Chapter 1
Caught a vibe
"May nagtatanong..."
Binasa ko ang message sakin ng katrabaho ko sa bagong company na pinasukan ko.
"Single ka daw ba?" Napataas ang kilay ko. This isn't the first conversation we had about a guy who I think is interested in me, the first one, is he asked my name through my colleague.
I move my mouse and type in on the chat box. "Eh yung nagtatanong single ba?" Tanong ko pabalik.
This new industry that I am slowly grasping has a lot rumors. Some true, some are not. Ang naririnig ko mapa social media at sa mga kilala ko ay talaga namang uso ang kabitan sa BPO industry. These days those kind of drama, I got to say, "sobrang uso."
"Hahahaha. Oo" aniya
Nagduda naman ako. Talaga ah.
Tinanong ko kung sino ba yung nagtatanong, pero hindi niya agad sinabi. Kailangan ko pa siyang kulitin.
"Kilala mo ba si..."
Nagulat ako sa binanggit niyang pangalan. Whaaaat.
"Oo kilala ko yon. Pinaguusapan lang natin siya kahapon diba?" sabi ko
Kahapon habang nasa trabaho kami ay nagkwentuhan kami ni kuya Jace, yung katrabaho kong nagtatanong para sa kaibigan niyang mukhang interesdo sakin.
"John,"
He's a tenured. Months ahead of me, naabutan ko siyang travel consultant just like my job now, but now he's already promoted as an SME or the ones who's supporting incoming newbies like me.
"Mamaya magkikita kayo non. Mga saglit lang naman." Ani kuya Jace nang magkita ulit kami.
"Ay nandiyan ba siya mamaya?" Tanong ni Patrick na mukhang alam din ang pagiging tulay ni kuya Jace sakin at sa kaibigan niya.
"Oo magpapangabot sila." I'm on a graveyard shift. As I heard, pangumaga siya. Hindi ko na lang pinansin.
While I was busy on my cases. Dumating nga siya. Kinabahan pa ako, I wans't use
"Jean, si John pala..." Pakilala ni kuya Jace
Napatingin ako at nakikita ang hiya sa side nila. Inilahad ni John ang kamay para makipagkamay. Nakipagkamay naman ako. Kinakabahan dahil hindi naman sanay sa mga ganitong tagpo. Naguusap na kami dati pa nung trainee pa lang ako. Hindi ko sure kung siya nga yung nakakausap ko noon sa prod.
Nagusap kami saglit, tinanong niya lang ako kung kumusta ako sa bagong department na nilipatan ko.
We have our own chat channel for the company. Doon ang communication namin. Unti unti ko siyang nakilala. I found out that he already had a child with her ex who got pregnant in college.
He was a victim of domestic violence.
His ex-used to beat him due to jealousy and possessiveness.
Of course I was able to know things about him. We don't talk a lot everyday for long, dahil syempre kailangan naming magtrabaho.
We always talk online pero hindi rin matagal. I think hindi kami click. I'm the kind of person that all out whenever I'm with someone, I mean, I'm not shy around people, you can put me in a room with strangers and I can befriend them, If I want too.
John and I, I don't think we're compatible. I don't feel something whenever we talk or kahit man lang ma-excite. No. I don't think he's a bad guy. It's just that, as I've said before we don't click or me or him and me just don't like each other. He never asked me out, I get the feeling that he wants to takes things slow, given what happened to him, to his last relationship, he's making sure first. I understand. If he asked me out on date, I would said yes, but he never did, so I guess he does not like me like that. So like a normal things happened in a movie or real life, we stopped talking.
"Oy, nasan si Jace?" Tanong ng katrabaho ko.
"Ewan ko bakit?"
"Hindi kasi nasagot, hinahanap sakin."
Tiningnan ko ang messages sakin. Some of my colleagues, even those who are not close to me are asking me where the hell is he. Kumunot ang noo ko, bakit sakin nila hinahanap? Tapos naisip ko rin na magkateam pala kami. Since nalipat kami sa ibang department, kumbaga parehas kami bago sa team namin, kaya kami lagi magkausap.
Chinat ko si Kuya Jace.
"Huy, anyare sayo kahapon? Hinahanap ka nila sakin ah."
"Ah, wala, nakatulog kasi ako eh."
"Ahh." Napaisip ako, palagi kasi siyang nakakatulog. Feel ko may problema lang pero di na ako nag usisa.
"Di ako pwede mag work from home, mababaliw ako kakaisip." Ani kuya Jace
Napatigil ako, bago muling nagtipa
"Bakit? Anyare?"
Matagal bago siya nagreply,
"Anong gagawin mo pag tatlong beses ka nang niloloko ng partner mo?"
