Cactus

Lei feels so nervous but excited on her first day of training. She dressed up new clothes as a reward to her self for a new job. It is just a denim pants, muscle shirt, sports jacket and a snickers. On that day she met her twenty one co-trainees and before the day end, "Alright guys, tomorrow, another one will join.". The trainer said. But, Lei did not pay attention with that announcement. Her focus is to learn everything for her new job. On the second day, a lady came in as a second day joiner. Her name is Jade. The lady and the trainor are talking and trainer said in a loud voice, "Okay guys, there's another one who will join this wave tomorrow. Her friend." trainer said and looked at the lady who joined the second day. Some of the trainees said, "Napaka dami naman natin." But Lei doesn't care about the trainees head counts, as long as the trainer can give them knowledge about the process that they will going to do on the production area once they are taking calls, it all good to her. On the third day, the lady came with the new one. A tall and dark guy. The guy got everyone's attention. Lei said in her mind, -"Okay, pwede, maporma, maganda yung tindigan, maganda yung shoes."- And on their first break, Lei and other trainees went down to smoke some cigarette. "Bet ko yung bagong dating. And gwapo nya." Jaz said. Jaz is a trans-gender. "Hindi naman gwapo, ang itim-itim. Maganda lang sya mag dala ng damit and infairness maganda yung shoes." Ayie said. Another trans-gender. Leiy, is just smiling but, in her mind he liked him. As days passed by, they found out that Jade, the lady who joined their team on the second day and the guy who joined the third day are in a relationship and they are living together. So, the third genders on the team felt sad that the guy is no longer available for a relationship. Lei just smiled and felt sorry to her self and said to his mind -"Engk! Pass!"- The next few days, rumors came out, that there's one group talking about Lei. They give comments about Lei's personality. That Lei seems a high maintenance girl, na mag hihirap ang lalakeng magiging boyfriend nya. And other rumors are, maarte, matanda na daw sya and tinatakpan lang ng make-up yung mukha nya para maitago yung totoo nyang edad. And Lei affects a lot about those rumors. And found out that, rumors came from Jade's circle. The training days are about to end, one of Lei's friends on the team told her, "Mima, tingin ng tingin sayo si kuya Jaden, since day one nya napapansin ko na eh. Baka kaya galit na galit sayo si mamang Jade kasi nag seselos sayo kasi nakikita nya nga si kuya Jaden na laging nakatingin sayo." And Lei response "Ay weh? talaga ba? oo napapansin ko din sya na nakatingin sakin, pero hindi ko naman iniintindi kasi wala naman akong pake sa kanya eh. Tsaka iniisip ko pag nakikita ko syang nakatingin sakin eh baka ganon nalang yung pagkabwisit nya sakin." agad naman syang kinontra ni James, "Hindi mi eh. Iba eh." sambit niyo. "Ahbewan ko." sagot naman ni Lei. After few more days, their training has finally done. And they are now in the production area. Lei is now ready to take calls and assist Americans for their concerns. Nagkahiwa hiwalay na nga sila Leiy and her friends from that wave. After few months sa wireless team, nalioat sya ng ibang line of business, sa wireline. Wireless and wireline is a tele-communication service sa USA. Nalipat si Lei sa wireline kasama yung naging friend nya sa soecific team na napuntahan nya sa wireless. And that is Thea a trans-gender. And a friend from training, named Elle. Lei is very happy until she hears on name, Jaden Victorino. "Oh bakit, nag iba mukha mo Leiy?" Jerson said. TL ng bagong line of business. "Nagulat ka ba? Badtrip ka?" tanong pa nito. Tanging bad face reaction lang naitugon ni Lei. Well obviously hindi sya masaya na makasama ulit yung guy na isa sa mga nag kocomment sa kanya ng negative na jowa ni Jade na pinuno ng mga naninira