The Man Who Cried

Chapter 2 | Part 2

Napatigil ako. Tinignan ko ang nagbigay ng sticky note, ang terror na team leader ng marketing team. "Ano pong gagawin ko dito?" Tinignan niya lang ako ng matalim na hindi ko na lang binigyan ng pakialam.

"Read the instructions," tipid niyang wika. I mean, it’s natural to read what’s written but can’t he just tell it directly to me? "Marunong ka namang magbasa, hindi ba?"

Napatango na lang ako pero deep inside nawawalan na ako ng pasensiya. "Five macchiatos and four americanos," I read it aloud. So, they want me to go fetch these beverages for them? Si Dad nga hindi ako mautusan kahit maghugas ng sarili kong pinggan tapos… never mind. "I'll get it po. I'll be right back."

Tumakbo ako palabas ng kompaniya. Palibhasa, hindi mahahanap 'to sa cafeteria ng kompaniya. Why would they find such things na imposible mahanap sa loob ng kompaniya? And why am I asking if they really are just doing the ‘jobs’ my dad told them to do… and that is to train me… in shorter words, to make me suffer.

Ang tagal ng driver ko. I looked at my wristwatch and saw that time is running really fast. Wala na akong choice but to run fast to get into the café. Kapag late ako, for sure na mapapagalitan ako ng mga taong ‘yon. Takot ko na lang na isumbong nila ako kay dad dahil lang dito.

Fortunately, I reached the café in no time. Ang kaso lamang ay maraming tao pa ang nakapila. I looked at my watch and monitored the time. "Can't they do the coffees any quicker? My time is running. Mapapagalitan ako ng team leader nito, e."

Inside the café where I am in line, there cried a young boy. Umiiyak siya na tila nawawala ang magulang niya. Mukha ngang nawawala siya. Kumalas ako sa linya at kaagad siyang pinuntahan. I caressed his head and asked him what problem he has. He looks awful while crying, why isn’t anyone comforting here? "Why are you crying?"

"I can't find my Mom," he wailed as he looked at me with worried face. He cannot find his mom, that’s the problem. Some people may think this as a lousy reason to cry but for a young boy, his mom is his precious. "Mom is missing."

At that time, kaagad na nagbago ang ekspresiyon ng aking mukha. He may be losing his mom in a short period of time but being away from a mother's embrace hurts the most. How do I know? Experience. "Saan ba siya nagpunta?"

"Ewan po," he replied. Pahikbi-hikbi pa siyang sumisinghot. At that moment, I was just stopping my tears from flowing and acted strong in front of the kid. It may be his tears that is contagious of what… I do not want to explain more. "I was just eating my cake and I never saw her again."

"Wala ba siyang sinabi?" tanong ko. "Baka nagpaalam siya na aalis."

"She said something before she left, but I wasn't able to hear it kasi hawak ko po ang cellphone ko."

"Ahh," I said with a gaped mouth open. I just pat his head again and again while he was crying. There are visibly two cakes left on the table so maybe the mom was just inside the café. "Let's wait for her. Baka babalik lang naman siya."

Biglang may sumigaw na babae sa loob ng café. "Chota," the woman in her early 30's shouted. Nilingon ko lang ang kung sinong sumigaw. "Where are you?"

Lumingon ang bata at kaagad na tumakbo papunta sa kaniyang ina. I'm glad he did not lose his mother. "Mom!"

Tumayo na lang ako bago ngumiti sa ina ng bata na nakatingin sa 'kin. The mother looked at him and caressed him after as if they nagkalayo sila ng matagal. Baka nagkasalisihan silang dalawa sa loob ng café dahil kung saan-saan nagpunta ang bata. "I saw you holding my son kanina."

"Yep," I replied. "Wala naman po akong ginawang masama. I was just guiding him kasi nawawala daw po ang mama niya."

"I just went to the comfort room ta's pagbalik ko wala na siya sa upuan niya. Muntik na akong mag-panic." She then rubbed his boy's tears. "Thank you for looking after my kid."

