Chapter 3 - Can of Worms

Eksaktong kalalapag pa lang ni Sky nang kanyang bag sa table nang magring ang intercom niya sa lamesa. She knew right away the call came from her father’s office.  

“Yes, Bernard?” Ito ang halos dalawampung taon nang secretary nang kanyang ama. Itinuturing na rin niya itong parang tiyuhin. He was there when his father or mother couldn’t pick her up in school kapag kapwa busy ang mga ito. 

“Ms. Sky, you are requested at your father’s office.” May nahihimigan siyang kung ano sa boses nito. Nagtataka man ay inignora niya iyon. Kakamustahin na lang niya ito pagkatapos nilang mag-usap nang kanyang ama.  

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Iyon lang at nagpaalam na siya. 

She freshened up and went out to ride the elevator.  

Nasa pinakataas na palapag ang president’s office. Para siyang nasosuffocate kapag papunta siya roon. Exclusive kasi ang buong floor para rito. Ang tanging bubungad lang sa’yo ay ang office table nang secretarya nito na nasa kanang bahagi at ang visitor’s lounge na nasa kaliwa naman. The lounge contained a pristine white u-shaped sofa with a rectangular coffee table made of marble. May mga magazines at refreshments din sa naturang lounge. Bagay na bagay ito sa sleek black and brown wooden design nang opisina. Nasa pinakagitna naman nang kwarto ang intimidating mahogany door leading to her father’s office.  

Nakita kaagad niya si Bernard. She waved at him signaling na papasok na siya sa opisina. He extended his hand telling her to go ahead. Animo malungkot ito. Now she was worried for him. May iniinda kaya ito? Kailan ba ito huling nag leave? Kulang na lang kasi ay maging magkadikit na nang bituka nito at ang daddy niya. 

Sky knocked three times and went in. Pagpasok pa lang niya, she felt the heavy atmosphere inside her father’s office. Nakita niya itong bahagyang nakayuko habang hinihilot ang sentido. 

She was about to ask what’s wrong nang bigla itong magsalita sa mabigat na tono. 

“What the hell did you do, Sky Isabelle?” Hindi man niya mabanaag ang mukha nito, she knew her father was furious. 

Natural na magulat siya dahil wala naman siyang ideya sa tinutukoy nito. Marahan siyang lumapit sa mesa nito. “Dad, I -” 

“You failed to get the deal from the Vontillon’s. Now, I’m going to ask you again, what the hell did you do?” His voice now was dead calm.  

Napako siya sa kinatatayuan. Nagreplay sa isip niya ang sinabi nito. I failed? How come? Ganun’ kabilis? Akala ko ba...

Marahas na tumingin ang kanyang ama sa kanya. “You know what this deal meant for us. For the company. It’s a hundred-million-peso worth of a deal!” 

“Pero ang sabi nila they needed time to decide. Bakit parang ang bilis naman yata?” Sky tried to reason to her father. 

“It still doesn’t change the fact that you failed me. AGAIN! Sana hindi na lang ikaw ang naging representative ng kompanya. I should have known better not to entrust this to you.” 

Nagpanting ang tainga niya sa narinig mula rito. Yes, she failed. But she really put her life and blood in this project. Countless sleepless nights at halos isang tanke yata ng kape ang naubos niya para lang masigurong flawless ang kalalabasan. But right, this is her father she’s talking about. Pakiramdam niya, kahit pa magcollapse siya sa kinatatayuan, wala itong pakialam. What matters is she delivers what is beyond expected. 

“That’s unfair, dad. I gave my all to this project. Alam nang team ko ‘yan. We all did -” 

“But you still failed. You, again, miscalculated everything. I asked Roman’s team to do this, remember? Gusto kong siya ang maghandle nito dahil mas lamang siya sa’yo. He’s got the experience. He’s way -”  

“You trust another person’s capability more than your own daughter?” It felt like all the blood in her system rushed inside her head. Pakiramdam niya sobrang laki nang ulo niya at that moment and she couldn’t control her emotions. 

There was a deafening silence for a moment. But what her father said next totally crushed her. Para siyang tinapak-tapakan nang paulit-ulit sa sagot nito. 

“Yes, I trust Roman more than you. He’s been with the company longer than you and he’s handled more big-time clients than you. I believe he’s more capable in more areas than you are.” 

“Will you ever see my worth, dad? O talagang break or make lang ako sa’yo?” It was a question that escaped Sky’s mouth before she could stop. 

