Pay Back (bongleni)

Chapter 2

"Parang awa niyo na kailangan na kailangan ko lang talaga ng trabaho ngayon," Leni pleaded, her voice shaking as she held her boss arm, "Please, kaya ko naman gawin lahat... kahit bawasan niyo na lang po yung bayad sa'kin, basta wag niyo po kong tanggalin," she begged desperately

Her boss sighed, looking at her with a mix of pity and frustration. "Look at you, Gerona. Pinapabayaan mo na yang sarili mo. Mukhang di ka na nga kumakain nang maayos. Bumalik ka na lang kapag kaya mo na at hindi ka na nakakabasag ng gamit," her boss said firmly before turning away and going back to the store, leaving Leni standing there, speechless.

Leni stared down at her hands, trembling and numb from the endless hours of work. She had pushed herself to the limit, yet it still wasn’t enough. Tears filled up in her eyes, and she angrily brushed them away, tugging at her hair in frustration. "Fuck this life!" she muttered under her breath, her voice cracking with the weight of everything that had gone wrong.

This was the only job she had left. Her savings weren’t enough to pay Bong back, and the stress was getting too much for her. No matter how hard she worked, she kept falling short, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep going like this.

In desperation, she grabbed her phone and called her best friend, Nancy, hoping for some support. "Nance, Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. Wala akong trabaho ulit..."

Nancy's voice was sympathetic but just as helpless. "Leni, gusto kitang tulungan pero wala rin akong maibibigay ngayon. Kapos din kami... Sorry talaga."

"Okay lang, Nancy. Huwag ka mag-alala. Thank you talaga," Leni said with a soft smile before ending the call.

Leni closed her eyes, fighting back more tears. She knew Nancy wanted to help, but it seemed like everyone was struggling. She felt so alone in her battle, with no clear way out.

As she sat on the curb outside her now former workplace, Leni wiped her face and took a deep breath. She couldn't give up, even if it felt like the world was crashing down on her. There had to be a way to get through this.

"Okay lang 'to! Kaya ko 'to!" Leni kept telling herself, staring at the sky as she walked, when suddenly she bumped into someone.

"Ouch!" she complained, quickly turning to face the stranger.

"Tumingin ka naman sa dinadaanan mo— wait, Gerona? Ikaw ba yan?!" the lady said, surprised, before hugging her tightly.

"Wait! Si-sino ka ba?" Leni asked, confused, gently pushing the woman away.

"Risa Hontiveros. Your friend from high school! Wait, umiiyak ka ba?" Risa asked, noticing Leni's teary eyes.

"No, no, napuwing lang ako," Leni forced a smile, trying to seem okay. "Risa Hontiveros? Crush ng buong campus?"

"You're always the humble one. Ikaw nga yung crush ng buong campus, remember? The one who kept trying to win you over... Mr. M—"

Leni quickly cut her off, giving her a playful nudge. "Anong ginagawa mo na pala dito? Kala ko nasa Australia ka pa?"

"We decided to settle here last month. My husband wants to invest in a company here," Risa explained with a smile.

"Ano ng pinagkakaabalahan mo ngayon?" Leni asked, curious.

"Wala, nililibot ko lang buong Pilipinas. I missed the beautiful sights here," Risa replied, her eyes twinkling. "Ikaw? Anong pinagkakaabalahan mo?"

Leni hesitated for a moment, then shyly showed her hands, rough and calloused from hard work. "Look," she said quietly.

Risa’s face turned serious as she stared at Leni's hands. "What the... anong nangyari?!" she exclaimed, her concern evident.

"I'm not lucky, Risa," Leni muttered, her voice low as she glanced up at her friend. "My whole life’s a mess." She gave a weak smile before hiding her hands in her pockets. "Remember when my dad died? That’s when I decided not to go to college anymore, and... I ended up like this."