Elesa

Chapter 14

Sa isang tingin lang ng chairwoman ay mabilis na pinapunta ng branch officers ang kanilang mga empleyado sa conference room after closing the store temporarily for an emergency meeting.

I think kahit hindi nila totally gets nireklamo ng friend ko ay obvious na obvious naman ang main problem namin judging by the status of her gender and our clothes.

Discrimination and subpar customer service to say the least.

Naiwan lang na kaharap namin ay ang obviously ay napahiyang chairwoman at kasama niyang inspector na Pilipino na mabilis kaming inasikaso at nagpa-order ng mamahaling pastries at coffee sa isang high-end cafe dito sa BGC.

“If you will allow me, ladies, I would like everything to start all over again. Please, choose which car would you prefer to grace your parking lot and I will personally see to it that what you will experience is the “real” Lamborghini hospitality which everyone is treated like V.I.P once they stepped inside our stores.”

Nagkatinginan kami ni baks bago sumunod sa big boss na naglakad na pabalik sa showroom para i-assist kami personally herself.

“What we have available now are Aventador, Huracan, and the Urus,” she said excitedly as she tapped each car we walked pass by proudly, “All made with only the best and finest materials, I assure you two so whicever you pick, it will absolutely meet your high standards, ladies.”

Napabuntong-hininga in relief naman si Caileane sa nakinig at ngumiti na finally, “Kung ganito lang ba ang pakitungo sa atin una pa lang hakbang natin ay disin-sana ay kanina pa tayo may bagong kotse, sis.”

“Kaya nga, baks. Pero let’s look at the silver lining, at least now na-aassist na tayo ng matino,” masayang sagot ko dito na nagpangiti naman ng matamis sa chairwoman ng makinig niya ang aming usapan bago ko ituro ang Urus sa tabi niya, “Iyan pong kotse na katabi ninyo, Madame Chairwoman.”

Nagtaas ng kilay ito sa aking choice at nagulat, “Are you sure, darling? This is specifically built for a family man or woman. Forgive me but you don’t look like a married girl.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you. Pero gusto ko po talaga iyan kasi hindi gaya nung ibang models, malaki ang compartment niya at very spacious. Tamang-tama sa aking bulk buying ng mga groceries and whatnot.”

Tumango naman ang kasama ko sabay kindat sa big boss, “Siya madamdamin ung tipo ng tao na akala mo tatlong pamilya ang sustentuhin kung makapamili so perfect iyan sa gaya niyang may pagka-ocd sa shopping pag nakatapak sa malls at palengke once a month.”

“Oh, I see. Well, if that’s the case then an absolutely smart choice, my dear. Now, which color and accent do you prefer for your Urus?”

“Black color and orange accent, Madame Chairwoman.”

Lumapit bigla ang inspector na nakatingin sa iPad niya at umiling bago bumulong dito.

“It’s not available, you say? Then tell our warehouse to make it so. If we don’t deliver their car today then I don’t think these ladies will leave our store with a smile on their faces,” seryosong utos nito na nagpatango naman agad sa kaniyang kasama at nagsimula nang tumawag sa mga tauhan para iutos na dalhin ang inorder na model at color ng napili kong sasakyan dito as soon as possible, “Now, don’t worry about a thing, darlings. I will make sure that you will be driving your brand new Urus out of our showroom in less than two hours or I will personally resign in my position.”

Eksaheradang tumarak ang mata ni baks, “Throat?!”

“Throat, my dear,” sang-ayon ng big boss dito sabay turo sa pintuan sa hindi kalayuan, “Now, come, follow me and let’s rest for a while as we wait for the papers to be processed quickly and your car delivered posthaste.”

Pero nagtaas ang inspector at magalang na nag-bow sa akin, “If I may interrupt, would you mind providing me one valid identification card and tell me the mode of payment you prefer so everything will be done smoothly without hassle?”

“Here you go,” sabay abot ng Hermes card holder na regalo ni Caileane sa akin last year noong birthday ko at naglalaman ng aking Centurion American Express card at Voter’s Identification Card, “Debit please, thank you.”

Napakurap ang inspector sa sinabi ko at tumawa naman ng malakas si Caileane, “Ayaw ng bruha na ito ng may utang at all. It’s either pikit pag walang pambili o bili ng cash pag keri naman.”

“If only there are a lot of people like her, we would have a lot of customers buying our cars,” sangat ng chairwoman as she gaily urged us to walk again, “Now, let’s go, ladies. Our cake and coffee is waiting!”

-0-

“Elesa Villarin? Wait a minute, I remember that name...”

Tumango ako at ngumiti sa kaharap naming chairwoman habang nakaupo sa isang coffee table at nanginginain ng mamahaling cake at umiinom ng roasted bean coffee, “It has been, what, a year or so when we last met at the K.O.R headquarters, Chairwoman Kesha?”

“Goodness gracious! DJ Kyria?!” malakas na irit nito out of surprise nang ginamit ko saglit ang aking working voice na nagpatawa ng mahina sa kasama ko who is sipping her cup of coffee quietly and watching the scene before her unfolds, “You should have told me it is you all along!”

