Chapter 9

SANYA

I remove my eyes to him as he make his way to my other team mates. I look back at my monitor at nag-antay na lamang ng call. Suddenly, I heard a beep on my side.

While I was fixing my headset, I was shock to see sir Justin pulled a chair to sit and was about to open his mouth but I stop him. The audacity to fdo it but na, i was just doing my job. 

"Thank you for calling EXIV, my name is Sanya. How can I help you today?"

"B*tch! Let me talk to a supervisor! I don't need your f*cking help! Hand me to a supervisor!"

Napapikit ako dahil sa lakas ng pagkakasigaw ng customer. Lalaki ito at mukhang sumasabog na bulkan.

Napalingon ako sa tabi ko. It was Sir Justin, holding a headset and was connecting it to my avaya—wait, is he planning to listen on my call?

"Hey! Still there?! I need a supervisor—what's your name again?!"

Natauhan ako mula sa pagkakatingin kay Sir Justin saka tumingin sa monitor. "Ah, it's Sanya, Sir... Holster."

"Alright, Miss Sanya. I know it's not your fault. I'm frustrated. I've been an EXIV customer for 20 years—" Lie. She started being a customer 2 years ago. "—yet you gave me headaches since last week! Now I need a supervisor that can help me with my problem! I've talk with three agents already and spend three freaking hours explaining but nothung happened! No, let me talk to your supervisor!"

I heaved a sighed saka hinilot ag aking sintido. "I clearly understand the frustrations that you are facing right now. However, I can definitely help with this one, you just have to explain further to me the causes and the problems you are fa—"

"I said hand me your f*cking supervisor! Are you some kind of a stupid deaf?! Let me talk to my supervisor or I'll report you!"

Patay talaga! Bakit kasi sa akin pa napunta ang call na to?!

"I—ahm—"

"Let me talk to him."

Napalingon ako sa nagsalita, it was Sir Justin!

Shit, for real?!

"B-Boss—"

"Leave it to me." He suddenly removed her headset and pushed her chair aside at pumalit ito sa puwesto niya.

"Thank you for patiently waiting Mister Holster. This is Justin Cordova, one of the EXIV owners. I apologize for the inconvenience that you are facing. Can you please elaborate the things happening so that I will know how to solve it. No worries, thank you too." Tuloy-tulo na pagsasalita nito habang mabilis na tumitipa sa keyboard. Sir Justin open windows and after windows like he is looking for something.

But what he said totally blow my mind who was left hanging.

"By the way, cursing at my employee is such a disgrace manner, Sir. We should always know to control temper and words, sir."

What the fuck?

Kinalabit ko siya and mouthed, "anong pinagsasasabi mo dyan?"

Instead of answering me, he looked away again with red cheeks!

Ba't di ko napansing naka-blush on pala siya?

Nagpatuloy ito sa pagkausap sa galit na customer. His hands were fast while navigating the tool and typing. Alam na alam niya kung paano ang gagawin and even his flowery word just to calm the customer down were such an expert type!

Call center agent ata siya nung past life niya!

Napatingin ako sa katabi ko na si Alleya, na ngayon ay di makapaniwalang nakatingin sa akin.

Matik na yan, ang sabi kasi mag-o-observe ang boss, hindi mag-te-take over ng sup-call.

Maya-maya ay humahangos na lumapit sa akin si Coach Maj at si Mentor Jorj, kasama si Mentor She. Nanlalaki ang mga mata at hindi sila makapaniwala. "What's happening, Sanya?"

Pasimple kong tiningnan si Boss na hanggang ngayon ay inaayos pa ang problema ng customer. Kumibit balikat ako. "Pinaalis niya ako bigla eh, so ayun siya na kumausap. Irate, eh."

Sobrang tagal ng naging call niya, halos thirty minutes ata bago ko narinig ang closing spiel niya. And to my shock, ni-log out niya ako!

Nanlaki ang mata ko saka kinalabit siya. "Hoy, ba't mo ni-log out? Ma-ko-call out—"

"Sanya Lacson, Please log in. Again, Sanya Lacson, please log in."

Ayan na nga, natawag na naman ako. Super famous na naman ako nito sa chismisan. Napairap nalamang ako saka tumingin sa kanya.

He cleared his throat saka tumayo. "You will not take calls for today."

Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanyang sinabi. "At bakit naman?" Sagot ko saka tumayo na rin.

"Because I said so?"

Napairap ako sa kanyang sinabi. Dinuro ko siya, "alam mo, para kang tanga."

He smirk at me. "You don't say that to your boss."

Tumaas ang sulok ng aking labi. "You don't snatch call from your employee."

Sasagot sana ito ngunit nanatiling tikom na lang ang bibig ni Sir Justin. Ha, bahala siya dyan.

Tumalikod na siya at naglakad paalis, but halfway of it, tumigil siya at muling humarap sa akin. "After you close your tools, go to my office. May iuutos ako sayo. Don't you forget that you are my assistant. Okay?"

Umismid ako. Akala ko nakalimutan na niya ang tungkol sa bagay na yan, hindi pa pala.

Tumango na lamang ako. "Yeah, yeah." I raise my hand and gesture na parang tinataboy siya, pagkaalis niya ay tumalikod na ako at sinunod ang utos niya. Tinigilan na rin ako i-call out ng workforce team.

"Hoy Sanya ha, iba na closeness nyo ng boss ha." Pang-aasar naman ni Alleya na ngayon ay naka-break.

Sumimangot ako saka umiling. "Anong close? Enemy namin ang isa't isa."

Ngumisi ito. "Sus! Pa-eme ka pa dyan. Pabebe ka, gurl?"

