Chapter 9

Chapter 9

PUMAIBABAW si Elya kay Aaliya dahil kahit anong gawin niya ay hindi ito nagigising. Lagi itong ginagawa ni Elya kapag ang mumma niya ay tulog mantika dahil sa trabaho. Tiningnan ng bata ang orasan at nakitang pasado alas nuwebe na ng umaga at late na ito sa trabaho.

"Mumma, wake up. You're gonna be late. Tito will get mad at you again. Wake up!" Subalit hindi man lang kumibo si Aaliya. She did not budge even Elya's weight makes the bed dipped down. Kaya ang pilyang si Elya ay kumuha ng marking pen at ginuhitan ang mukha ni Aali na nakangiti.

Pumasok na rin si Ria sa kuwarto nilang dalawa at tumulong kay Elya na gisingin ang tulog mantikang si Aaliya. Laging gulat na lamang ni Ria sa kaniyang nakita. Hindi na maitsura ang mukha ng kaibigan dahil sa ginawa ng anak.

Aali wears a black beard and lettered name "EL" on the right side and "YA" on the other side with a marking pen. Binawi agad ni Ria ang hawak ni Elya at binuhat ito at pinababa.

"Oh my gosh!" Ria exclaimed, smiling in disbelief. "Aali, gising." Pero dahil mahirap talaga gisingin, pinatalikod ni Ria si Elya at sinampal niya si Aaliya upang hindi makita ng bata ang ginawa niya. 

Napabalikwas ng bangon si Aali at tiningnan ang orasan at nagmamadaling tumungo sa bathroom nila upang maghilamos. Subalit gaya ng reaksyon ni Ria, Aaliya screams as she saw herself in the mirror how she looked like.

Dali-daling dinala ni Ria si Elya sa hapagkainan at tawa nang tawa ang dalawa.

"Elyaaaaa!" Aali screams from the bathroom. Kumuha siya ng sabon at ikiniskis iyon s akan'yang mukha upang mawala ang marking pen. 

Lumabas si Aaliya ng kuwarto na nakabihis na ngunit nakasuot ito ng mask. Her eyes stared at Elya whose smiling. Kiniliti niya ito at tawang-tawa pa rin si Ria sa mukha niya.

"What should you say, Elya?" panimula ni Ria, pinapaalalahan na mali ang kan'yang ginawa sa kan'yang Mumma.

"I'm sorry, Mumma.  I drew your face with marking pen. I promise I will not do it again..." Elya said, pero hinintay ni Aali ang kasunod nito. "I will not do it again if you wake up early."

Elya giddy laughs at her which makes Aali tickles Elya more. Ria interrupted them with a mail on the table.

"A mail from Elya's school," Ria said while eating.

Elya has been homeschooled since she knows how to write. She was under the program of the Miracle Institute and was always invited for any event at school. May mga assessment lang buwan-buwan since she can't do everyday class sa mismong classroom.

Binuksan ni Aali ang mail at it was a formal invitation for the upcoming family day. Dati, hindi sila nakapunta dahil busy si Aali bilang resident, si Ria naman ay nagta-trabaho all day long, at si Rocco ay nasa countryside.

"Elya," tawag niya sa anak. Nasa harapan siya ngayon ni Elya. "Do you want to attend family day?"

Nagliwanag ang mukha ni Elya at tumango ito na nakangiti. Pero naalala ng bata na kulang sila. Biglang nalungkot si Elya.

"Bakit? I promise I'll be there," Aali assures her.

"Wala naman po akong Papa," sabi nito.

Si Ria na kumakain ay napa-pause at napatingin sa gawi nilang dalawa.

"Does it matter? May mumma ka naman."

"Ang pamilya may tatay, may nanay, at may anak. Kawawa ako kapag pumunta ako na walang tatay, " paliwanag ni Elya.

"Come here." Binuhat ni Aali si Elya at bini-baby. "Remember that a family are those people who love and help each other grow. Hindi 'yan sa dugo o kung ano pa man.

"You are not less than the other because you don't have a father," Aali explained. "Do you understand me?"

