SUMMER
"I still can't believe you stopped a whole airline from operating just to find me." sabi ko.
It's our first daysarry at nalaman kong pinatigil pala ni Jeon lahat ng operation ng DFLights kahapon. Hindi ko alam na may pagkaeng-eng din pala 'to. Hindi nalang niya ako tinawagan, 'no?
"I still can't believe I paid a huge fine for stopping the operation of an airline. I paid the court a lot of money, I paid the passengers a lot of money, damn I even paid the employees a lot of money." sagot niya.
"You paid the passengers?" tanong ko.
"Yes. All of them." patangu-tango pang sagot niya. "Because of you."
"Bakit parang kasalanan ko pa, Jeon Farrell?" Cross-arms ko. Makapagsalita parang kasalanan ko pang eng-eng siya, eh.
"Because you left without even saying goodbye." Lapit niya ng mukha niya sa akin. Now, he's teasing.
"Really? I left? Bakit may girlfriend ka ngayon?" tanong ko kaya bahagya siyang natawa. Tumayo siya atsaka nilagay ang upuan niya sa tabi ko.
"Girlfriend. I like that." saad niya sa kawalan atsaka lumingon sa akin.
"I like the fact that you're my girlfriend." Ngiti niya habang nakatingin nang diretso sa mga mata ko.
Parang may kamay na humaplos sa puso ko nang makita ang ngiti niya. He's smiling so often now, ever since yesterday. Kaloka, ito ba epekto ko sa kaniya? Ang galing ko naman.
Sabay kaming napatingin sa bulsa niya nang tumunog ang phone niya. Pagkuha niya ay kulay black ang cellphone na tumutunog kaya malamang business 'to.
"Excuse me." paalam niya at sinagot na ang tawag.
Ibinaling ko nalang ang tingin ko sa dagat. Nasa yacht kami ngayon at nagdi-date. Oh, 'di ba? Ang sosyal talaga ng boyfriend ko!
"We're at the DeV cruise line."
Napalingon ako kay Jeon na tapos na palang makipag-usap sa phone niya. Tumabi ulit siya sa akin.
"Oh, did you know that DeV and DFLights are related?" tanong niya kaya naman nagulat ako.
"Really? How?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.
"Anton Del Fierro established DFLights in 1953 but before that, let's go back to Anton Del Fierro I." sabi niya at umayos ng upo. Hmm... I can sense Jeonerd here.
"Born in 1894, Anton Del Fierro I was a Spanish man who lived in Italy and owned a gun store. He had Celia in 1917 at age 23 and Anton Jr. the following year at age 24. Celia married a Spanish man who later on went to the Philippines and they had 2 sons. Anton Del Fierro II married a daughter of the Sicilian mafia in 1942 at age 24, had 3 sons and established DFLights in the year 1953." kuwento niya at napatitig nalang ako sa kaniya dahil sa pagkamangha.
Sobrang detailed ng pagkakuwento niya na para bang pinag-aralan sa eskuwelahan 'tong sinasabi niya sa akin. Alam kong matalino at matalas ang memorya niya pero nakakamangha pa rin na ganito siya ka-detalyado. Jeonerd, indeed.
"Teka, mafia?!" gulat na tanong ko nang marealize ang sinabi niya. Bakit may involved na mafia rito?
"Yeah. According to some, the reason why Anton was able to save a lot of money for his company was because he was also involved in the mafia through his wife. It's very possible given that his father's business was firearms and such. Tingin ko nga dahil pa sa gun shop nila kaya niya nakilala ang asawa niya." sagot ni Jeon kaya napatangu-tango ako. Well, hindi nga naman imposible dahil kung hindi ako nagkakamali, mga early 1900's 'to.
"When his wife died, Anton Del Fierro followed his sister and left his children with her. That time, Albert De Valle, Celia's husband was handling a small fishing business here in the Philippines. When Anton came back to set up a DFLights branch in the country, he also helped Albert expand his business. Albert's fishing business eventually became a huge fishing business which distributes and markets seafoods inside and outside the country. This company later on produced DeVa Sardines, DeVa Tuna, DeVa Mackerel and all other DeVa canned goods. Albert let his brothers and cousins take care of the DeVa branches in different countries while he stayed here with his family. Richard De Valle, Albert's older son, later on expanded their business to boats, yachts, marine engines and eventually had their own cruise line."
