Game Over

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Lui didn't really talk to me pagkatapos kong sabihin sa kanya 'yon. Hindi ko na rin naman napansin dahil naging busy ako sa legal consult. Nung matapos 'yon, kinausap ko iyong head nung legal aid kasi concerned ako doon sa isang pumunta. She was a minor and even though she was very vague about her questions, I knew that she was pertaining to her teacher abusing her. I tried to pry as gently as I could, pero ayaw niyang magsalita. Hindi ko rin naman siya pwedeng pilitin.

That was what bothered me the whole day... or maybe the whole week, even. Na kahit balik na ako sa contracts na trabaho ko, kapag nagkakaroon ako ng bakanteng oras, bumabalik doon iyong isip ko.

"Are you free this weekend?" tanong ni Lance ulit sa akin nung Friday na. I was cooped up in my office. Gusto kong tapos lahat ng work requirements ko for this week para guilt-free iyong weekend ko.

"Nope, sorry," I replied habang nasa screen pa rin iyong mga mata ko. I remember asking Lance before kung dumadali ba iyong work namin... He said no, but we get better at it. Tama naman siya. Kaya ko na atang magdraft ng pleadings kahit naka-pikit ako.

"Uuwi ka sa inyo?" he asked.

"Nope," I replied.

"Plans with your friends?"

"Nope," I replied again while revising my pleading bago ko i-mark iyon as done.

"Then, what are you doing this weekend?"

"Personal time," I replied. Hindi ako tumingin sa mukha niya dahil alam ko na iyong magiging itsura niya. "I have to have a personal time unless gusto mo akong makitang magka-mental breakdown," I continued saying.

Thankfully, he didn't push the conversation even more kasi pareho naman naming alam na maraming lawyer ang nagkaka-mental breakdown talaga lalo na sa big firms dahil sa dami ng workload. I knew hindi naman talaga personal time iyong sa legal clinic, but I like doing it.

It makes me feel... good.

Ito siguro iyong sinasabi nila na moral dilemma na gumagawa ka ba talaga ng mabuti dahil alam mo na mabuti or just because it makes you feel good about yourself? And in that case, the unselfish act becomes a selfish one?

But did it really matter? At the end of the day, I'm helping someone. Who fucking cares kung bakit ko 'yon ginagawa?

Lance invited me to have dinner with him, but I told him na magkikita na kami ni Alisha. I asked him to join, but he declined. It's fine since I invited him to be polite lang din naman.

"What? 'Di pa ba enough workload mo at nasa legal aid ka naman?" Alisha asked me, confused nung sinabi ko sa kanya iyong weekend plans ko.

"Iba naman 'yon," I replied. "Boring contracts lang iyong ginagawa ko sa work. Ayaw mo ba magtry don?"

Her face contorted like I just suggested that she swim in a polluted river with an open wound. "No, thanks," sabi niya sa 'kin. "I'd rather spend my weekends doing anything else but working."

"Ang saya kaya. Nasusubok talaga iyong utak ko."

"Magpilates na lang tayo," she said. "Or yoga? Or spin class? Or basically anything other than working."

I shrugged. "I'm free naman ng Sunday," I told her since every Saturday lang 'yung legal aid.

"Wala kayong date or something ni Lance?"

"No, it's fine," I told her. I'd rather do pilates or anything else kaysa umattend na naman sa networking event ni Lance.

Alisha and I continued to talk nung bigla kong ma-mention na kasama ko si Lui sa may legal aid. Napa-hinto siya sa pag-sip niya nung amaretto niya.