Chapter Two

JENNA 

MY NAME is Jenna. 

My parents were decently wealthy before my daddy died in a tragic car accident when I was twelve, so me and my Mom were left to the guardianship of my Uncle Markus, who is filthy rich.

I worked – believe me, I do. 

I finished a degree in Interior Design, and I consulted with my uncle’s marketing people regarding set designs sa mga commercial ads na ginagawa ng mga ito para sa mga products at ibang businesses. 

I also designed sets for movies and TV shows in indie films here and abroad bilang hobby na nae-enjoy ko. Nakikipag-collaborate ako sa mga kaibigan kong nagtatrabaho sa foreign movie outfits.

 I loved it that I could go anytime. Kasi nga, rich kid, so I could afford working on what I loved doing. 

But in fairness to me, I only do this when I have time. I respect commitments and I would never accept any project I knew I couldn’t finish on schedule.

I’m a nerd.

I am turned-introvert and don’t normally go anywhere if I didn’t have to. 

The only reason I attended my uncle’s extravagant parties was because I love him to pieces. I didn’t care for clique kaya hindi rin masasabing pressured ako sa peers. 

I suppose, sa ibang tao, I gave the impression of being uncaring or supladita. 

Wala raw kasi akong kailangang kahit sino o anumang bagay dahil lahat, within reach ko lang. 

Sinong may sabing mga mahihirap lang ang nadi-discriminate? May discriminations din sa mga mayayaman. 

May wall na naka-separate sa akin at sa iba. Madalas, kung hindi pa ako ang magre-reach out ay hindi nila ako kakausapin o kukwentuhin. 

It sometimes could be a sore point to me kasi hindi ako suplada. Pero may nagsabi rin na kasi nga nakaka-overwhelm daw ang background ko kaya hindi agad at ease sa akin ang iba. 

And I understand because I do withdraw myself when it becomes too much. Hindi pa ako ready bumalik sa dati.   

But sometimes, it could be damn frustrating. 

And lonely.

Kaya noong pinansin ako ni Keith, isa sa mga pinakagwapo at pinaka-successful sa mga batang lawyers sa trabaho, I was grateful. Especially after my uncle swore to me he didn’t have anything to do with it.

Crush ko na si Keith noon pa. Ito kasi iyong nasa category ng ‘too-good-to-be-true’ – sobrang gwapo, sobrang successful, sobrang talino, sobrang confident at sobrang cool na hindi ka maniniwala ever na magkakagusto siya sa ‘yo. 

When he actively pursued me, nakalimutan ko ang earlier biases ko pagdating sa mga almost perfect kasi I didn’t think my uncle would let me date jerks. Kung may anything negative kay Keith, ni hindi niya ako malalapitan, believe me.

Unfortunately, Keith was just that good na kahit ang uncle kong magaling kumilatis ng tao, nauto niya sa pekeng karakter niya.

Napapikit ako habang nakaupo pa sa likod ng manibela ng kotse ko. Nagbagsakan ang mga luha sa mga mata ko at ramdam ko ang init habang naglalandasan ang mga iyon sa mga pisngi ko. 

I feel so lonely again. Akala ko talaga ito na. Hindi pa pala… 

I’m such an idiot I should kill myself.

I didn’t kill myself, of course. I’m not that kind of idiot.

But I got so drunk in the next hours that I passed out.

But…

Who would believe it actually will be the most fortunate thing that will happen to me today? 

TOPHER

PAGLABAS NA paglabas pa lang ni Jenna sa parking lot ng office building ay nakita ko na siya. There’s no one else there and she didn’t look okay. She was obviously crying. 

And I’m like, uh-oh. She knows.

Napabuntunghininga ako. Hindi ko napigilang maawa sa kanya. 

When I heard she was exclusively dating Keith, naisip ko nang ang malas naman niya. Pero hindi kami ganoon ka-close para mabalaan ko siya. I just hoped she could see her error in time.

Seems that day is today. 

Sumakay siya sa kotse niya, isa sa mga maliliit na mga kotseng iyon na nakakapanganga ang price at nagdedeklara na hindi siya normal na empleyado. 

She didn’t leave right away, though. And I feel anxious, kasi I really like her. I mean like her as in like her personality, her creativity, her friendliness to anyone kahit janitors. 

And she’s cute. She’s one of those people you couldn’t help but like even from a distance. 

Concerned ako sa kanya. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Nakita ko ang mukha niya at nagdesisyon akong sundan siya kapa umandar na ang sasakyan until I was sure she was home. Ganoon ako nag-alala sa kanya.

When at last, her little car purred, I followed her car out of the garage just as I planned. 

Pero hindi pa niya balak umuwi, apparently.

She went to the nearest bar in the vicinity, which is okay kasi with the Christmas Eve just around the corner, it will be a pain to go anywhere else. Lalo na kung umiiyak ka pa rin. 

She found a place that’s in the farthest corner. 

And she got drunk.

Boy, she could drink. 

Sunod-sunod na shots. 

I supposed she wasn’t that concerned with driving back home inebriated because anyone in the bar that worked at Windham could easily call her uncle’s secretary to take care of her. 

Her uncle owned this building and the bar owner knew to call him. 

At maaga pa. She started drinking about lunch time. So mga two p.m. pa lang, lasing na siya. Maaga siyang makakauwi.

Iyon ang iniisip ko habang pinanonood ko siya, hanggang sa umabot sa puntong gumigiray siyang lumabas ng bar at almost three in the afternoon.

Napasunod ako. 

And I found her puking her guts out sa parking lot sa tabi ng kanyang kotse.

“Eewww…” narinig ko pang sabi ng isang babaeng papasok sa bar kasama ng mga kabarkada nito.

Napalapit ako at nasambot ko pa siya bago siya tuluyang bumagsak.

“Hey… Jenna? Ms. Lee? Hey, Ms. Lee?”

She moaned. 

But when I turned her face so I could see her, her eyes were closed. 

With puke still on her chin, she started to snore.

Umalpas ang tawa ng pagkadismaya sa bibig ko. 

Anong gagawin ko sa ‘yo?