J & A (Working Title)

Teaser

-Jason Buendia-

"Sir, may I remind you that you have a lunch meeting in thirty minutes." my secretary said in such a sophisticated manner. Kakatapos ko lang sa isa kong meeting with a client and in thirty minutes may isa na naman.

I nodded and told her I'll just rest for five minutes. It would take fifteen minutes or more to get to the restaurant with the traffic and all that shit, plus I have to get this deal so our small office could move to a larger one.

Well, being a C.O.O in a rising engineering firm is no joke. Kailangan makibagay ka sa lahat ng laro ng mga tao sa industriyang ito. Aside from being an engineer, you have to be witty in business too. I started in this firm just few days after I celebrated my  25th birthday, exactly four years after getting my civil engineering degree. Sabi nga nila para daw akong money machine kung pano ko nagawa iyon, dahil ang ibang engineers kagaya ko inaabot pa ang ilan ng halos sampung taon bago magkaroon ng firm. I started being an employee at a known real-estate company, became head engineer in two years then fortunately, my dream came true. Looking back, muntik na akong magdrop-out sa masterals ko, naging alchohol dependent at halos wala ng patutunguhan sa buhay, its a blessing that I was able to keep my job and today I'm a C.O.O and part founder of this firm. That was two years ago.

Though honestly, I don't know how did I get here.

The CEO, David Ancheta is my friend and colleague. Anak siya ng may-ari ng real-estate na tinatrabahuan ko. It all happened very fast. He called me up one night for a drink or two, tapos in the middle of having fun with my whiskey and sips of vodkas, we unconsciously talked about him getting out of his father's company and build an engineering firm thats fit for his profession. Akala ko kwentong lasing lang ang lahat ng iyon kaya sinabi ko na kapag mangyari iyon tutulungan ko siya, I signed a check worth half a million then gave it to him, half of my savings the whole time I was working. Then a week after that, he loaned a generous amount of money, bid goodbye to his father and the company while dragging me with him. He was so ambitious and I was so lost. Literally lost. Mukhang naintindihan naman niya at nagpapasalamat ako na hindi niya ako tinanong ng kahit ano. He's a good friend, and I hope I am too to him. Then I just got my shit together and started helping him for real, hindi ko naman inakala ma gagawin niya akong COO ng kompanya niya. Though I'm greatful, I'm making a fortune with what I'm doing.

Sa loob ng limang minutong iyon ay ginugol ko lamang ang oras sa pag-aapruba ng mga proposed designs at project proposals ng mga architects at engineers namin, hangnang sa tinawag na ako ng sekretarya ko.

Una akong dumating sa restaurant na sinangayunan namin ng client. We only communicated through our secretaries at hindi ko pa alam kung saang kompanya ito galing. Well, may binigay naman ang sekretarya ko kaso...yun nga, baka hindi ko nabasa. Ang alam ko lang ay lunch meeting ito. Dumiretso na ako sa reserved seats namin at nakita ako ang isang babae na nakaupo doon at nang makita ako at ang aking sekretarya ay tumayo agad ito at naglahad ng kamay sa akin.

"Its nice finally meeting you engineer Buendia," anito at pormal na ngumiti, tinangap ko ang kamay niya at pina-unang umupo ang sekretarya ko. "I'm the secretary of Mr. Nuevas of Martelli Holdings, he's with his family as of the moment but will soon get on to you shortly, sir." sabi ng secretary at naglahad ng kamay kung nasan si Mr. Nuevas.

Martelli?

Nilingon ko ang nilahadang kamay ng sekretarya at nakita ko nga ang sinasabing si Mr. Nuevas na nakasuot daw ng grey na suit. I spotted him bidding a farewell to a little kid with (I think) his wife beside him but unfortunately this Mr. Nuevas is tall enough to tower the woman who can't be seen in my peripheral, nasa 4 or 5 years old boy siguro. What a family. Should I continue with his wife?