What Belongs to Me [COMPLETE]

Chapter 25 "Working Life"

Prologue Continuation….. 2009-2010


Cring… Cring… Cring… My annoying velveted metal vintage alarm clock that was given to me by Sir Jaime, one of my close friends at the office who loves out-moded, quaint, retro and old-world stuffs just like me, was ringing disturbingly. It was already five-thirty in the morning but the chilling air coming out from the ACU is sending my body spiraling into frenzy causing me to delay jumping out of my bed for another thirty minutes. And besides, my irritating roommate who works outside the metro is still inside the shower room submerging himself for almost an hour every morning like there was no more tomorrow. And my other two roommates were still cocooned on their beds like a boss who doesn’t care if they’re going to be late barging in their offices later. I opened my phone and our company viber and skype went on rolling and bustling tons of messages from last night. Our boss thinks our company like we’re a BPO or 7/11 that operates twenty-four hours and I was sure that when I’ll have my lunch with my best-friends later on, the center point of our conversation would be our nagger and fussy bosses and our irritating slow-witted office-mate whom we think is almost brain-dead.

I traipsed into the shower room stripping off my pajama and tossing it to my wrinkled bed, I turned on the heater and let the warm water shrink on my hair and de-escalate through my body drowning the toxic thoughts of my office works. I grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed my hair as the thought of my unfinished design proposal came back rushing to me. I submersed myself one more time rinsing the last of the soap on my body and then I grabbed my towel wrapping it around my waist. I brushed my teeth as I leant over the lavatory and stared at my face telling myself that I can do it.

My working life was like that, working for eight hours a day and usually working overtime, not only for two to three hours but for another seven hours or so, going home totally fatigued and burn-out. Sleeping for few hours and waking up again to go to the office, almost like a cycle that I had learned on my biology subject back in middle school. My condo was just a walking distance to my working place; you just needed nine-hundred-forty-five steps when you’re walking comfortably but you can reach it in seven-hundred-fifty if you are in a hurry. It was a golden day when I walked out my unit, a cloudless sky with the sun peeping through the spaces of the high-rise buildings and on the trees along the Shangri-la compound as I tramped the perplexed streets.

Work life was frustrating and swallowing me whole but I was managing it because I loved what I’m doing, planning and designing spaces. And the most important thing that was keeping me was friendship, the new friendship that I had discovered in the office. I arrived at the office few minutes before the biometrics strike eight-thirty. I pushed the door open and Dharyl was already sitting scrolling her phone on the lounge chair in the reception area. Dharyl was one of my closest friends in the office, she is a 'Mapuan' which makes her sharp in math, and well she works as our company’s cost engineer. She dresses up in simple outfits but she is pretty with her reddish-brown straight hair, which makes some of the guys in the office acting all-shy around her, and we usually tease her that somewhat it fills her ego.
“Hey… You’re already here! I miss you…” I gasped at her as soon as I entered.
“Don’t exaggerate it, we were just away for one day, and aren’t you used to it yet? I’m always earlier than you.” She rolled her eyes highlighting her black eyeliner and her perfectly glued mascara.
“At least I wasn’t getting late. Right?” I dimpled smile.
“Yeah right.”
“Anyways, let’s buy food at 7/11.”
“I had my breakfast already, but fine. I’ll join you.” She said uncrossing her legs and standing ready to follow me.
“Great.” I said hooking my hand on her elbow.

We were now sitting on our weird shaped ergo chair that our furniture supplier gave us, beside each other talking hushing while I’m digging on my food when Sir Jaime and Jumar entered the office arguing again as always on who’s going to buy their coffee and snack downstairs. Which makes me and Dharyl look at each other and say in unison, “there they go again!” and we burst out into laughter causing everyone in the room to glance at us confusedly frowning. Sir Jamie is far older than the rest of us, he was obviously shorter than Jumar and I, but one of my friend outside the office who saw him with me said that he is quite handsome which made me analyzed his feature carefully and she was right, Sir Jaime was too handsome for our company quantity surveyor, he should be on the reception desk I sometimes joked. He is a civil engineer and he has the most number of experiences amongst the four of us, which gave him enough wisdom to share us life learnings every time we needed it. And there was Jumar, yes! Jumar from the circle back in the uni days, he was the one who recruited me to work in our company. We have the same height and we sometimes dude up similarly which confused our boss when he’s looking for us. Jumar was now a licensed Interior Designer because he graduated a year ahead than me. If it’s not because of him, I wouldn’t have survived the pressure in the office, he was a master in autocadd and sketch-up but his skills were underrated in the office, if only I could convince him to move to another firm which suits him better.

