CSS to my HTML (IT Series #5)

PROLOGUE

I immediately put down the iced latte that I was sipping when I glanced at a pop message on the lock screen of my phone. Ilan beses ko bang sasabihin sa babaeng iyon na hindi ko tatanggapin ang project na binibigay nila sa akin. Gusto kong mag-focus sa pag-re-review and feeling ko makakain ng project na iyon ang oras ko sa pag-re-ready ko sa board exam. 

I took my reviewers na nakalagay sa gilid ng table and I made my way out of that cafe. Hindi ko man lang na-feel 'yung ambience ng cafe na iyon dahil sa bwiset na istorbong text na ito, kainis! Ang mahal pa naman ng bili ko sa iced latte na iyon, three hundred ba naman ang halos hindi pa aabot sa medium size ng cup n'on.

Habang naglalakad ako papunta sa building ng company ay naririnig ko pa rin ang pag-notif ng phone ko dahil sa mga texts ng babaeng iyon. And in any seconds nag-ring na rin ang phone ko, kung p'wede ko lang talaga patayan ng call 'to ayyy...pero dahil mabait ako, hindi ko iyon gagawin. 

"I'm on the way now. 'Wag mo na akong tadtarin ng mga chats mo, okay?" bungad ko sa kaniya habang naririnig ko pa ang tunog ng maingay niyang mechanical keyboard sa kabilang linya. 

"Ms. Archivido, this is a  gateway project for you 'di mo ba nakikita? With this, mas magiging competitive ang portfolio mo and good opportunity na rin para makapunta ka sa Switzerland." sambit niya habang naririnig ko pa rin ang pag-type nito sa maingay niyang mechanical keyboard. I left a deep sigh habang naglalakad malapit sa may pedestrian lane. 

"Alam kong 'yon ang main reason mo kaya mo tinanggap ang trabaho and naging part ng company, right?" she added while her voice became clear compared kanina na mahina dahil sigurado akong nakalagay ito sa phone holder. Hindi ko namalayan na bumabagal na pala ang paglalakad ko dahil nawala na naman ang attensyon ko sa daan.

She's right. I just became part of that company dahil alam kong magiging daan iyon para makapunta ako ng Switzerland. I always wanted to go to that country since then pero dahil hindi naman kami mayaman and hindi pa lume-level ang economic status namin sa 'may kaya', I always thought na it's impossible. Even I passed this board exam, pakiramdam ko'y hindi rin gan'on kadali ang makapunta roon with my profession. 

Kaya bumalik ako sa kung ano'ng sinimulan ko. I switch back to UX Designing na matagal ko nang hindi pinagpatuloy because it reminds me of him. Everytime I create a design, he's always part of it na para bang siya ang nagiging inspiration ng mga designs ko. At ayaw kong mangyari ulit iyon as I already untie the line connected to him. I will always consider it as a good decision as he's the one who let me chose and pursued what I really wanted. 

I ended the call with her and hinihintay na mag-green ang traffic signals na nasa kabilang daan. My eyes remain on the pedestrian lane na nasa harapan ko. Ten seconds before it become green may dumaan na ten wheeler truck sa harapan ko and sobrang haba nito kaya lumipat ang atensyon ko rito and tiningnan ang mga naka-print dito na mga japanese letters. 

As soon it passed and ten seconds have ended, I saw a man standing beside the traffic signals holding a paper bag and his neutral color shirt dominating him. I hold my breath and grab my sling bag tightly out of surprise. Nag-green na ang traffic signals kaya may mga tao nang tumatawid sa kabilang road kaya nahaharangan na rin nila ang lalaking iyon sa paningin ko. 

But even though I can't see him clearly, the feeling I have right now tells me that he is the one standing across from me. No, imposible, naduduling lang ako kaya napagkakamalan ko ang ibang tao na siya. Halos hindi na nga siya sumasagi sa isipan ko ta's ngayon pa?

My system is seemingly shut down for a moment kaya nakatayo lang ako sa gilid ng daan at nakatingin sa lalaking iyon with mixed emotions.  It is seemingly waiting for him to turn it on and command my system. At habang naglalakad siya patawid ng pedestrian lane at papunta sa direction ko his visual slowly become clear to me.

He's not wearing his eyeglass and his hair changed but still, siya pa rin. His usual outfit and the color of his shirt are still the same. And siya pa rin 'yung taong naging rason ko n'on para ipagpatuloy pa rin ang IT.

But his eyes and the way he looks at me are seemingly different from eight years ago.

Just like how he formed a line between us with mixed signals, we crossed paths again with the help of traffic signals.

°°°

IT Series #1: Algorithm of Love (soon)

IT Series #2: Hello World, Goodbye (ongoing)

IT Series #3: Love Developer (ongoing)

IT Series #4: Debugging the Programmer (soon)

IT  Series #5: CSS to my HTML (ongoing)

IT Series  #6: Love is  Syntax Error (soon)

This story is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious, unless otherwise stated. Any resemblance to real persons, living, or dead, or actual events is pure of coincidental. 

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