“What, and receive preferrential treatment? Kilala ninyo ang show ko, Madame Chairwoman. Maka-masa, everyday simple girl lang at bwisit sa mga malalaki ang attitude na mga tao.”

Napailing na lang siya slowly sa akin as I winked at her playfully, “This is insane. Have I known it’s you, I wouldn’t feed you with simple cake and coffee. Tell me, what do you want for lunch?”

“A generous offer pero may pupuntahan pa kami after this ni DJ Caileane,” I replied nonchalantly na nagpalaki lalo ng kaniyang mga mata in surprise after magtanggal ng shades ang bakla, “She just tookover handling my finances, you see, so meron pa ata siyang balak sa akin today maliban sa pagpapabili ng kotse para daw pareho na kaming naka lambo.”

“Korak, sis. May isa pa tayong pupuntahan to be exact. So, kahit pa sa eat all you can buffet pa iyan madamdamin ay ipagpaliban muna natin pag hindi na ako busog ng Skyflakes at cakes,” sunod ni Caileane na nagpatango na lang sa big boss.

“Very well, I will remember that, ladies,” she then looked at me na gulat na gulat pa din at hindi pa makagetover, “To be honest, I am still shuddering at the thought that if you are not taken care of in the company that you personally promoted against your better judgment for a year now, you might drop us entirely. That will be a disaster, to say the least, DJ Kyria.”

“Elesa, please, Chairwoman Kesha. Wala ako sa headquarters so it’s just plain old yagit Elesa lang,” paalala ko dito as I remember our first meeting last year kung saan personal siyang nakipag-usap sa akin para ipromote ang Lamborghini sa general masses at the time when their sales are steadily declining slowly but surely, “Though if I am to be honest, kung hindi ako napagbilhan ng kotse, idodrop ko ang company ninyo sa listahan ng mga alaga kong sponsors. After all, I can’t, in good conscience, promote something na balahura ang trato sa akin, right, sis?”

Tumango si baks at bumuntong-hininga, “I hope that you will take this accident seriously, madamdamin. Inclusivity trainings and refresher course sa customer service handling ang kailangan if magmamaganda na din ako para magutos. Salat na salat, kaloka. Porke ba ganito ako at nakapambahay lang kami, hindi na kami iaassist?! Patatawarin nga naman oo!”

“Duly noted, especially now that we are attracting upper middle class customers thanks to Elesa here pushing our marketting efforts to her listeners,” she sighed before smiling at me gratefully, “Thanks to you, we managed to raise the Philippines from the lowest ranking branch ng Lamborghini Asia to the highest in less than a year.”

Napatawa na lang ako at napailing, “Hindi pa din ako makapaniwala na kahit hindi naman ako owner mismo ay naengganyo ko na bumili ng mamahaling kotse ang mga listeners ko when all I said was pangarap kong magkaroon din ng Lamborghini after years and years of working hard.”

“Our financial graphs are proof that you are a very effective partner in our endeavor, Elesa. You managed to push our sales sky high even though you clearly state that you still don’t have our car yourself before.”

“Tataa! Naku, sa sobrang honest at prangka niyan sa mga listeners niya, hindi ka talaga magdadalawang isip na makinig sa kaniyang mga sinasabi,” sunod ni Caileane sabay inat ng makita namin sa labas ng bintana ng guest room ang kotse na kakarating lang na binili ko, “I must say, hindi ako fafalag sa bilis mong trumabaho, madamdamin. Nanditey na agad ang tsikot wala pang thirty minutes. Ilang days ba bago namin maitakas iyan dito, aber?”

Tumawa naman at nagtaas ng kilay ang kaharap namin as if na-offend siya, “Excuse me, Caileane, what do you think of me, some random supervisor? Give us another thrity minutes to expedite the papers and you can take your brand new Lamborghini Urus Graphite Capsule for a spin shortly.”

“Ay shutaena, pakak gumalaw ang madamdamin! Samantalang ako, naghintay pa akong kalahating taon para sa Aventador ko, kaloka!”

“Well, anything for our business collaborator, of course,” she answered simply before looking at me again, “It also helped that you paid in cash. But then again, I wouldn’t expect less from one of the most sought after radio personality in this country.”

Napailing na lang ako at itinuro ang aking kasama, “Naku, chairwoman, wala pa din akong panama dito sa bruhang ito. Tagadala lang niya ako ng gym bag, figuratively and literally speaking.”

“Oh, but of course. However, she is another higher class of her own, eh, Caileane?”

Tumango si baks at napakunot ang noo, “Question and answer portion, madamdamin. Saan ka namang sulok ng banga natutong mag salita ng aking lengwahe, hmm?”

To answer she took out her phone and showed us her wallpaper of a very beautiful Half-Filipina, Half-English transwoman, “My one and only daughter who just transitioned completely a year or so ago. To help her cope up with the challenges and difficulties of her change, my husband and I decided to personally see to it that we trully understand her feelings, emotions and behavior including speaking the language she is most comfortable at.”