After working under pressure for half day, we were all antsy and fidgety to go out to have our lunch, but Jumar was again trapped in the conference room with our self-proclaimed all-knowing boss. Commenting on his design and asking for further revisions acting like our senior designer instead of just being a boss. Our group ate separately with the rest of the employee because we wanted to have our moment privately. We were eating while being annoyed with the students filling the place, they’re all speaking in English with different accent because our office is located beside an international school filled with both elite Filipinos and other races, mostly Asian. We were in the middle of our lunch talking how pathetic this certain office-mate of us and how fussy our bosses are when suddenly their calling Dharyl again asking her to go back to the office ASAP. They just couldn’t understand the word “lunch and break-time”, Dharyl face became cheerless and stood from her chair, excused herself and exited the restaurant while we looked at each other with knitted brows.

Our day in the office was usually like that, it eventually became normal for all of us. As first time working like me and Dharyl, all we had to do was to listen to the people around us. Some says that our boss is too cruel and other says that he was actually better than the other bosses in some private sectors. As for me, I was fine with it, as long as he doesn’t cross the line. Sometimes he was petty when it comes to money but after flying the entire company to Hong Kong and treating it to Disneyland, well, I could say that he is stupendously big-time. After a draining day, after enduring another two hours to work overtime, we decided to trudge up the street under the fine drizzle illuminated by the warm streetlights. We went into our usual place, a public space in the middle of the residences near my place, manmade slopes on a meadow field, multiple warm paper lanterns under over-sizes circular canopies, food station surrounding the area, scattered benches and tables everywhere and live band at the center. We sat saying our rants about office works over barbecue, street foods and shakes while immersed in watching the group of guys and girls in black outfit rocking the stage, their voices wrapping us in protection, comforting our exhausted souls.

Our friendship wasn’t perfect and all, due to the stress in the office that were falling consecutively on us, our mood was sometimes affected which leading us to small misunderstanding and arguments. That’s why most of the time; we were eating out for lunch because office ambiance was deeply suffocating and stifling. Dharyl and Sir Jaime was always with me and Jumar even though they had already prepared their own luncheon at home because according to them, at least for an hour they could breathe the outside air freely. We were exasperated under the fiery and glaring sun outside while arguing where to eat among the chains of fast food along our office building. We were choosing among McDonalds, KFC, Yellow Cab, Jollibee and Buddy’s not realizing that they offered almost the same food, and so we traipsed over to McDonalds. Making Jumar grinned sheepishly at us because his suggestion won, we were waiting in line in the middle of tons of people when I asked Dharyl something without thinking,
“Hey! Why are you here in line? Are you ordering something? You have your lunch box right?” I was meaning to joke at her but mqybe because of the suffocating heat, my facial expression was flat and my arms were crossed.
“Yes! I’m ordering coke float! Anyway, never mind!” she said pouting, turning her back and then she disappeared to the second floor to look for our table.
“Lheam? What happened to Dharyl?” Sir Jaime asked raising his brows – confused; I raised my hands, elbow level with my face saying, “What? I don’t know.” Then Jumar said, like an active student in class ready for plus point’s recitation,
“You pissed her, she was going to buy but you made it look like she was just on the way.” His face was also stressed.
“Is that so…? I was just asking, you know!” rolling my eyes at them, they began to pester me, saying that it’s my fault and that I have to reach out to her.
“Shut up guys you’re not helping at all!” I said grabbing my orders on the counter and leaving them as well. We sat on our table under the freezing ACU, with me facing Dharyl and the two facing each other as always with that position when we eat. I bought coke float for Dharyl and trying to joked but it’s not effective and she was still sulky and not giving in that’s why I gave up, and the two continued coaxing the tension between us, almost insensitive, maybe because they also think it’s not that serious. I didn’t reach out anymore because I personally think that it wasn’t a big deal but she’s over reacting. We worked beside each other for a couple of days without talking unless it’s an office matter and eating outside with Sir Jaime and Jumar in an awkward mood. But I still went home with her, walking in the same street with Sir Jaime every evening because we knew that she feared walking the street alone, because someone psyco might suddenly grab her. And she hates it when this annoying office-mate of us is following her and insisting on going home with her.

