Eva

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Ten minutes of waiting patiently.

Lumabas ang isang babae kasama ang isang babae na medyo may katandaan na. Nakilala ko agad ang hitsura ng nakakatandang babae. Siya yata ang Madam na tinutukoy ng babae kanina sa akin.

She looks classy at her age yet is open-minded in the way she looks at me. The other woman, who looked exactly the same as my age, smiled at me. She looks fresh, friendly, and pretty.

"Just wait here for a few minutes, Miss Santiago. I will interview Eva, and then I will get back to you," the old lady said to her. And Miss Santiago nodded.

"Evangeline?" Tumaas bahagya ang kilay ni Madam, pero nakangiti naman ito. "This way please, hija," pormal na tuno ng boses niya.

Sinulyapan ko lang si Miss Santiago at malapad ang ngiting pinakawalan niya sa akin. Pumasok kami sa ikalawang kwarto at isinara ni Madam ang pinto.

Itinuro ng mga mata niya ang upuan, at naupo ako rito. At naupo siya sa harapan na upuan.

Mabilis lang ang ginawa niyang pagbasa sa curriculum vitae ko, at pagkatapos ay nakangiti na siya sa akin.

"Any experience in customer service server, Eva?"

"No. I don't have any experience, Madam."

"Hmm, I see. . ." Bumaba ang mga mata niya sa paa ko at hita, at saka binuklat ulit ang curriculum vitae sa kamay niya.

"And you are a law student?"

"Yes, Madam."

Huminga siya nang malalim at saka ibinaba na ang folder sa mesa, at tinitigan akong mabuti.

"You know, Eva, many of my girls are students," she started. "They work here to sustain their needs. To pay their tuition fees, rent, food, etc.," she smiled.

"Now, I know you want to apply as a server. There's nothing wrong with that, but I would like to offer you a much decent position than being a server itself."

Kumurap ako. Hindi ko inaasahan ito mula sa kanya dahil server lang din namana ng in-applyan ko. Ano pa ba? Meron pa bang iba?

"What's the difference, Madam?" tanong ko. Nalukot bigla ang mukha ko.

Ngumiti siya. "The difference is the salary and working hours, hija."

"Oh, I see. . ." Umawang ang labi ko at alam ko na magpapaliwanag na siya.

"The server works four times a week from seven to three o clock in the morning. At since, estudyante ka, ay mukhang mahirap ito sa 'yo. Paano na lang ang pag-aaral mo? Law pa naman ang kinuha mo, hija." Pilyang ngumiti si Madam.

Natamaan ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko inisip ito ah. Sana nga pala hindi na ako nag-apply. Mukhang hindi lang sakit ng ulo ang aabutin ko rito, pati na yata eyebags na kasing laki ng kamao ko.

"H-Hindi na lang po ako magpapatuloy. . ." Mahina ang pagkakasabi ko nito na para bang napipilitan lang ako.

Eh, sa kailangan ko ng pera eh! Wala akong choice! At kahit na siguro lalaki ang eyebags ko na parang kamao ay pipilitin ko na lang.

Dios ko, ano ba itong pinasok ko.

"No. You don't need to do that. . . I know life is hard, hija, and I'm here to help you and give you better options."

"What do you think? Are you willing to try? I will discuss it with you now, and you can decide after." She shrugs, and I nodded.

Wala naman sigurong masama kung pakikinggan ko ang eksplinasyon niya.

"Good."

"So, here it is. . . I'll offer you the chance to become one of our Rampage Calendar Angels."

"C-Calendar angels?"

"Yes, exactly. A calendar angels."

"Buwan-buwan ay may bago kaming recruit. They're fresh and new, just like you. . . This month, I'm looking for a new Calendar Angel, and I'm offering you the position if you pass."

"Salary starts at eighty thousand pesos per night without commission. Meaning, you can get a ten percent commission from your client aside from your earnings."

"Saan galing ang commission? Ito ay galing sa bidding na nakalagay sa 'yo ng mga VIP ko."

My eyes widened.

What the heck!

"Eighty thousand per night?" Hindi ko na tuloy ma-e-dugtong ang commission.

"Yes, per night, hija. . . You will get eighty thousand a night. You will only work once a week, every Teusday night. That's our Rampage Calendar Night. . . Wala ka ng iisipin. Isang beses ka lang sa isang linggo mag-t-trabaho. Ito ang pinag-iba ng Calendar Angels sa mga Rampage Angels at Rampage Servers."

"And Calendar Angels are only offered to my VIP's client."

There's a hidden agenda behind her smile, and I swear, I felt the creepy sensation around me.

"When I say client, those are the people who own massive businesses around Cebu. Not only here in Cebu but nationwide and worldwide. They're elite, swamped, and have no time to go out dating or meeting someone that can satisfy their needs."

"They don't need to show to anyone whom they're dealing with their pleasure, because that alone can tint their reputation in public. . . Hindi sila basta-basta. Nagbabayad sila ng sampung milyon kada taon sa Rampage, at kagaya mo, pinapanatili namin na sekreto at pribado ang buhay mo sa kanila."

"We will give you an alias name. It's the same with all my VIP clients. They're confidential. You must sign a NDA for that, and if you fail to maintain the rules, you willq pay the damages."

Halos lalabas na yata ang puso ko sa dibdib ko ngayon. Tama ba ang narinig ko? Rampage... isa itong pugad ng mga mayayamang tao sa lipunan na kung saan ay nakukuha nila ang gusto nila sa mga babae. Hindi namin malalaman ang totoong pangalan nila, dahil bawal ito. Alias lang ang gagamitin at ganun din ako.