Muntikan pa akong mapapalakpak pagkatapos magkuwento ni Jeon dahil bukod sa namangha ako sa pagku-kuwento niya ay namangha rin ako sa mismong kinuwento niya.
"No wonder DFLights is a very successful company. The man who established it helped other people to succeed as well and brought them with him when he rose." saad ko.
"You have a point but I think the reason why he helped his brother-in-law was because he took care of his sons when he went back to Italy and was expanding his business all over the world. Celia and Albert De Valle took care of their 2 sons and 3 nephews while Anton was busy putting up his business in different countries." sagot niya.
"Oo nga pala, may sariling airport ang DFLights dito, 'di ba?" tanong ko nang maalala ko ang mga airports ng DFLights sa bansa. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na alam ko na ngayon kung paano nagsimula ang kumpanya nila.
"Yup. May sarili silang airports pero mayroon din silang mga eroplano sa public airports dahil sa dami ng pasahero nila." sagot niya.
"Wait, yung business ni Albert naexpand hanggang sa cruise line pero paano yung DFLights? Airlines lang talaga? Wala na bang nadagdag ang mga descendants ni Anton Del Fierro?" curious na tanong ko. Nakakatuwa kasi yung mga De Valle at parang nagtulung-tulong talaga silang lahat para mapalago yung business na sinimulan ni Albert De Valle.
Mukha namang napaisip sandali si Jeon.
"Anton II had 3 sons; Rico, Gilliad and Anton III but they just handled and expanded DFLights. Gilliad was the only one who stayed in Italy to manage the main branch. He had 2 sons and his older son, Francoįs, built a hotel business. You know Diamant Hotel and Resorts? That's his."
Napanganga nalang ako as in literal. Naimagine ko palang kung gaano ka-prestigious ang Diamant, hindi na ako makapaniwala na sa iisang angkan lang galing ang may-ari ng DFLights at Diamant.
"Oh, sakaniya rin pala ang D'or Hotels." dagdag ni Jeon nang maalala ito na nakapagpamangha lalo sa akin. It just proves kung gaano sila kagaling sa negosyo.
Ipinatong ko ang mga siko ko sa lamesa atsaka ipinatong sa mga kamay ko ang baba ko.
"You seem interested in them." komento ko.
"We're doing business with them, it's natural. I admire how they were able to establish very successful businesses. Plus, a De Valle will be joining our company soon." sagot niya na ikinagulat ko.
"Kaya ba nandito tayo ngayon?" tanong ko at tumingin pa sa paligid ng yacht.
Natawa naman si Jeon at napailing-iling.
"Hindi. Dinala kita rito kasi date natin 'to."
"Pero sino yung papasok sa kumpanya mo? Makikipagpartner ka ba sa DeV? tanong ko.
"Matagal nang magkapartner ang DeV at SKY. 'Yung papasok na De Valle sa kumpanya ay papasok sa SKYMI. He pursued a music career kaya naman malugod siyang tatanggapin ng SKYMI. He's a composer, his name's Pete De Valle."
Napatangu-tango naman ako. If I'm not mistaken, SKYMI is the music industry of SKY.
"So... how about your family's history?" interesadong tanong ko at lumapit pa sa kaniya.
Nagbago naman ang ekspresyon sa mukha niya nang tanungin ko ang tungkol sa pamilya niya.
"One thing you have to understand but I don't expect you to is that... my parents met last year."
"What??" gulat at kunot-noong tanong ko.
"You see, it's very complicated." sagot niya na mukhang nag-alangan nang magkuwento sa akin dahil sa reaksyon ko.
"No, Jeon. I want to know what you mean." giit ko.
"Okay. Just... don't force yourself to understand everything. It's very complicated." babala niya kaya tumangu-tango nalang ako.
♤♤♤
BINABASA MO ANG
Into His Life
Storie d'amoreA man so hard to read. A man so cold and deep. How could you stay within his reach? Jeon Farrell, CEO of SKY Industries and FMMMC Corp. Typical boss at responsible kuya sa tatlo pa niyang nakababatang mga kapatid. "Cold-Hearted Boss" kung tawagin ng...
