Eirene

I was dragged in a room almost looked like those in psychiatric facilities. Lahat ng tapunan ko ng tingin ay kulay puting pader. Meron lang lamesa at upuan na inokupa ko naman agad. Para akong mababaliw dito ng tuluyan kapag wala pa kumausap sa akin kung ano ba ang nangyayari. Dito ako dinala matapos ko tawagin na Papa si Architect Jaziel Gridley.

Masama na ba agad ang ginawa ko?

He is my father, for Pete's sake! But here I am, instead of bonding with my long-lost father, I'm stuck in a confinement-like room.

Walang cell phone pati na ang bag ko ay wala rin dito at ilang dokumento para ma-i-process ko ang job application ko rito. Naroon pa naman sa bag ang passport ko pati na ilang government ID na nakuha ko sa Pilipinas. Takot kasi ako mawala kaya lahat ng klase ng ID, kinuha ko at nilagay sa isang wallet na maraming card compartment.

Agad ako napalingon ng may pumasok sa loob at hindi ko maiwasang mapanganga nang masino ang mga iyon. It was my father with the man whom I presume my brother.

"You may have your seat, Ms. Diaz," sambit ni Papa sa akin. He didn't addressed me as her daughter, and it hurts me more. Hindi ba niya tanggap na anak niya ako? Siguro naman natanggap niya ang email ko pupunta ako rito para magtrabaho at hanapin siya. Sadyang dito lang sa kumpanya na pagta-trabaho-an ko siya makikilala. "To clear things up, I am not your father. You clearly mistakenly addressed me as your father, I am certain that I'm not. For the past twenty-five years of being married to my wife, cheating never crossed my mind even if I sometimes had to work far from her. I love her so much, Ms. Diaz."

Wala itong naging patumpik-tumpik na ginawa at diretsahang sinasabi sa akin na nagkamali lamang ako ng taong tinawag na tatay.

"A-are you sure? I have proof, but your security has my phone and bag. W-we were constantly changing emails twice, thrice a week, and the signature in every email I received was your name."

Nakita ko ang pagkunot ng noo ng lalaking kasama nito pero mas natuon ang atensyon ko kay Architect Jaziel Gridley. If he isn't my father, then who is it? Sino ang kapalitan ko ng email gamit ang pangalan nitong taong nasa harapan ko na obvious namang loyal sa asawa niya. Kapag naiisip ko ang nagawa ko kanina, parang gusto ko na lang magpalamon sa sahig.

Napayuko ako sandali ngunit agad din nag-angat ng tingin ng magsalita si Architect Gridley. "Did you come here to find him, Ms. Diaz?"

Huminga ako ng malalim bago nagsalita. "No, sir. I'm also here in London for work. I received a job offer from your company weeks ago, and I'm here to report and sign my contract."

Umayos ako ng upo at pinalis ang luha ang sa aking mga mata. Wala naman ako karapatan na magtanong kung nasaan ang totoo kong tatay. Mukhang hindi rin naman niya alam. Kaya naman pala gano'n na lamang natanggap ko na reaksyon sa kausap ko kanina. He was the most loyala man living that I met. Gusto ko malaman kung sino ang kausap ko sa email noong nasa Pilipinas pa ako. Ngunit paano ko naman malalaman kung sino nga iyon?

"We'll have the security give back your things so you can proceed to your job orientation. I may not be your boss, but I want to work with you. You're the best interior designer we got in the Philippines. Show my son what you got, hm?" Tumayo ito saka nakita ko na tinapik ang balikat ng anak nito. "I hope you'll find him, Ms. Diaz. I can offer help if you want to find him."

He is nice, so nice that I couldn't get angry with him for being frank at me. Pakiramdam ko na nakikisimpatya sa aking kabiguan ang kanyang boses. Malabo maintindihan ng ibang tao puwera na lamang kung iintindihin talaga nila.

Umalis si Architect Gridley pagkatapos masabi iyon at naiwan ako kasama ng anak niya. Iyomg totoong anak niya.

"Ms. Diaz, I'm not as nice as my father." Halata naman at hindi na kailangan sabihin. "Do you still want to work here even after what happened earlier?"

"I need a job, sir." Iniwasan ko ang tingin at pang-angat ko ng aking mga mata, nakita ko na umiiling-iling siya.

"Then, do your damn job, Ms. Diaz. I have no time for someone like you trying to ruin my family's good name."

***

"I've the seen the video and I can't help, but laugh at you Eirene. Bakit ka ba sugod ng sugod gayong puwede mo naman kausapin in private. I bet you'll have a one on one talk with bosses naman girl,"

"My brain went blank, and all I wanted was to embrace my father. Growing up without one was tough." Walang makaka-intindi sa akin lalo na itong kaibigan ko kasi kumpleto ang pamilya niya. Kapag tinatanong ko si Mama kung nasaan si Papa, nagagalit siya.

Gusto ko na mapikon habang pinakikinggan ang pagtawa ng kaibigan ko. When I processed everything I have to processed in GCG UK, I head straight home to rest. Sabi ng boss ko, gawin ko na lang ang trabaho ko at para makabawi, iyon nga aking gagawin. Magpapakitang gilas ako sa kanya. 

Tinawagan ko agad si Marishka para sabihin sa kanya ang mga nangyari sa akin kahit kakauwi pa lang niya sa trabaho. She is currently doing her skin care routine which I forget to do on myself. Ang dami kasi ganap tapos mainit ang dugo sa akin ni Architect Gridley. The younger Gridley, I mean, of course because the one whom I mistakenly called my father is a nice man.

