KABANATA 2

"I am the one who's in charge here--"

"Just do it, Harold." Pinatay ko ang tawag at sinundan ang lalaki papunta sa beverage section. 

Naabutan ko siyang kumukuha ng energy drink. Dahan-dahan akong naglalakad patungo sa kanya at yumuko nang nasa tabi na niya ako. 

Inabot niya sa akin ang dalawang Gatorade at isang fresh milk bago pumunta sa Bread Section. Sumunod ako, walang imik sa kanyang likod ngunit nananatiling nagmamasid sa buong lugar, nananatiling alerto pa rin. 

Agaran kong kinuha ang inabot niyang mga tinapay, hindi nakatingin sa kanya at pinagmamasdan parin ang mga tao na nasa loob. Lumakad na naman siya sa isang banda, tiningnan ang mga nakahilerang maraming junk foods. 

Nangunot ang noo ko. Maraming iba't ibang uri ng pagkain sa Mansion, bakit niya pa'to ginagawa?

Nawala ang atensyon ko sa Señorito ng marinig ang tunog ng mga camera. Nanlaki ang mata ng tatlong dalagita nang nakita akong nakatingin sa kanila. Tinignan ko ang mga cellphone nilang nakatutok parin sa aking binabantayan, bago ko masamang tinignan ang mga ito sa mga mata.

"Give me your phones." I offered my hand. 

"A-Ate he's so handsome--"

"I don't care. Give me your phones." Tinaliman ko ang aking mga mata. 

"It's just a picture....He is...He is so gwapo..." One of them said, 

Dahil isa lamang ang bakanteng kamay ko, isang cellphone lamang ang nabingwit ko. Tumili naman ang babae nang nakita kung paano ko itapon ng malakas sa sahig ang kanyang gadget. Agaran itong lumuhod at pilit na binuo ang mga nawasak na parte nito.

Seryoso kong tinignan ang dalawa. Umatras sila. I offered my hand again. "Give it to me while I'm still asking you nicely, girls."

Nanginginig nilang inabot ito sa akin. 

"Thank you." I politely said and when I found the stolen photo, I deleted it immediately. Kakalikutin ko na sana ang isa pang cellphone nang tinawag ako ng senorito. 

Matalim ang mga matang sinauli ko ang cellphone nilang dalawa. They immediately looked down. "Delete the picture. Do you understand?" Tukoy sa isang babae. 

Tumango tango naman ito. Nanginginig at hindi mahanap ang labi.

Inangat ko ang kamay at ginulo ang buhok ng dalawa. "You both are ladies. Act like one. Do not steal someone's picture again. Do not act like a thirsty rat; don't go that low. Have manners, little maidens."

"Let's go." A cold voice was heard from behind

Tumalikod ako sa kanila at pinuntahan ang lalaki. Kinuha ang inabot na mga gulay at prutas, lumakad kami sa counter ng tahimik at walang bakas ng kabulastugan.

--

Nagtitigan kami ni Harold nang matanaw ang mga taong naghihintay sa aming pagdating. Pagkatapos libutin ang malaking fountain, huminto kami sa harap ng malawak na hagdan. Hagdan patungo sa mansion ng Maurus.

Unang bumaba si Harold para pagbuksan ang senorito. Bago tuluyang lumabas, kinalikot ko ang aking cellphone.

To: Harold

Don't talk. We're already doomed. Don't add wood to the fire. Let silence be our weapon for now, Harold.

"Ery." Galit na salubong ni Sancho sa akin, kasama ang sandamakmak na mga tauhan sa kanyang likod. 

Tinignan ko siya bago tinignan si Harold na tinitignan na ang kanyang cellphone. Tumango ako nang nag-angat ito ng tingin at nagtama ang aming mga mata. Nangunot ang kanyang noo ngunit tumango rin kalaunan. 

May kumausap din sa kanyang isang Butler, tulad na lamang sa sitwasyon ko.

"Follow me." Galit paring bigkas ni Sancho. 