"Elya, I don't have a father and mother too. But, mumma Aali and you..." Ria touches Elya' s nose, "You both are my family."

Ria smiles at Aali and Elya. The girl slowly smiles and jumped off from Aali's lap.

"Yay! Let's go to the family day."

Masayang-masaya si Elya at nagpaikot-ikot pa.

"Be careful," sabi ni Aali.

IT TOOK ten minutes for Ria to reach the President’s office after she had lunch at the cafeteria inside the company. Pagkapasok pa lang niya ay hindi na agad maipinta ang mukha ni Keos. Dali-dali siyang nagtungo malapit sa desk nito.

"Where the hell did you go?" galit na tanong ni Keos kay Ria.

"I had lunch, sir. Akala ko kasi mauuna ka na sa site kaya po I took my time," pagpapaliwanang naman ni Ria na nakayuko.

"Ms. Diaz, it's past lunch time. The thing I hate the most is having an employee who isn't time conscious and is jerking around while everyone's busy because of the incident. Do you think you can do a good job? Because if you can't, better leave this office right now!"

Keos took off his glasses and hissed between his breathe. Si Ria naman ay nanatiling nakayuko. Inalala niya kung saan siya nagkamali, pero this was her first mistake. All she recalls that Keos told him that he'll be at the site and thus she should standby sa office for emergency purposes.

"Answer me, Ms. Diaz. I can replace you with anyone," Keos demanded.

Sakto namang pagpasok ni Fred sa loob ng office at natigilan ang dalawa.

"Who the hell entered my office without knocking?" Dumadagundong ang boses ni Keos sa loob ng apat na sulok ng opisina.

"Bud, anong nangyayari rito?" Tiningnan ni Fred si Ria na nakayuko at pisngi nito'y namumula sa hiya.

Lumapit si Fred kay Ria and he leaned to her to see her face.

"Bakit ka umiiyak?" nag-alala nitong tanong. He lifted her chin pero mabilis din binawi ni Ria ang kaniyang mukha.

Napaupo naman si Keos sa kaniyang swivel chair at hiniot nito ang kaniyang sintido.

"I apologize for my mistake, sir. Next time I'll do better," Ria admitted. Ayaw niyang sabayan ang init ng ulo ni Keos dahil hindi sila magkakaitindihan 'pag gano' n.

Walang narinig na tugon si Ria mula rito kaya nagpaalam si Ria at umalis. Hindi na rin napigilan ni Fred at tinitigan niya nang masama ang kaibigan.

"I get it that you're exhausted with everything. Pero huwag mo naman idamay ang mga trabahante mo," Fred shares his sentiment. Ayaw lang niya na gaya ng dati ay iwan siya ng lahat dahil sa pagkamainitin ang ulo.

"How would they learn if I let them make the same mistakes? They will never learn unless I pushed them at the edge," pagpapaliwanang naman ni Keos. "I know my employees better, Martinez!"

Keos glared at Fred which makes Fred surrenders. He can never persuade Keos at this rate.

Bumalik ulit si Keos sa pagbabasa ng mga documents nang maalala niya kung ano ang kailangan ni Fred sa kaniya.

"Why are you here?" Hindi pa rin nito inaalis ang mata sa mga dokumento.

"Your hunch was right. Andrea's parents has something to do with the cancelation of our products at the international market. Their connections become stronger as days went by. At ang public ratings ng gamot natin ay nag-fluctuate. Hindi naging maganda ang epekto ng recent explosion sa negosyo," pagpapaliwanag nito. Fred has been working with Keos since he inherited the pharmaceutical as the chief marketing officer.

Mas lalong sumakit ang ulo ni Keos so he straightened his back.

"How should address this one? Your way or the company's?" tanong ni Fred na excited sa sagot niya.

"I'll take this my way."

"Copy that, Boss!" sabi ni Fred sabay saludo as he exits the office.

Keos leaned backwards on his chair and exhales deeply. He grabbed his medicine kit and took a tablet from it. He drinks it and shut his eyes for a moment.