"At kung makakasalamuha mo sila sa labas, ay bawal silang lapitan at pakitunguhan. You have to maintain your distance not unless my clients wants you privately in public."

"If you happen to know their real identity outside the Rampage, then, you're not allowed to tell anyone about them. . . Nasa NDA ang rules and regulations ng Rampage, Eva. Kaya basahin mo itong mabuti bago mo pirmahan."

Napaawang ang labi ko at abot hanggang leeg na ang kaba sa puso ko ngayon. It's tempting yet, dangerous. Kapit sa patalim na yata ito. Pero nagdadalawang isip ako.

"But that's not the only thing, Eva." Ngumiti siya. Hindi pa pala tapos. Akala ko iyon na.

"As a Rampage Calendar girl, you hold the rules."

"R-Rules? May rules?"

"Oo naman, Eva. . . Here in Rampage Calendar, it's you who will choose the man you like to be with for the night."

Tumaas bahagya ang kilay niya na parang nasisiyahan siya sa sinabi sa akin. Kumrap ako at napalunok sa sarili.

At least ako ang pipili sa mga VIP ni Madam. Mas okay yata iyon kaysa sa kami ang pipiliin ng mga kalalakihan.

"It's a bidding anyway. You will come out fresh and now, and since you are fresh, it will become a bidding. You can choose among the bidders, or you can choose anyone you like." Pilya siyang ngumiti at medyo kumalma na ang puso ko.

"P-Pero paano iyong nag bid ng mas malaki, Madam? I mean, what if I will choose someone that has the lesser bidding or not bidding at all. Puwede pa iyon?"

Ngumiti siya at saka tumango. "Yes. Puwede. The VIP's cannot reject you. They have no choice but to go with you even if they did not choose you. That's the golden rule. And when it comes to the bidding price, they have to outbid anyway. That's the rule again."

Napaawang lalo ang labi ko. Ibang klaseng kalakaran ito. Ang tanong, legal ba ito?

Umandar na naman ang utak lawyer ko, pero hello? Estudyante lang ako. Mahal ang tuition fee. Kalahating milyon ang taon, kapag majoring na. Saan ako kukuha ng pera?

Okay. Sabihin na natin na nabubuhay ako ngayon sa 'study now, pay later', pero babayaran ko rin naman ito kapag nakapagtapos na ako at nakapagtrabaho na.

Ang hirap talaga!

Natahimik kaming pareho ni Madam at saka mahina siyang tumango.

"I know what you're thinking, Eva. . . Pero pinapaalalahanan kita, sa Rampage Calendar ay ikaw ang boss."

"A-Ako ang boss?"

"Oo. Ikaw ang boss, Eva. . . Kung ayaw mo na makipag-sex sa client mo ay wala silang magagawa. They have to follow the rules. Our Rampage Calendars Angels are our gold and precious. . . The VIP's can't be rude. They can't implement their rules. It's your rules, Eva. Remember that."

Huminga ako nang malalim. Puwede pala iyon? Iyong ikaw ang masusunod at walang sex? So, anong gagawin, mag-ku-kwentuhan lang?

Nagtagpo ang kilay ko habang nakatitig kay Madam.

"Eva, my clients are lonely. Not all of them wants sex. Some of them, especially the majority only wants companion of the night to listen to their desperate rant. Sinisigurado ko sa 'yo na hindi masasamang tao ang mga VIP ko. Nagbabayad sila ng mahal at madalas sa kanila ay matagal ng miyembro ng Rampage Elite. Hindi sila basta-basta, Eva."

It's tempting. I want to say yes to this. But I can't open my mouth to say it.

"And one more thing, have you noticed this entire building?" she paused and seriously looked at me.

"The building?"

"Yes. This side is where our supplier products go in, and the entrance, of course, is located at the front of this building."

Napatango ako. Kaya pala ang kitid ng eskinita ng pinto.

"And the entire building itself, including that one across the road, is owned by Rampage."

"R-Really, Madam?" Namilog ang mga mata ko.

I can't believe it! This entire building is one of the tallest building here in Cebu. Nakikipag-kompetensya ang gusaling ito sa lahat at tinitingala ng marami. Hotel ang itaas, at may sikat na casino, shopping mall, VIP penthouses at iba pa.

Kalokan ito! Isang mamahaling prostitute pala ang papasukin ko.

"You don't have to go anywhere with your client, Eva. May penthouse na para sa gabi ninyong dalawa. It's all arranged by Rampage. We don't want our VIPs to be worried. So, we bring the most VIP treatment to them."

Pumikit ako at saka humingang malalim. Nalilito ako. Hindi ako makapag-desesyon sa sarili.

"I will give you enough time to think. Have you seen Miss Santiago, right? She just signed up right after I interviewed her, and right now, she's waiting to be toured around the building."

Tumayo agad si Madam. Tapos na siya at sa binuksan na niya ang pinto.

Hindi ko makuhang tumayo at nanlamig ang tuhod ko. Gusto kong kunin ang pagkakataon na ito dahil hindi naman sapilitan. Ako pa rin naman ang boss sa VIP client ko. Hindi na masama iyon. Nasa akin naman kung gusto kong ibigay ang katawan ko sa client ko.

"Come over here, Eva." Hawak ni Madam sa nakabukas na pinto.

"Join the tour and then decide after. Have a look around first," she said, giving me a friendly smile, and I nodded.

I march towards her, feeling a little bit better now.

Pumirma agad si Miss Santiago. Nakuha niya agad ang spot. So, paano naman ako? Kung hindi ako o-oo ngayon, ay baka bukas wala na dahil parang may iba nang applicant sila.

"Sige, Madam. . . gusto kong makita ang lahat," ngiti ko sa kanya.

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c.m. louden

un-edited. Please always vote for support. thanks