Kabanata 2
1120 Words
Even when morning came, she was still in awe. Hindi niya akalain na hindi nasayang ang mahigit dalawang oras na pag-uusap nila ng matandang hukluban na iyon. She couldn’t believe that she got hired again! That means she can have a stable income while doing her passion.
She won’t be broke.
Sa totoo lang ay hindi niya iyon inaasahan. She stopped hoping a long time ago, maybe after a week since the mayor’s daughter took her place. The woman has the power to manipulate everyone in a blink of an eye. Just give them money and they would do anything she wanted like a fool servant.
Sayang nga at hindi niya natanong ang Editor in Chief kung bakit bigla na lang siya nito tinanggap muli.
Pero hindi na iyon importante sa kaniya. What matters to her now was she got the job.
But there was one thing that the old man forgot to tell her.
“God... Anong task naman kaya ang ibibigay niya sa akin? He didn’t even tell me...”
Sa haba ng pag-uusap nila ay wala man lang ito nabanggit. He just kept on justifying the mistake he did to her; firing her. Hindi naman siya nakahanap ng tiempo dahil sa kadaldalan nito.
Isa pa, masyado siyang masaya kagabi para isingit pa iyon. She was too overwhelmed that she didn’t even get what the chief has told her. Ni isa nga ay wala siyang maalala bukod sa nakabalik ulit siya sa kaniyang trabaho!
Malaki ang ngiti na pumasok siya sa coffee shop na ilang buwan din niyang pinagtyagaan. Her co-workers were great, yes. The coffee and deserts, too.
But not the manager.
Now that it was her last day as a barista, she thought of going to work late. At nakaabang na nga ang mataray niyang manager.
“Andrea! Huli ka na naman! Ito na ang pangalawang beses na pumasok ka ng wala sa oras sa loob ng tatlong buwan!”
Andrea mentally rolled her eyes. She was late before because of an emergency. Kinailangan niyang itakbo ang alagang pusa sa vet na kalaunan ay namatay rin dahil sa inpeksiyon.
Imagine her heartbreak that day. Yet this heartless woman didn’t understand her situation or felt a bit of remorse as she cried because she lost the dear Persian cat that was given to her by a friend.
She was grieving.
However, her manager was too cold enough to deduct her salary. It was a penalty of the one-hundred peso, but she can literally buy one kilo of rice with that amount of money!
Dalawang araw na kainan din iyon para sa kaniya.
She let out a fake smile. “Pasensiya na po, Manager Yoo. Hindi ko lang napansin ang oras,” asar niya rito.
Hindi niya maiwasan na umismid nang umirap ito sa kaniya. Mabuti at nasa likod siya dumaan kung hindi, mai-skandalo siya panigurado!
“Maraming customers sa loob. Tulungan mo roon si Lin at huwag!” Itinuro nito ang daliri sa kaniya. “Huwag na huwag kang mahuhuli sa susunod, Andrea. Alam mo ang mangyayari.”
“As if my susunod pa...” bulong niya sa sarili nang tumalikod na ang matrona.
Mabilis siyang kumilos at dinaluhan si Lin na naging kaibigan na rin niya sa tatlong buwan na lumipas. They both work as baristas in the coffee shop. One won’t do it because their coffees were honestly one of the best!
Palagi rin itong dinadayo. Although the main job of Andrea was to design the caffe, yet with the volume of orders, her hands go numb every time.
“Andrea, pakiabot na lang ‘to sa VIP table. Number six...” pakiusap ni Lin.
Walang tanong na inabot niya ang tray at maingat na binagtas ang daan patungo sa nasabing table.
Without looking, she smiled as she placed the coffee.
“Here’s your order, sir! An Americano Black Coffee and...”
She shivered as the wind blows. Andrea had to tuck the stubborn baby hair back to its place. Ilang beses pa siya roon napapikit dahil sa hangin na muling humampas.
When she raised her head to acknowledge the customer, everything appeared to move in slow motion.
JULIAN LET out an audible cuss as he stood up, swiftly wiping his pants. Sa bawat paghaplos ng kaniyang kamay sa nabasang pantalon ay ang mahihina niyang halingling.
“It was f ucking hot!”
He glared at the woman who bit her finger as she stared at the mug that was now empty due to the spilled coffee. Umusbong ang irita sa kaniyang mukha. Nagsisimula pa lang ang araw niya pero heto’t sira na dahil sa kapalpakan ng babae!
“Omg... Sorry, sorry! Hindi ko sinasadya...” Naiiyak na sambit nito. “Hindi ko sinasadya. Sorry, sorry...”
Julian shut his eyes closed. Pakiramdam niya ay napaknit ang kaniyang balat sa init! His jaw clenched thinking of what it might do to his future.
Pati ang kaniyang kinabukasan ay nadamay sa init. Dagdag na rin ang kaniyang ulo!
Mas lalo yata ito nadagdagan nang mabilis kumuha ang babae ng tisyu sa bulsa ng apron nito, at walang sabi na pinunasan ang kaniyang pantalon.
Na sumakto sa kaniyang...
He promptly opened his eyes when she felt her hands there. Napangiwi siya.
“F u ck... Stop! Stop, Miss! I don’t need your damn help,” masungit niyang sambit dito.
Mahigpit niyang hinawakan ang palapulsuhan nito.
“Pasensiya na, sir. Hindi ko naman sinasadya na masagi ang kape niyo, at matapunan ka...” Kinagat nito ang ibabang labi.
His brows shot up, staring at the woman whose eyes were emphatically closed.
“Hindi sinasadya?”
Slowly, her eyes opened. A hint of recognition crossed her face. Julian was amused as he leered at her face; confused, surprised, and embarrassed all in one in her Asian face.
“Wait...” She blinked twice. “You are... You are...”
He let go of her wrist and smirked, then put his hand inside his pocket. Julian was pissed at what happened. But it was amazing how this woman in front of her changed emotions.
Her eyes were wide open as she leered at him, unable to talk. Even though her mouth was open, she can’t seem to think of words to say.
Slowly, he closed her mouth.
“Stop ogling, Ms...” he said.
Julian took a small piece of paper from his pocket, then slid it inside her apron’s fiscal.
He has never been interested in women. But the brisk emotions in her eyes caught him.
He gazed at her name tag. “Andrea...”
- Writer
