Always an Option

Chapter 22 - Old Friends

“Mrs. Dela Merced.”

Lumingon ako kay Anya, ang sekretarya ko nang dalawang taon, she’s also a Filipino, a young Mom at 23 na nakipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa. Nakangiti niyang ibinigay sakin ang work phone ko na siya ang may hawak.

“Mr. Dela Merced, your husband, wants to talk to you, Miss K. He can’t contact you on your personal phone.”

I looked at my phone and it was on airplane mode.

I smiled at Anya and took my work phone.

“Hey, love. Where are you? Why are you not answering your phone?” Sunod na sunod na tanong ni Raymond Dela Merced.

Raymond Dela Merced is a half-Arab, one fourth Filipino and British. Their family owned chains of restaurants across Asia and owns a two 5-five stars Hotel in Dubai.

He’s one of my saviors almost five years ago, I wouldn’t be here breathing if not because of him. He’s in Paris, France right now for personal and business meetings. Raymond always supports me on everything, and I also do for him. Pinapahalagahan naming ang isa’t-isa, the happiness of each other is the most important thing for us maybe because we have the same past.

We both have rocky relationship with our parents, and both were broken and have failed from past relationships when we met. But he was the stronger one between the two of us, when we met, it was like he was never broken and betrayed by people in his life. He smiled and laughed like nothing was wrong, so I was motivated to raise from my negative past, and I did it with him by my side.

“I never realized that my phone was on airplane. I though you’re busy. Tapos na ba yung meetings mo?”

He deeply sighed.

“God… I wanted to hug you now! I wanted to go home!”

I smiled as heard his frustrated and homesick voice.

“Ayusin mo muna ang lahat at nang makauwi ka samin agad.”

“I will.”

“And don’t forget to enjoy there and don’t think of us here, Mondi. I want you to have fun and be yourself there.”

“Hindi naman yun pwede, hun…”

“Don’t worry about us. I can handle everything here. Remember? You trained me well.”

Matapos mamatay ng magulang ni Mondi 3 years ago, siya na ang namahala ng mga negosyo nila dahil siya lang ang nag-iisang anak. To be honest, hindi maganda ang kalagayan ng negosyo ngayon dahil nagkaroon ng krisis sa Dubai. Iyon din ang isang agenda ni Mondi kung bakit kailangan niyang pumunta sa France para kausapin ang isa nilang matagal ng kasosyo sa negosyo na mag-invest sa business, he'll be selling more shares.

Worst to worst case, kung hindi papayag ang matagal na nilang kasosyo sa negosyo ay kailangan na nilang magdeklara ng bankruptcy. Gustuhin ko mang makatulong, nahihiya naman akong lumapit sa tatlong itlog and Mondi won’t let me do that. Gusto niyang siya mismo ang aayos ng problema ng kompanya.

“May tiwala ako sayo, Keena.”

“Why don’t you let me help you, Mondi? I can find ways to help you. You already sacrifice a lot for me…”

“Keena, we already talked about it. Ayokong pasakitin ang ulo mo. I can do something about it, hun. Don’t you trust me?”

“I trust you, Mondi. I do.”

“Oh. Before I forgot, another business partner of Daddy contacted me and he'll willing to invest but he wants to check the operations and forecasting before making a decision. Sabi ko andito pa ako sa France pero but he insist on coming tomorrow, nagkataon din kaseng nasa Dubai siya. I told him that my wife will be assisting him since I have to finish some business here.”