I always say that I was the frank one, if I made a mistake, I always initiate in approaching the person immediately before it turns to a bigger problem which I did. But Dharyl was a hard one, I thought! She didn’t caved in easily, after few days of childishly ignoring each other, she sent me a random message on Instagram, apologizing and saying that she misses me and my IG stories already, I laughed and I also apologized for hurting her feelings. After that we went back to normal as if nothing happened, me braiding her gorgeous hair again, Sir Jaime and Jumar was left analyzing what had took place. On the other hand, sometimes, I mean most of the time, Sir Jaime and Jumar was having a small quarrel over glass of hot water, who’s disposing their trashes and other petty things but it became a normal scenario for them already, and for me and Dharyl snickering as if watching tom and jerry show. Debating with Jumar was already a part of us ever since in college, and now that we’re working together, arguing on ideas and suggestions became frequent  but my respect for him as my senior and mentor was always there, left untouched. As for me and Sir Jaime, we also had a sulky and walking out moment because sometimes, I was irritated with him when I was talking to either Jumar and Dharyl and he has so much to say which leaving me out on the conversation, but we always fixed it out of respect to each other.

One time, we went to a museum to unwind, we took truckloads of photographs of each other as if doing a catalogue modeling, I mean too much photograph of me. And I kind the noticed that Sir Jaime and Jumar was talking about me, and so I got upset with them telling Jumar that; “I know I was vein when it comes to photographs but they shouldn’t be talking about it, not in front of me, and that it would be better if they tell me their issue and comments frankly, and so they apologized to me after. Dharyl never argued with Sir Jaime or with Jumar, not that I know, I couldn’t think of such scenario. It made me realized that I was the fussy war-freaked and peculiar one, having issues with all of them. Though everything that happened to us, made our bond stronger and made my trust in them solid, which gave me the courage to open up to Dharyl and Sir Jaime about my sexual orientation, Jumar was the only one who had always knew in the office because he was already my close friend even before working.

Eating out at our usual places- Korean restaurants and fast food chains around our office almost every day, going to the malls- wandering all around and window shopping in Zara, H&M, Forever21, UniQlo and all but would end up buying at Bench and Penshoppe. Visiting furniture and décor stores for me and Jumar and drowning ourselves inside art galleries exhibits became an escape for all of us already. Making plans to have a getaway such as hiking and going to the beach but we just couldn’t find the right timing and would end up in museums instead. My old hobby which is immersing myself on art masterpieces continued as I was working, still seeing Cizar shadow on the paintings that I was looking at was breaking me, shattering my soul and pricking my heart. Because it’s not all happy memories that I could remember anymore, it’s him letting go of my hands is what spinning on my imagination. That’s why having my friends was a great comfort to me at such times, behind my jolly and friendly personality towards all of my officemates was a feeling of pain and sufferings, and behind my strong personality was torture and torment from my past.

Being independent was a must when working far from the family which was a trait that I have, but it wasn’t enough. The more I got matured while working, I realized that I couldn’t be happy on my own and that I needed a strong foundation of friendship to seek support and guidance every time I needed it. Before working in Manila, I was very excited to become self-reliant and to have the gift of freedom on my own hands. I was excited to learn new things, to apply the knowledge I had learned at school. But it gave me the realization that real life wasn’t easy, that everything wasn’t always serve with milk and honey. I had to keep working, to move quickly non-stop for me to satisfy my needs and wants, because if I stop, I might end up like the beggars who’re breaking my heart while I’m seeing them swarming on the street every time I was going to work. I had to face challenges and pressures and I couldn’t avoid it because it’s part of life, it’s part of my destiny.

The days had flown quickly as if there is a zombie invasion running after it, the calendar flipped to twenty-ten in a blink of an eye. After everything that our friendship had gone through and had survived, the time had come for me to bid my goodbye to my lovely friends. Because I have something that I needed to accomplish cause I felt like I can’t be whole in taking the next big step if I couldn’t achieve it. The thing that I had been preparing while working in Manila, a missing treasure that I have to seek and fulfill, which is to take my board exam. It was a beautiful day when I made my last step at our company office, realizing that I haven’t been checking out every swatches and finishes lay-out on our reception display shelves. Everyone was saying their sweet farewell to me and wishing me a good luck on my review and board exam. Except for my three best friends, I could feel the desolation and cheerlesness of our conversations, though Sir Jaime and Jumar was exerting effort on suppressing their emotions. Dharyl was obviously displaying her feeling betrayed face, enshrouding her tears, but as soon as I vacate the office going downstairs, she began tearing as she clung to my elbow while we’re descending the elevator, almost flooding the ground floor.