"No worries," I replied before looking at the boy. "Muntik mo nang mawala ang mama mo because you're not listening to her. Sa sunod, when she's saying something, listen to her, okay? Cherish her until you can."

The boy looked at me with a smile. "Okay po."

I looked at my wristwatch. "Oh, s**t," I cussed. Kaagad akong pumunta sa counter at nag-order. "Mapapagalitan ako ng team leader naming, e."

"Here's your order, sir." Pagkatapos kong kumuha ng order ay kaagad akong tumakbo patungo sa office. Ihahanda ko na ang tainga ko sa mahaba-habang sermon na nag-aabang sa ‘kin ro’n.

Pagbukas ko ng pinto ay walang tao do'n. That's weird. Where did they go? "Sa'n na sila?" tanong ko sa sarili ko. I put the beverages at the table and sat on my chair.

Nahagip ng mata ko ang maliit na sticky note na nakadikit sa laptop ko. "They're away to meet someone tapos hindi man lang ako hinintay?" I heaved a deep sigh. "And they want me to clean the office for their f*****g sake? What the hell?"

This is literally my first day here and they are already treating me like a trash. I do not want to put on any drama on this but I just cannot stop myself from being angry. Madly, I went out of the office and took my way to my dad's office. There, he was talking with someone and looks like they are talking about something important. "Oh, I'm sorry. Babalik na lang ako."

"No need already," my dad replied. I saw the one he is talking with stood up and packed his things up. "Sakto naman na kakatapos lang namin. Do you have agenda, Mr. Sonata?"

I loosen my neck tie and shoved my sleeves up. "Dad, what game are my team playing? Inutusan nila akong bumili ng kape nila tapos pagbalik ko, wala na sila? They even commanded me to clean the office for them? I thought you told them to train me hard and not to treat me like a trash."

"Well, Mr. Sonata, I'm not your father now. I'm your boss, speak with manners." He stood up and went in front of me. "And, lahat ng trainees dumadaan sa ganiyan. That’s how we address the word ‘strict’, and if you’re against that, do your job well for them not to treat you trashy. A trashy kind of work that you do equals to a trashy treatment to you here. Do you agree with me? Kapag basura talaga ang ipinapakita mo sa kanila, basurang trato rin ipapalit nila sa ‘yo. But believe me, marami akong empleyado na nag-improve dahil sa gan’yang palakad. Keep that in mind."

"But I did not apply for a janitorial position to clean for them," I complained once again. "I applied for a spot in the marketing team, dad. Para saan pang nag-graduate ako ng marketing as c*m laude kung aalilain lang nila ako sa kompaniya na pag-aari pa ng sarili kong dad? I am not boasting now but I think I do not deserve this kind of treatment."

"Mr. Sonata, that's how life goes," he replied with a calm tone. I really cannot keep up with him. I can’t vibe with him. I miss my mom. "May mahihirap na steps talaga. Or I can make you higher than your team leader in one snap."

"Para sa anong kapalit?" He just smiled at me mischievously. I knew it, may binabalak 'to. Every good thing that I want to hear from him must come with a consequence. "I said what I said, dad. Ayaw kong manahin ang kompaniya mo. I already took the course that you want me to take and now, you're commanding me once again to do what you wanted me to do?"

"Sabi mo kasi nahihirapan ka na as a trainee, I'm doing things easier for you, my son." He said, emphasizing the phrase ‘my son’. Why is he really like this? "Pag-isipan mo 'yan nang maigi, Ali. I am doing this for you to agree of being the inheritor of the company, as you already are. Ikaw lang naman ang nag-iisa kong anak. You can be a regular employee, even higher than your team leader's position if you agree on becoming the next CEO of the company. At that deal, wala nang aalila sa ‘yo hindi lang sa office ninyo kung hindi pati sa buong kompanya. I guess that's a good deal already, son..."