CEO of My Heart

Chapter 2: Meet Clark Kent

People call him the Boy Wonder. To me, he is Clark Kent.

So, here's what I know about CK so far...

He graduated from a top business school in London. He took his master's degree in the same school.

He came from a rich family but insisted that he start from the bottom to work his way up to top management to a company not owned by his father.

He is the first of four children. He has a brother and 2 sisters, none of whom met even half his credentials.

If it isn't obvious yet, he is an over-achiever.

He doesn't have a girlfriend. He doesn't. I can say it over and over without ever getting tired.

Sabi nila, torpe daw. Baka naman busy lang masyado. Ikaw ba naman maging one of the top executives of a company in your 30s, sino ba naman ang hindi magiging busy?

There's a lot of buzz going around about him being the next big thing in the company. As it is now, he is already a prime mover. Balita ko, he did wonders dun sa subsidiary na pinanggalingan niya. He boosted the sales five times higher than it was before he entered the picture. No wonder people are talking about him. And I would not be surprised kung maraming babaeng nagkakagusto sa kanya sa kumpanya.

Am I one of them? Honestly, di ko alam. Basta ang alam ko, CK is very interesting. He achieved things that I can only dream about. I've been in this company for almost five years, and honestly, I think I have nothing to show for it. Writer na nang pumasok, writer pa rin hanggang ngayon. Ang hirap maging 'somebody' sa kumpanyang kasinglaki nito. But for Sir Carl, parang ang dali lang ng lahat.

Teka...hindi pala lahat madali para sa kanya.

Biglang nag-flashback sa akin yung pictorial. Hanggang ngayon natatawa pa rin ako.

Meron palang taong hirap na hirap mag-smile sa harap ng camera? Meron. Si Sir Carl yun!

******

"Ok na ba?" I asked Josh our photographer who seemed unhappy with his shots.

He looked at me and showed me his shots sa DSLR na gamit nya. I looked at the shots, looked back at Josh and saw his disapproving look. Josh and I have been working on this annual project for two years now. This is our third year, and we seemed to have mastered our working cues. He takes the photos, I make sure our subjects look good. Alam ko na rin kung kailan satisfied at hindi si Josh sa shots niya. That particular time, I knew he was not.

Lumapit sa akin si Ms. Tina, who seemed to have sensed na may problema kami ni Josh.

"Kumusta?"

Sinamantala ni Ms. Tina na kausapin ako while her boss is busy on the phone. Judging from the serious tone of his voice, it was probably a work-related call.

"Tama ka nga Ms. Tina. Mukhang hindi sanay ngumiti yung boss mo."

"Sabi ko na sa iyo eh. Ikaw na bahala. May baon ka bang jokes diyan?"

Gusto kong tumawa pero pinigilan ko.

"Seryoso? Kailangan ko ng joke para mapa-smile lang siya? Baka lalong mainis sa akin yan, Ms. Tina!"

"Eh paano mo mapapangiti yan, sige nga? Tingnan mo o! Mukhang may kinakagalitan pa sa kabilang linya."

"Oo nga eh, kaya nakakatakot kausapin. Ms. Tina, seryoso, natatakot ako."

Tumawa si Ms. Tina. Medyo malakas kaya napatingin sa amin si Sir Carl. Ms. Tina stopped laughing and raised her hand as if saying "Teka lang" to Sir Carl's questioning look.