MARITA

A Reason to Stay (Part 2)

Marita have been trying to call Arnold for 15 minutes but his phone was always busy. So, she left him a message asking him to picked her up for lunch. She needed to talk to him in person for this. She already texted Diah and told her the gist of the devastating news. Diah replied with the word 'Noted'. She has taken her leave today and she will spend it with Mama Vina and will join the team tomorrow. There's nothing she can do either even if she was there. Then there's Mama Vina and someone need to be with her today.

Marita walked up to the window and looked out from the 6th floor view of the city. The traffic was a long snake line changing each other. The cars looked like small colourful ants. She looked over to the other side of the building and observed the office workers bent over their computers. It's a common everyday view for her. But today, her mind thought about the trouble they are facing as company, the trouble the workers are facing. Things that other people do not know and cannot see but are a secret battle to each and everyone of them. Today, she got hers. She put both her hand on the window. The palms of her hands absorbed the warmth of the sun. She stood there for a few minutes just quietly observing and absorbing the heat of the sun. Her lips mouthed a silent prayer. She needed the divine power to help her in this situation.

"OH GOD! You scared me..." startled Marita. She turned around and Frank was standing at her door watching her. Frank needed Marita to joined him and Joshua but her phone was busy so he decided to go and see her in person. He saw the door ajar and decided to come in only to be met with the view of Marita bathed in the sunlight. The scene was so simple yet so breathtakingly beautiful that he needed few gulps of air.

"Ah Sorry... the door was open." He said.

Marita cupped her hand to her mouth to hide the rising heat she felt on her cheek. Turning around and finding Frank watching her intently did not do good for her heart. Her cheeks voluntarily turned rosy whenever she caught him looking at her.

"Do you need me for something?"

"Joshua is in my office. Tried to call but your phone was busy."

"Ah.. ya... I was making some phone call" Marita walked over to her desk and checked her phone. only one message from Mama. No reply from Arnold. The message still got only 1 check mark. He hasn't even read it.

"Do you think you can join us in my office?" Frank asked.

Marita looked up from her phone. "Yes, sure."

Frank held the door open for her as she exited her office. And opened the door for her to enter his office. A simple chivalry act that is lost to nowadays generation. His parents raised him well thought Marita.

"Hi, Jo. Big mess huh?" she greeted Joshua who was sitting with his back to the door.

"Yeah... our biggest one after years of starting this business" Joshua looked visibly upset.

Marita went over and put one hand on Joshua's shoulder. "It will be a lie to say that I am not worry. But it happened, now we just have to think about our next steps to remedy the situation."

Joshua nodded and returned his gaze to the papers in front of him. He respected Marita as colleague and cherished her as friend. Marita knows how to handle tough situation. All these years, he watched as Marita navigate difficult time in work with calmness and logic. She is both smart and charismatic. Her not so tall figure can command any room she is in when she is in her element.

"Have a seat, Mari." Frank pulled a chair at the top of the table facing the screen for Marita. Therefore, Joshua and Frank sat on either side of the table.

"And Joshua if you please... can you put up the files on the big screen so the three of us can see it better instead of your laptop" he added.

The staffs could sense something is going on. A sudden meeting outside of the monthly management meeting between 3 of their top managing team means an urgent matter. If Diah joined the meeting then they are sure something bad has happened. Through the window they could see the three of them serious in their discussion. They comforted themselves that it was a common problem and because Diah did not come running to join, it means that the problem can be solved.