“We should definitely celebrate.”
I wasn’t surprised with my friend’s statement. Severinth Levierre always found excuses to celebrate anything, no matter how small or big. It’s one of his charms.
“Don’t you think it’s a bad idea? Drinking the night before starting a new job? Besides, I don’t drink.”
“Come on, Pola.” Seve sat on the living room amid a couple of moving boxes and flashed his ever charming and winning smile.
He’d been helping me to unpack for days, yet he still looked amazing. Lean built, dark-haired with a pair of tantalizing brown eyes, Seve is a man who always looked absolutely handsome on any day of his life. I might have hated that if he isn’t the dearest person on earth to me.
“I did not say alcohol,” paggigiit niya. “Maybe a glass of wine or two then go home at eight.”
“Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin ba ng oras.” I gestured at my leggings and fitted workout tank.
“I’ll go to the gym after timing the walk to work.”
“Walk fast, work out faster.”
Ang ekspresyon niya ay nakapagpatawa sa akin. Inaasahan ko talaga na makikita ko ang kaniyang mukha sa billboards at magazines isang araw. Anuman ang kaniyang ekspresyon, hindi maitatangi ang kaniyang taglay na kagwapuhan.
“Bukas na lang kaya? After work?” I offered as a substitute. “If I can finish a day at work, that’ll be more worthy celebrating.”
“Deal. I’m invading the kitchen for dinner.”
“Uh…” One of Seve’s hobbies is cooking but it wasn’t one of his talents. “Fine.”
Nginisihan niya ako nang malaki pagkatapos ayusin ang takas na buhok.
“Meron kang kusina na pang-resto. That means, there’s no way to cook an inedible meal there.”
Nginitian ko na lang ang kaniyang ideya at umalis na, choosing to avoid a conversation about cooking.
I took the elevator and smiled at the security guard who opened the door for me. The moment I stepped outside, the smells and sounds of Makati embraced me and invited me to explore.
I recently moved from my former home in the province of La Union. Dalawang magkaibang lugar – ang isa’y punong-puno ng nagtataasang mga gusali at ng buhay dahil hindi nauubusan ng tao ang mga kalsada habang ang isa’y tahimik at mapayapa.
If not for Seve beside me, I would’ve been alone either in the province or in the city.
I enjoyed the walk with people walking fastly, hoping to make it to their appointments on time or rushing home and don’t want to be caught up in heavy traffic.
One day soon, I hoped to blend in.
I had the address and the job but I still had trouble hailing cabs and riding trains and buses. I tried not to walk around looking astonished and distracted, but it was hard. There was just so much to see and experience.
Maaamoy mo ang usok ng mga sasakyan na nahahaluan ng aroma ng mga pagkain mula sa vendor carts, ang musika mula sa nadadaanang stores, the inspiring range of faces and styles and accents at ang naggagandahang architectural wonders…And the cars.
I’d never seen this kind of traffic back in the province. Back there, the traffic was composed mostly of tricycles and motors with a little bit or cars but here…it’s just so packed.
Makati City will be a brand new love affair for me.
Simula bukas, magiging assistant ako sa Rujen Advertising Company, isa sa mga sikat na advertising companies sa Pilipinas.
I focused on getting to work as quickly as possible and reached the Heiser Building, which housed Rujen Advertising Company, in less than thirty minutes.
I tipped my head back at sinundan ang linya ng gusali hanggang sa tuktok. The Heiser is seriously impressive, isang gusaling talagang pinagtuunan ng panisn at pinagtrabahuhan nang maiging-maigi.
I knew from my previous interviews that the interior of the building is just as astonishing as it was on the outside. The copper-framed revolving doors and golden marble floors and walls.
I pulled my new ID card out of the small bag I brought and held it up for the two guards at the desk. They stopped me anyway, maybe wondering why a majorly underdressed lady is asking permission to enter, but they let me through anyway.
Pagkatapos ng pagsakay sa elevator ay magkakaroon ako ng ideya kung gaano kahabang oras ang aking gugugulin mula sa apartment hanggang sa opisina.
Naglalakad ako patungo sa elevator nang mahulog ng isang babae ang kaniyang purse at kumalat ang kaniyang mga gamit. Nagkalat sa sahig ang mga barya at pinanood ko ang mga tao na iwasan ang kaunting kaguluhan at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad na parang walang nakita.
Umupo ako at tinulungan ang babae na hagilapin ang mga nahulog na barya na siya ring ginawa ng isa sa mga guwardiya.
“Thank you,” sabi ng babae at nginitian ako nang mabilis.
Ngumiti ako pabalik. “No problem.”
Aabutin ko pa lang sana ang isang barya habang naka-squat na upo nang mapigil dahil sa biglang paglitaw ng isang pares ng itim at mukhang mamahaling sapatos. Naghintay ako ng ilang saglit para umalis ang nagmamay-ari ng sapatos at makuha ang barya ngunit nang hindi pa rin siya umalis, napilitan akong itaas ang aking tingin.
Napigil ang aking paghinga hindi dahil sa three-piece suit na suot ng lalaki ngunit sa tangkad at tindig at higit sa lahat, ang kaniyang mukha.
Wow. Just…wow.
