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Chapter 22

MACE ALQUIZA

It was never easy for me to act okay when I felt like exploding. It was hard to have a façade when all I wanted was to shout my frustration and cry.  Nakakapanghina pala na wala kang magawa sa sitwasyon kundi hayaan muna itong kainin ang lakas mo hanggang sa tuluyan kang maubos.

I pity myself so much that all I wanted was to act numb and forget everything but every morning I woke up and I could still think of the pain, I see myself almost giving up. Iba ang sisi kapag kasalanan ko naman talaga pero nakakapanghina parin. Hindi naman ito mawawala kung itutulog ko lang. Maaaring panandaliang katahimikan, pero kapag gising nanaman ang diwa ko, parang walang katapusan nanaman ang ingay at pangamba sa loob ko na hindi ako nilulubayan kahit isang segundo.

It's like a lingering presence that won't let go. It's as if it's using my tranquility as payback for my past actions, yet it appears . . . unsatisfied.

**

Our service van stopped at the car company where we will have our on-the-job training. Sa labas palang ay nabusog na ang mga mata namin ng mga magagarang kotse na hindi ko inakalang makikita ko nang malapitan sa tanang buhay ko. The rows of sleek vehicles showcased like works of art. Parang wine-welcome kami sa panibagong karanasang matutunghayan namin sa kumpanya.

We stand outside the main entrance of the building. Ang mga kasamahan ko ay hindi na naiwasan pa ang papurihan ang lugar na ubod nga naman ng lawak at laki. Hindi tuloy namin napansin ang paglapit ng isang middle-aged woman at nakangiti kaming sinalubong ng bati.

“Hello, everyone. Welcome to our humble paradise,” she greeted us with so much enthusiasm.

The woman mentioned her name. She’s Engineer Rebecca, the lead engineer behind some of the company's groundbreaking designs. Pinakilala niya ang mga kasama niyang sumalubong din samin at ang ilan ay ang assigned person to help us during our internship. Nagkaroon nang kaunting orientation kaya masigasig kaming nakinig na parang mga batang may field trip sa isang museum. The latter was very much alike to this place tho. Everything we see is all a dedication to art. 

Mas napuno kami ng excitement nang mabanggit niya ang legacy ng kumpanya at kung paanong maswerte kami na maging parte ng binubuo nilang proyekto lalo at eto ang unang pagkakataon na tumanggap sila ng intern.

The hype didn’t die down even after our short introduction. Pagkatapos nang kaunting heads up sa kung ano ang kailangan naming asahan sa loob at expectation nila samin ay umusad kami para sa tour.

She guides us inside the building. We are greeted with futuristic automobile models as we enter the sleek foyer. The walls are lined with interactive screens that proudly display the company's extraordinary achievements holding us completely captivated by the entire scene.

Engineer Rebecca was enthusiastically discussing the company's history. Nakikinig lang kami at nagtatanong sa mga bagay na gusto pa naming malaman na malugod naman niyang sinasagot.

"Every model on display contains a piece of our evolution. They were all a testament to our dedication to pushing the boundaries."

We walk into an open office space where other engineers are interacting and discussing projects at their modern desks. They were courteous enough to pay attention to us and greet us with a good morning.

"This is our engineering center. Various teams work on everything from car design to software development here. You'll have the chance to interact and learn from them during your training,” nakangiting sabi uli ni Engineer Rebecca.

I roam my eyes around. Busyng-busy ang mga tao. They all look so good at what they are doing.

“Ang gagaling nila,” I murmured pleased with the sight of everyone doing their roles. Ngayon palang ay nakikita ko na rin ang sarili ko na magiging ganito rin kabusy sa work field.