14. Facebook?
Nagfile ako ng isang linggong bakasyon sa office. I deserve a rest after all the hardwork I’ve done. It’s been 3 weeks after the Pinatubo incident and I am excited. Ako lang ata ang babaeng mabubuntis ng walang asawa na masaya. I am not yet sure kung buntis nga ako o hindi pero delayed na ako ng 2 araw and I can feel all the symptoms. Hindi naman ako nagsusuka or nahihilo but I can feel na nangangalay ang mga binti ko and tenderness in my breast. I must be pregnant. I smiled at the thought. At last, makukuha ko na din ang gusto ko. For the whole week pumunta ako sa Batangas to check on my fishpond. Yun ang business na sinasabi ko. May fishpond ako at kayang kaya akong buhayin nun pero gusto ko pa din ng nagtatrabaho.
I combed my hair and put on my favorite cologne. Maaga pa and I am sure na hindi ako malelate sa office ngayon. I checked again my reflection and smiled at what I saw. Tanned and bronzed. I got a perfect tan while staying at Batangas. I took the liberty of sunbathing sa balcony ng resthouse ko sa Batangas. I know I overexposed myself sa sun pero sayang kasi ang araw and I am glad that I took advantage of the sun. Anya, Marideth and all of my office mates are sure will die of envy upon seeing me all bronzed and tanned. They might even think that I went to the Bahamas just to get this tan. I so love it that I wanted to flaunt it to everyone. After checking and admiring myself in the mirror lumabas na ako, sumakay sa kotse ko and headed to the office. Mabuti na yung maaga akong dumating doon para may time silang I admire ang tan ko.
Pagdating ko sa bulding, the receptionist looked at me. I am sure naiinggit siya sa tan ko. I smiled at her broadly. Mamatay siya sa inggit. Nung pumasok ako sa office, may tumitingin sa akin pero walang pumapansin.
“Joanne! Is that you!” Anya exclaimed upon seeing me. I know naiinggit na yan. H
“Hi Anya. Yah! It’s me. Do you like my tan?”
“Tan? Anong tan ang pinagsasabi mo? Ang itim itim mo. Sinunog mo ang balat mo. Para kang letchon na overcook. Kailangan mong magpableech.” Lumaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi ni Anya. After all my hardwork. After all the sun-soaking sasabihin lang niyang overcooked lechon ako? That hurts you know.
“Hindi kaya ako overcook lechon. This is what you call tan. Tan! Like Bohemian Tan and Caribbean tan.”
“Eh basta ang itim itim mo na. Negra! Sige at marami pa akong gagawin. Mamayang lunch mag usap tayo. Madami kang namiss sa buong lingo mong pagpapalechon.” And she walked, no, more like she strut towards her cubicle. There’s something wrong with Anya. First, never niya inuna ang trabaho sa pakikipagdaldalan. Second, she is not wearing miniskirts and revealing tops. She is wearing a blazer and a turtle neck with matching slacks. Slacks! She never wear slacks. And her hair is tied into a bun. Nasaan na ang pinagmamalaki niyang curls? What is more disturbing is the whole department itself. It seems that everyone is working Walang nagdadaldalan. Lahat nagtatrabaho. Kinabahan ako. Anong nangyari sa buong lingo habang wala ako? Pumunta na ako sa cubicle ko. Usually pag ganitong oras na hindi pa naman oras ng trabaho makikita kong nag uusap lang ang mga office mates ko but now they are all working. There must be a miracle.
Nung nakarating ako sa cubicle mas lalong nanlaki ang mga mata ko kasi nakita ko si Yanyan na nakaupo na sa cubicle niya and working. Yanyan was never as in never early in work. She is always late.
“Yan, himala ata at hindi ka late ngayon?”
“Hi Joanne, nagbago na ako.” She said beaming. “Mamaya na tayo mag usap may pinapatapos lang si boss.” She said smiling at me na para bang ang pinapagawa ni Boss ang pinakaimportante sa lahat ng bagay sa earth.
Anyway baka nga nagbago na talaga ang mga tao dito sa office. Pero bahala sila kung magbago man sila. I opened my pc ang checked my yahoomail, then checked my facebook. Nag upload din ako ng mga pictures ko nung nasa Batangas ako, post something on tumblr and read the blogs of those I followed. After that, I read the updates sa mga inaabangan kong stories sa teentalk and before I knew it lunch time na. Akalain mo yun? Ang bilis naman ng oras.
Tatayo na sana ako nung nagring ang line ko.
“Hello, this is Joanne how may I help you?”
“Jo, pinapatawag ka ni Sir.” That was Jane, executive secretary ng Pres and CEO. Ano naman ang gagawin ko doon?
“Sige Jane aakyat na ako.” Lumabas na ako ng Department namin at sumakay sa elevator paakyat sa office ng Pres. and CEO. Nginitian ko si Jane pagdating ko and she motioned me to enter the office.
