CHEERLEADER SERIES - JULIE

Chapter XXV

Halos hindi na siya nakatulog. She didn't hear from Brad or from Benson and Gunner.

She was fixing herself some coffee nang bumaba rin si Jasmine.

"Oh.. Please.. Coffee."

"Sure."

Dagli niyang inabot dito ang isang tasang kakasalin lang niya ng kape. Jasmine automatically opened the laptop that they shared in the house.

"Hmm ang sarap naman nito'ng kape mo."

"Thanks." she was blankly staring at the television in front of her habang sumisipsip ng kape.

"Okay ka lang ba?"

Nagbuntong-hininga lang siya.

"Hala. Hoy.. May pinagdadaanan ka ba?" mabilis itong lumapit sa kanya habang bitbit ang laptop at ang mug na may lamang kape.

"No."

"Oy.. wag mo akong ma No-No dyan. Super obvious kaya na namumugto yang mga mata mo. Ano'ng ibig sabihin niyan aber?"

"Wala!"

"Ay ang damot mo naman mag-kwento. Tayo na nga lang magkasama dito."

"Eh hindi naman relevant."

"Yang ganyang mugto ng mata mo hindi relevant? Aba eh di mag-quit nalang ako dito sa ginagawa natin. Hindi pala relevant eh."

"Wala naman kasing kinalaman dito sa ginagawa natin."

"Talaga? Hoy tigilan mo ako. Diyan nagsisimula ang downfall ng mga business minded na tao. Yung pamumugto ng mga mata. Kapag hindi okay ang heart, hindi rin okay ang brain. Pa'no pa natin ipapa-boom 'tong business natin kung ganyan ka." nakasundot na halos ang labi ni Jasmin habang kinakausap siya. 

"Alam mo kung ano-anu nalang talaga naiisip mo."

"Hala eh totoo naman eh. Dapat conditioned ka mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally at kung ano pang ka-ek-ekan ang meron sa buhay natin. Hindi pwedeng unstable ka. Baka hindi pa matuloy yung mga plano natin."

"That's not going to happen. I can assure you that."

"Aba dapat lang. Kasi..." binuklat nitong muli ang laptop at iniharap sa kanya. "sobrang up yung online sales natin. Up by 30%, which means.."

"Which means, bawing-bawi na natin yung puhunan?"

"Tumpak! Kaya wag ka nang magpaka-unstable dyan. May iba pang rason para maging masaya okay?"

She smiled.

"Ayan! Ganyan. Kulang pa ng konti pero kaya ko nang tanggapin 'yan ganyang smile."

Napapailing na lamang siya habang nagpatuloy ito sa pagkwento sa kanya sa development ng business nila.

Even though she knows her mind is suddenly shifting now and then towards what she would ask Brad the moment na makapag-usap sila, she still tried her best to hear out Jasmine.

Tila wala itong plano'ng tumigil kung di pa niya ito pinatigil as she had to go out for her appointment with her Dad's lawyer.

Isa pa 'yun sa nagpapalito sa kanya. What could her father's lawyer possibly need from her?

That was the question that remained in her mind until she reached the coffee shop where she was working.

When she arrived, he was already there.

"Attorney. Sorry if I'm late."

"No you're not. I'm just early."

Agad siyang naupo sa tapat nito. In front of him was an A4 sized brown envelope.