Before I followed him, I glanced at the long grand stairs. The Señorito was walking gracefully with bunch of servants assisting and kissing his feet. Tila walang kokontra rito, at kahit isa, walang nangahas na sisihin siya sa ginawang pagpapahamak sa aming mga tauhan nila.

We didn't fetch him, he came to us by himself.

But it's no use to say that. The trouble came to us and we didn't do anything about it. We had a choice to refuse and complain, but we didn't have the power to do so. 

I fixed my bag and continued walking, readying myself from bearing the consequence of other's sin. 

"Deduction in your salary and two weeks detention." Pinatong ni Sancho sa lamesa ang isang red slip. Pinal na ang pagkakasabi niya matapos ang mahabang pag sesermon sa akin. 

"You are not in the right position to detain me, Sancho." 

Tumalim ang kanyang mga mata. "You insolent child! My status is higher than yours. I can do more than that--"

"And you don't have the right to boast in front of others, Sancho." 

"You--!"

"Whatever our status is, there is someone who is still higher than us. The head butler can still fire the both of us." Kinuha ko ang slip. "Don't boast in front of me just because you are higher than me now. We never know, it might change in the future... You might fall, I might level up. You might stay where you are, and I might surpass you one day. We never know...the clock is moving, and mother earth favors those who are deserving. And in your actions right now, I'm afraid to say that you are not that qualified."

Hindi siya nakapagsalita ngunit hindi nawala ang nagbabaga niyang mga mata.

"Butler Hans is my chief. How can I obey you when I'm loyal to him? How can I follow you when I'm being faithful to him?" Binuksan ko ang isang librong nakapatong sa kanyang lamesa at inipit dito ang slip. "I respect you, Sancho. But I respect Butler Hans more. I will let him decide for me, not you. Your words don't have power over me. Only Butler Hans can have the last say. I only listen to him because he has the only right to punish me. Not you." 

Tinignan niya ang librong ginalaw ko bago ang mga mata kong seryosong nakatingin sa kanya.

 "You discipline your people, not the others'. Let them do their jobs, Sancho. Because if you interfere, then you've amazed me. How hard-working you are to the point of doing the responsibilities of others. You're very diligent, I must say." 

Sinuklian ko ng seryosong titig ang kanyang matalim at nagbabagang mga mata.

 I made a slight bow when seconds passed by and he still didn't open his mouth for a reply. "I'll go. Thank you for hearing me out and thank you for letting me explain myself to you. I honor you for that, Sancho. " I made a small smile. "Excuse me."

People who let others voice out their thoughts are worthy to honor. Kahit pa masahol ang ugali nito.

Tahimik akong naglakad palabas sa kanyang office. At kung akala ko'y makakatungo na ako sa sariling silid, 'yun naman ang pagkakita ko kay Butler Hans.

 I made a slight bow.

Tinignan niya ang pintuan sa likod ko. 

He knew by then.

"I heard what happened." He said coldly and with two hands on his back, he walked on the hallway. 

I walked behind his back but still didn't choose to speak. 

"You won't say a word, too." 

That's a statement and not a question.

So he was done interrogating Harold, huh.

"Harold is fired."

Natigilan ako at napatingin ng matagal sa kanyang tuwid na likod.

He stopped when he felt that I was no longer following him. He looked at me over his shoulder. 

"Why?" I asked even though I had a hunch already. 

Nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad. "He irritated the young master."

"Why?" Mariin kong tanong ulit sa kanya.

"The young master kept asking him, but he never uttered a single word. " He glanced at me. "Do you want to suffer the same fate, child?"

"So the young master was the one who questioned him..." I blinked twice, never minding him anymore. I never expected that the young master would take charge. He had a bad-temper...

 "I...I was the one who told Harold to keep his mouth shut."

Hindi siya gumawa ng anumang reaksyon. "I know."

"And you never told him that?" Napalakas ang boses ko, dahilan ng paghinto niya at pagharap sa akin. I bowed down because of my sudden burst out.

"Don't forget who we are, Ery." Mas nilakasan niya rin ang boses, dumadagundong sa buong hallway.

