"Miss, it's time to have lunch. What do you want to eat?" my secretary Leah ask.I looked at my watch, and that's when I realized it was lunch time. Sa sobrang dami kong inaasikaso ay hindi ko na namalayan ang oras. Nakaramdam na din ako ng gutom dahil tanging tea lang ang ininom ko kanina.I smiled."Just the usual." She nodded and left to get what I need.Sa halos dalawang taon na naming magkasamang dalawa ay alam na niya kung ano ang gusto ko. Siya ang nagpapaalala sa akin kapag masyado akong busy at nakakalimutan ng kumain. Minsan nga ay nagugulat na lang ako at may nakahanda na siya para sa akin na pagkain.Leah is my secretary for almost two years, when I started to build my own clothing line business. After getting experience in a company here in America, I decided to build my own business.I think, this is really meant for me because just a few months after I launched Rara's Fashion Boutique, everyone really liked it. In my first year, I had about five branches in different cou
I left work earlier than usual because of Althea, I just took home the design I was finishing and reminded Leah that I would be home early and she would take care of the company.Usually, ang uwi ko sa condo ay five o'clock pa pero dahil andito si Althea ay two o'clock pa lang ay pauwi na ako. Panigurado, kasi ay pagod din siya at kailangan na ding magpahinga. Ayoko naman na pag-intayin pa siya ng ilang oras. "Just text or call me if some client looking for me." bilin ko sa kanya. She just nodded and smile."And also, don't forget to email me the report on the other branches." I added."Yes, Miss. Take care."Ngumiti ako sa kanya, at sabay na kaming bumaba ni Althea sa parking area, pagkatapos kong bilinan si Leah. Tinanong ko siya kanina kung kumain na siya dahil ayaw niyang tanggapin ang alok kong pagkain. Balak ko sana magpahanda kay Leah ng gusto niyang kainin pero sinabi niya kumain na siya bago ako puntahan.Pinatunog ko ang aking sasakyan at sabay kaming pumasok sa loob. I wa
I don't know how I fell asleep that night, Althea's question to me kept coming back to my mind. Minsan hindi ko maintindihan ang trip niya, una tinanong niya kung nanliligaw sa akin si Lucas. Tapos, tatanungin niya tungkol sa nararamdaman ko sa lalaki na yun.What does she really want to know?Gusto niya bang malaman kung mahal ko pa ang manloloko na iyon?I woke up late, that's why I wasn't able to eat breakfast.Nauna pang magising si Ryker sa akin kaya naman kinuha na siya ni Ate Lindy upang pakainin. Hindi ko na nagawang magpaalam kay Althea dahil mukhang tulog pa ito. Nasabi din naman niyang wala siyang lakad ngayong araw kaya nag-prisinta na siyang bantayan si Ryker."Ate Lindy, mauna na po ako. Kayo na pong bahala dito." tumango lamang ito.Filipino si Ate Lindy kaya naman nagkakaintindihan kaming dalawa. Lucas recommended her to me, she just came here to America to look for a job, luckily she ended up here with us. Tiwala ako na maalagaan niya si Ryker para na rin niya itong
"Rayne! Hoy, Rayne!"Napakurap-kurap ako."B-Bakit?""Sino bang tinitignan mo at tulala ka diyan?" tumingin pa ito sa direksyon na tinitignan ko ngunit ng bumaling ako doon ay wala na ang bulto ng lalaki.I sighed heavily.Siguro nga namamalikmata lang ako, imposible naman sigurong narito siya."W-Wala yun." kinakabahang tugon ko at inaya ko na siya na puntahan si Ryker.Kahit na nawi-weirduhan siya sa inasta ko ay sumunod naman siya ng hilahin ko. Ayokong ng malaman niya kung sino ang tinitignan ko kanina. Para akong nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib ng makita na nawala ang lalaki na iyon, ayokong makumpirma kung siya nga iyon o hindi.Mas gusto kong paniwalaan na wala siya lugar na 'to.Mas gusto ko na hindi niya kami makita ng anak ko.Iwinaksi ko sa aking isipan ang nakita ko at nag-enjoy na lang sa lakad namin. I don't want to give them something to think about and end up talking about that person. After we went shopping, we took Ryker to the playstation and he was very happy while pla