Natatawa ko naman siyang hinampas sa balikat. "Siraulo!"

Natatawang inilingan niya ako saka nag-focus muli sa kanyang monitor, samantalang ako ay inayos ang tools ko. I check if the accounts have its documentation and if I didn't missed any promise credits for my customer. Minsan kasi ay end of shift ko na nilalagay ang credit, in case it would not take so much time.

I opened my personal email made for my account, may ni-email sakin si Coach Maj.

To:[e-mail]

From:[e-mail]

Team, we are running 4 hundreds now!

Sanya - 3

Alleya - 1

We cannot have any zeros today okay? Do your best, make your customers happy!

Napangiti ako ng makita ang pangalan ko na may tatlong hundreds na. Ang hirap din talaga na makakuha ng gantong survey. Minsan kasi, okay naman ang customer pero nung nag-survey bigla gantong di pala satisfied sa service. The best way talaga para makuha ang loob nila ay to make them happy first. A person's emotion are always like a puzzle, you will always need to have the perfect piece that fits them all. Just like how to handle a customer's behavior and emotion, you have to find the word fitted to tell them without breaking the emotion they have.

After I log out my account to the tools, I close the window and grab my things on my station. Tumayo na ako saka inayos ang upuan sa station ko. Matapos ay kinalabit ko si Alleya and signal her that I will go first. I also went to my coach and mentor's station.

"Coach, mauna na po ako " paalam ko. Tumigil sila sa pag-uusap. Mentor Jorj suddenly ruin my hair and laugh.

"Grabe, kala ko wala ka na talaga."

"Oo nga, kala namin mawawala na isa sa panlaban ng Team Maj." Coach Maj laugh that make us laugh too.

Umiling ako. "Di rin pumayag si boss na mawalan ng panlaban ng kompanya."

We all laugh with what I said and then second later, they started teasing the hell out of me. Napapailing na lamang ako sa sinasabi nila. Sometimes, I thought of myself that I'm ought to be lucky because on my first job, I was able to meet such amazing and supportive people. No backstabbing and no issues. Parang, this company is healthy with no issues. Well, gossips are really a person's nature, but this kind of helpful ad supportive enironment, it makes me wanting to stay.much longer to this company.

That even my job is not easy, I will choose to stay here than anything else.

"Sige na, Sanya. Baka naiinip na jowa mo."

Napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi ni Coach Maj. "Lah, wala akong jowa, Coach Maj."

Nangingising umiling ito. "Sus. Nahiya ka pa! Para na nga kayong mag-jowa dahil sa inaakto niyo ni Sir Justin!"

Samu't saring pasaring naman ang narinig ko, nakisabay pa ang ilang ka-team mate ko at ibang coach.

"Oo nga." Biglang sabat ni Mentor She. "Close na close kayo, nakita pa namin na buhat-buhat ka niya patungong office niya! Deny pa." Natatawang dugtong ni Mentor She. At dahil sa sinabi niya ay mas lumakas ang pang-aasar nila sa akin.

Grabe, nakakahiya! Nakita nila yon?!

Kaysa patulan ang pang-aasar nila umalis na ako doon at nagtungo sa kanyang opisina. Yung hagdan na lang ang gagamitin ko kasi nasa 16th floor lang naman yon, 15th floor na itong production floor ng account ko.

Nang makarating ay agad akong pinapasok ng gwardya, wala nang tanong-tanong.

"Finally, you're here."

I rolled my eyes at him saka pasimpleng tinitigan ito.

Grabe, ang gwapo niya talaga. His face are not a typical filipino look. Mukha ngang di Filipino to eh, di ko lang talaga sure. He is more like an American look at makikita mo talaga ang kinis ng mukha niya. He doesn't have any single stubble at napaka-presko niyang tingnan. Ilang taon na nga ba siya ulit? Hmm, 24? 25? Ay tama!

25 years old na ang damuho.

And I'm 20...

Five years gap? Hmm... di na masama. Hihi.

"Done checking me out?"

Nanlaki ang mata ko ng makitang napakalapit ng mukha niya sa akin.

Fudge...

Eto na naman ang puso ko! The closer his face right now, the faster my heartbeat was taking right now! Para akong uminom ng isang galon ng kape, nag-ha-hyperventilate ako! Grabeng puso to, ayaw kumalma!

Heart, keep calm! Gwapo lang yan, harot mo masyado!

"A-Ah," sa wakas ay nabuka ko na ang bibig. Pero bago pa ako makapag-salita muli ay ang mainit niyang mga labi ang sumakop dito!

Hinalikan niya ako!

Nanlalaki ang mata ko sa gulat. Ramdam ko ang lalong pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko at pag-akyat ng dugo sa aking mukha.

Napakainit. Napakalambot ng kanyang mga labi. Sa hindi malamang dahilan, I put my hands to his nape and hold him, to deeper the kiss.

Deeper and sweeter.

Matapos ang ilang minuto ay siya ang kumalas sa halik. We are both panting and catching for a breathe.

His kiss still lingering on my lips and I don't know, I suddenly felt shy, thinking I just let him kiss me like that.

That's my first kiss!

Like for real, shit.

Hindi malaman ang gagawin, I walk out of the office at lumabas ng building. Napagdesisyunan ko ng pumunta ng convenient store na malapit sa building. Bumili ako ng drinks at naupo sa isa sa upuan doon.

Hanggang ngayon ay ramdam ko pa rin ang pamumula ng aking mukha at ang kahihiya sa nangyari.

"What the hell, Sanya! Ano yon..." bulong ko sa sarili saka sinabunutan ang sarili.

Ngayon alam ko na sobrang rupok ko pala.