Laking gulat ni Keos nang nagmamadaling pumasok si Ria sa office niya. She was in a hurry at hindi na makapaghintay pa.

"I'm sorry, sir. But, I think you need to see this," Ria informed.

Lumapit si Ria sa gilid ni Keos at pini-play niya ang balita mula sa tablet.

"Umamin na ang salarin sa pagsabog ng Mortem Pharmaceuticals Laboratory ngayong araw. Makikita sa video na ito pala ay si Arturo Dimaguiba, isang guwardiya sa nasabing kompanya. Maaalalang si Dimaguiba ay iniligtas pa ni Zacchaeous Mortem na siyang presidente at nagmamay-ari ng kompanya..."

Naitapon ni Keos ang tablet at galit na galit ito sa nakita't narinig. Hindi makapaniwalang magagawa 'yon ni Arturo na siyang itinuring niyang malapit na kaibigan sa tuwig kailangan niya ng kausap.

Nagulat din si Ria sa inasal ni Keos. He leaned his arms on the table at kinausap si Ria.

"No! No, it wasn't Manong Arturo. That's impossible," Keos murmured.

"That's what I thought about. Parang may mali sa nangyari," Ria started. Tumingin si Keos sa kaniya at pinakinggan siya. "If I were to wear the criminal's shoe, I wouldn't admit my crime. I have still two grandchildren to take care of."

Napatango si Keos sa tinuran ni Ria.

"So, if you were the criminal?" Keos asked, interested.

"I'd let someone take the fall. Someone who has a deep grudge towards you and someone who's reliable enough to admit such crime and has a strong motive." Ria walked in front of Keos back and forth. And she stops, "What if he was used?"

"Used?" Kumunot ang noo ni Keos.

"Rumors reached my ears that you're the reason why Manong Arturo's son went to jail. I don't know the details pero usap-usapan sa mga empleyado rito ang gano'n. The criminal knows someone from the inside. Come to think of it. Your laboratory has a tight security and emergency precautions. How come hindi nakuha ng CCTV ang nangyari? Kulang na nga lang lagyan mo ng CCTV ang bathroom, eh."

"Your imagination creeps me out," Keos interrupted her. Subalit deep inside him, she makes sense. No one enters the laboratory without being caught.

A call from his sister interrupted them. Ria exits herself out of the office as Keos starts talking on the other line.

"Should I go there for that important matter, you say?" tanong niya.

"I'm sure this will help your image be on top. Hurry!" sagot naman ng sa kabilang linya.

"I'll stop by. Hang up."

NAKARATING si Keos sa Miracle Institute at pormal na umupo sa long settee across the vice president's office. Nakalagay sa name doon ay Margarette Mortem, vice president.

"You came!" panimula ni Margarette habang sumimsim ng tea. She was the brunette lady where Ria spotted inside Keos office last time.

"What is it, Marga? If you're gonna be divorced again, don't stress me out."

Margarette has been divorced once dahil binubugbog siya ng asawa niya. Now, she partially owned the institute since she came back into her career as an educator.

"The drug you're developing, how was it?" tanong nito.

"That stresses me! The research team wants to develop a drug hemophilia but I think it's too risky. It makes no money, too. Mas may maraming sakit naman na hindi kumplikado at nangangailangan ng agarang lunas. We can make that one instead," Keos explained. "Why?"

"Well, there's a bright student here who doesn't go to school because of that illness. Technically, she's homeschooled and practically, she has no life outside her home."

"And what does it have to do with me?"

"You know how hard it is living with only four corners of your room. That sucks. Naalala ko lang how you want to see the light outside." Marga suddenly look sentimental.

"My talent isn't for charity, Marga. Why don't you ask that child's parents to give up because hemophilia is a hard blood virus. You know what I mean."

Tatayo na sana si Keos dahil wala ng patutunguhan ang pag-uusap nila subalit nagsalita ulit si Marga. The more he listens to her, the deeper his wounds would ache.

"Your thesis paper back in your residency... I read that. Why don't you try?"

Keos faced her with a glaring eyes but she did not mind. He doesn't want to make any mistake again.

"Shut up, Marga. Shut up!"