"Ate Lindy, sino po yung kausap niyo kanina?" I couldn't stop asking that after we got into my car.I just waited a few minutes and hid so that Conrad wouldn't see me. May dala siyang maleta, mukhang pauwi na rin ito sa Pilipinas at ganung oras din ang kanyang flight. Mabuti na lang at hindi kami nagpang-abot noong inihatid ko sila Althea kanina.Ilang minuto lang din naman ay umalis na rin ito doon, saglit silang nag-usap ni Ate Lindy at wala akong ideya kung ano ang pinag-usapan nila."Uh, yun ba si sir? Kababayan natin, Rayne kay gwapo 'nu? Nadaanan lang kami ni Ryker at natuwa sa bata." masayang kwento nito.Gwapo, huh?Don't tell me, may crush na si Ate Lindy sa kanya? Hindi pa rin talaga nagbabago ang appeal niya pagdating sa mga babae.Natuwa siya kay Ryker? Yun ba yung lukso ng dugo na tinatawag nila. Sana naman hindi niya makita ang pagkakahawig namin ni Ryker at magkaroon siya ng ideya.It's good that he went home, so I won't have to think about anything. Mas mapapanatag ang
"[Damn! Babe, sana pala hindi muna ako umuwi. I didn't know you were a model now.]" napa-iling na lang ako sa naging reaksyon ni Althea matapos kong i-model ang mga gawa kong damit.Actually, I didn't expect those photos to turn out like that. Hindi ko akalain na magugustuhan ito ng lahat, dahil hindi naman ako sanay sa ganung bagay."[I need to that for my business, at wala lang yaun. Ano ka ba?]" I said as I continue what was I doing.Magka-video call kaming dalawa kaya nakikita ko ang reaction niya. She is scrolling through is IPad, browsing the uploaded photos of me wearing my design. I didn't do anything but put on the clothes I made and pose in front of the camera.We only posted it on our page but with the number of people who shared it, many people saw it and this design was actually sold out immediately after it was uploaded. I'm happy that I received only positive comments and reactions, more people are making clothes for me because of that.I accept others because I have a
"[Okay, Tita, we'll just go there later. See you, Tita.]" after that I immediately hung up.On the second day of my return back here in the Philippines, I really felt very happy. We all had dinner at our condo unit and I really missed all the Filipino food. Sa sobrang pagka-miss ni Althea sa akin ay hindi na siya umuwi ng condo unit niya at doon na nag-palipas ng gabi.We just talked all night until we reached dawn so we woke up almost late this morning.After mag-breakfast ay dumiretso naman siya papasok ng kanyang opisina at mukhang naibalita na niya kay Tita Athena ang pagdating ko dahil kaagad na tumawag sa akin si Tita. She invites us to their house for dinner, and also so that she can meet Ryker in person.I'm also excited to see Tita Athena again, and for her to finally meet Ryker.I was in Riri's car that I borrowed for a while because I had to go somewhere. She bought it when she got her first salary. Ayaw niya kasing tanggapin ang ibinibigay ko sa kanya dahil sobra-sobra na
"Do you really need to go there?" Althea asked repeatedly as she followed me into my room.She was asking that almost everyday she went here to our condo unit and I always gave her the same answer.Pupunta ako sa party na iyon. Not because I wanted to see that man, but to see with my own eyes how happy they were during the times when I was struggling.Isa pa hindi naman ako manggugulo e, I just want to be there.I sat on my bed and massage my head."You're always asking that for about one week now. Hindi ka pa ba napagod? "She lock the door between us para walang maka-rinig sa aming pag-uusap.Humarap siya sa akin na naka-pamaywang."Dahil hindi mo rin ako sinasagot for almost one week!" I can felt her frustration. "Ano ba talagang plano mo, huh?"Napa-irap ako sa tanong niya.I already answered it, the first time she asked that. Kung akusahan niya ako parang may gagawin akong masama? Ni pananakit sa pisikal na paraan hindi ko nagawa sa buong buhay ko. Ngayon pa kaya? Hindi ba talaga