sa kanya. Lumipas yung mga araw na, madalas silang magkita pero hindi sila nag papansinan, na parang bang hindi talaga magkakilala. But since they are in the same circle, nagbibiruan yung mga kateam nila na nakaharap sila, natutunan nadin nilang pansinin ang isa't isa. Then they became friends, na lagi na silang nag bibiruan, and nagkakatabi ng work station. Binibiro sila ng mga kateam nila, Lei felt awkward pag binibiro sula kasi alam nyang may girlfriend si Jaden, and yung mortal pa nyang kaaway. Until one said hiwalay na sila. And Jaden confirmed it also. Wala namang pakielam si Leiy sa kanila, lalo sa relasyon ni Jaden and Jade, but out of no where, habang nag tatrabho sila, natanong ni Leiy si Jaden, "So bakit? Anong nang-yari?" at nakwento na nga ni Jaden. Lei felt sorry for Jaden. "Sabi na nga namin ni James eh, na kinokontrol ka nya kasi mag matanda sya sayo, and hindi mag tatagal mag hihiwaly din kayo." Mas matanda si Jade ng more than 10years kay Jaden kaya naman kaya talang icontrol ni Jade si Jaden. And since mahal ni Jaden si Jade, he let Jade controlled him. Days passes by na nagkakausap si Lei and Jaden. Magkasama mag break para mag smoke. Then one day mga kasama nila eh nag bevape na. Luis told Lei "Pre mag vape ka na. Masarap yung vape, naleless na yung yosi ko dahil vape." But, Lei not convinced. Kinabukasan, Jaden approach Lei, "Leilla, masarap tong flavor na toh, strawberry cheesecake. Try mo, baka magustuhan mong mag vape pag natikman mo toh." Lei seems scared to try the vape, kasi naman pag nag tatry sya mag vape before eh nag kakasakit sya. "Dali na tikman mo na." Jaden said. "Etoh, tatry ko? okay lang?" sagot nya. "Oo nga. Wala ka naman sakit siguro diba?" pang aasar na sagot ni Jaden. At sinipsip ni Lei yung vape. "Uhm! masarap nga!" mabilis na bugkas ni Lei mataoos nyang namnamin at ibuga yung usok ng vape. "Order ka na kay Gab habang meron pa sya." sabi naman ni Jaden. At pag lipas ng mga araw, mas dumadalas ang pag sasama ni Leiy at Jaden sa pag bebreak para mag vape sa labas ng building ng opisina. One day, nung sumama si Lei na mag break, kumpleto yung tropa nila. Kumain ng pares na naka kariton sila Jaden at iba pang mga kasama nila. "Lei, hindi ka kakain?" Gab said. "Hindi, diet ako, mag bevape lang ako." mabilis na sagot ni Leiy. "Lei kumain ka na, libre kita." sabi naman ni Jaden. "Hindi nga. Mag bevape lang ako. Kumain na din aaman ako kanina eh." sagot ni Lei. "Ay oo nga pala, hindi ka nga pala kumakin ng ganito. Mga kinakain mo kasi yung sa mga mamahaling restorant at buffet noh." sambit naman ni Jaden. "Mukha mo, kumakain ako ng ganyan noh. Busog lang kasi ako." mabilis namang sagot ni Lei. "Makasama mo lang Victorino okay ka na Lei eh noh." sambit naman ni Gab. "Luh, ewan ko sayo Gab!" natatawag sagot ni Lei. Wala kay Lei yung sinabi ni Gab, pero yung sinabi ni Jaden ang napaisip sya, -"Ganun talaga tingin sakin nung Victorino na yon eh noh. Maarte, maselan, hindi kumakain ng street foods"- naiinis na sinasabi ni Lei sa sarili. Pag lipas pa ng mga araw, may dalang panindang vape ni Ara, isa din sa kaclose ni Lei and close din kay Jaden. Inalok ni Ara si Lei ng vape. "Anong flavors meron?" tanong ni Lei. Simabi ni Ara yung flavors, "Tapos may ganito din, kaya lang kasi kay Victorino na toh eh. Order nya toh." sabi ni Ara. "Patingin," Lei said. Inabot ni Ara. "Ay halah! Gusto ko toh, masarap toh." mabilis na sambit ni Lei ng mabasa nya yung flavor. "Kay Victorino nga yan." Ara said. "Wala naman sya. Absent naman eh. Kunin ko na muna yan, chat ko nalang sya." sagot ni Lei. "Luh, baka magalit yon." nag aalalang sambit ni Ara. "Hindi yon. Chachat ko na nga lang nga." confident na sagot ni Lei. Base kasi sa pagkakaalam ni Lei na ugali ni Jaden ay hindi magagalit si Jaden sa ganon lang kababaw na dahilan. So chinat na ni Lei si Jaden about the vape sa online platform na gamit nila sa office. And don na din nag start yung conversion nila na silang dalawa lang.