MY BRAT BOSS

Timing

I lapit agad kay Mr. Old man nang makita ko si Ms. Simone baka kasi she away na naman me again.

"Hi, Rivas. Hi, Calvin. I'm sorry kung naistorbo ko kayong dalawa. May gusto lang sana akong s-sabihin…" Her voice is not galit like noon. At saka she looks sad pa.

Why kaya she's mabait na ngayon? Hindi na ba siya mang-aaway? She will not sabi na kaya ng bad words sa akin?

"Anong ginagawa mo rito, Simone? Hindi ka ba titigil sa pagsunod? Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa'yo na wala na tayo?"

"C-Calvin, listen to me, first. Please…"

"Ms. Simone, how did you alam na where here? May power ka ba?"

"Gemini, right? I know na hindi maganda ang naging encounter natin. But I want to say sorry sa lahat ng nasabi kong words sa'yo. I'm sorry, Gemini, I'm just carried away lang ng galit ko. I know na hindi ito valid reason but I hope na mapatawad mo ako. I'm really, really sorry for what I've done to you…"

Then bigla siyang nag-cry na lang. Tumingin me kay Mr. Old man. I don't like to kita ng people na umiiyak talaga. I'm naawa kasi to them.

"You promise me na you don't ulit na ang mag-say ng bad words. Kasi it's not nice sa mga tao. Saka don't alala I'm not galit naman to you." Ms. Simone ngiti pa sa akin and she yakap pa me bigla.

"I'm sorry, Gemini. I hope na maging magkaibigan tayo. Like you're my little sister. Kung okay lang sa'yo? Wala kasi akong kapatid na babae. Pero kung hindi naman oaky sa'yo. Hindi naman kita masisisi."

Oh, no! Does she want me to be her kaibigan?

"Okay, Ms. Simone! You're my big sister from now on!"

"Really? Yes. I'm sorry again, Gemini." I heard pa na umiiyak again siya kaya I haplos her likod to comfort her.

"Don't iyak, Ms. Simone. I'm not galit naman."

She kalas ng yakap and hawak my kamay. "Thank you, Gemini. I'm super excited sa magiging friendship nating dalawa!"

"Me too! Thank you kasi you're mabait na!"

"Na-realized ko kasi na hindi makakatulong sa sarili ko ang galit. Kaya naman gumawa ako ng paraan para makausap ka. And to start a new friendship with you."

I smiled with her kasi may new kaibigan na ako. Then she tingin kay Mr. Old man.

"And also Calvin, I'm sorry sa lahat. Ngayon tanggap ko na wala na tayo. And I know it's my fault. I'm sorry kung may mga nasabi man ako sa'yo. I can't go back yung mga panahon na tayo pa. Kaya, I'm just asking for your forgiveness na lang sana."

Mr. Old man don't sagot kaya naman ay hila his kamay. "What?"

"She kausap you…"

Tumango-tango lang him at Ms. Simone yakap pa si Mr. Old man. I don't alam why my puso is masakit ng konti nang i-hug niya si Mr. Old man sa front ko. But I pilit not to isip-isip na lang ang puso ko. I'm happy for them.

"Thank you again, Gemini! You're so kind and sweet girl. I'm super excited na sa bonding natin, soon. So, let's have dinner later?"

"Sure! Mr. Old man?"

"Sige." He's so matipid talagang sumagot! Nag-iipon ba him?

"That was great! But for now I need to go back to my hotel room because my photoshoot will start in just half an hour. So, see you later."

Kumaway pa me kay Ms. Simone habang she lakad palayo.

Nang makaaalis na si Ms. Simone sa front namin, Mr. Old man is tahimik pa rin habang nakatingin lang sa face ko.

"W-Why are you tingin like that? M-May…may sasabihin you ba?"

"Bakit ka ganyan? Saang planeta ka ba talaga galing?" I'm tawa pa nang malakas kasi she tingin na alien ako.

"What is your ibig sabihin, Mr. Old man? I'm from earth!"

