil kanina pa siya dapat umalis pero hanggang ngayon ay nasa pinto pa rin siya, parang may subscription.
Napairap ako. “Ano pa?”
“Stop calling me Uncle.”
Talaga bang hindi pa niya nile-let go ang issue na yan, pwes since nag-failed naman ako sa plano ko e, hindi ako titigil sa pagtawag sa kanya ng uncle.
"Noted, uncle." Nakangising kong sabi like I was challenging him.
Nag-failed man ako sa plano kong i-seduce siya, eh painitin ko na lang lagi ang ulo niya since he's trying to control my life na hindi naman malinaw kung ibibigay ba niya ang lahat ng demands ko.
He shook his head, pero nakangisi pa rin siya.
"You don't want to stop because clearly you want me to kiss you more. I'll see you on Monday, Lyra." sabi niya bago niya tuluyang isara ang pinto
Lumabas na siya at naiwan akong mag-isa na nakatayo lang sa gitna ng kwarto.
Gusto ko ng share.
Gusto ko ng mansion.
Gusto ko mabawi ang lahat.
Pero ngayon ko lang na-realize na hindi ito simpleng laban sa pera.
It’s a fight for control.
And he’s not giving me anything for free.
Uncle Silas is a smart man, smarter than me.
Naglakad ako palapit sa full size mirror na nandito sa loob ng kwarto.
Pinagmasdan ko ang aking sarili.
Nabigo man ang una kong plano. Natalo man ako ngayong gabi ay masasabi ko na hindi pa rin naman tapos ang laban.
Masyado pang maaga para sumuko agad.
Sabi nga try and try until you succeed and the most famous filipino kasabihan na pwede kong i-apply kay Uncle Silas ay...
Matalino man ang matsing ay maiisahan din, kaya humanda ka Uncle Silas dahil hindi pa tayo tapos.
- Writer