Napaatras ako at umiwas ng tingin, kinabahan sa kanya.

"Servants have no rights to question their masters. Our job is to serve, to please, to honor them and not to rule them. Servants are not living on the same floor with the masters. We will never be them. We eat bread, they eat apples. They sleep on silk, we sleep on mattresses. Do you understand my point?" 

Tumango ako ng dahan-dahan, malakas ang kabog sa d****b.

"But Harold is innocent. I...I am at fault, father..."

He continued walking. "Life is a test. There are so many possibilities...many chances, so many choices. He had a chance, but chose to waste that. He chose that for himself, he decided that for himself. And when you decide for something, be ready to suffer for the consequence. Because life is what you make it, Ery. Your life is your responsibility, child." 

"But if I didn't tell him..." If he didn't listen to me, he wouldn't have lost his job. He's a good pal. And thinking that I am the reason why he's fired…

"Do you know the most painful thing that could happen in our life?" 

I raised my head up.

"Bearing regret. Regret for the things that we have done and the things that we haven't done yet." 

Tumango ako ilang sandali ang lumipas, naintindihan ang ibig niyang sabihin. Tumalikod ako at naglakad kung saan pwedeng baguhin ang lahat.

"Don't get fired, Ery." And then he's gone.

"Are you lost?" Ngumisi siya at kinagatan ang mansanas na hawak. 

I made a slight bow. Sinira ko ang pintuan ng library room at lumakad palapit sa kanya.

Mas lalo kong seneryoso ang titig nang nakitang inangat ng isang lalaki ang iPhone nito at tinutok sa akin. 

"Smile, pretty girl." 

Tinagilid ko ang ulo at narinig na lamang ang tunog ng camera. Hindi ko ito pinansin at pinagtuonan ang isa pang lalaki. 

"Young master." I made a slight bow again before I met his playful eyes. Ngumisi siya sa akin at kinagat ang mansanas na hawak. He glanced at his friend.

Napatingin din ako sa isa pang lalaki. The boy raised his iPhone and waggled it. 

"Airdrop, Reu." Gualin smirked.

"Of course." Reu also smirked.

Wala akong reaksyon habang pinagmasdan silang kinalikot ang mamahaling gadget. Reu leaned on his chair while he was looking at the screen of his phone.

"You want a copy too?" 

"That's my photo." Tinignan ko si Gualin.

Makuha ka sa tingin, boy.

"Did you capture it?" He bit his lip, stopping himself from smiling.

Alam na alam ko ang takteka ng lalaki. At alam din nitong alam ko ang mga pamamaraan niya.

"Is this your phone?" He asked again, now showing off his perfect white teeth, tuloyan natalo na sa pagpipigil. 

"No?" He shrugged while still smirking. "Then it's mine, pretty girl." 

"Never been yours, Gualin." Reu chuckled and snatched his friend's phone.

Gualin both raised his hands and chuckled. "Chill. I didn't bark in your yard."

Mahinang tinapon ng lalaki ang iPhone pabalik sa may-a*i nito matapos kalikutin ang hindi sa kanya. Naka-dikwatrong naka-upo, dalawang brasong nakasandig sa upuan, at prenteng nakatingin sa kaibigan habang naroon pa*in ang mapaglarong ngisi.

"Just taking precautions, Anderson.

Napayuko ako. I heard Gaulin chuckled. Then later on, I heard him winced.

"Look at me, Irish." 

Sinunod ko siya. He raised his thick eyebrow, waiting for me to speak. My chance.

I wet my lip. "Harold has no faults. I was the one who told him--Harold, the driver that you fired a while ago." I tightly closed my mouth, stopping myself from saying more. 

Ang kunot sa kanyang noo ay nawala nang maalala ang taong aking binanggit. Ni-shoot niya ang mansanas sa basurahan, medyo may kalayuan sa aming pwesto ngunit sapol parin ito. My lips pursed.

"So what?" 

So what? 

I cleared my throat. So much for adoring his shoot.