CHAPTER 10 ~ Bad Luck

Chapter 10

"THANK YOU FOR trusting us, Ms. Takeshi." Nakipagkamay siya sa kaharap niya.

She accepted Mr. Davis' proposal and signed it right away. Sayang naman kung hindi niya tatanggapin at papatagalin pa. She trained abroad for about five years just to master her acting skills.

Hindi niya maipagkakaila na marunong din naman siyang umarte dahil dati na niya itong ginagawa, madalas nga lang. Minsan second female lead siya at madalas stunt woman kaya hindi siya gaanong kasikat katulad ng ibang artista.

"It's an honor for me to work here, Sir." Magalang na sabi niya habang nakangiti.

She and Mr. Davis are alone in a conference room for now.

Umupo si Addison sa upuan. Nakaharap siya kay Mr. Davis.

"Let's just wait for them for a while, we are having a meeting today and you're on perfect timing! We are launching a new movie and you will be one of the characters of it." He said joyfully, he's even smiling making his two deep dimples appear.

"Okay," tanging sagot lamang niya.

Bakit parang mas excited pa ito kaysa sa kanya? Di ba dapat mas ma-excited siya kasi baguhan lang siya at sasabak na agad siya sa aktingan? During her acting days, aabot pa ng isa o dalawang buwan bago siya magka-project. Samantalang dito, kaka-pirma palang niya ng kontrata ay kasali na agad siya?! Weird.

Lumipas ang tatlong minuto ay agad na nagsipasukan ang walo ka taong na nakapormal ang pananamit. Simusigaw ang autoridad at kayamanan ng mga ito.

Kaagad na tumayo si Addison at nagbigay galang. She lower her head and greeted them.

"Good day, Sir. . . Ma'am." Bati niya sa mga ito at tinanguan lang siya bilang tugon.

Nang umupo na sa kani-kanilang silya ang mga bibigating tao ay kaagad na nagsimula ang pagpupulong.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome. Welcome to all of you...." paninimula ni Mr. Davis, his face is so serious that there isn't a hint of joyfulness like what he showed earlier.

"Let me introduce to you, Miss Addison Takeshi, our new actress." Pagpapakilala nito sa kanya.

Addison stood up and bowed to them.

"Nice to meet you all," sabi niya at umupo.

Narinig niyang bumuga ng hangin si Mr. Davis. "Okay, let's start our meeting."

***

KANINA PA NABABAGOT si Addison sa meeting na hindi pa natatapos hanggang ngayon. They keep on talking about the new series they will launch this year. Pabalik-balik lang ang diskusyon, from the old series to new. Kung tutuusin hindi dapat siya nakikisali sa meeting na 'yun, it's a board meeting at hindi naman siya miyembro ng board.

She secretly checked her phone under the table.

Magdadalawang oras na 'tong meeting na 'to?! What kind of meeting is this?

She also attended some meetings before when she was still a secretary in Zeus' company but it won't last long. It usually ends for about one hour, a maximum of one and a half hours. 

Kaagad na tinago ni Addison ang cellphone niya nang biglang banggitin ni Mr. Davis ang pangalan niya. She immediately raised her head and looked at him.

"Do you agree, Miss Addison?" Tanong nito. 

She forced herself to smile. Ano bang pinag-uusapan nila? 

She's not paying attention earlier. Nasa ulap kasi ang isipan niya. She's thinking about how weird this agency is and how can a newcomer like her act right away? 'Di ba ang weird?

Hindi naman sa nagrereklamo siya, talagang nawe-weirduhan lang talaga siya sa mga pangyayari.

"Y-Yes?" That was supposed to be a question because she's not sure what they were talking about. At bakit naman siya nasali eh she's just a newbie. Does her opinion matter?

Mr. Davis clapped twice and smiled. He faces the board and smiles widely.

"Does anyone object to what I have just said?" He asked the board members which makes her frown. 

A woman raised her right hand. Hindi nagkakalayo ang edad nila pero pakiwari niya'y mas matanda pa siya dito.

"Yes, Secretary Junice. From the other agency, right?" Mr. Davis asked her and the secretary immediately nodded. 

The secretary stood up. "What if I don't agree with your statement, Mr. Davis? Ibig sabihin ba nun, hindi na matutuloy ang pag arte nitong baguhan ninyo?" Mataray na sabi nito bago siya nito tinaasan ng kilay.

Tinaasan din niya ito ng kilay. "May problema ka ba sa'kin, Ms. Secretary?" Matapang na tanong niya dito.

Inirapan nalang siya nito at tuminging muli kay Mr. Davis. "I have a friend, a very good actress at kilala sa industriya ng pag-aartista." Suhetisyon nito.

"I already made my decision and there's no way I am changing it just for you, Ms. Junice. Addison Takeshi will take the role of the female main lead of our new series. This is not my choice. This is the choice of the higher one, either you agree or not, it doesn't matter."

