The Mask

The Mask 4

GEORGINA rolled her eyes when Quidd close the door of her car. He agrees to her to use her car instead of his car.

“What do you want?” she asked him, as he sits on the driver's seat beside her. To be professional enough, Georgina let him talked her and send her home. She believes Quidd won't hurt her inside her car since he had good background of Georgina.

“I want you."

“Stop fooling me Quidd, i'm not just simple human being who believes in different lies."

Bumuntong hininga ang lalaki at humarap sa kanya. Hindi pa nito sinimulang buhayin ang sasakyan upang paandarin bagkus ay ibinaling nito ang tingin sa kanya. She tries to avoid his gaze kaya naman ibinaling niya ang mga mata sa harapan.

“I've been watching you for so long."

“Since when?”

“Since I saw you attended a court trial for your fiance's murdered case, i'm also in that court for my brother's curruption case. You caught my attention that day."

She gulped nang marinig ang mga sinabi nito and somehow remembered that day, nang mga araw na uma-attend siya ng court trial para harapin ang ilang personalidad na naging suspect para sa kaso ni Jed ngunit agad ding napawalang sala dahil sa kakulangan sa ebidensya.

“Okay, then what now?” she asked him, trying to sounds tough.

“I'll be direct to the point, give me a chance to at least court you or even be your friend," sagot nito at tangkang hahawakan ang kanang kamay nya nang mabilis niya itong iiwas at malalim na bumuntong hininga.

“As what you know, my fiance was murdered and I don't need anyone as a friend. Maybe you can find someone to spend your time and waste it with the right person," mahabang eksplenasyon niya, isinandal ang likod sa backrest at pumikit. Hindi naman sumagot ang lalaki at umiling na lamang bago sinimulang buhayin ang sasakyan at nag maneho paalis.

Dumilat naman si Georgina at kinuha ang cellphone upang i-text ang mga kapatid sa nangyaring injury sa ankle niya.

“So tell me how many people you bought to stalk me?” she sudden asked him while he was driving with eyes focusing on the road.

“Just few, and I do some work for me."

“So, you were stalking me. Who are you?”

“Yes, if you want to know me then try to unveil my mask, no one knows who is behind this. I wore mask everywhere."

“That stupid, how you can go out with that mask," Iritable niyang tanong dito at ikinuyum ang kamao ngunit isang ngiti lamang ang iginanti nito.

“If ever you will kill me here, then no one will be arrested," she mouthed and something comes up to her mind. Jed's died and still no one was arrested, who ever behinds his death is surely hiding his/her real identity with a mask and that what she needs to find out.

“I wont going to kill you, that is impossible for me since you way more good than me.”

“Tsk!, sooner or later you will reveal your face and unveil your mask for me and I assure you that thing” She mouthed and grinned.

“Let's see."

Mahabang katahimikan ang bumalot sa kanilang paligid habang nasa byahe, hindi na din sila nakapag-usap pa hanggang ihinto ni Quidd ang sasakyan sa tapat ng bahay ni Georgina.

“Let me help you,” Quidd told her and laid his hand for a help.

“I can walk silly!” she said and pushes him away. She tries to go out of her car and walks inside her house with only her feet in the ground without any cover. Hindi naman na nakipag talo pa ang lalaki at sinundan siya papasok sa loob.

“The fvck, what are you doing!?” inis na tanong niya dito at sinamaan ng tingin. Nag kibit balikat lang ito at prenteng umupo sa mahabang grey couch na nasa living area. Ipinag ekis nito ang mga paa at inilibot ang mga mata sa loob ng bahay ng babae.

“Damn you, asshole!” she cussed him and rolled her eyes. Pinilit ang sariling alisin ang inis at bumuntong hininga.

“Nice place, too huge for one person."

“I don't let anyone enter my house, you jerk!"

“I'm not suppose to get in, but you disregard my help. I also need to wait for my driver to pick me up," sagot nito at ngumiti habang pinag papatuloy ang pag-libot ng mga mata sa paligid. Pabagsak na umupo si Georgina sa kaharap nitong single couch at tinawag ang isa sa dalawang kasambahay na nangangalaga sa kanya.

“What can we offer you?” she asked and faced him full of guts.

“Juice will be good,” he answered.

“Get him juice and some snacks, treat him as my guest for tonight,” utos niya sa kasambahay na agad naman nitong sinunod. Bumalik tingin siya sa lalaking kaharap.

“If you want to play along, then i'll join you. As what they said, whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer them with love.” Naka-ngiti niyang sambit dito na ikina-ngisi ng lalaki. Kahit anong gawin nito ay hindi siya nito mapaniniwala sa mga kasinungalingan nito. She's not that stupid to get caught with this stupid trap of him. She knows he was just playing.

She stood up and started to walk on stairs but suddenly stop and look at him on the couch.

“Feel at home, you can stay here if you want, it's late night. If you need more information about me, you can ask my two maid or you can ask me directly," she said seriously and went back walking on stairs and left him smiling because of amusement.

...

NEXT MORNING comes and Georgina never see him again inside her house, ayon sa dalawang kasambahay ay agad din itong umalis nang dumating ang sundo nito. She just shrugged her shoulder. Sits on the chair and faces her meal for this morning. Bahagyang namamaga ang kanyang paa kung kaya naman naisipan na niyang pumunta sa hospital pagkatapos kumain upang patignan ito.

“Ma’am may tawag po galing sa opisina."

“I'm eating."

“Importante daw po," sagot nito na ikina-ningkit ng kanyang mga mata ngunit ikinatango na lamang din. Her maid handed her the phone and she immediately answer it.

“What?”

