Justice

25

Lia's Point of View

Lumabas ako sa office ng head director matapos niyang sabihin na ikuha ko sila ng kape.

Ten of the board members are having their meeting here on the third floor. Ipinatawag ako para bumaba at magtimpla ng kape para sa kanila. Para saan pa ang secretary o assistant niya?

Hindi ko na lang ito pinansin. Wala rin naman akong ginagawa dito ngayon. Mamaya pa ang program para sa teenage pregnancy awareness kung saan ipapakita ko sa kanila na mali sila. 

Bumaba kaagad ako at dumiretso sa kitchen. Walong iced coffee at dalawang hot coffee ang gusto nila.

I sighed while I am putting the cups of coffee on the card board that I cut out myself. Tray lang ang available na pwedeng paglagyan pero baka hindi inaasahan na madulas ako sa sahig, kagaya nang nangyari nung nakaraang araw. Hindi nila nilagyan ng wet caution ang hallway na para bang sinadya nila na madulas talaga ako don.

Paulit-ulit na humingi ng tawad ang janitor at sinabi na nilagyan niya ng warning board ang sahig nung oras na yon. Hindi ko na sila pinansin pa, ayoko lang ng gulo. Hindi ako pumapatol sa mga isip bata.

I just want to avoid spilling these coffee on me in case I get slipped by the floor again.

"It must be you?"

Napalingon ako sa boses ng babae na nagsalita sa likuran ko. I saw the familiar face of the head director's wife. I saw her from the dinner where Director Gab said head director invited me. I am wondering why she is here. The chairwoman.

"Do you have time, Miss Constancia?" she politely asked.

I get curious by her personal invitation. I am wondering what she would tell me.

"Ipinapadala po ito ng head director sa meeting office." nakayuko kong sabi sa kanya.

I am surprised when she took the paper card, where the cups of coffee are settled on, from my hand and put it back on the table. She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the kitchen.

"May kamay naman sila, they can get their own coffee." she said.

I bit my lower lip when i figured it out that I have nothing to do against her will. She is demanding woman, and I just get it there.

We went outside the building and a car parked in front of the building approached us. Lumabas ang isang lalaki at pinagbuksan kami ng pinto. Napilitan akong pumasok at hindi na nagtanong.

Tahimik akong naupo at tumingin lang sa labas ng bintana. Ano kaya ang sasabihin niya? Is it really that important that we even left the building?

"How are you, dear?" she asked after a while. It gets awkward when she started fixing my hair.

"Okay lang po," naiilang kong sabi.

"It must be very hard for you as a reporter, I am sad that the head director doesn't listen to me everytime I tried talking about you."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. Bakit niya ginawa yon? Para sa akin?

I bravely looked at her. Is she telling me the truth?

Maybe, she does. Director Gab is kind as she is.

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa matapos ang sinabi niya. Few minutes passed until the car stopped. Pinagbuksan kami ng pinto ng driver kaya lumbas na kaagad ako. We are in front of a huge and elegant restaurant.

Sumunod lang ako sa kanya at pumasok na kami sa loob. One crew guided us to a VVIP room and there are a lot of foods on the table.

"Please enjoy the food," she said after we sat on the chair across each other.