sino nagsabi?

1 | Oh

"Hi" was the first word I said to him.

"Hiyaa Ave, Are you on the way?" He asked

"Yeah just calling to say that I'll be late" 

 "Yeah, no problem, see you in the meeting later". 

To end the conversation I said "Okay, Thanks Pres" and ended the conversation. Sighing is the only option I could do in this situation.

I've been under this shed for 20 minutes and my patience is already thinning out. I'm running late for our monthly meeting. My hands are starting to fall out. My clothes are sticking closely to my skin. My bag is getting crushed in front of me — and now my phone started to buzz.

Jane is calling. As I slid the accept button her voice emerged "Ate, can't come to the meeting. I'm not really feeling well ehhh. Don't worry, I already informed Pres about it" she said.

"Just rest and drink medicine. You could've just texted me you know"

Jane huffed over the line, "Well duh, I know that. But I know you don't check your phone"

Then a pair of headlights emerged from the rain. Finally! A jeepney. A half- empty jeepney emerged from the traffic.

"Well I gotta end this call now. I'll see you later. Take care "

"See you and ingat ate"

I hung up the phone as I thought, 'How in the hell would I get inside before the seats ran out?'

Okay I got this. All I need to do is to run, hold, and sit down. Except that there are also 30 other people waiting here at the shed.

The moment the jeep started to stop at the shed, I ran as fast as I could. I didn't even look back. As I grabbed on the handle of the jeepney I hurried my way to sit. Thank God that's the only thing that I could think of.

As I paid for my fare, I started to imagine the sermon I'll hear. Okay that's an exaggeration. Everyone on our org is kind and they'll understand that I got stuck in traffic. I think.

Then I saw the acacia tree that signifies I'm near. So I prepared my things and I knocked as hard as I could at the ceiling as I arrived at school.

**********

Well I guess destiny is on my side because I arrived at the meeting room when Xavier just started to wrap up and said "Well guys, that's all for this month's meeting. Meeting adjourned".

As soon those words slipped out from his mouth, my eyes started wandering around the room just to shift my attention. Fidgeting and finding things I could do, hoping that they won't notice I arrived way too late. Then his eyes fell on me.

"Ave you're here!" Xavi swept his arm over my shoulder "I thought you won't come. Btw, I received Jane's text so I assumed you're not going as well."

I removed his arm and jokingly said "Okay. For you Pres I would go back to our house and—--"

"Hey I was just joking," Xavi replied.

"Pres, we'll be going." Sheena and the other officers waved as they started to pack "Hi and bye Ave"

He shouted "Take care, See you next week!" as a response and started to lock up the room.

Now that my effort to attend this meeting is already in vain. How am I gonna go home when it's already late.

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