“Good Morning Sir.”
“You may take your seat Miss Zamora.” Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita ko na hindi na ang dati naming boss ang nakaupo sa upuan niya. Walang iba kundi si Oca. Ang lakas ng kaba ng dibdib ko. After 3 weeks na hindi kami nag usap nakita ko ulit siya. After 3 weeks of ignoring his call and not replying to his text dito ko pa siya makikita. And worst he is now my boss. If the earth could eat me, I would really and whole heartedly welcome it. Paano mo haharapin ang boss mo na inoferan mo na anakan ka? Nakakahiya. Sobrang nakakahiya.
“You may take your seat Miss Zamora.” Inulit niya ang sinabi niya kanina kasi nakatayo pa din ako. Umupo ako sa chair sa harap ng desk niya. Ni hindi ko siya matingnan ng diretso sa mata. In fact, hindi ako tumitingin sa kanya.
“I believe you already knew na nagretire na si Mr. Soriano. And since you are absent last week, you missed my welcome party and we were not yet formally introduced.” Excuse me, hindi ako absent. Naka leave ako. Leave of absence is different from vacation leave. I should have said that kung ang kausap ko ngayon ay si Oca. But I am now talking to our boss Oca. And frankly, I don’t know how to talk to him. Kung si sir Kevin lang siya, kinuwentuhan ko na siya ng nangyari sa akin sa Batangas and he should have been proud of my tan. But he is not sir Kevin. He is Sir Oca a way different Oca from the Oca I used to know. Si Oca na nasa harapan ko ngayon ay seryoso, naka 3-piece suit, he never smiles and he wears eyeglasses. He wears eyeglasses. Oh my God. This is really serious. Para siya ang hinirang na executive of the year ng Times magazine.
“I called you because I wanted to know the updates of your current projects. I wanted to know the status of all the projects that you are handling.” Projects? Updates? Status? Facebook? I was so shocked sa mga nangyayari na hindi ako makapag-isip ng matino.
“Status? Updates?” Ano ka ba Joanne! T@nga ka ba?
“Yes, the status and the updates of your…”
“Facebook?” I saw him dropped the pen that he is holding and looked at me. Shit ano yung sinabi ko? Darn! I wanted to kill myself.
“Yes, I wanted to know the status and the updates of your facebook. What is your status?” He asked me with all sincerity. Ni hindi ngumingiti. Sa boses pa lang niya parang gusto na niya akong sisantihin. Bakit ba kasi Joanne ang tanga tanga mo to the highest level?
“It’s complicated.” I said before I could stop myself. I saw a little twitched on his mouth as if suppressing a smile. Bakit ba kasi ako ninenerbyos? Kung ano ano tuloy pinag sasabi ko. I wanted to die! Lord, I wanted to die. Feeling ko pulang pula na ako dahil sa kahihiyan na pinaggagawa ko. Dyosko naman kasi. Nakakagulat naman kasi.
“It seems that you still have vacation jitters Ms Zamora.” Patay na sisisantihin na ako. He is going to fire me.
“No Sir, I, I…” I what? Shit. Ano ba talaga ang sasabihin ko? I wanted to kill myself.
“Anyway it’s almost lunchtime.” He looked at his watch and smiled at me. Yung smile ng isang boss sa kanyang subordinate. “I wanted you to submit to me this afternoon a report on the status and the updates on the PROJECTS that you are currently handling. I don’t want to delay your lunch or would you rather have lunch with me? A working lunch perhaps?”
“No way! I mean….No thanks Sir. But I’ve already arranged my lunch with Anya. Thank you so much for your invitation.”
“Okay then.” He said dismissing me.
“Thanks. Sir.” Tangna. Tangna talaga. I sucked. I really sucked. He might think how incompetent I am sa trabaho ko. Tumayo na ako at naglakad papuntang pintuan. I wanted to be out here as soon as possible.
“Miss Zamora…”
Napatigil ako sa paglalakad at tumingin sa kanya. Eeehhhh paalisin mo na kasi ako. Ayoko nang mapahiya pa sa harapan mo.
“You have a stain on your pants.” Tiningnan ko ang ibabang bahagi ng pants ko pero wala akong makita. Then tumingin ako sa pwetan ko and there I saw it. A stain, that looked like a map. Velvet red against my white pants.
“Thank you.” Halos takbuhin ko na ang pintuan palabas ng office ni Oca. Darn! Shit. Bakit ganun? Tuwing nakikita ko siya kahihiyan na lang ang nangyayari sa akin? At bakit ngayon pa? Bakit ngayon pa ako nagkaroon ng monthly period? Bakit hindi ako nabuntis?
Before I closed his door narinig ko pa ang malakas na tawa niya. Leche!
