LOVE ON SALE: Up for Auction! (a Jabea mini-series)

Up for Auction!!!

She couldn't believe it!

She really could just not believe it!

Ang mga salitang iyon ang paulit-ulit na isinisigaw ng utak ni Bea nang mga oras na iyon habang nakatayo siya sa labas ng gym ng Southeast International Academy, ang kolehiyo kung saan siya kumukuha ng Pharmacy degree.

She was feeling cold, scared and just a bit in a daze after what just happened to her, and what's about to come.

Earlier that afternoon ay ginanap sa naturang gym ang main event ng fund raising campaign na ginagawa ng dance troupe bilang tulong sa Angel's Care Foundation, isang orphanage na sinusuportahan ng troupe na isa siya sa mga miyembro. And the main event was nothing else but an auction.

It was an open auction as Yassi, the tall and strangely intimidating Management student and dance troupe lead opted to describe. Open in the sense na lahat ng mga may kinalaman sa SIA, mapa-estudyante, professor, board of director, staff, alumni, at kahit na sino pa na may kaugnayan sa prestihiyosong paaralan nila ay maaaring sumali sa bidding para sa auction na iyon. And boy did the bidders come in flock. Barbie, their bubbly and cute member who was taking a major in Advertising, made sure of that.

At open din in the sense na kahit na ano ay pwedeng ipa-bid.

Little did Bea know na ang "kahit na anong" iyon ni Yassi ay literal na kahit ano.

Truth be told, she didn't have anything to offer for the auction. Hindi naghihirap ang pamilya niya but they weren't also well off. They were just getting by. Hindi siya katulad ng ibang mga kaibigan niya sa dance troupe na mayaman talaga ang pinanggalingang pamilya. Take Barbie for example, na pumayag na mawalay sa bahagi ng stuff toy collection nito, or ni Joy (na hindi naman talaga sumasayaw pero napasama na rin sa grupo dahil ito ang nagde-design ng mga damit at set nila), ang pretty chinita na fashion designer ng grupo, na nagbigay ng ilan sa mga designer dress and accessories nito.

With those things, plus a whole lot more na nakuha mula sa mga members ng troupe, the auction was actually getting along splendidly.

But then again, maybe they underestimated the willingness and interest of their prospective buyers, or they underestimated Barbie's ability to promote the event, dahil wala pang alas tres ng hapon ay paubos na ang mga items for auction nila. By then, the highest bid was for a signed basketball jersey from basketball team captain, heartthrob, and all around charmer, Kris, who also happens to be Joy's boyfriend.

They already knew that the item would fetch a high price lalo pa dahil pasok sa collegiate finals ang team nina Kris, with Kris having a high chance of becoming the collegiate MVP, but they didn't expect it to go as high as 5,000 pesos for a single jersey kahit pa sabihing marami sa nag-aaral sa SIA ay galing sa may kayang angkan.

And the thing is, they were having fun, they were enjoying taking the bids, and they wanted more.

And maybe even they were having a bit too much fun dahil nang magbreak sandali ang kanilang grupo para pag-usapan kung ano pa ang pwede nilang i-offer para sa kanilang grand finale, napagdesisyunan na ang "kahit anong iyon" ay magiging "kahit na sino" na rin.

And via unanimous decision, which more or less translates to the rest of the group ganging up on them, napagdesisyunan na sila ni Kris ang magiging final items.

The reason? They said Kris was the most sellable guy in the group. For her part, blinackmail siya dahil essentially ay wala pa siyang naico-contribute sa monetary increase ng fund raising nila.

The price? A weekend in their company, well, from 10am to 8pm at least, plus the rest of the afternoon after the auction until 8 na rin.

She didn't want to, not really at least. Hindi naman dahil natatakot siyang walang magbi-bid para sa kanya dahil kilala rin naman siya sa school at marami rin naman ang nagpapahaging sa kanya but she was just afraid of what could happen nang dahil sa auction na iyon. She wasn't a big fan of those kinds of surprises.

At natakot na nahiya din siya sa posibilidad na mababa lang mag mgaing bidding price sa kanya.

She shouldn't have worried about that part though dahil matapos si ma-"benta" si Kris for 10,000 pesos (Joy's bid nang malaman ng babae na ang nanalo ng jersey ni Kris at ang pinakamataas na nagbibid noon for her boyfriend was the pretty but snobbish Lexi of the drama club na matagal nang may gusto kay Kris. In a way, it was a good thing na nauna nang nabili ni Lexi ang jersey ni Kris dahil nabawasan ang cash nito para talunin siya and it was one of the rules of the auction. Cash only. No credits. And definitely no checks!), she went for the highest price of the event.

Her bid was just running around 5,000 to 8,000 then when a male voice from the back called for 15,000. Hindi niya kilala ang lalaking but apparently, she's in the minority. Marami kasi ang napabulalas nang lingunin nila ang kanyang highest bidder although maybe it's mostly related to the fact that he bid that big of a money.

Yassi though, who was doing the roll call, seemed to have recognized the guy along with most of the troupe members peering behind the curtain, dahil may recognition at ngiti sa mga labi nito nang isigaw nitong "And she's sold to Prince Charming at the back."

Hindi niya actually makita ng maayos ang itsura ng lalaki, not when she's not wearing her glasses and him being that far away kaya hindi niya masabi kung charmer nga talaga ito. One thing's for sure though, he is kind of short.

And he's the one she's waiting for at that moment. Doon daw kasi siya dadaanan ng lalaki to claim his "find".

Magli-limang minuto pa lang kung tutuusin siyang naroroon pero naiinip na siya, lalo pa dahil dumaan na ang karamihan sa grupo nila na biniro pa siya na "hinihintay si Prince Charming".

She simply snorted. Hindi pa man ay naiinis na siya sa Prince Charming daw na ito.

But Prince Charming does have a name ayon na rin kina Barbie pero ayaw sabihin ng mga ito. Dapat daw ay ito na mismo ang magsabi, at sakto naman itong dumating bago pa siya makapagdesisyon na umalis na lang (kahit pa magalit sa kanya si Yassi kapag umatras siya sa 'kontrata'). Technically, hindi ito 'dumating' pero dumaan, sakay ng isang Cross Country Mercedez-Benz.

The method of arrival cemented her bad impression of the guy even more, lalo pa dahil napapalingon sa kanila ang mga dumadaan doon in awe and admiration. Marami man kasi ang may kaya sa SIA at karamihan sa kanila ay sanay na rin sa magarang sasakyan, but Mercedez-Benz's still are not the typical school ride.

The guy had a thing for attention!

She was still fuming by the time 'Prince Charming' opened the door and got out of the car. Noon niya nakumpirma ang kaninang assessment niya na may kaliitan nga ang lalaki. She had to admit though, kahit pa sa sarili lang niya, na guwapo ang lalaki. But it doesn't change the fact na naiinis na siya.

Not even when he offered a hand and said "Hi! Bea di ba? I'm Jake. Jake Vargas."