Nabilaukan si Addison sa sariling laway ng marinig ang buong sinabi ni Mr. Davis. Did she heard it right? She will be the female main lead of the upcoming series? 

Wait...

That's weird. Baguhan lang siya, ni hindi pa nga nila nasisiguradong magaling nga ba siya o hindi. It's not that she don't believe in her skills, it's just so weird. Marami namang mga dating artista dito sa agency na 'to na tiyak na mas magaling at sanay kaysa sa kanya. So, why her?

Padabog na umupo ang sekretarya at sinamaan siya ng tingin. Sa uri ng tingin nito ay parang may nagawa siyang hindi maganda dito which is impossible. 

Ni hindi nga niya kilala ang babaeng to, 'tsaka kararating pa lang nila dito. And as far she could remember, wala siyang naging kaaway dito. Maliban nalang sa kaibigan niyang may sama ng loob sa kanya.

Addison raised her right hand to catch Mr. Davis' attention. 

"Yes, Ms. Takeshi?"

She formally stood up. "I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Davis. It's like disrespecting the other actresses who worked here for a long time," she politely said.

"Yes! I totally agree." Biglang sabat ni Junice pero pinagsawalang bahala niya nalang ito.

"Don't you like the agency's offer?" Tanong ni Mr. Davis kaya mabilis siyang umiling. 

"No, it's not it." 

"Then why is it not a good idea for you?"

"Look, I'm a newbie here. . . and I bet there's a lot of actresses here who worked here for so long. Why don't we give them this opportunity to the old actresses who had experience and more knowledge in this industry?"

"Tama, tama!" Sabat na naman ni Junice kaya nilingon ito ni Davis at pinanliitan ng mata kaya naman ay agad nitong tinikom ang bibig.

"Don't you have experience or knowledge about the acting industry?"

"I have but. . . it's unfair to others. Please do understand me, Sir. Just give me any role, except for the main lead." 

Nakita niya ang pagbuntong-hininga ng lalaki kaya naman ay bumuntong-hininga nalang din siya.

Maganda naman ang offer ng agency but she can't accept it. Parang ang unfair sa iba kung tatanggapin niya ang offer nito. Yes, she really is an actress, she had an experience, she had knowledge about how this industry of actors and actresses runs but that is not enough for her to accept it.

She want things to get slow. 'Pag masyadong mabilis ang pag-angat mo, mas mabilis ka ring babagsak at masisira. That's the case. 

She wants everything to get slow before being on top. A star won't shine if it's the day, it will shine brighter when it's night.  Meaning, a star will shine brightly than the sun when its time comes.

And she will be that star someday. She will shine brightly and longer when the right time comes.

"I can't really decide about it, Ms. Addison. Those who sit on top can, but don't worry. . . I'll ask the higher about it."

Tumango nalang si Addison bilang tugon.

"Okay, the meeting is done. All of you may now leave now."

***

IT'S A VERY TIRING DAY for Addison. After the meeting finished, kaagad siyang nag-abang ng taxi o 'di kaya ay bus o kahit anong sasakyang panlupa only to find out na wala palang byahe papunta sa villa ni Liandre.

Speaking of that guy, bakit hindi niya ito tawagan para magpakuha siya mall.

Nasa mall kasi siya since walang nagmamagandang loob sa labas na ihatid siya pauwi, natatakot din siya sa mga tao doon. Mukhang mga adik at manyakis. Kaya sa mall nalang siya tumambay.

"Malas!" Usal niya ng biglang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan sa labas.

Talagang hindi na siya makakauwi nito.

She checked her phone. Alas sais na pala ng gabi, she need to call her son.

After two rings ay bumulaga sa kanya ang matinis na boses ng isang batang pinakamamahal niya.

"Mommy! Where are you 'po'?" She smiled when her son said a Tagalog word.

"You know Tagalog words already, huh?" She said sweetly.

"Anyways, Bao, I'm stuck here in the mall and I don't know when will I come home. It's raining cats and dogs. You can sleep now, don't wait for mommy, okay?" 

Nagtaka si Addison ng hindi kaagad sumagot ang anak niya. Is he asleep now? 

"Bao, are you still there?" She asked but she didn't receive a response which makes her frown. 

She didn't hang up the call and tried to listen to the other line.

May dalawang taong nag-uusap but she can't recognize clearly who is the owner of that voice. 

It's her son and someone, talking.

"Bao?" She called her son's name again and this time, sumagot na ito.

"Yes, Mommy. What mall, mommy?"

Kahit nagtataka ay ibinigay niya ang pangalan ng mall.

Binabaan siya ng anak niya. She has to talk to her son, dropping a call without saying goodbye is not good behavior. 

Mukhang nagmana talaga ang anak niya sa ama nito kasi hindi naman siya ganun trumato ng kausap.

"You're slowly copying your father's behavior, Bao."

Tumayo siya sa pagkakaupo at dahil naisipan niyang maglakad-lakad muna saglit, baka makakita siya ng kakilala niya. She will just asked him/her if she could take a ride.