One

It is ten o’clock in the morning. Anna is just staring at her room’s white ceiling – thinking about many things, when her mobile phone rang.  She did not feel like moving, but she has to take the call. She knows how it feels when someone does not answer the call.

"Who could this be?" She said under her breath."Badtrip! Abala naman!" she said as she stubbornly reached for her phone. "Hello?"

"Hi. Good morning. I hope I did not wake you. You sound as if you just came out of bed," a guy on the other line said.

He's right, She came home late last night or should she say that she came early this morning, it’s like four in the morning. She had spent her whole evening with friends in a club, Limitless Studio. As a result, she’s in bed, wearing only her top and panties. It’s unusual for her to wear that little, even in bed.

"Kung nandito pa din sana siya,” she murmured to herself.

"Hello? Are you still there?" asked the guy on the other line.

"Yes, I'm here. Ano nga ulit `yon?" Anna asked. This past few weeks or should we say months, Anna has been spacing out a lot, lalo na kapag naaalala niya si Joshua.

"I'm asking if, naistorbo ba kita sa pagtulog mo. Mukhang kagigising mo lang.”

“No, gising na ako nang tumawag ka. By the way, who are you calling?" she hesitantly asked, making sure he’s calling the right person.

"I'm calling for Ms. Anna Miller."

"I'm Anna Miller. Who am I speaking to?" Anna made sure that she sounds just like a professional.

"Good. This is Gabriel Anderson from well, the Anderson Company. Are you free today?" tanong ng lalake.

"Yes. I'm free. Why?"

“I just called to remind you that your interview is today,” Gabriel said sternly.

“Interview? For what exactly?”

“I've sent you an e-mail a day ago about the interview. Hindi mo ba natanggap?” he asked as he was beginning to doubt. "Wait. Didn't you apply for my company, as my secretary?"

“An e-mail? Can you hold for a minute? Titignan ko lang ang e-mails ko,” she’d put the call on speaker so she could easily access her laptop.

Binuksan  niya ang browser. She signed in on her yahoo account and opened another tab for her gmail account. To her surprise, she found an e-mail on both accounts with the same subject and sender. It’s true that he sent her an e-mail.

“Meron, `di ba?” Gabriel asked on the other line.

She picked up her phone again, and deactivated the loudspeaker feature. “Yes. I have one on each of my e-mail addresses.” Anna told him while biting on her fingernails and staring at her laptop’s screen. “How did I apply again?”

“You've sent tons of application letters.”

"No. I did not," Sagot ko. "Can I see the letters for myself?"

"Sure. You can come at three," tipid na sagot ni Gabriel.

"Yes, of course. Thanks. Bye." She ended the call and flopped down on her bed again.

"Sino kaya ang gagawa ng ganun?Hala! Baka si mama."

Napagdesisyonan niya na puntahan ang mama niya. She stood up and prepared for the day ahead.. She took one granola bar as she has no time to cook breakfast.

"Hello, `Ma?" She called her mom while driving. "Can I have lunch with you?"

"Of course, hija. You can always come for lunch," her mom said lovingly. "I cooked your favorite. Ingat!"

"Thanks, `Ma. I love you. On the way na po ako."

After five minutes…

"Ma!" sigaw niya nang nakarating at nakapasok sa bahay. "Asan ka po?"

"Sa kitchen!"

Sa salas pa lang amoy na amoy na niya ang niluluto ng ina – Chicken pastel. The one dish she misses the most.

"Mama!" bati niya habang abot tenga ang ngiti.

"Anna, kamusta? Buti naman naisipan mo akong dalawin. I've missed you so much." She hugged Anna.

Minsan na lang may dumalaw sa kanya. Ang mga kapatid ni Anna ay may sari-sariling pamilya na. At lahat sila ay busy na sa trabaho.

"Okay lang po ako. Kayo po?" Magkayakap pa rin sila. "Miss din kita. Doon ka na lang kaya tumira sa bahay ko, Mama?"

"Salamat, anak, pero alam mo naman na hindi ko kayang iwan ang bahay natin." Maluha-luhang  sagot ng ina niya.

"Bakit naman, Ma? Luma na din naman itong bahay. Bakit hindi na lang natin i-pagbenta?" Anna irritably asked.

Imbes na pagalitan siya ay lumayo na lang ang ina sa kanya. Anna understood. Malaking bahagi ito sa pagkatao ng Mama niya, kaya naiintindihan niya na hindi ito bastang papakawalan ng ina.

"Halika na, kain na lang tayo." Alok sa sa kanya ng ina habang naglalagay ng chicken pastel sa bowl.

"Sige po. Namiss kitang kasabay sa pagkain." Kumuha ako ng dalawang plato at nilagyan ng kanin.

Habang kumakain…

"Mama?" simula ko. "Hindi mo ba naisip na ipagpasa ako ng application letter sa Anderson Company?"

Napatingin sa kanya ang ina. `Yung tingin na 'pinagbibintangan mo ba ako' at 'hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mo'.

"Hindi, at hindi ko din alam kung saan ang company na 'yan," defensive na sagot ng ina. "Anong position naman ba ang i-na-applyan ng application letter mo?"

"Secretary daw po, e."

Hindi napigilan ng Mama niya ang pagtawa. "Secretary? Lalong hindi mo ako dapat isali sa pinaghihinalaan mo. I know you don't have the what it takes to be a patient secretariat."

Anna didn't know what to feel. She's confused if she'll get offended or ngingiti na din lang dahil nakikita niya na masaya naman ang kanyang ina.

"Grabe ka naman, Mama." Sigaw ni Anna. "Thanks for boosting my self-confidence mom." She walked out of the kitchen and went to her old room.

"Nothing changed." she whispered to herself as she reached for her old doll.

"Hey, Miss Aubrey. I missed you so much. Did you miss me too?" she felt weird talking to her old doll.

"Of course, I missed you too, little missy," her Mom said in a little voice, imitating the sound of a child.

"Oh, mom," I sighed. "What will you say now?"

"I'm gonna say that, I'm sorry. I’m sorry I made you feel that way."

"Well, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I knew you were just being funny. I love you, Mom." She hugged her. "Hindi naman po pwede na hindi kita patawarin. I've done so much to hurt you, but every time you forgave me."

She hugged her back. "I love you too, little missy."

"I got to go mom. I have a meeting at three. I don't want to be late." Anna kissed her goodbye.