Inabot pa ng tatlong buwan bago muling pumasok sa opisina si Janine. Sa naunang isang linggo, sinasamahan ko siya. Pero kalaunan, hinayaan niya na akong bumisita sa mga resort ko.
If I were to put into words how things are between Janine and me, I would say that I’m staying because she needs me. Not in the loud, desperate way people sometimes cry out for help, but in the quiet, aching silence that says everything without a single word.
I don't actually know how to explain the way we treat each other. We don't act as a couple. Or maybe it's just me who doesn't want to give her actions a meaning.
It could actually be because I know fo a fact that she is not doing okay. Maybe she never asks me to stay, but her silence does. Her pain does. And that is why I am still here.
At ngayon nga, kailangan kong pumunta sa Cavite to visit my family and ask Kyron about some of our resorts that he visited personally.
Nakangiti kong binati ang mga nadaanang trabahador ni Janine. Now that she has the shares of her father, siya na ang chair person.
"Ma'am, magandang umaga po," saad ni Andy. Ang secretary ni Janine.
"Is Janine inside?" tanong ko habang nakangiti pa rin.
"Yes po..." medyo alanganing saad nito. "But she's in a meeting, ma'am. Makakapaghintay po ba kayo?" tanong niya habang may ngiting hindi maipinta.
"Sure. Hintayin ko na lang matapos."
"Sasabihin ko po na naghihintay kayo dito."
Naalarma ako doon. Ayaw kong istorbohin ni Janine. As much as possible, mas gusto kong bumalik ang normal na buhay niya.
"Hindi na, h'wag mo nang istorbohin ang boss mo. Let her finish her meeting first. Maaga pa naman. Hindi ako nagmamadali." I plastered a reassuring smile.
"Sige po," ngumiti siya at muling bumalik sa pagkakaupo.
Quarter to nine pa lang naman kaya ayos lang. Hindi ko rin naman kasi alam kung gaano ba kaimportante ang pinag uusapan ni Janine at ng kameeting niya sa loob.
I texted Kyron to inform him that I might be late. Baka tanghalian na ako makarating doon.
I don’t even know how long I’ve been sitting here anymore. I’ve opened almost every social media app on my phone, one after another, just to kill time.
I stood up and went to Andy when I noticed that I've been waiting for more than two hours dahil past eleven na!
And I know I shouldn’t be this annoyed. I know she’s working. I know it’s probably important. But it’s getting harder to pretend I’m okay just waiting here like some forgotten bookmark in the middle of a chapter she hasn’t touched in a while.
Wala pa akong almusal dahil hindi ko naman ininit yung iniwan ni janine sa fridge kanina.
Ang plano ko kasi, isang linggo akong mananatili sa pamilya ko pero hindi ako pwedeng umalis nang walang pasabi kay Janine.
"Hi," sambit ko nang makalapit. "Matagal pa ba sila?" tanong ko.
"Ma'am, hindi naman po talaga sila umaabot ng ganito katagal. Hindi ko pa alam kung bakit hindi pa sila tapos..." parang binabasa niya ang mga reaksyon ko.
"Anong oras ba sila nagsimula?" usually kasi, mayroon silang conference room para sa meeting pero ngayon na nandito sa office, paniguradong isa, o dalawa lang ang kausap niya.
Kadalasan ay personal na bagay ang pinag uusapan kapag sa office ang meeting.
"Kanina pong bago mag eight, Ma'am Kim." saad nito na ikinagulat ko.
BINABASA MO ANG
CAPTIVATED
قصص عامةEMPIRE SERIES #1 How do two hearts that once beat the same find their way back after everything broke? And if you're already okay now, living fully without them, is going back still worth it? This is a story of what stays, what fades, and what love...
