CERLANCE ZODIAC

KABANATA 01

        “Please sign here, and then here, and here.”

           Nakangiting ini-abot ni Cerlance ang proof of delivery sheet at signpen sa receiver ng package na ini-hatid niya sa bahay ng mga ito. He had picked it up from a town three hours away from the drop-off location and he was just glad that he could finally deliver it so he could go home. 

           Anong oras na rin kasi at wala pa siyang tulog simula pa kahapon. Due to the holiday season, his line of work had been pretty hectic.

           He’s a driver-s***h-transporter. He drives people around and or to their destination, and he also picks up and delivers parcels. Anything that would fit in his BMW X7, as long as they meet the requirements he provided. 

            No stinky food. No animals. No illegal items. Those were his requirements. 

            At ang tanging ini-de-deliver niya ay yaong patungo sa mga malalayong lugar na hindi tinatanggap ng mga normal na courier at hindi pinapatulan ng mga simpleng cab drivers, o yaong mga items na hindi ipinagkakatiwala ng mga senders sa mga normal na uri ng pagpapadala. Items such as... important documents from dying businessmen to his illegitamate children, or gifts from politicians to their mistresses. Sometimes, he would transport private people to their desired location, like celebrities or politicians who wanted to avoid the public while they meet up with their secret lovers. 

            His job as a driver and transporter was full of thrill; he was the courier of secrets. And he enjoyed it a lot. 

            And his clients liked his service. Dahil malibang ginagawa niya ng tama ang kaniyang trabaho, ay hindi siya nangengealam sa personal na buhay ng mga kliyente niya. Whatever comes in and out of his car remains a secret. 

            Kaya naman karamihan sa mga kliyente niya'y mga pioneers. They were his first clients since the beginning. 

            He began after he finished college. At first, he tried to put up a small business just like what his other brothers did, using the trust fund their parents had kept for them. He opened up a small shoe shop. After a few months, he got tired of sitting at his chair in the shop, waiting for customers. He needed air. He wanted to move around places. Ayaw niyang maupo lang sa isang tabi at manatili sa isang lugar sa araw-araw ng buhay niya. He wanted to go somewhere and do something. Being a small-time businessman was not for him, he just realized that.

            At noong nasa harap siya ng computer ay may nabuksan siyang website, showing lists of popular destinations in the country. Doon niya napagtantong maliban sa lugar na kinalak'han niya, at sa US kung saan sila madalas magbakasyon ng buong pamilya noon, at wala pa siyang napupuntahang ibang lugar sa Pilipinas. 

            And he wanted to do that. He wanted to explore the country. Pero kailangan din niya ng trabaho para ma-sustain niya ang mga pangangailangan at magawa ang mga plano niya. So he came up with the idea of the transport business. He sold his shoe shop and bought a new car. He then put up a website to promote his business and accept queries. 

            He started from scratch, nag-umpisa siyang pumatol sa mga maliliit na deliveries kung saan nalibot niya ang buong Metro Manila, at nakararating hanggang Batangas. Later on, a big politician found his website and booked him. Hinatid niya ito sa General Santos City via land, dahil naroon ang kalaguyo nito na noon ay manganganak na. Nagustuhan ng taong iyon ang pagiging propesyonal niya, at ang hindi niya pakikisali sa personal nitong buhay sa loob ng dalawang araw na bumiyahe sila patungong GenSan. Nirekomenda siya nito sa mga kakilala, hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang nakilala ng mga kilalang tao na may sekretong nais ipadala sa kaniya sa kabilang panig. 

            They became his pioneer clients. 

            Doon nag-umpisa ang lahat. 

            Sa pamamagitan ng mga bookings ng mga ito ay nakararating siya sa iba't ibang lupalop ng Pilipinas. And he had accomplished what he desired. He was able to travel to many places, and get paid for it at the same time.

           Madalas siyang tumanggap ng booking hindi lang mula sa mga malalaking tao, kung hindi pati na rin sa mga taong nais lang magpahatid sa malalayong lugar. He wouldn't call himself a cab driver who would drive and send people to their destination though—no. He was a transporter who would send clients to places other contract drivers wouldn’t dare to go. Halimbawa, malalayong lugar na kinakailangan pang dumaan sa maraming bundok, bayan, karagatan, o isla. He would often travel from islands to islands via a cargo ships. 

           Exploring places he’d never been before was his goal which urged him to enter the transport business. And so far, so good. He enjoyed it. Ang nakatutuwang hindi siya nababakante sa araw-araw. He was always on the run. Nagpapahinga lang siya kapag pagod na pagod na siya, kung masama ang pakiramdam niya, at kung uuwi siya upang dalawin ang pamilya.

           He’s a busy man—the same reason why even at his age, he wasn’t still ready to settle down.

           Oh well, sa tingin niya’y bata pa rin naman siya sa edad na beinte-nueve para mag-asawa.

           Ibinalik niya ang pansin sa receiver nang marinig ang pag-utos nito sa katulong na dalhin na sa loob ng bahay ang dala niyang package. It was from one of his loyal clients; a city mayor. Isang box iyon na puno ng mgs sulat, dokumento, at pera. He had seen the content; isa sa mga requirements niya para masigurong walang illegal na item siyang karga-karga. Sigurado siyang ang receiver na ito ay isa na naman sa mga bagong babae ni Mayor. 

            Habang pinipirmahan ng babae ang POD ay sinulyapan niya ang oras sa kaniyang relos. 

           Fifteen minutes past nine o’clock. Nasa Cavite pa siya, at kung makaalis siya sa subdivision na iyon ngayon ay mararating niya ang kaniyang bahay sa loob ng dalawang oras. 

           He’s living in the city. Unlike his other siblings who settled in the countryside, he chose to live in a place filled with lights and skyscrapers. He’s a city boy, and he liked it there. 

           Halos walong taon na rin siyang naninirahan doon sa siyudad, sampung oras na biyahe ang layo niya sa bahay na kinalak'han nilang magkakapatid. His other siblings are living in a neighboring town, but due to his work, he seldom meet with them. 

           Labindalawa silang magkakapatid at puro mga lalaki. Ika-anim siya sa mga iyon. Sa kanilang lahat ay isa pa lang ang nag-aasawa. 

           He and his siblings were close, but the last time he’d seen them in person was months ago. Ang madalas niyang nakikita ay ang ina, na dinadalaw niya isang beses isang buwan. He was a mama’s boy. Back when he was just a little kid, he would always cling to his adoptive mother. Ilang beses na niya itong niyayang sumama sa kaniya roon upang doon na rin manirahan, but his mother was never fond of the city. 

           “Here.”

           Ibinalik niya ang pansin sa receiver at ningitian nang makitang tapos na nitong pirmahan ang POD. Kinuha niya iyon, subalit ang babae ay disimuladong ini-dikit ang daliri sa kaniyang kamay. He smirked secretly. Sinulyapan niya ito at nakita ang malalagkit nitong mga titig sa kaniya. 

            "Thank you," anito sa tinig na madalas niyang marinig sa mga babae niya. 

           He smiled, winked at her before turning his back on the lady. Bumalik siya sa kaniyang sasakyan at pumasok sa driver’s seat nang hindi na ito tinapunan pa ng pangalawang tingin. 

           He would never break his rule. Sa loob ng walong taong nasa ganoon siyang industriya ay hindi siya tumawid sa limitasyon kailanman. 

           No messing around with passengers and or customers. Let alone one of his client's mistresses!

            Never. Even if his life depended on it. 

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