C5- Give and Take

"President? President?!" tawag ni Carl sa hallway habang hinahanap ang boss niya.

Samantala si Lian ay pilit binubuksan ang pinto pero kahit anong gawin niya ay hindi niya ito mabuksan.

"What now, Lian?" naiinip na tanong ni Mr. Kim.

"Where's the crew here when you need it the most?" pagtataka niyang tanong na palinga-linga sa paligid para makahingi siya ng tulong.

"Baka naman magising na 'yun sa kakalampag mo diyan sa pinto," hinuha ni Mr. Kim na hindi na napigilan ang bibig dahil sa pagkabagot.

"Wait here, and I'll get some help," banggit na inis ni Lian dahil hindi niya mabuksan ang pinto.

So, she finally let go, at pumunta sa elevator to get some help. At sa pagbukas ng pinto ay nagkita ang dalawang naghahanap, pero hindi nila pinansin ang isa't-isa since hindi naman nila kilala ang bawat isa.

"President? President!" sigaw ulit ni Carl na hindi tumitigil sa paghahanap sa boss niya.

However, habang naghihintay si Mr. Kim sa labas ng pinto ay kinuha niya ang phone niya to entertain himself when all of a sudden ay bumukas ang pinto sa harap niya, at lumabas ang isang matangkad, maputi, at matipunong lalaki. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Mr. Kim sa kaniyang nakita dahil ang akala niya si Aida ang nasa loob, pero mali pala siya.

"President!" tawag ni Carl ng malakas nang makita niya ang boss niya, at tumakbo siya palapit sa kaniya.

Pero kumunot ang noo ni Carl nang makita niya kung saan room ito lumabas, at dahil sa mukha nito na may drawing na ipinagtaka niya. Pero deep inside him ay napapangiti siya sa itsura ng boss niya.

"Zip that mouth. I'm not in the mood," President annoyingly said na sinara ang pinto nang napansin niya ang room number, at nagsimula na siya maglakad papunta sa elevator.

"Wait," tawag pansin ni Mr. Kim.

Napatigil naman sa paglalakad si President Li at Carl, at humarap sa lalaking mataba na nagsalita sa likod nila.

"Did you, by any chance, seen a woman inside? She's pretty, tall, has an hour glass figure, and has a gorgeous hair," Mr. Kim curiously asked, and he stepped forward to stand in front of the handsome man.

"What woman? I was alone there. By the way, I took your room by mistake. Don't worry, I'll pay for it and everything that I used there. Actually, you can transfer to the Presidential suite if you wish to. I'll pay," President Li sincerely apologized, and showed generosity because of his mistake.

"R-Really? Well, then, thank you," Mr. Kim grinned because of his generosity.

President Li didn't respond anymore, at tumalikod na lang siya sa kaniya in deadpan. Sumunod naman si Carl sa boss niya na hindi maalis sa mukha niya ang question mark.

LATER ON, sumakay ng sasakyan si President Li sa passenger's seat, habang si Carl ay sa driver's seat.

"Are you okay, President?" tanong ni Carl while looking in the mirror.

Pero hindi nagsalita si President Li dahil naglalayag ang isip nito, that he remembered the woman that he took a while ago has a butterfly birthmark in the middle of her chest. Then, he compared the woman last month that he had been with too, and they had the same birthmark that gave him a realization.

"President Li?" Carl called out again.

"The woman who was with me a while ago, she was the woman I had been with last month too," President Li mentioned hypothetically.

"Really? What a coincidence. How did you distinguish, President?" Carl queried.

"The butterfly birthmark in the middle of her chest. Now I want you to review the cctv at this hotel and find her. I want the report tomorrow morning," he replied in a serious tone of his voice, demandingly.

"Yes, President," Carl told with a nod, and he started the engine of the car.

Meanwhile, sa Presidential suite ay pumasok si Lian, at nagkaharap sila ni Mr. Kim.

"Now where is she?" tanong ni Mr. Kim na walang halong biro sa tono ng boses niya.