Her father looked at her suddenly. Gulat? Takot? Galit? Disbelief? Hinanakit? She could see many different emotions all at once reflecting in his eyes. But he was still, unmoving. 

She proceeded to move toward her father’s table. She just stopped when she was a foot away. His father averted his eyes. He instantly looked resigned, sad even. Parang may pinaglalabanan ito na hindi niya mawari. Like some sort of internal battle na hindi nito ma-isaboses. But she was too hurt and angry to care. 

“C’mon dad, answer me!” She couldn’t help but raise her voice. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay napagtaasan niya ito nang boses. Natural lang na nagulat ito sa sudden outburst niya. 

Tila naman natauhan ito. “Stop it, young lady! Don’t test me!” Ganting bulyaw naman nito. 

“I lived my entire life to please you. Lahat ginawa ko na! I even gave up my dreams for this!” She spread her arms just to emphasize her point.  

“I just want you to look at me! I just want you to love me, dad! Gusto ko lang nang pamilya! But you treated me and my mother like garbage. Namatay si mommy nang hindi man lang nakakaamot nang pagmamahal sa’yo! Madamot ka, dad! Mukha kang pera! Inuna mo pa ang kompanya! Wala kang kwentang ama!”  

Umalingawngaw sa loob nang opisina ang malakas na sampal na dumapo sa pisngi nang dalaga.  

Dinuro siya nang kanyang ama. “Wala kang alam...I thought I raised you better than this. Kung alam ko lang na ganito ka lumaki, sana -”  

“Sana ano? Sana iniwan mo na lang kami ni mommy? Sana hindi mo na lang ako naging anak?” Nang-uuyam na tumawa si Sky.  

“Matagal ka nang walang pamilya. You left us even before I was born. Now I’m just making it formal.” Lumapit siya sa mesa nito at inilapag doon ang kanyang employee’s ID. Matapang niya itong muling hinarap. 

“I quit... I quit your company... I quit this life... and above all else, I quit being your daughter.” ‘Yun lang at naglakad na siya palayo. 

Naulinagan pa niya ang boses nang kanyang ama na tinatawag siya. But at that moment, she just felt numb. Her brain was on the brink of shutting down. Basta ang alam niya, mabilis siyang lumisan sa opisina nito. There were no tears shed as she walked away from the life that gave her nothing but heartaches.  

Nakita niyang nakatayo sa may elevator si Bernard. Mukhang sinadya nitong panatilihing nakastandby mode ang elevator para sa kanya. Ngumiti ito nang malungkot at marahang yumukod sa kanya. Now she knew what his sad smile meant. It was for her all along. 

Bago pa man muling paandarin nito ang elevator, sumaludo pa ito sa kanya. Sumilay na ang totoong ngiti mula rito.  

“Spread your wings, Sky.” 

Pakiramdam niya may kung anong bumara sa lalamunan niya. She was truly touched. At alam niyang that is exactly what she needed to do. 

…......  

Para sa tatay niya, the highlight of her life are her setbacks. Well, what’s new, diba? Kahit naman noong maliit pa siya, her Father never looked at her, never believed in her, and never once praised her. She even gave up her dream to become a writer and studied business. Pero kahit anong gawin niya, kahit gaano pa man karami ang maging accomplishments niya, it will always be shadowed by her failures. Pakiramdam ni Sky, kasalukuyan nang kinikwestiyon nang kanyang ama ang kalangitan kung ba’t siya pa ang naging anak nito. 

Her name is Sky Isabelle Honralez Bustamante. People around her always say that she has it all. ‘Yung tatlong M na hinahangad ng lahat: Mapera, Maganda, at Matalino. To them, she was the perfect princess living in her perfect world. Siya ang nag-iisang anak at tagapagmana ng isang matatag at kilalang kompanya, the Poderoso Design and Builders. Hindi niya mapigilang mapangiti ng mapakla. If her world was so perfect, then why the hell is she running away from it? 

She never shed tears. Tuyong-tuyo na yata ang tearducts niya at wala na siyang mapiga mula rito. Aalis siya and she's not planning to look back. Bumalik lang siya sa condo niya para kumuha ng ilang damit at pera. Pero the rest, credit cards, alahas, susi ng kotse, cellphone, lahat ng mga iyon ay iniwan niya sa condo niya.  

