Arya's POV
This is my first day working in AGC
But, I will take a half day off, ieenroll ko pa kasi yung kambal eh
When I arrived at AGC, sinalubong ako ng magiging secretary ko, at umakyat kami sa magiging office ko.
"Will it be ok if I take a half day off? I-e-enroll ko kasi ang mga anak ko"
"May anak ka na, Attorney?" Gulat na tanong nya
"Yes, kambal, they are both turning 7 years old, and incoming Grade 2"
"Hala! Saan lumabas iyon? Ang sexy sexy mo kasi Attorney, akala ng karamihan dito is single ka"
"Single Mom, pero not ready to enter a relationship, pinagbawalan na ako ng dalawang warden ko eh" sabi ko at natawa ng mahina
Yes, they told me, if hindi daw daddy nila ang magiging boyfriend ko, hindi daw ako pwede mag-boyfriend
So meaning, I will die as a single mom.
Kaya mas natanggap ko na, hindi ako mahal ng tatay nila, so mamamatay akong single mom.
"Ang cute cute siguro nila, ang ganda mo po kasi eh"
"Yes, they are the cutest" I said admiring my kids' beauty
"Sana ma-meet namin sila, Attorney. Regarding po sa tanong niyo, ang advise po kasi sa amin is kay Mr. Anderson po kayo magpapaalam kapag may pupuntahan kayo, pati po schedules niyo is pinapa-approve namin sa kanya" sabi nya
Nangunot ang noo ko
"Bakit daw?" I asked in confusion
"Iyon po ang utos niya eh, sumusunod lang po kami"
"Sige sige, salamat. Is he in his office na ba? Magpapaalam ako habang maaga pa"
"Ang alam ko po, opo andyan na sya sa office nya"
"Sige sige, discuss to me my schedule for today mamaya pagbalik ko, papaalam lang ako" sabi ko.
"Sige po, Attorney" she said.
Iniwan ko ang bag ko sa table ng office ko at pumunta sa office ni Warren
"Hi, Andiyan ba si Mr. Anderson?" Tanong ko
"Yes, Mam, andyan po si Mr. Anderson, katok nalang po kayo" sabi nya kaya tumango ako
I knocked 3 times and slowly opened the door.
He immediately let go of his pen and looked at me.
Still the same gesture, naiba lang is hindi na sya ngumingiti ng malapad tuwing pumapasok ako sa office niya
Baka sa iba na nya ginagawa.
I bit the inside of my cheeks para mapigilan ang luha ko at kirot sa dibdib ko
"Atty. Gonzales"
"Mr. Anderson, I came here personally to ask if I can take a half day off?"
"It's your first day, tapos half day agad? Anything more important than work?"
"Yes, my kids. I don't do day-offs para lang sa wala. I am taking a half day off because my kids needs me for their enrollment. Hindi naman po siguro kakayanin ng 6 year old na i-enroll ang sarili nila, di ba?" I said
"6 years old" he said kaya kinabahan ako. "You're married?" He asked
"Kasama po ba yan sa mga kailangan kong sagutin just for me to have my half day off?"
"I'm the boss here, Atty. Gonzales. I will ask whatever I want. Are you married?"
"Single Mom" I simply said and umiwas ng tingin
"Who's the father?"
Parang nahigit ko ang hininga ko sa tanong nya
"Does it matter? What's important is that I love them more than my life, and I will sacrifice my life for them kahit maubos ako, hindi tulad ng tatay nila na pinaikot lang ako." Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko
"Approved" sabi nya.
"Thank you, sir" I said at lumabas na ng office nya para bumalik sa office ko.
Sa half day na nagwowork ako, nagrereview lang ako ng mga contracts, and other documents.
Nang maglunch time na, nakareceive ako ng tawag
(Mommy, we're already here, where are you?)
(Mommy, Rafa is hungry already, I want to eat po)
"Wait for Mommy, ok? Don't go out of the car, pababa na po si Mommy"
(Ok, Mommy faster, please)
"Opo, ito na nag-aabang na ng elevator si Mommy po" I said
Pagkabukas ng elevator, sumakay ako agad.
Pasara na ang pinto when I saw a scene I wish I never witnessed
A girl hugging Warren and kissing him on his cheeks, and him snaking his arm on the girl's waist, and kissing the top of her head.
Maybe that's the girl he truly loves
She's a bit smaller than me, I can say.
Agad kong pinunasan ang luhang tumulo galing sa mata ko.
It hurts!
Ako iyon dati eh
That was me
The girl that can hug him whenever and wherever she wants was me
The girl that he will show emotion and will hug in public was me
Ako dapat iyon
Hindi ba talaga pwedeng ako nalang ulit?
Wala na ba talagang pag-asa?
Talo na nga ba, Arya?
Hindi mo ba talaga ako kayang mahalin, Warren?
Am I really a disgusting shit to you?
Well. The way he looks at me says it all
Since I came back, the only time na nakitaan ko sya ng emosyon was towards my kids, OUR kids, and towards that girl na siguro source of happiness na nya ngayon
That girl that is giving him happiness right now is not me already.
Pagbaba ko ng elevator, pinunasan ko ang luha ko at sinalubong ng ngiti ang mga anak ko.
"Mommy, did you cry?" Tanong ni Zia
Like me, Zia is also observant. Wala akong maitatago sa kanya
"Huh? No. Kumati lang yung eyes ni Mommy, so I scratched it kaya I look like crying. But, Mommy did not cry. I have my babies to make Mommy happy, di ba po?"
"Yes, Mommy. We love you so much" sabi nya at niyakap ako ng mahigpit
Kahit sila lang, ok na ako doon
Wag lang sila mawawala sa akin, and I will be alright
We hopped in the car and umalis na para kumain muna bago ko sila i-enroll.
