Love Business

vii

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Time Check: 6:30 AM

Audrey woke up earlier than her alarm clock. Instead of going back to sleep, she just went downstairs. The house was quiet because obviously it was still early.

As she went to the kitchen, she saw her sister, Kute.

"Oh, Kute! Ang aga mo ah? Bakit ka nandito?"

Her sister was surprised when she heard Audrey's voice. "Nandito ako sa bahay natin. Bakit ba?"

Audrey looked at her in a curious face and said, "Hoy, bahay nga natin ito, pero sino ba owner?"

Kute raised both of her hands and humbly said, "Edi ikaw na! Ikaw na mayaman!"

And Audrey slapped her in Kute's arms. "Aray naman, Bunso ah!" Audrey and Kute laughs.

"Kamusta ka naman sa opisina, bunso? Sorry hindi kita matulungan sa pamilya natin ha? Wala naman kasi akong alam sa business na 'yan." Audrey had a sad face when her sister said that and replied,

"Ano ka ba, Kute. Okay lang naman. At tsaka, kailangan mong magfocus sa pag-aaral mo, para makatapos ka. At para makatulong ka na sa'kin. Hahahaha!"

Kute and Audrey we're laughing and giggling for at least an hour when a doorbell interrupted their conversation. "Ako na lalabas, dito na ka at ituloy mo na itong niluluto ko habang hindi pa gumigising sina Nanay."

Audrey went to the stove to continue what Kute was cooking and Kute went outside to see if who was at their door. As she opened their door, a man carrying a big tupperware was in front of their door.

"Good morning po. PInabibigay po kay Ms. Perez." The man handed it to Kute and she asked,

"Kanino po galing ito?" The man didn't respond and just ran away. Kute was surprised when the man ran away.

Carrying the tupperware, she called her sister. "Nandito ako sa kusina, Kute! Pumunta ka na lang dito." She followed what Audrey said.

"Audrey, may padala para sa'yo." Audrey was surprised,

"Para sa'kin?"

Kute placed the tupperware at the table and let Audrey open it.

"Dito ka muna, baka kasi masunog ito."

Audrey handed the apron to Kute and opened the tupperware. She saw food for breakfast. It's still hot. "Kute! Almusal oh! Mainit pa!"

Kute was surprised of what her sister said and smelled the food. "Oo nga! Amoy ko siya from here!" Audrey saw a note at the top of the tupperware and it read:

Good Morning, Audrey!

Patrick Lim

Audrey smiled while reading the note and didn't notice that Kute was asking who gave the breakfast. When she didn't reply, Kute looked ate Audrey and saw her smiling, a different smile. She immediately went to her sister and bumped her, "Huy!"

Audrey was shocked as Kute bumped her. "Kanino ba galing iyan at napapangiti ng sobra sobra ang aking kapatid?"

Audrey looked at her sister and smiled, "Galing kay Patrick. :)"

Kute was surprised to hear the name. "Patrick? Lalaki? Bunso ha! Hindi ka nagsasabi sa akin na may manliligaw ka na!" Audrey laughed and told Kute that Patrick was not her suitor. He is just a friend and the CEO of LAS which is their soon-to-be-partner in their Aviation business.

"Eh, bakit ka dinalhan ng breakfast kung hindi manliligaw?"

Audrey was curious about why Patrick would send her such. "Hayaan mo na, at least diba, kaunti na lang ang lulutuin natin."

She didn't respond to what her sister asked but instead, she didn't mind what really meant in sending her breakfast. After preparing the table and their food, their parents already woke up and went down for breakfast. Tatay Pim called their driver to join them in eating and they had a delicious meal together.

***

"Nabigay ko na po, Sir." JM said as Patrick asked if he has given the breakfast to Audrey.

"Hindi man lang ba siya nagtanong?"

JM told him that it was not Audrey who took the food but her sister. He also told Patrick that when he was asked who was it from, he just ran away. Patrick laughed and said, "Ikaw talaga JM! Loko loko ka rin. Sige na, kumain na kayo nila Manang Celie at Bella. Hinihintay ka nila eh."

JM already went to the table for them to eat. Patrick went upstairs and saw her father looking at him. "Oh, Pa. Kanina pa kayo diyan?" His father nodded and replied, "Anak ha, hindi ka man lang nagsasabi, may nililigawan ka na pala ha."

Patrick chuckled and corrected him that he just cooked for Audrey, nothing more and nothing less. "Okay, if you insist." And Papa Eli already went downstairs while shaking his head.

It was already 8:00 in the clock and Audrey was a bit late for work. She hurriedly went to her car but was stopped by her Tatay's call. "Anak, ang laptop mo. Naiwan mo sa lamesa."

Audrey was in a hurry and just thanked her father and kissed him and drove her car on the way to the office. Tatay Pim was waiting for his daughter to go out of their house when Kute came outside.

"'Nak, bakit ganun ang kapatid mo?" Kute was confused with her father's comment and replied, "Bakit po, may nangyari po ba?"

Tatay Pim explained to Kute of what he observed with Audrey this morning. Kute laughed which made Tatay Pim ask of why did she laugh and she responded, "Naku, Tay. Sa kanya na lang po kayo magtanong. Baka ano pa ang masabi ko. Ang masasabi ko lang po sa inyo, inspired and dedicated siya. :)"

Kute goes inside their house and leaves her tatay wondering about what she said.

***

Both Patrick and Audrey we're so happy working in their offices. This happiness made their co-workers curious most especially the people who are close to them. Their movements, expressions, even in the way they talk to them. "Mukhang inspired si Ma'am/Sir"; these we're what their employees say when they see their bosses. They loved it.

After the meeting with the board regarding the tour on Friday, Audrey hummed a song while going back to her office. Rizza heard this humming and asked, "Mukhang masaya ka po, Ma'am ah? Inspired?"

Audrey looked at her with a wide smile on her face and responded, "Sabihin na lang nating maganda ang bungad ng araw ko today, Rizza." And Audrey already went inside her office.

As she went inside, her phone suddenly rings. The person who was calling was Patrick.