Nakakapagod palang mabuhay para sa ibang tao. Nakakapagod palang ialay ang pagkatao mo sa taong kahit kalian hindi makikita ang mga paghihirap mo para lang mapasaya siya. And so, she decided na magpakalayo. Basta pumunta lang siya sa isang bus station somewhere in Pasay area at sumakay ng bus without even knowing where the destination is.  

Madilim na sa labas ng bintana pero patuloy pa rin ang kanilang pagtahak papunta sa isang lugar na wala siyang kaide-ideya kung saan papunta.  

Napangiti na lamang siya ng malungkot. Today marks the beginning of my own reality.

…....

Music was blasting through the roofs at puro hiyawan na ang mga VIP guests dahil sa napaka upbeat tunes na pinapatugtog nang DJ. Infairness, napakagaling nitong mang-hype nang crowd. People are jumping up and down and dancing like crazy. Mahahalatang nakainom na ang karamihan dahil sa sobrang magaslaw na pagsasayaw. Gayunman, hindi magawang mag enjoy nilang magbabarkada. Panay ang check  nila sa kanya-kanyang phone. 

“Wala pa rin ba?” Untag ni Chiena maya-maya. 

Julienne raised his phone to let everyone see his screen. “Nope. Nada.” 

“But she promised to be here with us tonight. Kahit ‘tong si Julienne na super busy in-between hospital and clinic duties, nandito.” Naghihimutok na tugon ni Chiena. 

“Chien, we all know kung gaano kabigat ang responsibility na nakapatong sa balikat ni Sky. Ever since the day we knew her, she’s been under pressure.” Sabad naman ni Jax. 

“I agree with Jax. Actually, magkasama kami kaninang hapon. But I do think she’s super busy. Namention niya something about a project with Vontillion Corp.” Sansala naman ni Charlie. 

Inakbayan naman ni Ava si Chiena. “Hon, relax. Malay mo, running late lang ang drama ni Sky. Alam mo naman ‘yun. She’s sometimes late but always shows up. Anyway, kanina ko pa napapansin na panay ang sulyap sa direction natin nitong si Papa P.” 

Lilingon na sana sila ngunit maagap silang napigilan ni Ava. “Ano ba guys... masyado naman obvious kung lahat tayo titingin sa kanya. One at a time naman.” 

Chiena just rolled her eyes. “Duh! As if naman mapapansin ako niyan. Can someone please tell me kung nag reply na ba si Sky?” 

Biglang napatayo sa kinauupang high chair si Julienne. Sinapo nito ang noo nang kaibigan. “Are you sick? Kumain ka na ba? Magkaka-alien invasion na ba? Himala yata at denial kang nagnanakaw nang tingin sa’yo si Pablo.  

Nagkatawanan silang magkaibigan. They all knew na self-proclaimed Pablonatics itong si Chiena. Kulang na lang yata ay ipatelevise nito ang undying love nito para sa huli. The broadcast part was already done, well, campus-wise noong high school sila. And by the way, their school is a huge and well-known university, complete from pre-school to doctorate department. So, you can only imagine. 

“Well, somebody’s gonna’ talk about Charlie’s outfit tonight. Guys, backless mini-dress! Seryoso, akala ko magsusuot ‘to nang medieval long gown.” Once again, the table resonated with carefree laughs. 

“Well, I hope you’re prepared ‘cause the lion is on the prowl.” Jax motioned his whisky glass toward the direction of Chase. The guy was sitting with Pablo kasama ang ilan pang kalalakihan. 

Napasimangot naman si Charlie na nuo’y nakatalikod sa mga ito. Sinadya niya talagang doon umupo upang maiwasan ang mga titig nang lalaki. 

“Can someone please contact Sky.” Iritadong dagdag pa nang dalaga. 

“Okay.. Okay.. Mga party-pooper na’to.” Inakbayan ni Ava sina Chiena at Charlie. “Let’s give Sky her first MIA pass, that is if MIA nga siya tonight. Don’t worry, bukas na bukas, susugurin ko ‘yun sa condo niya.” 

“Guys, utang na loob, let’s have fun. Gusto kong magwalwal. I am so stressed sa totoo lang.” Naihilamos pa ni Julienne ang palad sa mukha.  

Ngumiti na rin sa wakas si Chiena. “Basta, Ava, check on Sky, ha?” 

Tumango naman ang dalaga at nagthumbs up pa.  

“Good time it is!” Hinila na ni Chiena si Charlie papunta sa dance floor. Kagyat naman na sumunod ang iba pa nilang barkada.