Shelter in a Storm (Elyu Series #2)

Chapter 32

"Nagpadagdag sila ng fire safety clearance at sanitary permit nang malamang parerentahan mo ang building pagkatapos ng renovation..." wika ng engineer habang inaabot sa akin ang iilang papeles. Naglabas ito ng ballpen mula sa briefcase niya at inabot rin sa akin.

My head was still spinning. I could feel his piercing gaze behind me. Nang magtagpo ang mga mata namin kanina, hindi ko man lang makitaan ng gulat ang mukha niya.

Of course, he's not surprised. He already knew that this is our boarding house. What the hell is an army officer doing here, pouring cement and breaking down walls?!

"Anything else?"

"Yun lang po, Ma'am. Ako na ang magpapasa nito."

I nodded and thanked the engineer. Napasulyap ito sa relo niya nang makitang nakatayo pa rin ako at hindi gumagalaw.

"Gusto niyo pong ihatid ko kayo sa trabaho? Baka late na kayo..."

Kaagad akong umiling. I smiled politely at him. "It's okay. Magt-taxi nalang ako."

Nagpaalam na ako sa kanila at pumasok sa trabaho. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa nakita kanina. Anong ginagawa niya doon? Bakit siya nagtatrabaho bilang construction worker? Is he trying to pull a prank on me?!

"Are you okay, Dr. Perez?"

Tumango ako at ngumiti nang pilit para tantanan ako ng ka-trabaho ko. Being the youngest senior researcher, I often received the heat from tenured researchers who didn't get the promotion. Hindi ko naman sila masisisi dahil mas matagal na silang nagtatrabaho dito kesa sa akin.

When my day at work ended, I contemplated going back to the boarding house. Ngayon ay maigi ko nang pinag-iisipan ang alok ni Tita na doon muna sa bahay nila tumuloy habang inaayos ang building. I have nowhere to go and couldn't even bring myself to work because I'm too distracted.

"Ma'am! Meryenda po tayo!"

Muntik na akong mapatalon sa gulat nang bigla akong tawagin ng foreman. Napalingon tuloy ang ibang construction worker sa akin, kabilang na si Enrique. Nagpapahinga sila sa ilalim ng puno at mukhang patapos na. May malaking supot ng pandesal sa maliit na lamesa at iilang bote ng tig-isang litro ng softdrinks.

I wanted to offer them something else to eat but I realized it would sound offensive so I held my tongue and just smiled at him.

"Patapos na po ba kayo?"

"Oo, Ma'am. Sinabihan naman po kayo ni engineer tungkol sa bagong piping doon sa second floor?"

I nodded and listened to him while my eyes drifted towards Enrique. Nagtatawanan ang mga kasamahan niya sa trabaho habang tahimik lang itong kumakain. Nang mag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin, kaagad akong umiwas at ibinaling ang tingin sa kausap.

"Sige, papasok na po ako. Nasa loob lang po ako kung may kailangan kayo..." paalam ko sa matanda at dali-daling pumasok sa boarding house.

I forced myself to get some sleep that night, knowing that I'm going to see him again tomorrow. I couldn't find the courage to talk to him, so I think I'm going to stay at my aunt's house for a while. Wala rin naman akong sasabihin sa kaniya at mukhang ayaw naman akong kausapin ng lalaki.

Maaga akong nagising kinabukasan. I changed into a pair of green Lululemon shorts and sports top, planning to go for a run. Alas dyez pa naman ang klase ko kaya pwede akong tumakbo ngayong araw. I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and stepped out of the boarding house.

I wanted to go back as soon as I was out when I saw Enrique outside, setting down his bag. Nakapantalon ito at itim na t-shirt. Even when he's not on duty, he maintains the crew cut of his hair and still looks clean.