"Wala. Kalimutan mo na lahat ng sinabi ko sa'yo. Lahat." I will sagot pa sana pero humakbang na him palayo. "How I can kalimot that, Mr. Old man?!" Sigaw me sa kanya.

"Ikaw na ang bahala kung paano! Basta wala akong sinabi sa'yo!"

Hmmp! He wants me to kalimot lahat, but how? I tanda na lahat ng sinabi niya!

"I don't gusto!" He stopped sa pag-walk.

"Ayaw kong may magbago sa ating dalawa dahil lang sa nararamdaman ko para sa'yo. Kalimutan natin ito at walang magbabago. And I will not allow ang mga taong gagamitin ang kahinaan mo." He sambit saka nag-walk palayo to me.

I don't understand what he sabi. I need to tago na ba my crush sa kanya? Para nothing is magbago? I will try to pigil ang crush ko kay Mr. Old man because I don't gusto na iwasan niya me again. Maybe sometimes friendship is better than a relationship.

For now I will enjoy what ang meron sa amin. Saka I'm happy na mabait na si Ms. Simone.

"Mr. Old man, let's go na!" I hila pa his kamay kasi naman he don't gusto to sama sa dinner with Ms. Simone. He just higa sa bed niya.

"Don't pikit your eyes! I know hindi ka sleep! Siguro kaya ayaw you sumama because…because you g-gusto pa rin her—"

"Matagal na kaming tapos. At wala na akong nararamdaman pa sa kanya." He putol pa sa sasabihin ko. At saka he pitik pa my noo bago bumangon na sa bed niya.

Habang naglalakad me and Mr. Old man ay tahimik lang kami. Pagdating namin sa restaurant Ms. Simone and her friends are also there. They're laughing pa nga then nag-stop when they're kita na us ni Mr. Old man.

She kaway pa at nag-walk na kami ni Mr. Old man sa table.

"Gemini, my friends will tell you something." She sabi pa when we upo na.

"I'm sorry, Gemini about last time. I hope na your not galit sa amin." They sabay pa na sabi sa akin. Kaya naman I ngiti lang to them. Kasi nag-sorry na sila to me.

"It's okay po. Ang important, we're okay na po!"

"I told you girls na she's nice, right? Maybe sometimes let's have girls hangout or any girls thing what do you think?"

"Yeah! Good idea, Simone! I'm impressed na talaga sa'yo!"

"You got it, Callie!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Calvin, you're there pala!"

I tingin kay Mr. Old man na tahimik lang. At kunot his noo.

I punta my kamay sa ilalim ng table to hawak his kamay para sawayin him na wag attitude. My eyes are namilog pa when he kulong may kamay sa kamay niya. I pilit pa na alisin but ayaw niya. I pilit mag-smile sa mga girls kasi baka they're halata what nangyayari sa hands namin ni Mr. Old man.

I can't mapakali tuloy while we kain na. Mr. Old man kasi, asar me.

"So, Gemini, are you single?" Ms. Simone tanong pa.

"Yes. I don't have boyfriend pa."

"That's impossible! You're gorgeous! I'm sure there's someone na gusto ka." She tawa pa.

"N-No! Saka my Nanay Soledad will…will galit."

Ms. Simone tango-tango lang while kain.

"Calvin, how about you? Oh…I'm sorry–"

"There's a girl na special at malapit sa puso ko." Mr. Old man sagot pa without tingin kay Simone.

"A-Ah…that's g-good! She's lucky to have you, Calvin." Ms. Simone drink ng straight ang alak sa glass niya. Then he tawag again ang waiter to order ng ibang alcohol.

"Simone, take it easy." Isang friends niya pa saway here. Because she sunod-sunod drink ng alak.

"Gemini, why didn't you drink your wine? It just a wine, come on!" Ms. Simone ask me pa.

"I don't inom kasi ng alcohol, Ms. Simone."

"Oh, that's sad! Come on! Minsan lang naman! Don't call me Ms. Simone, just call me Simone! Girls, help me to cheer si Gemini to drink her wine!"

"Go, Gemini! Go Gemini! Please…" I tingin kay Mr. Old man pa. He iling-iling lang at mukhang he don't gusto ang nangyayari now.