“Oh, my heart. I cannot,” napaluha si Caileane when she heard the proud voice of a mother gazing at the picture of her daughter lovingly, “Iyo na ang korona, madamdamin! Dakilang Ina ng Taon, period no erase! Pero to be really and trully honest, napakahirap talaga mag-transition ng walang kasama. Why, if not for this kurifuta na katabi ko ngayon, baka di ko na kineri ang pagpapalit-anyo into a butterfly at panghabang-buhay na akong uod!”

“I know, right? The hormonal changes, the indescribable emotions, painful judgment of bullies, not to mention the physical confusion are too much to bear alone. I still consider my child lucky to have our full support during those times and I am happy to know that you got your own help in form of this feisty and sassy girl sitting beside you.”

“Pakak! Sinabi mo pa, madamdamin! Kaya nga ere at nagbabayad ako ng kaunting utang na loob kahit lubog na lubog na ako six feet under the ground sa pagbabaon niya sa akin ng kabaitan at pang-unawa. Now, I am making one hundred percent sure na kahit naman papaano ay matuto siyang i-enjoy ang kaniyang pinaghirapan.”

Tumango-tango ang big boss at tiningnan ako motherly, “She is correct, Elesa. Money is just that, money. As my daughter always says, if money can’t buy you happiness, at least buy something to help you be comfortable in misery. Spend and invest, then repeat it all over again. Don’t forget to share your blessings as well, after all, you might not find joy in your own money, your financial help may give life to those who are in need.”

“Thank you for those words, Chairwoman Kesha. I tend to forget that there is so much more than earning money. Kailangan ding gumastos, magpakasarap at tumulong kesa hayaang bangko lang makinabang ng pera ko, diba baks?”

“Korak, teh! Kaya nga ipapakilala kita sa financial mentor na friendship ko para naman mapaikot at mapadami ang anda!” masayang wika nito sa akin sabay tingin sa kakadating lang na inspector at kanang kamay ng big boss dala-dala ang mga papeles na pipirmahan ko for the release ng kotse at payment ko from the bank, “Ayan na pala ang kasulatan! Pirmahan na agad-agad ng mahusgahan na ang tsikot mo, ghorl!”

“Ito na nga oh, pipirma na,” sagot ko dito sabay kuha sa inaabot na ballpen ng inspector at pinagpipirmahan na lahat ng kailangang pirmahan, “Oh, ayan, happy?”

“Very light, sis,” pabebe nitong sagot at napatawa naman ang mga kaharap namin na nakahinga na din ng maluwag ng nagkaron na ng happy conclusion sa issue namin kanina.

“Again, on behalf of the Lamborghini Asian Division, please, accept our sincerest apologies for the inconveniences you have unfortunately encountered in our dealership. I hope for your continued patronage and Elesa, I am still looking forward to renew our partnership two months for now.”

Tumango ako at tumayo na as I and Caileane allowed them to lead us to my new car, “Makakaasa ka, Chairwoman Kesha. Although I would prefer if you keep my purchase a secret. Unlike my friend here, hindi ako iyong tipo na sobrang showy. Wala akong confidence gaya niya to flaunt my wealth.”

“No worries, dear Elesa. There are privacy and security clauses included in the papers you signed and we value discreetness and secrecy to protect the identity of our valued customers,” seryosong sagot nito sa akin at tumigil na kami sa tapat ng bagong-bagong kotse ko na nakaparada na sa labas ng parking lot, “I really want to hand over this key to you but if memory serves, you told me last year that you don’t know how to drive, my dear.”

Napatawa ng malakas si Caileane at napatungo na lang ako dahil alam ko na ang sasabihin niya.

“Don’t worry, madamdamin. Licensed driver instructor ako at last year, nag-aral siyang magdrive gamit ang Aventador ko. Kaloka, sobrang bilis matuto at napaka-exceptional na driver! Mahihiya ang L.T.O!”

Napatawa na lang ako as the chairwoman gave me the keys and stepped aside to let me unlock my car for the first time, “Sino ang hindi gagaling sa pagmamaneho kung laging banta sa iyo ng instructor mo ay mamahaling sasakyan ang gamit namin sa lessons at pag nagasgasan o naaksidente, ako ang magbabayad ng paayos in cash.”

Tumawa ang big boss at inspector sa sinabi ko as I and my friend opened the doors of our brand new car and prepared to leave.

“That is actually a great teaching method, I will definitely keep that in mind, Caileane,” sagot nito as I started the engine which purred smoothly, “Well, I guess that’s it for today. Thank you for your purchase and I will be sending our papers for the renewal of our partnership soon, Elesa. You promised!”

“Ipaderetso mo na Chairwoman sa radio booth ko at pipirmahan ko agad,” sagot ko dito as I thanked them again, “Salamat ulit sa inyo at I hope walang matatanggal sa trabaho because of this little fiasco. As baks here said, retraining na lang at refresher courses, pwede na iyon.”

“It will be done, Elesa and Caileane. Thank you again and enjoy your ride, ladies!”