"I-I don't know. She's gone in the room," she told, at tumingin siya sa phone niya as she tried to reach for her elder sister.

"Well, you gotta pay now. I want my money back now," demanded ni Mr. Kim, at inilahad niya ang kaniyang kamay.

"W-Wala akong pera, Mr. Kim. I cannot pay you now," sagot ni Lian, at humakbang siya patalikod as she is ready to run away from him.

But then, bumukas ang pinto sa likod ni Lian na naging dahilan kung bakit sila pareho napalingon, at pumasok ang isang malaki at matipunong lalaki na bodyguard. Because of it, kitang-kita sa mga mata ni Lian ang takot na hindi niya inaasahan.

"Your payment is due already. You gotta pay up now," he maniacally mentioned, at kinuha niya ang kanang wrist nito, pulling her towards him.

"No, no, no. Give me one more chance, Mr. Kim. I promise I will give Aida to you," she cried, trying to have a bargain with him again.

"I have enough of your excuses, Lian. You need to pay now," he angrily said, at hinatak na niya siya papasok ng kwarto na silang dalawa lang.

Na kahit na anong pagpupumiglas ni Lian ay hindi na siya natakas sa mga kamay ni Mr. Kim, at nangyari na ang dapat nangyari sa kanilang dalawa kahit na ayaw niya.

At the end of their session, Mr. Kim sat up to the bed, at kinuha niya ang cigarette niya sa tabing drawer to ease his body. Habang si Lian ay tumalikod sa kaniya, at tahimik na humikbi dahil naibigay niya ang kaniyang pagkabirhen sa lalaking hindi niya gusto.

"Magbabayad ka, Aida sa ginawa mo sa akin," bulong niya sa sarili na puno ng galit ang puso niya.

——

MAGANDA ang sikat ng araw, nang lumabas ng kwarto si President Li na kaagad naman sumunod sa kaniya si Carl.

"Got any news from last night?" the first thing President Li asked while walking.

"Yes, President. I got the actual footage from last night," Carl answered, at ipinakita niya ang hawak na usb.

"Very good," compliment ni President Li, at mabilis na kinuha ang usb.

Eventually, nasa opisina sila at pinapanood sa laptop ang nakuhang video sa nangyari kagabi.

"According to the receptionist last night, the person who checked in to that room has a name of Mr. Kim. But the name who registered it has a name of Lian Paris," Carl spoke, at binigay niya ang white folder with details inside.

Pero hindi nagsalita si President Li, at nag-fast forward siya sa video hanggang sa may lumabas na babae sa kwarto kung nasaan siya kagabi and that's the time he paused it. Malabo man ang imahe ng babae dahil sa bilis nito gumalaw ay kita pa rin ang mukha nito. Then, binuklat niya ang folder at isa-isa niya tinignan ang mga mukha na nasa picture.

"To my research, Lian Paris is a College student. That's her, and she's the only daughter. And those are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paris, who are both government officials," Carl mentioned while looking at the pictures too with his boss.

"It's not her," President Li grunted, and he glared at him.

"Yes, President, it's not her. Notwithstanding, they adopted another girl named Aida Salazar, who came from the orphanage. She was 7 years old when they took her, and now her name is Aida Salazar Paris," Carl told earnestly with all the information he knows, and he flipped the page to show to his boss the picture of the woman that is similar to the video.

A silence passed by in the office after seeing Aida's picture. Now that he got the clear image of her, he couldn't help himself but reminisce about what happened between them the first time and for the second time.

Unexpectedly, his phone rings, and seeing the name on the screen made him worried. So, he answered it quickly.

"What? Okay, I'm coming over, doc," he said, at binaba na niya ang tawag. "Carl, ready the jetplane, and I need to go home. My grandmother had a heart attack," he seriously reported, at tumayo na siya sa kinauupuan niya.

"Yes, President," mabilis na sagot ni Carl, at sumunod siya kaagad sa kaniya.

Anyway, the picture of Aida was left in the office and also the video with her face.

Itutuloy...