"P-Pero kasi—" I can't tapos may sasabihin when Mr. Old man kuha my glass and he inom ang alak for me.

"How sweet you are, Calvin! Gemini, you're lucky to have Calvin as your bodyguard, huh!"

"Y-Yes! Mr. Old man is the best bodyguard, ever!"

"Y-Yeah! I think ganun din si Calvin, he's lucky, right?" Ms. Simone tawa pa. Then inom again.

"Simone, you're drunk." Mr. Old man agaw pa ang baso kay Ms. Simone.

"I…I'm not! S-Saka you know naman diba na my alcohol tolerance is not ganun kataas." She tawa pa bago haplos sa braso si Mr. Old man kaya I hila my kamay na hawak ni Mr. Old man.

"We are very sorry guys, but we need to leave na, may pupuntahan pa kasi kami right, Callie?" Ms. Simone friends sabi pa.

"Really, girls? Maybe I will go with you na…na l-lang." Ms. Simone pilit pa to tayo but she muntik nang matumba. Mabuti na lang Mr. Old man salo her.

"Calvin, if you don't mind can you help us to bring Simone to her room? She's wasted na."

Mr. Old man tingin pa to me and he looks hingi may sagot. I tango-tango sa kanya.

"Go, Mr. Old man. You hatid her muna sa room niya. I will go back na lang muna sa room."

"Ihahatid muna kita—"

"It's not malayo naman from here kaya don't hatid na me. Please…hatid na lang si Ms. Simone."

"Oh, Gemini, y-you're so…so sweet! But it's okay if…if Calvin—"

"Let's go! Wait me here, Spoiled brat, babalikan kita."

Tumango-tango me sa kanya at he alalay na tumayo si Ms. Simone.

When they're alis me and two friends iwan here. We're waiting for half hour here pero Mr. Old man is not here pa.

"Gemini, I think matagal pa sila. Until now, hindi pa rin bumabalik si Calvin." They're tawa pa at nag-apir.

"Georgia, of course ang tagal nilang hindi nagkita, So let them enjoy each other!"

"S-Siguro nga. My tiyan po is masakit I need to gamit ng toilet . Can you sabi kay Mr. Old man, I una na po sa kanya?"

"Sure! Baka kasi matagal pa silang dalawa!"

I tayo na at nag-walk na pabalik sa room namin. Pero ang true my tummy is not masakit naman talaga.

I don't gusto lang to isip na why Mr. Old man is matagal. He sabi na he will balik pero bakit he's matagal?

Pagdating ko sa room I punta agad sa shower to ligo. I feel lungkot pa rin sa heart ko.

After I patuyo my buhok I higa na sa bed ko pero Mr. Old man is wala pa rin. Kaya naman I tayo again to lakad-lakad.

Nagulat pa me when ang door I nag-open. Mr. Old man is here! He looks galit and lapit sa akin.

"Sabi ko na hintayin mo ako, diba?! Bakit ka umalis?! Ang tigas talaga ng ulo mo! Paano kong may nangyari sa'yo na masama, Spoiled brat?! Sagutin mo ako!"

He hawak pa my both balikat. I kita pa his galit sa mga eyes niya. I ramdam ng takot sa kanya.

I will sagot pa sana pero he hila my kamay and yakap me nang mahigpit.

"Mamamatay ako sa pag-aalala. Akala ko ay may nangyari na sa'yo na hindi maganda. Baka makapatay ako kung nagkataon. Wag mo na ulit gagawin ito sa akin. I'm sorry, Spoiled brat…" He haplos my back and I ramdam he halik my ibabaw ng head. Why naman kaya he's galit? I sabi naman sa mga friends ni Ms. Simone na tell him na I una nasa room namin.

We stay muna like this for a while. Then I ramdam na Mr. Old man kalas his yakap to me. Hinawakan niya my both pisngi habang nakatingin pa rin him sa mga mata ko. I pikit my eyes nang his face unti-unting bumababa sa lips ko. He's about to halik me nang bigla naman may nag-doorbell from outside.

I kalimot my order na foods.

Very wrong timing na naman, hays!