Siobhán’s Wrath

Focus

I decided to stay in one of my sister's condo in Makati. Mas mapapalapit kasi ako kaysa sa condo ni Paige sa Maynila. I also decided to sell all my sister's cars. She was seen driving those cars kaya hindi ko pwedeng gamitin. Pinaubaya ko na kay attorney Fernandez ang pagbebenta ng mga sasakyan ni ate dahil busy ako mag lipat ng gamit sa bago kong tutuluyan. Sa Garden Towers - Tower 1 iyong isang condo ni ate at ang isa naman ay sa Pacific Plaza, I chose to stay in Garden Towers because hindi pa ito natirahan ni ate since turn over, nothing suspicious tungkol sa akin. Sa Pacific Plaza kasi ay nakapag stay na siya at kilala pa siya ng mga guards at concierge roon ayon kay ate atty. Fernandez.

Three bedroom itong condo ni ate tapos may isang maid's room but I don't really plan of having any maid. I occupied the master bedroom of course. Isinabit ko sa bandang headboard ko ang picture naming dalawa ni ate. It was taken in Korea, nasa Namsan Tower kami. We were so happy.

We were.

Just hang in there, ate. I'll make them pay.

Instead of wasting my time, I looked up online what is Heather up to these days. Upon scrolling, I found out that she has an upcoming drama. Napataas ang kilay ko dahil ang ka-love team niya ay ang ex ni ate, marami nang nagshi-ship sa kanila noon kahit si ate pa at ang ex niya na si Steven Cuevas. The good for nothing guy, bakit ba nahulog sa kanya si ate? He literally came from a mud at kumakapit lang kay ate para sumikat noon. He and ate were not supposed to be love team, pinikot niya siguro noon ang direktor para lang mapartner sa kanya si ate! Argh. I hate him!

Mas lalo pang nag-init ang ulo ko nang may nakita akong video na magkasama si Heather at Shanaia, si Shanaia ang girlfriend ni Fabian. Si Fabian ang 'di umano inahas ni ate, really huh? I don't even find that guy worthy at all in any angle!

Aside from targeting the people who hurt my sister, ay pinagkakaabalahan ko rin ang acting workshop ko. I thought it's gonna be easy, hindi kagaya ng sayaw at kanta. Pero mahirap din pala, madali sa akin ipakita ang anger pero nahihirapan akong magpakita ng saya at pagiging genuine.

"Again, Siobhán! Ipakita mo naman sa mga mata mo na masaya ka! Walang laman ang mga ngiti mo." Saad ng acting trainer ko.

I tried again. Nandito kami sa acting studio room ngayon- inside TalentFuse. May mga kasama rin ako na nagwo-work shop.

"Try to think of something that made you happy in the past," nagsalita ulit ang trainer. I looked at my reflection from the mirror. I tried to think of any, but I couldn't think of anything.

How frustrating!

"Alright, that's enough. I think she needs a break coach." Nakangiting sabi ni Mick. Bumuntong hininga si coach bago tumango at sinenyasan kami na lumabas.

"It's okay. Lahat nag-uumpisa sa ganyan," saglit na tinapik ni Mickey ang balikat ko.

I sighed. Two weeks na akong nagti-training but I'm still lacking, malapit na ang evaluation ko.

Dinala ako ni Mickey sa ground floor sa may coffee shop na pinuntahan namin noong una akong nagawi sa building na 'to.

"Milk Tea, please." I told him what I want.

"Sure," siya na ang umorder din sa counter. Hinayaan ko na lang siya since nagpresinta naman siya.

Humalumbaba ako sa lamesa at muling bumuntong hininga.

"Excuse me," a customer said kaya tumuwid ako sa pagkakaupo at itinabi ng kaunti ang upuan ko dahil nakaharang pala ako sa daanan.

"Sorry," I uttered without looking at the customer. Nang makadaan na siya ay muli akong humalumbaba. Sa katabing mesa namin pumwesto ang customer, alam ko kahit hindi ako nakatingin dahil naramdaman ko.

"On queue pa ang order natin." Bumalik na si Mickey.

"It's okay," walang gana kong sabi.

"What's wrong?" He asked. This time ay tuluyan na akong umayos sa pagkakaupo.

"Nothing, just tired from training," I pursed my lips.

"Is anything bothering you?"

"Nope, why?" Kumunot ang noo ko.

"Bakit hindi mo maipakita na masaya ka?"

"I don't know, I just can't," I sincerely answered.

"It's because something is bothering you. You can't even think of a happy memory na pwede mong panghugutan."

