Love Thy Neighbor (Completed)

Chapter 43 - Priorities

Candelaria - Quezon

It was a smooth training for Sinag for the succeeding days at Sinagtala Grocery Store.  The feeling she had when the store was still small is slowly coming back.  She is now excited to report for work at Sinagtala and begins to interact with their employees and mingle with them to the point of checking a bit of their personal lives.

What she had now is very different from her work in Paris where she does not have to bother herself about the people working around her except of course those who closely work with her.  In Paris, her relationship with the people in every show that she does also ends everytime each show ends, which is very different in Sinagtala Grocery. Now, she cares and checks on every employee that she meets regardless if they are a regular employee or not.

Teddy Obispo is the happiest on this development of Sinag.  He is beginning to see the sign of making Sunshine stay in Quezon and leaves her work abroad.  Also, he is too glad that Benji and his daughter has finally got into a serious relationship as this will be another reason to make his only daughter decides to finally settle in the country with him.

Obispo Residence

“Benji malapit nang matapos ang kontrata ng Sinagtala sa RHC, nakahanap ka na ba bibili ng shares mo?” Tatay Teddy once asked while Benji is having dinner with the Obispos.

“Wala pa po Tito Teddy. That’s why I am considering extending the contract” Benji honestly replied

“Do you think hindi pa namin kaya kapag bumitaw ang RHC?” Sunshine asked as she knows what the two important men of her life are talking about. 

She is aware that RHC will sell its shares of Sinagtala after three years of taking over its operations.  She is not new to this kind of arrangement and she understands because that is basically the business of RHC, to sell the companies they bought on a bigger value after a certain period of time.

“It is not that, kaya nyo naman nang hawakan ang Sinagtala especially if you decide to stay here for good, in less than a month you were able to learn all the aspects of the business and that is a good sign” Benji said

“But you know that the revenue is not enough to pay RHC’s share of Sinagtala” Sunshine said

Benji took a deep breath before he replied “Yes you are correct.  Only last year that we recognize a good revenue, yung first two years of acquisitions a little more than break even lang.  Not enough to buy RHC shares”  

“Why are you extending the contract if we can look for another investor? Someone who could help Tatay runs the store operations para hindi na sya masyadong ma-stress” Sunshine asked

“But we are not certain if that investor would not meddle on the store’s operation, baka mas magkaroon ng conflict kung may kahati na kayo sa pag-manage ng Sinagtala.  Baka maging dahilan pa ang sakit ni Tito Teddy for them to take over, unless you choose to stay” Benji said

“But technically, RHC is meddling on the operations of Sinagtala, what difference does it make?” Sunshine asked

“RHC only suggest on how the store will operate, the final decision still lies on Tito Teddy.  Lahat ng policies and procedures of the store as well as the employees’ benefits are approved by your father. My team is not meddling on the opearations of your store, we are just implementing it.  That’s the difference” Benji explained

“Alam mo, parehong-pareho kayo ng kanta ng Tatay ko Benji.  Ayaw nyo pa akong diretsuhin that you don’t want me to go back to Paris.  Let me reiterate, I have an existing contract with my agency, I still need to wait for a year and a half to consider settling here in Candelaria” Sunshine commented