Chapter IV

“Ms. Mildred!” I exclaimed nang makita ko ang former secretary ni Boss na hawak-hawak ang phone ko habang nakatingin sa akin ng masama.

 

Of all the people, bakit siya pa? 

Ms. Mildred Williams is a forty-five year old spinster who works for Mr. Franchester’s family for generations. I heard she’s never been in a romantic relationship at hanggang ngayon ay nagsisilbi pa rin sa family nila boss kahit matanda na.

She trained almost all the prominent secretaries in the company. My boss and other executives in the company trust and value her. And mind you, she’s the most terror teacher na nakilala ko. Daig niya pa military officer kapag tinuturuan kami. Kailangan mabilis at pulido ang lahat ng mga galaw mo for her to be satisfied. She even have a nickname in the company, which is, Grand Queen Dowager.

“Office hours and you are here talking?” She asked. “Is that how you manage your work after I left?” Then, she flicked my forehead kaya napahawak ako dito.

“No, Ms. Mildred,” I immediately said habang nakahawak pa rin sa nasaktan kong noo. “This is the first time I used my phone with my personal business while working.” I reasoned out bago pa ako matusta sa dami ng mga lesson na sasabihin nito sa akin. 

“Stand straight!” She barked kaya napatayo ako ng tuwid at nilagay ang mga kamay ko sa gilid. “How many times do I have to tell you, this isn’t what Mr. Franchester secretary should perform?” She added and put her hands on her hips and glared at me fiercely.

“I know,” mabilis na sabi ko. “I still remembered what you taught us,” dagdag na ani ko at napakamot ng ulo.

“Stop scratching your head!” Sigaw na naman niya kaya bigla akong napaatras dahil sa pagkagulat. “You really know how to pushed my angry button!” Then, she massage her forehead using her right hand while looking at me na para bang gusto na niya akong ipakain sa mga pating.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Mildred,” sabi ko at yumuko.

Dear God, nagsisimula na naman siya sa mga sermon niya. Akala ko graduate na ako dito.

“Go with me to your boss’s office,” she said at tinalikuran na ako.

“Boss isn’t here, Ms. mildred,” I said na nakapagpahinto sa kaniya.

“I know.” Then, she start walking again. “I also want to ask you why you’re not with him when his outside the office.”

Nakalimutan ko na alam na alam niya pala ang mga nangyayari sa company kahit hindi na siya dito nagtatrabaho.

I gulped, “Yes, Ms. Mildred.” Then I started walking pasunod sa kaniya.

While we’re walking in the hallway all the noises and chit-chats stop the instant they heard Ms. Mildred's heels clicking on the tiled floor. Halos lahat ng nakakasalubong namin umiiwas sa dinadaanan niya at wala ni isa man ang tumitingin sa direksyon namin.

Whenever the Grand Queen Dowager visits the company, all the employees, from the cleaning staff, securities, secretaries and even the interns would do their best to not bump into her. All of us are afraid of her and her lethal tongue.

Minsan nga naiisip ko na siya ang nawawalang nanay ni boss dahil pareho silang masungit at hindi masyadong nagsasalita. If ever they’re going to talk, the words coming from their mouth were like venoms; acidic and poisonous. Tipong kayang balatan ng buhay ang buo mong pagkatao.

“Aren’t you going to open the door?” She asked with an arc brow kaya dali-dali ko naman itong binuksan. Hindi ko namalayan na nasa harapan na pala kami ng pinto. 

So much for daydreaming.

When I opened the door, isang aligagang Agnes ang aming nakita. Her hands didn’t stop flying across the keyboard of her computer while the telephone was ringing nonstop.

Lumapit naman kaagad ako sa nag-iingay na telepono at sinagot, “Mr. Franchester’s office how may I help you?”

“Is this Mary Claire?” Tanong ng nasa kabilang linya.

“Yes, may I know who’s this please?” Kahit familiar sa akin ang boses niya ay hindi ko ito naaalala.

“This is Cammeron, Franchester’s buddy,” he said. “Can you tell him to contact me ASAP? Hindi ko kasi siya matawagan.”

Cammeron Leventis, a Greek business tycoon who happened to be one of the co-owner of our company and the other best friend of my boss. Isang beses ko pa lang siyang nakita kaya wala akong masyadong impormasyon alam sa kaniya.

Base on the tone of his voice and Agnes’s action there’s something huge happening in the company and I know any minute now, the sleeping dragon, which is my Boss, will going to barge in and our company will be like a battle field. Leaving corpses of proposals that would go in the trashcan and employees who would cry blood from all the overtimes and revisions. Just like what always happened before every time there's crisis in the company.

“Yes, sir,” I immediately acknowledge. “I’ll tell him first thing when I see him.”

“Thanks Claire.”

“Just doing my job, sir.”

“Alright, got to go.” Then, I heard the dial tone.

After putting the receiver back on its cradle ay napatingin ako kay Ms. Mildred who’s intently looking at us. There’s a shadow of smile on her face before she walks towards boss’s office door kaya nakahinga ako ng maluwag. I almost forgot na nandito pa pala is queen dowager.

I think she’s satisfied with what she saw or we would hear her dreadful remarks right after the call.

"What's happening?" I ask Agnes nang makitang nakapasok na sa loob ng office ni boss si Grand Queen Dowager. "It looks like your fighting a hell mode battle."

"There's a fly wanting to break the company's firewall," she said still typing. “D*mn!" Agnes curse and she almost break the keyboard with the intensity of force in her fingers while typing. "These bastard is a pain in the ass. Huh! Amateurs and childish, wanting to play with me. Did they really think they can bully me, the number one hacker? Brat!" Then, the speed of her fingers in the keyboard increase that I can only see a silhouette of her hands.

Sometimes, I would forget that Agnes is a hacker queen because of how she acts and behaves. I don't know what method our Boss used for her to be tied in the company on her own accord given how stubborn she was.

"Why are they doing this now?" I ask more to myself than to her. 

"I don't know, ang alam ko lang mapapatay ko kung sino man ang taong ito!" Agnes replied and the surrounding air around her have this murderous vibe.

I was about to say something nang bigla nalang bumukas ang pinto and there I saw a raging George Franchester with a bunch of dying people in tow.