CHAPTER VIII: COMPANY

"How's your work?" Damian asked me habang sakay na ako ng kotse niya.

Mula sa mga dinadaanan namin sa labas ay bumaling ako ng tingin sa kaniya. "It's okay." I just said.

"How long have you been working there?"

Tumingin muli ako sa tanong niya sa'kin. "Not so long ago. That was the job I landed in after I graduated from the university."

Tumango naman siya habang nagmamaneho.

"How about you?" I asked him, too.

"Me?" Sumulyap siya sa'kin galing sa pagmamaneho.

"Yes. Do you work?"

He shook his head like he's a little embarrassed. "My old man doesn't let me work... My grandpa..." He said and smiling a bit.

"Is that so?" sabi ko lang.

Pagkatapos ay natahimik naman kaming dalawa sa loob ng sasakyan niya.

"But I have my own investments... from the money I got from my grandparents." He said after a while.

Bumaling muli ako ng tingin sa kaniya. "You only talk about your grandparents?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, I only have them." Ngumiti lang siya.

So he doesn't have parents after all? Obviously he only grew up in his grandparents' care.

Hindi pa niya ako diretsong hinatid sa bahay. Sinama pa niya muna ako sa condo niya. Iyon ay pagkatapos din naming dumaan sa supermarket. He was even about to bring me out to dinner kanina nang sunduin niya ako. But I stopped him and asked him to go to the supermarket instead.

"I'll cook dinner for us." I told him.

Ngumiti naman siya sa akin. "Alright. Thanks!"

Tipid ko na lang din siyang nginitian.

Damian helped me sa mga pinamili namin pagdating sa condo niya. Tinulungan niya akong ilabas iyong mga pinamili namin sa grocery at i-stock ang mga iyon dito sa condo niya.

Ang dami nga rin naming mga pinamili. Damian just doesn't care about the expenses. Marami naman kasi siyang perang pambili so he wasn't strict with the budget. Kaya naman kinuha ko na rin lahat ng tingin ko na kailangan niya rito sa condo niya.

"You weren't cooking. So paano dati ang pagkain mo?" I asked while I was washing the meat.

While Damian also helped in chopping the vegetables. At least marunong naman siyang manghiwa ng mga gulay kapag tinuruan mo lang.

"I order food, or I eat out. And usually I go home to my grandfather's house." He just smiled at me.

Bahagya na rin akong napangiti sa sinabi niya.

"Madalas ka rin na umuwi sa inyo..." sabi ko habang hinahanda na ang karne.

"Yup. Medyo malayo lang iyon dito sa city kaya naman minsan ay hindi na rin ako nakakauwi pa doon at dito na lang ako sa condo umuuwi."

Tumango lang ako sa sinabi niya.

"Do you want to visit our mansion?" He smilingly asked me.

Nanatili naman ang tingin ko sa kaniya. And then I slowly nodded my head when I also realized that it was my chance to gather evidence against him and his past crime, kasi rito sa condo niya ay wala naman akong makita na relevant...

DAMIAN

"Do you want to visit our mansion?" I excitedly asked Kali when I thought of that. At naisip ko na siguro ay ipapakilala ko na rin siya kay lolo.

I haven't introduce any girl to my grandpa before. Pero pakiramdam ko na gusto kong makilala ni lolo si Kali.

At nakita ko na unti-unti namang tumango sa akin si Kali. So it was decided that I'll bring her home.

Tumunog ang doorbell ng condo ko. Bahagya pang kumunot ang noo ko sa pag-iisip kung sino naman kaya ang bibisita sa akin when I wasn't really expecting anyone.

"May ini-expect ka bang pupunta ngayon dito na kaibigan mo?" Kali asked me.

Umiling naman ako sa kaniya. "No." At wala rin akong masyadong pinagsasabihan ng address ko. No matter if I have a lot of people I know, I still value my privacy at hindi basta kung sino lang ang pinapapunta ko sa bahay ko.

"Let me check." I told Kali and I went to the door.

"Damian," And it was Millie.

"Millie, what are you doing here?" Pinatuloy ko na rin siya. I wasn't expecting her to come here. Did something urgent happened?

"I came from the company. And dumaan na rin ako rito and you're here. Don Antonio just want to be sure na nasa mansyon ka sa susunod na araw. And especially for dinner." Millie said.

"Oh, why? Something happened, Mil?"

Umiling naman siya sa akin. "Don Antonio found your other cousin..." she said.

Oh. Nagkatinginan lang kaming dalawa ni Millie.

"Damian..."

Pareho kami ni Millie na bumaling sa tumawag sa akin. At nakita namin si Kali na nakatayo na roon at tinitingnan niya kaming dalawa ni Millie.

"Ah. Millie, this is Kali." Pinakilala ko na rin sila sa isa't isa.

"Come here, Kali. This is Millicent. She's my childhood friend." I smiled at them both.

Pormal lang din na nakipagkilala rin si Millie kay Kali. And then not wanting to disturb me and Kali anymore ay nagpaalam na rin agad si Millie na aalis na.

"She's your friend?" Kali asked me while we're already having dinner that she cooked for us. And I just helped her preparing it.

Tumingin ako sa kaniya at ngumiti. "Yup."

Wala nang sinabi pa si Kali pagkatapos ng tanong niyang 'yon. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya at naghintay pa. And when she turned her eyes back on me she asked me a different topic. "You have to go back home?" She asked me.

"Oh, yeah. Why don't you come with me?" I smiled when I asked her. We were already talking about her coming to the Delgado mansion.

Pero umiling naman siya sa akin. "I'm sorry I overheard it a little bit earlier. I think it's a family dinner? Kaya next time mo na lang siguro ako isama." She said.

Sa huli ay hindi ko na rin pinilit pa si Kali. She can come whenever she wants. Bahagya siyang ngumiti sa akin. While I smiled completely at her.

I was actually happy that she's here now. I wasn't as bored as before when she wasn't here with me yet. I guess I could say that I like Kali's company.