Because I don't have any happy memories that I can think of!

I was about to answer that when suddenly...a group of memories sank into me. The Dreamers, my girls! Our moments together. Napangiti ako, pero agad ding naglaho- napalitan ng mapait na ngiti. Iniwan ko nga pala sila, The Dreamers pa rin kaya ang ipapangalan sa kanilang anim?

"Let go, Vawn."

"Huh?" Napatingin ako kay Mick.

"Kapag nasa-acting mode ka, huwag mong isipin na ikaw si Siobhán. Panibagong katauhan ipoportray mo kada-drama, eventually you have to master detachment from one character to another. Ganoon din sa personal life mo. Create your own imagination and world according to what the director is telling you." Dumating ang order namin kaya napahinto si Mick. Nagkaroon ako ng time i-digest naman ang mga sinabi niya.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you." I smiled. Nakikita ko na pursigido si Mickey sa akin. And I made up my mind, even if I am doing this for revenge... I should at least give him the best in me.

"Enjoy your Milk Tea na," ngumiti siya.

Tahimik kong tinapos ang Milk Tea ko. Pagkatapos namin ay inaya ko na si Mickey pabalik.

"We'll get going first, sir," binalingan ni Mick ang katabi naming table kaya napalingon din ako.

Medyo nagulat ako nang makitang si Dwayne 'yon. So...siya 'yong nag-excuse kanina?! Bakit hindi ko nabosesan? Ganoon ba kalalim ang iniisip ko?

Mick nudged me. Kunot noo ko siyang tiningnan, isinenyas niya si Dwayne gamit ang mata niya.

"Oh...we'll go ahead...sir?"

Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ganoon ang naging tono ko kaya tinalikuran ko na lang siya agad.

"Wait," literal na parang nai-glue sa lapag ang mga paa ko. Ganoon din si Mick, I think. Ramdam ko eh.

"Yes, sir?" Hinayaan ko na si Mick na ang lumingon.

"I'll be heading up too. Let's get going." His tone is cold yet calm.

"O-oh...sure! Sure, sir." Awkward na ngumiti si Mick.

Tamihik lang akong naglalakad, ganoon din si Mick na may halong kaba. Dwayne was walking comfortably as if eyes weren't on us. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang nasa elevator na kami.

Kaunti na lang…

"Sir Dwayne! Good afternoon!" Bati ng isang babae na siguro ay kaedad ko. Kakasakay lang ng babae sa elevator, base sa suot niya ay isa siyang trainee.

"Are you here to watch our evaluation?" Base sa pananalita ng babae ay close sila.

"Yep," base rin sa tono ni Dwayne ay close nga sila.

"Yay! Nice kuya! Ooops, sir Dwayne,"

Oh, they're siblings? They don't seem to look alike. Maybe cousins?

"Good job, Siobhán!" My trainer said when she was finally satisfied with my acting performance.

"Vawn is fine, coach," tipid akong ngumiti. Mali kasi ang pagbigkas niya ng pangalan ko kaya sinabi ko na Vawn na lang. She was pronouncing my name as shob-han when in fact it should be shiv-awn or shi-vawn.

"Your family surely left you a fortune, I assumed." Muntik na akong mapatalon nang may narinig akong boses mula sa likuran ko. Si Dwayne, lumakad siya palapit sa akin, oh...sa kanya pala itong sports car na katabi ko rito sa parking.

"BMW 520i?" Tumingin siya sa sasakyan ko.

"Yes, sir. But not mine," I brushed him off. Totoo naman na hindi sa akin, pera ni ate ang ginamit ko pambili nito kahit sa akin pa nakapangalan. Ito ang binili ko na sasakyan matapos maibenta lahat ng mga sasakyan ni ate. I bought one car dahil wala namang ibang gagamit kung hindi ako.

"Interesting,"

Hindi ko na siya tinapunan pa ng tingin. He may be my future boss, but I don't care.

"Mauuna na ho ako, sir." I'm not that rude naman. Nagpaalam pa rin ako.

"Are you a rebellious teenager or something?" Nakasandal siya sa sports car niya habang nakatingin sa akin.

Rebellious what? I'm almost 20, hello! Kahit na next year pa ang birthday ko!

"Why?" I made a straight face.

"Your aura is giving off a rebellious teenager," seryoso siyang nakatingin sa akin. Nauna akong nag-iwas ng tingin. Baka malunod ako sa malalim niyang tigtig.

