The Man Who Cried

Chapter 7 | Part 1

[ALI]

EVERYTHING THAT happens surprises me up until now. “P’wede ko bang kunin ngayon?” Simon was talking about the job that I offered him. I thought he was thinking I said it just because of awe but why is he taking it all of a sudden today? ‘Yon nga lang na tinawagan ako ni Evan para sabihan na gusto akong kausapin ni Simon, it surprises me already and everything else that follows still surprises me as well. “Pasensiya na pala sa abala.”

“No… hindi ka abala sa ‘kin,” sagot ko sa kaniya habang iwinawagayway ang aking mga kamay. Simon never is an interruption to me. I would honestly pay just to see him and his face every day. “If you will not mind, can I ask why all of a sudden you want to get the job? I mean, it was just a surprise to me. I never thought you’d thought of meeting me to tell me that you wanted the job.”

Natahimik siya saglit. “Hindi kasi kami nababayaran nang tama do’n sa pinagtatrabahuhan ko ngayon. Parang hindi naman naming deserve ‘yong pasahod na ibinibigay nila. Kahit na ganito lang kami, walang natapos, hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit gano’n na lang nila kami ituring.” No one deserves a low pay in exchange of a great service. And, no one should treat Simon like this. I’m glad he wanted to find another job pamalit do’n sa dati niyang trabaho. I’m glad he realized it. “At saka, may sakit ang nanay. Baka kailanganin daw ng maraming pera sa mga procedures na kailangan para sa paggaling niya. Kaya heto ako ngayon, naghahanap ng trabaho pero wala namang may gustong papasukin ako dahil hindi naman ako nakapagtapos ng college. Naisip ko bigla ‘yong sinabi mo sa ‘kin sa last day ng burol ni Tatang Ruben. Desperado na kasi talaga ako na maghanap ng pera, para may madudukot ako kung sakaling may mangyari man na emergency.”

Napatango ako. He was desperate of finding a better, stable job for his family. “Ah,” sagot ko sa kaniya. I actually told him that because I was trying to comfort him. Now that he looked at that seriously, I have to make my words come true as well. Ayoko maging talkshit lalong-lalo na kay Simon. I would have a bad image on him if I don’t do my words. “Nakapagtapos ka naman ng high school, ‘di ba, Simon?”

Napatango siya. “Nakapagtapos naman ako ng high school kahit papaano, Ali,” sagot niya sa ‘kin. Actually, nakuwento niya na ‘to sa ‘kin kaya alam ko. “Magc-college na sana ako, kasama ni Evan, pero hindi natuloy kasi madaming gastusin. Dahil do’n, nag-stop ako at nagtrabaho na lang.”

Tumango na lang rin ako. I have ways on how to make my promises real, don’t worry, Simon. I’ll find you a stable job inside my dad’s company. I’ll make it work. “Give me your number,” sabi ko sa kaniya at ibinigay ang aking phone. While he was putting his phone number on my phone, I continued my talk. “Tatawagan kita ulit kapag out for interview ka na. Do not worry about this, I will find you a job, Simon…”

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“WHAT’S WITH the sudden change of mind, Mr. Sonata?” my dad asked me. We are inside his office so he was talking at me formally. “Parang kailan lang, you always oppose me of asking you to inherit my position, in exchange to a higher position. Now that we are talking about this today, you are pushing yourself to get the position. May I know what’s the reason behind of your sudden change of mind?”

“May I refuse to answer that, Mr. Sonata?” I replied. It really bothers me how we are calling each other misters of our own surnames, when we carry the same surname. “I just thought of it and realized it was really a good offer from you. It was wrong of me to suspect you of having another reason of giving me that offer other than wanting the best for me, thy son.”

“Looks like something hit your head and made you realize that…” he muttered. It was just us, the father and son, sarcastically talking to each other, in English. “Nonetheless, whatever hit your head, I shall give a thanks to him.”