“It's me Airish," sagot sa kabilang linya. Ibinaba niya ang hawak na tinidor at itinuoan ang sarili sa telepono.

“Oh, bakit dito ka pa tumawag at hindi nalang sa number ko?” she asked.

“I can't contact you, insane!” Natatawang sagot nito. She closed her eyes and bites her lower lip when she realized her phone was in her room.

“I’m sorry, may problem ba?”

“I'm here in your office and I can't get in to your room to check your schedules. No one assisting me, kare-resigned lang pala ng Assistant mo, I can send you a new one."

“Hindi na kaylangan Airie, kanina kasing umaga nakatanggap ako ng email sa HR department. May papasok na bago kong Assistant ngayong araw and, you don't need to get my schedule. Ako ng bahala sa opisina. Papasok ako ngayong araw."

“Gano'n ba, sige uuwi nalang ako. Tawagan mo ako kung gusto mo mag kape okay? or if you need help. I am here for you my little sis."

“Thank you, I love you so much Airrie," natatawa niyang wika sa telepono.

“Yuck!” maiksing sagot nito na ikinatawa niya. Ayaw nitong nagiging sweet sila sa isa't-isa, they were treating each other as a real sister, hindi man magkadugo pero mahal nila ang isa't-isa. Georgina can't ask for more friends, Airish is enough for her.

They ended the call and she went back eating her meals.

Matapos kumain ay agad nag-asikaso upang mag tungo sa hospital. Ipinayo ng doctor ang pananatili niya sa bahay at hindi pag pasok sa trabaho matapos bendahan ang kanyang paa, ngunit hindi niya ito sinunod at agad nag tungo sa opisina.

“Good morning Ma’am, nasa loob na po yung Executive Assistant na nirekomenda ni Mrs. Arson,” Faye said a production manager assistant na pansamantalang nag aasikaso sa schedule nya. Faye vowed her head when Georgina nodded.

Sa nakalipas na isang taon hindi nag bago ang pakikitungo ng mga magulang ng daing nobyo sa kanya. They stayed connected and treating her as their daughter in law.

Faye opened the door of her office for her.

She walks straight inside and seated on her swivel chair despite of her injured ankle. Isinara naman ni Faye ang pintuan at mabilis na lumabas ng silid. Ibinaling niya ang tingin sa isang lalaking nakababa ang mukha sa mga paa habang naka upo sa couch sa loob ng kanyang opisina.

Maybe it was the sent Executive Assistant of Jed's mother.

“What's your name?” malamig na boses niyang tanong sa lalaki na tila ikinabigla nito at napa-pitlag.

“A-Ah! a-ako po si Luke, Luke Athedeo,” uutal-utal na sagot nito. She rolled her eyes and stares at him. He was scrubbing his two hands together while answering her question. He was wearing a black rounded eye glasses, a nerdy eye glass with his waxed hair. Heavy tied colorful necktie and old fashion yellow green coat, slacks and a cheap pair of rubber shoes.

God!

Napangiwi si Georgina at napabuntong hininga.

“Why are you here?”

“A-Ako po yung pinadala ni Mrs. Arson para maging permanent assistant nyo," sagot nito na hindi niya nais marinig. She wants to hear him saying he's not that it. Because definitely, she don't like him.

“My god!” ang tanging salita na nabanggit niya at napahahawak sa sintido.

“Let me see your resume please,” she said and sighed so deep. Nanginginig naman ang mga kamay nitong iniabot ang hawak na folder at bumalik sa kinauupuan pagkatapos. Kaagad niya naman itong tinignan at binasa.

“So you’re BS Psychology graduated, so different from the job you want to apply with, you can be an advertising agents, career counselor or psychiatric technician. I can talk to Mrs. Arson to deploy you in—” She was cut off talking when he replied immediately.

“Dito po ako gustong ipasok ni Mrs. Arson, siya po ang nagpa-aral sakin kaya hindi ko po siya maaring tangihan. Pakiusap ma'am tanggapin nyo na po ako,” pag pupumilit nito at lumuhod sa carpet na naka latag sa silid. Malalim na bumuntong hininga si Georgina at napatingin sa nagri-ring na cellphone niya. It was Mrs. Arson, kung kaya't agad niyang sinagot.

“Mom,” she mouthed.

“Have you seen him, he will be your new Assistant for today. Be good to her okay?, I want you to teach him and change him. Turn him to a real man,” saad nito sa kabilang linya. She paused a seconds and realized what the old woman wants her to do with this cheap nerd guy name Luke Athadeo.

“He is smart and he lost his parents, he is now alone, a lonely guy. I want to change him and soon send him to law industry. Help me with it George please... and I thank you for it, in advance,” dugtong nito na ikinatango niya.

“Okay, got it mom, bye!” she said and ended the call. Nag balik tingin siya sa lalaki na hanggang ngayon ay nakaluhod pa din. He looks so pitiful of how he act and how he dress his self. Georgina don't know of how he can help this man. Wishing he won't be a burden for the company and for her.

“Let's see what I can do for you, but please, arrange your self. I don’t want my E.A to appear as retarded. You had your good look not so hard to fix your self and wear formal color of coat and tie” She said in a serious tone that made his legs quavered. Pinatayo niya ito mula sa pagkakaluhod na agad naman nitong sinunod.

“You can start tomorrow, you can go out now and find for Faye Philips, she will assist you," she said pagkatapos ay nag dial ng number sa cellphone. Nang sumagot ang tinatawagan ay agad siyang nag salita.

“Please assist Luke Athadeo, buy him new clothes and pairs of black shoes today. Come to my office now, I'll give you a credit card.”