A WEEK WITH LOVE: BOOK 1 (THE MEETING)

CHAPTER 1: NATHANIEL

                                                      

                                                                          ( NATHANIEL)

            “Sir Nathan, your father is looking for you outside, should I let him in?” sabi ng assistant kong si Beatrice habang ako’y lubog na lubog sa mga paperworks ko. “Oh sige, papasukin mo sya” sabi ko sabay balik sa aking mga ginagawa. Pagpasok na pagpasok sa office ay halatang nanggagalaiti na ito sa galit. “Nathan, what have you done to Bianca? She’s crying her ass off because she said you broke up with her! Ano na naman bang katangahan ang naiisip mo? Hindi mo ba alam na malaking shareholder ng kumpanya naten ang pamilya niya? Ano na naman bang pinagagawa mo ha?” galit na galit niyang birada. “dad, it’s much better that way, anong gusto nyong gawin ko? Magpretend na mahal ko siya just to use her, well, I maybe a playboy but I’m honest with my feelings and what I did there is what I truly feel so yes, case closed” sabi ko naman with pure confidence. What should I do? I don’t like that girl anymore. Cute siya nung una kaso nung nakaisang linggo na kame,sobrang clingy so I did what I need to do and that is to dispatch that girl from my life. “Ano ba Nathan? Hindi mo ba pwedeng isantabi muna yang kaselfish-an mo?  Dahil last time I check, wala ka naman talagang nararamdaman at puro pansamantala lang lahat ng mga babaeng dinedate mo! Mabubulilyaso ang kumpanya naten sa pinagagawa mo eh, next time you date someone, make sure it’s not a daughter of any of my comrades or shareholders, itatak mo sa utak mo yan Nathan, this will be your last straw after this I’m done!” sabay labas ng padabog ni dad sa pinto.

            Well, let me clear my name. it is not my fault that girls fall in love with me that easily. Kasalanan ko bang maging gwapo, matalino at higit sa lahat mayaman? Kung tutuusin they should feel lucky na nagspend ako ng time for them which is very valuable to me. If other guys started to be a douchebag because some girl broke their heart, naiiba ako. Inborn ang sa akin. I don’t need woman to make me feel whole, I mean, permanent woman if I must say. sa 25 years of existence ko sa mundong ito, ang mga babae ang nagvovolunteer ng sarili nila sa akin at hindi ako so why should I feel obligated to court or even try to pursue them? Kung ayaw nila, then ok lang. marami pang babae diyan. Kaya if I even enter arelationship, tumatagal lang ito ng humigit kumulang isang linggo, isang araw o isang oras base na rin kung hanggang kelan ko magugustohan yung babae.

            “Nathan, wow boy! You did great, I’ve heard that you broke up for the 40th time to a girl, that’s cool!”biro sakin ni Clint, bestfriend ko pagkalabas na pagkalabas ko ng office to get some lunch. “Bro, you don’t know how hard it is for me, I mean, iiyak yung girl, mafefeel ko pang guilty ako maybe for an hour and its pissing me off you know?” natatawa ko namang sagot. “hay nako nathan, ewan ko na lang sayo, better pray for your sins as early as now, dahil di naten alam, ang karma mo nasa tabi lang, you know babe, karma’s a bitch!” singit naman na sabi ni Gretchen, isa ko pang kaibigan. “Greta, Greta, Greta, If she’s a bitch then I’m a douche, let’s make it happen” sagot ko naman sa kanya na inirapan niya lang.

            Our family owns maybe one fourth of the companies in Manila. Thanks to my dad who had been such a great investor since he was young e marami kameng napalagong business surrounding the fields of Hotel managements, food industry and even publishing. All of it came from the sweat of my father, kaya naman tiba-tiba kameng tatlong magkakapatid sa lahat ng benefits. I was raised without a mom because she went with another guy and left us all behind when we were still young. My only sister, Chanel, is currently in London taking her master’s degree in Cambridge University while my other younger brother, Miguel is in States studying law in Harvard. Akong napapagitnaan nila ay naiwan sa Philippines to be the successor of my father.

                        After lunch, I hurriedly went back to my office to finish all my paper works. “Sir, your father called after he left” sabi ni Beatrice bago ako pumasok sa office ko. “anong sabi niya?” tanong ko. “Well, he said this coming Saturday, you are obligated na samahan siya for the family camp week ng lahat ng mga shareholders ng Power company sa Tagaytay and he will take no for an answer” detalyeng sabi ni Beatrice. “Ah ganon ba, tell him I’ll come. Sabihin mo na rin na wag nya akong sisihin if 50% ng mga kababaihan dun sa family out day ay magaway-away o mawala sa mood kung dumating ako dahil for sure, I will take no responsibility for it” ngiti kong sagot sa kanya at nagpatuloy na ko sa office ko.

            Katulad nga ng sabi ko kanina, hindi ko talaga kasalanan kung magkagusto sakin ang mga babae at lalong di ko kasalanan kung puro anak ng mga kaibigan at ka co-shareholders ng aking papa ang mga babaeng yon. Sila ang nagbibigay ng motives kaya dapat hindi sa akin ang sisi. Kaya hindi ko rin naman masisisi ang aking papa kung ayaw na ayaw niya kong magdate ng anak ng mga kaibigan niya, marami-rami na rin kasing napapadalhan ng sorry letter at bulaklak si papa para humingi ng tawad sa mga kaibigan niyang may anak na nasaktan ko sa pagiging honest ng feeling ko .