"You should waited until the event was done. Ang dami kayang tao pero kudos sa legal team nila ang bibilis kumilos. I've read that Architect Gridley's wife is the only sister of Judge Dominic Trinidad. Big time pala ang mga ito dahil related din sa mga Lorenzo."

Natuon ang tingin ko sa email na aking natanggap imbis na tugunin ang aking kaibigan.

"He sent me another email, Mari," sabi ko kay Marishka habang inaabangan na mag-load ang email na pinadala ng aking ama. He's using again the email of Architect Gridley.

"If your boss' father isn't the one sending you that email, who and how does that man knew you?" Gusto ko pa idagdag sa tanong ni Marishka ay ang tanong na kung bakit gamit nito ang email ni Architect Gridley. "Stop reading that email, Eirene. Sa trabaho ka muna mag-focus. Do your damn job there and ace it, okay? Tandaan mo kung mahirap mabuhay dito, mas mahirap mabuhay sa ibang bansa lalo't mag-isa ka diyan."

Nasa punto naman si Marishka pero mas nanaig ang tanong sa isip ko na naghahanap ng mga kasagutan. I unconciously glanced at the clock and check it. My friend have to sleep and I need to buy myself a dinner. Kailangan ko ng mabigat na pagkain dahil pakiramdam ko mabubuwal na lang ako. It is because of the disappointment I felt inside the company where I need to work to.

Inakala ko na jackpot na dahil makakasama ko sa isang company ang tatay ko kaso nagkamali ako. I have to do my job and live here as if nothing happened a while ago. Iniisip ko pa paano haharapin ang mga tao sa kumpanya bukas kapag opisyal na akong mag-trabaho. Lalo na ng boss ko na mukhang pag-iinitan ako ng malala. I have to embrace myself tight while working in that place after what happened a while ago.

May the Lord help me survive at work.

But now what I need is food. Saan naman kaya ako makakain ng masarap na mabubusog ako at makakalimot panumandali? Dali-dali ako kumilos pagkapaalam sa aking kaibigan at lumabas sa aking apartment. Akto na akong lalakad ngunit may humarang sa akin na babae.

"You're my father's illegitmate child huh?" sarkastiko niyang sambit sa akin. "Why I don't see any trace of being a Gridley in you?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Kaliana Amari Gridley, your nightmare."

***

Hindi ko alam kung saan ito pero masarap ang mga pagkain na hinanda sa amin ni Kaliana. She said she was my nightmare, but does all bad dream will let me eat as if it's my lat day today? Patuloy lang siya sa pag-order at kinakatakot ko ay ako ang pagbayarin niya ng mga kinain namin. Wala nga ako ideya paano niya nalaman kung saan ako natuloy pati na sa presyo ng mga pagkain na nasa aming harapan.

"Someone that Dad helped snatched his phone last month. I hunch that whoever did that to my super nice father is your real dad, so if I hostage you, he'll come back to save you."

"This is hostage?"

"Revenge. For my parents and brother."

"Wait, what did I do to your brother?"

"He's furious, and Cash is a devil when he's at it. You're working at the devil's den."

Hindi ako makapaniwala na nakikipag-usap ako sa isa sa mga anak ni Architect Gridley na halatang may saltik. Mas may saltik pa sa kapatid niyang akala mo mapapatay ako sa sindak. I know what I've started was a war, but I didn't expected it to be like this. Agad akong tumayo at aktong lalabas na ngunit napigilan ako ni Kaliana.

"You have to pay for our food, dear."

"What?"

"For revenge, remember?"

Umalis ito bitbit ang original bag na nabili sa Hermes at iniwan ako na nakanganga sa harap ng mga pagkaing in-order tapos konti lang ang kinain. Gusto ko sumigaw lalo na ng makita ko ang bill at halos maubos noon ang pocket money ko na nilaan ko hanggang sa makasahod.

Kapag minamalas ka naman talaga!

Naisipan ko na i-pa-take out ang lahat tapos pumara ako ng taxi at nagpahatid ako sa GCG UK. I have to make that younger Gridleys reimburse what I have paid today for the food and the transportation. Magaling din ako sa salitang revenge at hindi nila alam kung paano ko iyon gagawin sa kanila mga spoiled brats!

When I reached the GCG UK, I used my ID to enter and go straight to my boss's office. Hindi ko sigurado kung wrong timing dahil pagpasok ko ay may kausap siya.

"What do you want, Ms. Diaz?" tanong niya sa akin saka pinaalis na ang mga kausap sa pamamagitan ng tango.

"I am here to reimburse these because your brat sister kidnapped me from my apartment and made me pay for the food she ordered."

"Which I think you enjoy so much, aren't you? The answer is yes, based on a steak streak on the side of your lips." Agad ko pinahiran ang labi ko pagkasabi niya noon. How dare he stare at my lips without my permission?

"Pay me half. I'm not rich as you are. I have to work here to survive, and without pocket money, I don't think I'll do it."

"That's extortion, Ms. Diaz. I'm technically your boss and I can fire you right away. I can also filed case against you," Hindi ako lalo makapaniwala sa narinig. Wala itong pinag-iba sa kapatid at mas malala pa nga siya kung tutuusin.

"I haven't signed the contract, sir," I stress the word to make him believe I'm still respecting him even if I'm a bit furious now. At kahit hindi siya nito ginagalang pabalik. They're taking revenge on me. Well, I'm taking mine too.

Napansin ko ang pagkunot ng noo niya habang nakatingin sa laptop imbis na sagutin ako. He asked for respect, yet he cannot give it to me in return. "I guess, you don't need to signed it, Ms. Diaz."

"Did you just fire me?" I'm starting to hate this Architect Cashmere Gridley to the bone.

"No, but the HR Department hired you by mistake."

What?