Episode 021
One year and three months have passed mula nung makauwi ako pabalik sa Pilipinas. Nag-stay ako panandalian sa isang hotel roon bago umuwi kayna Kaizer. I have already sold my condo unit habang nasa Italya ako. At ngayon ang araw na alam kong muli kaming magkikita.
"Tris, ready ka na sa presentation mo mamaya?" tanong ni Kaizer sa akin.
"Oo, anong oras ba?"
"After lunch daw" sabi nito at tumango ako sa kanya saka inayos ang presentation na gagamitin ko mamaya.
Ilang oras pa ang nakalipas ay nagpunta na kami sa school nya. Inimbitahan kami ni Kaizer para mag-prisinta ng isang inspirational talk tungkol sa naging success ng mga Linden sa agriculture and architectural industry.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Linden, Mr. Millares. Our school is very pleasured to meet you." bati samin ng professor roon.
"It's also our pleasure, Ma'am" ani sa kanya ni Kaizer.
Iginaya nya kami papunta sa kanilang function hall. Pagpasok namin ay iilan pa lamang ang estudyanteng naroon sa loob. Agad syang hinanap ng mga mata ko ngunit mukhang hindi pa sya dumarating.
"Magsisimula na daw tayo after one minute." bulong sakin ni Kaizer.
Nakaset-up na ang projector at ang laptop na gagamitin para sa presentation pati na rin ang projector screen sa gitna. Isa-isa na rin nagsi-pasukan ang mga estudyante ngunit wala pa rin sya.
"Tris." tawag ni Kaizer at mukhang magsisimula na nga ang presentation ko.
Tumayo ako at inayos ang aking polo saka hinintay ang cue ng host ng programa.
"Good afternoon, We are all here to be inspired and witness the success of a very well-known family. Their business have established a really big name both in agriculture and architectural industry. Our visitor today was a graduate of University of Milan in Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, took another course of Culinary Arts after the year. A home schooled student during his grade school and highschool days. The one and only heir of the Lineage Farm and Food Corporation. Mr. Tristan Eros Porteu Linden."
Lumabas ako mula sa backstage habang rinig ko ang palakpakan ng mga estudyanteng naroon. Kinamayan ako ng host at binigyan ng isang mikropono. Humarap ako sa kanila at puno na nga ang hall na kanina ay halos iilan pa lamang ang estudyanteng nakaupo. Hinanap ko sya saglit ngunit mukhang wala pa rin siya. Tumikhim ako bago nagsalita.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Just call me Kuya Tris, I'm not that very formal. Mabait naman ako, so yeah. Like what's said, I am here to inspire you. Inspire you on how to be successful. Lineage was founded by my grandfather, Pietro Linden Sr. way back at 1967 in Milan, Italy. He was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Psychology and like me he also studied another course of Bachelor of Science in Business Management. My grandfather was a very strict man and that's what we inherited from him. My father and I was strict in terms of business. Although, I myself were not that too strict or serious like them. Kasi minsan, nagbibiro din ako and may mga kalokohan din ako sa buhay, but kidding aside. Let's talk again about our company. The company soon established their agriculture and food industry here in the Philippines on September 1989. In provinces of Davao and Cebu."
Natigilan ako nang bumukas ang pintuan ng mismong hall at agad syang pumasok doon. Diretso ang lakad nya at animo'y hindi ako nakikita habang siya'y naglalakad patungo sa pwesto niya.
"Tris." pagtawag sakin ni Kaizer para mapabalik ako sa panandaliang pagkakatigil at ituloy ang sinasabi kanina.
"A-as I was saying, Lineage agriculture and food industry was..." hindi ko inaalis ang paningin ko sa kanya. Naupo sya sa bandang gitna at nagtama ang mga mata namin.
"Soon, it became well-known in the country. The architectural business was also established in the same year...here in the Philippines."
Sinubukan kong magpalakad-lakad sa stage habang tumitingin sa kanya paminsan-minsan. Nakatungo lamang sya at mukhang abala sa kanyang cellphone.
"The success behind the business is that my grandfather uses both of his learning from psychology and business. He intertwined this two fields which had become a very useful tool in him in running our family business."
"Our family believes that in order to succeed you need to work hard as well as smart in every decisions you make."
Nagpatuloy lamang ako sa pagsasalita hanggang sa matapos ang presentation. Nagbigay ng kaunting meryenda ang mga organizers. Si Kaizer ang umaayos ng mga gamit namin doon. Habang dahan-dahan naman akong naglakad palapit sa grupo niya.
"Can I talk to you for a bit?" tanong ko at lumingon sya sakin.
"Sure" kaswal nyang sabi at tumayo.
Ramdam ko ang tingin ng mga naroon sa amin. Lumabas kami sa hall at agad syang humarap sa akin.
Hindi ko alam kung paano magsisimula, hindi naging maganda ang nangyari sa amin noong nakaraan, hanggang ngayon ay sinisisi ko pa rin ang sarili ko sa nangyari. Hindi pa ko nagpaalam sa kanya ng maayos nung mga panahong na-comatose siya.
"K-Kamusta ka na?" pagsisimula ko
"Ok naman, ikaw? Kababalik mo lang?" kaswal pa rin ang tono ng boses niya. Parang wala man lang bahid ng galit o kung ano. Did she forgot about it? It was just three months, how can it be?
"Okay lang din..." sagot ko
"Good to hear"
"I miss you" pagputol ko sa sasabihin nya. At nakita ko ang pag-iiba ng ekspresyon nya.
"Ako din, I'm happy to see you."
Hindi ko na napigilan ang pangingilid ng luha ko. Why are you being like this? You should be mad at me! You should shout at me! You should blame me for hurting you! Pero bakit ganito ka? Bakit parang wala akong kasalanang ginawa sayo?
"I'm sorry" tanging nasabi ko na lamang.
"You don't need to. Wala kang kasalanan."
"But..."
"Please, wala kang kasalanan...I already accepted it, okay? Don't blame yourself."
Lumunok ako at pinigilan ang pagbabadya ng mga luha.
"Ako pa rin ba?" sa wakas ay natanong ko.
Hindi sya nagsalita at pagkatapos ay ngumiti na lamang.
"I can't answer your question for now. I'm sorry."
Pumikit ako at tumango, tinatanggap ang sinabi nya. There it is, her feelings for me are slowly fading. At alam kong may kasalanan ako roon. You have taken her for granted Tris, now face the consequences.
"Okay, I will wait for your answer."
"Sige, pasok na tayo sa loob?"
"Yeah, mauna ka na muna."
Tumango sya at humarap sa pintuan. Bumaling uli sya sakin at nagsalita.
"By the way, It's really good to see you here." aniya
"Yeah, good to see you too."
Pumasok sya sa loob habang pinagmamasdan ko syang naglalakad palapit sa mga kasama nya. Hanggang sa unti-unting nagsara ang pinto ng hall sa pagitan namin.
BINABASA MO ANG
Far Away
RomanceHow far can you go? How long can you wait? For a love that has been too far away? Tristan Eros Porteu Linden or Tris has it all, he's smart, handsome, rich. An ideal man whom every woman or lady wants to have and no one has ever caught his attenti...