Wicked

part three

PART THREE

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I WANT TO RETIRE, LARCY. AND BUY A BOAT."

Natawa siya sa sinabi ni Patrick. Nasa poolside sila ng Maharlika Resort and Country Club, isa sa mga real estate ventures ng lalaki noon pero matagal nang naibenta ang mga sapi at iniretiro ang posisyon sa board of directors. Ngayon, tinatamasa na lang nito ang pagiging ordinaryong miyembro.

"Why don't you just rent a boat and sail the seven seas for a month." Nasa di-kalayuan nila ang clubhouse building at ang restaurant kung saan gaganapin ang luncheon para sa kanya.

Tumawa si Patrick, "I can't sail the seven seas in a month."

"I know. But that's enough for you to realize that you can't SELL the seven seas." She sipped her milkshake. Hindi siya umiinom ng kahit anong softdrink at kung juice ang pag-uusapan, gusto niya, sa harap niya pipigain ang prutas. At dapat organic. Paranoid siya sa kanser at sa iba pang sakit.

Pinabayaan ni Alex ang sarili. Iyon ang mabigat nitong kasalanan para sa kanya. And the swimming pool reminded her of him. Sa bahay ng mga magulang ni Alex sa L. A. , may nakasabit na painting. Ginawa daw iyon ni Alex noong highschool pa ang lalaki. Siguro daw, as a joke. Pero kilala niya si Alex. Alam niyang seryoso iyon noong gawin ang painting.

Ng swimming pool. He made a poolscape as opposed to seascape or landscape. Taglay niyon ang mga katangian ng isang impressionist painting pero sa estilong kay Alex lamang. Sunset ang background, buhay na buhay ang mga kulay ng kalikasan. Aasahan mong karagatan ang nasa larawan. Hindi swimming pool.

Ah, that was Alex. And she'd been thinking a lot about him lately. Dahil siguro sa stress ng mga nakaraang buwan. At alam niya, sa mga darating na araw, mai-stress na naman siya.

Hindi tumawa si Patrick sa sinabi niya, imbes ay sinindihan ang Cuban cigar. Lagi itong may baon sa bulsa ng polo.

"You should stop that."

"I'm an old man. I'm entitled to choose my own poison." Hinithit nito ang tabako, "Hindi mo narinig ang sinabi ko. I want to retire. I'm done making money. I envy your drive, Larcy. I want to be like you pero tapos na ang panahon ko—i just don't have the drive anymore. Pero ikaw, you're the son i never had."

Kuwarenta na ito nang makilala at pakasalan si Maryan. At pagkatapos daw ipanganak si Charynne, hindi na muli nagbuntis ang nanay niya.

"This is the the start, Larcy. The foundation. I want you to be my Chief of Staff."

"Kapatid ni mama ang chief of staff mo." Si Marlon—Uncle Marlon. Kaisa-isang kapatid ni Maryan.

"I fired him. From now on, you will represent me in all board meetings, you'll work with my lawyers, brokers, accountants."

"Okay." Aniya.

Nagulat si Patrick, "Just like that?"

"Why not?" Ibinaba niya sa maliit na mesa ang milkshake, "And the first thing i want to do is fire your broker."

"Si Jed? But why? He's been with me ten years."

"He;s working for his commission—just to get his commission. He's really not making money and because of that, you have no money to buy that boat."

"I do."

"No, you don't understand. You can't buy that boat using the money you already have. You have to make money for the boat first so that even if the boat depreciates in value, you won't really lose any money."