Published on Twitter July 9 For Meng's anniv concert on EB.
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"ANO?!? Bakit?!? Kaka-hire lang natin sa kanya last week, ah!" Maine groaned in frustration.
"Ey, yun nga ma'am. Balita namin nagtanan daw sila ng girlfriend niya nung isang gabi. Bumalik daw sa Bataan," explained Lita, the office accountant and one of her mom's most trusted employees.
"Jusko, inuna pa talaga ang kaharutan kaysa trabaho." Maine folded her arms and let out a long sigh. Manuel was the third gasboy in a month to leave their fuel station without warning.
She leaned back on her rickety chair, glancing at the clock above her bland office doorway. 8:15 a.m. The day was just starting and now she had all sorts of issues on her hands. Next week's fuel delivery was going to be delayed. They still hadn't found new gasboys to replace those who left. The OIC in the other station was about to go on maternity leave, which probably meant that Maine would have to replace her in that small cubicle for the next month. Beer kept disappearing from their convenience store.
Worse, she hadn't heard back from all the airlines she had applied to.
"Ano gagawin natin, Meng?" Lita's voice cut through her mental litany of problems. Maine sighed and gave her a weak smile. "Tatawagin ko nalang ulit agency, baka may mga recruit sila na gustong mag gasboy dito. Tapos makikiusap lang ako kay Ate Melanie, baka pwede siyang pumalit kay Aya. Manganganak pa 'yun. Yung mga delay sa deliveries...kausapin ko muna si Tatay." Her shoulders slumped as she covered her face with her hands. Lita reached over the desk and patted Maine's head affectionately. "Hay, Meng. Konting tiis nalang dito sa opisina. Tatawag ang PAL, wag kang mag-alala."
Maine looked at Lita, her eyes sad. "Di naman sa ganun, Ate Lita..."
"Meng, alam mo naman hindi ka bagay dito, eh. Hindi mo naman siguro tadhana na uupo lang dito sa opisina at magbantay ng inventory," Lita assured her cheerfully.
"Hay, I wish, Ate. Sobrang maiyak na ako sa ka-bored dito. Sorry ha, pero...di talaga eh."
"Sus! Tawang-tawa nga kami ng mga anak ko sa bagong dubsmash-dubsmash mo kagabi. Ang kulit mo! Tapos sabi ng bunso ko mag 300,000 views ka na raw sa YouTube? Sikat ka na, Meng!" Lita teased with a laugh.
"Sana nga pwedeng pagkitaan yung kakulitan ko, no?" Maine replied, a smile now forming on her lips. "Baka nga i-ban na ni nanay yung mga dubsmash ko. Kakahiya daw sa mga tao namin."
"Ay wag! Ituoloy mo!" Lita insisted. "Gawin mo yung favorite ng bunso ko!"
"Yung Ikot-Ikot?" Maine giggled.
"Yun! I-dubsmash mo yun! Ay naku, matutuwa si Angela. Alam mo naman idol ka ng bata."
"Hahaha! Sige po, Ate Lits, para sa iyo. Alam mo naman malakas ka sa akin, eh."
Lita smiled as she saw the joy return to her favorite Mendoza's face. "Meng, wag kang mag-alala. Imagine mo nalang na tatawag na yung Philippine Airlines. O kaya imagine mo na sisikat ka ng bonggang-bongga sa YouTube, tapos ma-discover ka!"
"Ate Lita, gising na po."
"Naku! Maniwala ka. Sabi ko kay Aya na feeling ko mabuntis siya this year, eh ayun! Nabuntis nga! Sinabi ko kay Ate Nikki mo dati pa na siya talaga maunang ikasal sa inyong lahat, eh tingnan mo naman. Diba nung kinuha natin si Manuel, sabi mo ang bait-bait niya tapos sabi ko ayoko sa kanya dahil feeling ko may tinatago siya sa atin? Eh, ayun. Nilayasan tayo! Basta Meng, maniwala ka. May talent ako sa mga ganyan."
Maine arched an eyebrow in mock disbelief. "Weh. Eh ano feeling mo sa akin, Te Lits?"
"Feeling ko..." she began, closing her eyes and waving her hands in imitation of a fortune teller. "Naku Meng! Mag-one million views yung kalokohan mo sa YouTube!"
Maine laughed, amused at the old lady's antics. "Sige, ano pa?"
"Magkakaroon ka ng maraming pera! As in!"
"Ay, gusto ko yan! Ikakasal ba ako sa matandang lalake na maraming pera?"
Lita giggled, her eyes still closed. "Magkaka-lablayp ka! Ay Meng! Bonggang-bongga itong majojowa mo!"
Maine finally hollered in laughter, clapping her hands in delight. "Ay! Masgusto ko iyan! Sige pa, Te Lits! Pera, kasikatan, jowa...ano pa?"
Lita dropped her hands suddenly, her expression suddenly serious.
"Te Lits? Ano problema?"
The old lady gazed into Maine's eyes. "Meng, parang....nakita ko nasa TV ka."
"Uy, na-TV ako? OK ka rin, Te Lits, ha. Hindi lang ako mayaman at may jowa. Ngayon sikat pa ako. Grabe na talaga ang drugs mo, ate," Maine teased, her cheeks still hurting from laughing.
A knowing smile slowly crept across Lita's face. "Basta, hindi pa ako nagkamali Meng. Maniwala ka."
Maine leaned back against her chair and shook her head. "Sige na nga. Maniwala ako sa iyo. Pero pag hindi nagkatotoo yan, ha..."
"Meron pa Meng! Magkaka-movie ka pa!"
It was all too much. Maine doubled over in laughter, her head nearly hitting her table. "Jusko Ate Lita! Tigilan mo na ang drugs! Magtrabaho na nga tayo!"
Lita chuckled along with Maine, unsure of where her crazy predictions were coming from.
Maine eyed her with amusement. "Hay, Kaloka ka, Ate. Imagine no, Maine Mendoza, superstar na may jowa! Da best, ka talaga, ate." Maine walked over to Lita and gave her a big, warm hug. "Salamat sa laughtrip."
"Hinahanap ka ng mga hinahanap mo, Meng," Lita whispered enigmatically. "Imagine mo lang."
