Ready to go
What the hell, they both thought as they awkwardly stood in front of each other inside Arthur Manuel's office. Daniel, being the gentleman that he is, extended his left hand for a shake. "It's nice to meet you, Kathryn" he said, waiting for her hand to take his, secretly wishing to be reminded of how it feels again. Kath thought she saw a hint of nervousness there but it was quickly covered up by the confident smirk that started to form on his face.
Pwede ba, Daniel. Kumalma ka nga! Pa-cool ka lang dapat, he thought as he waited for her to take his hand.
Kathryn was still in disbelief, baffled and almost stunned by the situation they're both in. She had no choice but to take his hand and give it a gentle shake before quickly withdrawing hers. It was as if there was a slight jolt when their hands touched, but she quickly brushed it off - thinking it was just a nervous twitch. Grabe naman yata ang kaba mo, Kath? Relax ka nga, she thought, quietly scolding herself as she straightened her posture.
"Alright, let's start!" they heard Arthur Manuel say as he walked over to the other side of the room. He pulled the sliding door open to reveal a spacious board room with a long working table that can fit at least twenty people. "Choose a seat", Mr. Manuel said as he pulled a chair on the opposite side.
Nagulat si Kathryn ng lumipat sa bandang likod niya si Daniel. Akala niya ay may binabalak itong iba, pero nagulat siya ng hilahin ni Daniel ang upuan para sa kanya. He gestured for her to take a seat, which she graciously accepted, uttering a "thank you" before pushing her chair in. Nahihiya man, hinayaan nalang ni Kathryn ang nangyari. She was too nervous to even care about him right now. She secretly took a deep breath to help calm her nerves.
"Relax", rinig niyang bulong ni Daniel sa likod niya bago nito hinila ang upuan sa tabi niya. Natahimik nalang si Kathryn at ibinaling ang atensyon niya sa kanyang Tito Art who is now sitting in front of them.
"I'll cut straight to the point. I want to make this brief and simple. As you both know, my only daughter, Pauline, does not seem to have any interest at all in helping me run this company. I'm not getting any younger and at this point, it's becoming impossible for me to do all this work by myself. Don't worry, I am not asking either of you to take over and replace me. Buhay pa naman ako, and you're still both too young and far too inexperienced to be trusted with my legacy. But that's why you're here... to learn, grow, and start your own journey. The company is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 10 months. You have until then to show us what you are capable of. Now, before we proceed to the more technical side of the job, is there anything you would like to ask me?"
Sandaling nagkatinginan ang dalawa at hindi mapigilan ni Kathryn na itanong ang kahapon pa niyang iniisip. "Tito Art, I really really appreciate the opportunity and I am so grateful that you see my value and potential... but I hope you don't mind me asking... why-"
"Why you?", he interrupted. Arthur Manuel simply shrugged his shoulders before answering his one and only beloved niece. "I have my reasons", he said, smiling at the two. "And the same goes for you, Mr. Ford."
There was a moment silence as both Kathryn and Daniel tried to make sense of it all.
"Now it's my turn to ask. What can you offer me? And please, don't be so formal. Relax and just be yourself. Wag scripted", pagbasag ni Mr. Manuel sa katahimikan, kasabay ng makahulugang tingin sa dalawang taong kaharap niya. "Ms. Bernardo, why don't you go first."