"Your aura is giving off a judgmental human being, sir," at tuluyan ko nang isinara ang pinto ng kotse ko. Don't blame me, he started it first!

But I kinda thanked him! Because an idea popped into my mind!

If I'm giving off a rebellious teenage girl then I must pursue that kind of role so it would be easier for me! Yay! Got an idea for my upcoming evaluation!

Good mood ako na pumasok sa mga sumunod na araw.

"Good morning, sir," nakasabay ko si Dwayne sa elevator.

"Morning," pero mukhang siya ay hindi good mood. Pero wala akong pake dahil good mood ako.

Sa sobrang good mood ko, I even hummed a song.

"Hala, Uaena ka rin?" A girl approached me. "Ooopsy, I'm Valentina by the way. Valentina as in kalaban ni Darna." Ngumisi siya.

"Hi, I'm Vawn." Sinuklian ko ang ngiti niya.

Umupo ako sa sofa sa may resting area, tumabi sa akin si Valentina.

"I know, matagal na kitang gustong daldalin kaso busy tayo pareho. Sa acting ka 'di ba?"

"Yep," sagot ko.

"Ako naman ay uhm...hopefully...P-POP group." Napatingin ako sa kanya.

Oo nga, sa get up niya ay halata na roon siya belong. She has a morena kind of beauty tapos slim at may katangkaran.

"You can make it," I tapped her shoulder.

"How can you say that? You haven't watched me yet. Oh, right. May evaluation kami mamaya! Nood ka!" She is full of enthusiasm.

"What time? I'll see if I can make it. Y-you know...I have training."

"Oh...oo nga pala," biglang lumungkot ang itsura niya.

"I can make it,"

There, I saw a light on her face.

"Yay! Thanks!"

"Be angry!" Sigaw ni coach, I looked at the camera as if it was my enemy. We are now doing on screen testing.

"Cry!" Even before she instructed me to cry, I was really about to cry because of the anger that I'm feeling. The image of Heather's smile flashed in my mind which made me angry. I badly want you to rip her face off!

"Perfect!" Coach clapped her hands. As well as the others.

"Nice one, Vawn!" Agad na lumapit sa akin si Mickey at inabutan ako ng tissue to wipe off my tears. Nahagip ng paningin ko si Dwayne, nandito ang daddy niya kaya siguro nandirito rin siya.

"Nga pala, kausapin daw tayo ni sir Fred mamaya," bulong sa akin ni Mickey.

"Why? Am I in trouble?" I nervously asked, baka nagsumbong itong si Dwayne at inireklamo ako na may attitude problem. Hindi ko tuloy mapigilan na tingnan si Dwayne ng masama, naramdaman niya yata dahil napatingin siya sa gawi ko. Pero hindi ako nagpatinag, talagang sinamaan ko pa siya ng tingin! Damn him.

"I don't know, did you get yourself in trouble?" Mickey asked back.

"N-nope."

Because I did well earlier, pinayagan ako ni coach ng bonus free time. Kaya naman mapapanood ko si Valentina. Pumunta ako sa auditorium, pumwesto ako sa sapat lang na makikita ako ni Valentina.

Valentina turned out to be a dancer of their group. Anim sila, pero ang alam ko ay apat lang ang matitira kaya may dalawa pang matatanggal. Kaya siguro wala pang specific main role sila at ina-address lang kung singer, dancer, o kaya rapper ba ang bawat isa dahil nga may tatanggalin pa.

"Vawn, you're here," si sir Fred. At syempre, kasama niya ang anino niyang anak. "Do you mind?" Isinenyas niya ang bakanteng upuan sa tabi ko.

"Not at all, sir." I smiled. Kumunot ang noo ko nang si Dwayne ang tumabi sa akin, kaya ngayon ay napagigitnaan namin siya ni sir Fred.

Hindi na lang ako nagsalita. I was also focusing on Valentina's performance. They are all talented individuals, as the performance goes on I noticed that their group performance was a bit off. I tried to figure out why, oh, I see. Dahil nagsasapawan sila, their group coordination is lacking, hinding-hindi magiging maganda ang isang group performance kapag nagsasapawan at iniisip nila ang performance nila individually. I sighed.

As I was heading out, I overheard a conversation.

"Sa tingin ko sure na pasok si Rein," it was a whisper.

"Yeah, me too. Kasi 'di ba, girlfriend daw ni sir Dwayne 'yong ate niya,"

"What? Akala ko ex-girlfriend?"

As much as I want to hear more, bigla na lang silang huminto sa pag-uusap dahil tuluyan na kaming nakalabas ng auditorium.