I heaved a deep sigh before I faked a smile. “So, is it a yes or a no?” I asked him, asking for the answer of the thing I asked him just minutes ago. “I would not want to hear a no from you, Mr. Sonata. Remember that it was you who was pushing me to grab that great offer from you.”

He sat down on his chair and faces me with his fingers intertwined. “How can I answer that vague question, Mr. Sonata?” he retorted. What’s vague with asking him to give me the higher position of a job, in exchange to me inheriting his seat inside the company? “Give me your deal. You look like a newbie inside this business, Mr. Sonata. You are asking me to promote you to a higher position… what was the position?”

‘Yon pala ang hinihingi niya. “A position higher than the team leader and can admit anyone to work inside the company,” sagot ko sa kaniya. After all, it was my sole reason to ask this favor to my dad, to ask for a position na kayang ipasok si Simon sa loob ng kompaniya. “Is there such a position?”

“Something like a manager, huh?” tanong niya sa ‘kin. Why does he kept on asking me when I do not know anything? But if that’s my desired job, then it is. Period. “I actually thought you will want a position in the board executives as a starter job in this company. Who would have thought you’d want a position whose job is to admit people inside the company?”

“Is it higher than the marketing team leader’s position?” I asked, he nodded. “Then it is fine for me already. Just higher than that shitty team leader already pleasures me. Just so you thought that I would ask something or a lot higher than that.”

He laughed. “Who knows you’d be some clever like your father as well?” he replied. He’s clever? At what point? “You know, Ali, since you are a newbie in this industry, I will tell you some tip. Kapag binibigyan ka ng offer, get the highest offer you can get. Do not just stick to what’s your purpose and get something you think you deserve. I actually am starting to think which board representative to remove for you to replace him but your choice shocked me after.”

“And what if I wanted myself as just a manager and not something higher, what would you do about that, dad?” I asked him. Pasalamat nga siya, sinusunod ko ang kung anong sinasabi niyang gawin ko ngayon, e. He really is ungrateful at all. “Ang gusto ko, dad, ay ‘yong position na may tungkulin na about sa sinabi kong purpose. Being a board representative does not do any job like that. What I wanted was to admit applicants on my own and see that f*****g team leader under my seat.”

“Language, Ali. Be careful of your words whenever you’re here inside my office, talking to me. I would not want to hear you curse even if it’s somebody getting the swear and not me,” he replied. I already am f*****g twenty-five years old, so I can f*****g swear any f*****g where and any f*****g time I can, dad. However, that was just swearing inside my head because he’ll f*****g scold me once he hears me swear again. “Are you sure that you would just want your desired position and not the one that I am offering you, Ali? Just one word and we’ll set this immediately.”

“I am sure of what I want, dad,” sagot ko sa kaniya. If that’s the only way I can let Simon in this company, then I am sure of that already. Wala nang dalawang-isip pa. Will I regret about this choice later, then it is my problem? “I’m sure of becoming your company’s marketing team manager, dad. Ngayong sure na ako, approval mo na lang ang kulang. Will I not be able to become one or you will not let me be one?”

He heaved a deep sigh. “You already know that it was my offer for you and there’s no way I will disapprove that, that would make me dirty.” I gave him a smile. “But you have to abide some rules and regulations to become one. This offer for you can let you do your jobs as the manager but also, lets me have the power to give you the seat whenever I retire. That is my deal in exchange of that, in the first place.”

“I never forgot about it, dad. P’wede mo na ngang simulan linisan ang upuan mo para ready na kung sakali man na mag-retire ka na,” biro ko pa sa kaniya. I actually do not want to be the next CEO of this company, but I will, since it is the only way I can become a manager and can freely let Simon work under the company. Look how far I am going just for Simon’s sake. “No jokes ahead, I will inherit your position, if that is what you want, dad… in exchange of this. Now, I hope our deal is clear on this.”