The Man Who Cried

Chapter 11 | Part 1

[ALI]

“GOOD LUCK to your first day at work,” I told Simon who was just grimacing before entering the building. Of course, he looked nervous. Aside from it is his first day, he does not have any idea what job did he take yet. I mean, I just offered him an entirely new job to him without him knowing. He would not take it if he can’t do it. Just few days and he can master that, I know. “First off, I would introduce you to the marketing team members para kilala ka nila. I would also discuss about something inside our team’s office and yeah, I will start your training from the scratch.”

“Okay,” aniya. He forced a smile on his face to come out but it did not come out nice. He nodded awkwardly after. “Ready na ako ngayon. Tara, Sir Ali?”

I smiled. I can’t pat his head now since we are inside the company already. They’ll make an issue about us for sure. “Tara,” I muttered. Actually, this decision was risky for me, for sure, because I was the one who was this unexplainable attraction towards him but I did it to see him always. This decision might be good at some point but risky for me, for sure. “Let’s go straight at the team’s office first. You will be seeing the team leader and the members inside the room. You just stay beside me, since I have no formal commands and request yet.”

He nodded and smiled at me. “Okay po, Sir Ali…”

We walked directly to the office of the marketing team. We just came into the scene while they are all roughly typing at their laptops and scanning through the files. “Good morning,” I muttered. They all grimaced upon me entering but the team leader smiled. I never looked at him like I never saw him. After all, he’s just a shadow to me. I saw the girls of the marketing team smiled upon seeing Simon entering the office with a smile. I mean, I would admit. He really looked so good at that fit. “Good morning.”

They all stood up and bowed in front of me. “Good morning, sir.”

“Sit down,” I told them all which they all followed. I can notice that all their eyes are laid onto Simon so I cleared my throat to get their attention. “I always come here every morning so I think you know my agenda of coming here, right? I came here again today to remind you of your monthly reports of progress in sales of our company. My dad also told me to assign one of you to send a report of stocks and investment, but I guess, your team leader can do that job.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Bakit ako, sir?”

“Experience is the best teacher and you’re the employee in this team with the longest experience not just in this company but on all the company that you have worked your ass from,” I told him. Wala naman na siyang nagawa kung hindi ang tumango sa ‘kin at gawin kung anong sinabi kong gawin niya. “So yeah, all the reports must be passed to me on twenty-fifth of the month, kasali do’n ang reports ng stocks and investment. Use your time wisely.”

“But sir,” a girl team member muttered. “We are lacking in time doing all these reports and may dagdag pa. We only have less than fifteen days to prepare these reports before passing it to you. We might not make it. Can we ask for an extension, sir?”

“Don’t you think it’s too cruel for me, as well? I have to check your reports, as the manager of this team. With so many files left to me and these another sets of reports, I will take time, as well. Hindi lang kayo ang nahihrapan dito,” I told them all. They all remained silent while listening all my statements that I am telling them. “I will not change my mind, everybody. I want your reports done on or before the deadline. I will not give any extension and will give no mercy. I have to do this to make my time as well.”

“Yes po,” they all muttered. Napatingin kay Simon ang isang babae. “Who is him, sir?”

I looked at Simon who was taken aback upon that girl asking who is him. “This is Simon Almonte,” I muttered before letting him talk. I can see that he’s too nervous to talk so I did it for him. “I let him in here because he’s my new assistant manager. My work is fully loaded and I thought I must need someone to help me with all these stressful job. He will be working under our team, which is marketing, as well.” I looked at Simon who was just silently observing all of us. “Can I ask you to get the sticky note posted on my table sa office ko, Simon?”

He was shocked, at first but he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He walked through the door and walked to my office directly. “Ang pogi naman ng new assistant manager mo, sir,” ani ng isang babae na team member namin. “Single ba siya? Ready to mingle ba, sir?”

“I will just say it once here,” I initiated a statement. “Yes, Simon is single but I don’t permit you all to start acting like you wanted him as yours.” I looked at the team leader who was just plainly staring at me. “H’wag na h’wag ko lang mabalitaan na may kahit na sino sa inyo na may balak landiin si Simon. I am willing to fire anyone who comes close to him.”

Natahimik silang lahat. “Yes, sir.” Napayuko na lang ang iba sa kanila.

Bumukas ang pinto at iniluwal nito si Simon, bitbit niya ang sticky note na pinakuha ko sa kaniya. “Thank you for this,” I told Simon before receiving the sticky note from his hand. “Everything that we talked about is here. I will just leave this sticky note behind. That’s it for me. Thank you all.”

Lumabas ako habang sinundan lang ako ni Simon palabas ng opisina. “Sir…”

“Don’t worry about them. Ganito talaga sa business na ‘to. If you’re not strict, they would not want to do everything you are telling them to do,” I muttered. He just looked plainly at me, like he did not get the answer he wanted to hear. “Anyway, why did you call me? You want to ask me a question?”

“Ah, wala, sir. Nakalimutan ko na rin…” aniya. Natawa ako nang bahagya. “Pero may isa akong tanong na dumating lang sa utak ko. Kailangan po bang magsalita ng English dito?”

I smiled. “Not necessary naman, you can talk in whatever language you are comfortable of using,” I muttered. “But yeah, I admit, using English can help too, lalo na when talking to an international investors and visitors. But if you are not comfortable, you can just continue on talking using Filipino.”

“Nakaabot naman ako ng high school kaya may kaunting kaalaman rin ako sa English kahit papaano,” sagot niya. Ngumiti lang ako sa kaniya. The fact that he’s striving to blend in the type of people in this kind of business should be applauded. “Pero hindi pa ako masiyadong magaling kaya mag-aaral pa ako para kahit papaano, makapagsalita ako ng English dire-diretso.”

“I would appreciate you doing that,” I told him. Lumiko ako sa kaliwang lane.

“Sir,” he muttered. Does he have another question again? “Nasa kanan ‘yong office mo. Maling lane ata ‘yong pinupuntahan natin.”

“Yeah, I know,” I muttered and giggled a bit. “Do you think hindi ko alam kung nasaan ang office ko?” I saw him looking flustered. “We’re going to somewhere might be helpful for you, Simon. We are going somewhere where the work will start.”

I opened the door of the last office on the left lane. “Anong lugar ‘to, sir?”

“This is the place where they print their documents and reports, lalo na kung may emergency like nasira ang printer nila sa office and like that. Nandito rin ang photocopy machines that might be helpful for those employees who needed their documents be photocopied or those who wanted or needed to have a lot of copies,” sabi ko sa kaniya. Tumango-tango lang siya sa ‘kin. “Kadalasan kasi sa mga assistant managers, nagiging assistant na rin ng teams. Don’t complain about that. It is natural. You have to learn how these things works, lalo na kapag nasa rush hour or malapit sa deadline. Asahan mo nang uutusan ka nila as someone who has not that much work.”