"Do you want me to give him a chance?" sinserong tanong ko. "If that's what you want me to do, I can't do that, and I don't want to do that. I'm still waiting for someone, Sav. I'm bound to marry." Ipinakita ko sa kaniya ang promise ring sa daliri ko. "Waiting for someone requires patience and courage. In fact, it requires a lot. It keeps you awake, hoping that one of these nights he'll appear on your bed and embrace you. You are dying while keeping yourself sane and alive, moving forward even though you are stuck in the loop. It's pretty tiring because you want the situation to change, but you don't have a choice but to see it until the end, not knowing when the end is. That's how it feels, Sav."
Hindi siya nakapagsalita, pero nababasa ko sa mga mata niya ang lungkot. I smiled. "Don't be sad for me. Ginusto kong maghintay. Ikaw, if you really want Raviel, why not confess?"<
MABILIS akong pumasok sa loob ng bahay ko sa pag-asang madadatnan ko si Ismael, pero ang tanging nakita ko na lang ay ang mga sako ng cat food pati na rin ang iba pang stock ng vitamins.What the hell?Ibig sabihin ang tinutukoy ngang Mael ng cashier ay si Ismael?Agad na umakyat sa dibdib ko ang kaba lalo na't naamoy ko sa pamamahay ko ang matapang niyang pabango.How can he do this to me?Pumunta siya rito, pero hindi siya nagpakita sa akin? Why? Anong trip niya sa buhay? Nagkaroon na siya ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag sa akin, pero hindi niya ginawa?Buong gabi akong hindi nakatulog dahil sa inis sa kaniya. Wala nga siya sa tabi ko, pero kung inisin niya ako ay sukdulan.Nagpaalam
"Motives?"I tried to raise a different issue to corner him. "Why all of a sudden do you ask for my best friend out to date her?"I saw him smirking. "Why? Are you jealous? Was my tactic effective?"I squinted, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth, but based on his aura, he was telling it the other way around. I won't buy his lies that he asked my best friend out just for me to get jealous. I need to know the real answer. "Of course not. Why would I be? There are definitely other reasons.""And what are those?" he sarcastically asked as he stepped closer to me. He touched some of my hair strands and smelled them. "It is because I like you, and I am using Savannah to take you. I can see that it is working."
"Sigurado ka ba sa gagawin mo?" tanong ni Savannah sa akin. We are here at the hardware store looking for something essential for my plan."Bakit? Duda ka ba?" I asked in return. I pulled her by clinging my arm to her so she could follow me to the section of the digital surveillance camera."Hindi! Napakawitty mo nga, eh! Sinong mag-aakalang maiisip mong maglagay ng 360-degree camera na may speaker para mahuli si Ismael na pumapasok sa bahay mo?" natatawa niyang pahayag na hindi maitatangging may halong paghanga sa akin."Well, that's how technology works. Akala niya ba siya lang ang high-tech para maisip na lagyan ng smart door lock ang bahay ko? Syempre, smart din ako, kaya maglalagay ako ng bagay na hindi niya aasahan."
"Loeisal Malmdan Company," I answered. Kasabay no'n ay ang pagtaas ng balahibo ko sa katawan. Sikat ang kompanyang iyon at sila ang nagmamay-ari ng pinakamahal na pabango sa buong Pilipinas. They just started a couple of years ago, but their market is getting bigger now. I wonder how their marketing supervisor works. As a business management student majoring in marketing, I am really curious how big businesses and companies are handled by their marketing associates. Kahit maganda ang products or services, kung hindi maganda ang advertising and promotion, hindi ito papatok sa masa. Dapat talaga ay marunong kang magbenta."You mean that famous perfume company? They say they wanted to conquer the world of perfume."I nodded. That's what impressed me. The mission, vision, and core values of that company are unbelievable.
I have been watching the previous footage of the CCTV, but still, there's no shadow of Ismael. Nakakabalisa din pala ang ganito. Parati kong tinitingnan ang camera habang nagbabakasakaling dumaan siyang muli sa bahay ko, pero wala siya. Wala na ba siyang dahilan para bumisita?I heaved a sigh and just focused my attention on our graduation practice. Ilang araw na ang lumipas nang ilabas na ang resulta ng exams namin. Thank God I passed it all."Wala pa rin siya?" tanong ni Sav.Tumango ako. "It seems like my idea is failing."Tinapik niya ako sa balikat. "Don't lose hope. Magpapakita rin siya sa iyo.""Paano kung hindi?"
Reality hits me. Akala ko mahirap na ang buhay estudyante, mas mahirap pala talaga ang buhay kapag nasa labas na ng paaralan. Hindi na pwedeng laruin ang buhay.Marcus University became a part of my life, and a lot of things happened in that place. Nakilala ko si Professor Sybill; lalo na si Ismael. But they are now gone. Mabuti na lang at naiwan sa akin si Savannah.But we are also separating now because we will be crossing different paths. Siya ay mag-uumpisa na ng business, samantalang ako ay sukdulan pa rin ang paghahanap sa trabaho. I already applied to Loeisal Malmdan Company, but I wasn't that confident that my curriculum vitae would lead me to the interview door, so I also submitted to the other companies. I hope one of them will be my stepping stone to my dreams.
"Hi! This is from Loeisal Malmdan Company. Is this Miss Jothea Alvandra?"I was left with no words. Napatingin pa akong muli sa phone ko para kumpirmahing may kausap nga ako. Pinunasan ko ang pisngi ko tsaka ko inayos ang sarili. "Speaking.""Great! I am inviting you tomorrow for a job interview for the position of marketing associate as you are one of the applicants who have good credentials. May I know if you can make it at nine in the morning?""Y-yes, Sir. I will be there."Habol ko ang hininga ko habang nakatingin sa sariling repleksyon. Kung kanina ay umiiyak ako dahil sa miserable kong buhay, ngayon ay nakangiti ako na parang baliw. Muli ay umiyak na naman ako, pero sa ibang kadahilanan na—makakatapak n
"It is doing what is right even without someone looking at you," simpleng sagot ko habang pinipigilan ang pagluha. Mabilis ang tibok ng puso ko at pilit na pinakakalma ang sarili, kahit na naaalala ko si Ismael. Napalingon ako kay Mr. Roize na ngayo'y nakatingin pala sa akin nang madiin. Tila ba sinusuri ang itsura ko. I tried to act straight and normal, like nothing was bugging my mind. I need to concentrate. I am in a job interview, and I don't want to fail this. This company is my dream, I should be serious. "Miss Alvandra, come with me," wika ni Sir Martin. Ngayon ko lang napansin na tapos na pala ang interview dahil wala na ang iba pang applicants. Ibig sabihin, ako lang ang nakapasa? How did it happen? Akala ko, mas nakakaangat sa akin ang mga kasama ko? "This is the second part of the screening. You may start your written exam in that room. I'm giving you thirty minutes to finish that test. After you pa