Embracing Every Bit of You

6- "On my way to you…"

FIVE YEARS LATER

“MEI!”

Meiryn darted her eyes on the man who called her by her name. She removes her sunglasses as she smiles as genuine as the man does and waves back at him.

Hila ang magaan niyang maleta ay nilapitan niya ito. Excited at natutuwa din nitong pinutol ang distansya nila.

“Meiryn! It’s been a while!” anito nang salubungin siya ng mahigpit na yakap.

Tatawa-tawa siyang tinugon ang yakap nito. “Yeah! Miss mo ‘ko, ‘no?” she even teased him after they hugged.

Marahang ngumiti ito saka tumango. Hindi man lang nag-deny ang loko!

“Oo naman! Ikaw? ‘Di ‘mo ‘ko na-miss?”

“Hmmn… no?”

“Ah, gano’n, ha!”

Napahalakhak tuloy siya. “Kidding. Of course, I missed you too!”

“Ikaw talaga! Halika nga ulit dito!”

Akmang yayakap ulit ito sa kanya nang hinarang niya ang isang palad dito. “Hep! Nagte-take advantage ka na!”

Tumawa ito at ganoon din siya. Iiling-iling na naglakad na lamang sila habang ito na ang humila ng maleta niya para sa kanya saka dumiretso na sila sa kotse nito.

The man is Austin Gomez. Mei’s only boy best friend, as well as her Marketing Strategist sa kompanya ng daddy niya na ngayon ay ikalawa ang dalaga sa may pinakamatataas na posisyon at nagpapamalakad niyon.

Nakilala niya si Austin nang nasa managerial position pa lamang siya dati at nag-i-intern pa lamang ito. She was a strict and yet a reasonable boss back then and Austin was happy-go-lucky and yet dedicated and passionate with his work. Kahit pa nga hindi na nito responsibilidad ang mag-overtime at magpa-early in the morning, palagi nitong ginagawa dati para matulungan siya at maging magaan ang mga trabahong inaasikaso niya.

Austin’s good performance since his internship was what made him to where he is now. Naipakita nito ang galing at kasipagan sa trabaho kung kaya’t kusa niya itong binigyan ng endorsement sa HR para doon na ganap na magtrabaho sa kompanya nila after he graduated from his University days.

And now, Mei’s already the Chief Marketing Officer in Montevalle CAB (Constructions and Buildings), next to her father na currently ay Presidente ng kompanya. The said company is selling, trading, and even holding rentals for house and lots, buildings, hotels, condominiums, and private lands everywhere in the Philippines. As the Chief Marketing Officer herself, Mei promoted Austin from one of advertising personnel to being the company’s Marketing Strategist.

“I’m sure matutuwa ang Presidente nito mamaya kapag nakita ka na. Halos six months ka ding namalagi sa Thailand, eh. Your dad keeps on talking about you since you left, miss na miss ka, obviously,” kuwento ni Austin habang nagbibiyahe na sila.

She just smiled as she watched the long and busy road. A half year nga lang siyang nawala, eh. Besides, para din naman sa business kung ba’t kailangan niyang mag-stay doon sa Thailand. Unti-unti kasing nag-e-expand ang kompanya at pinalalago pang lalo nila kaya hindi lang sa Pilipinas, nakakaabot na rin silang mag-invade at mag-market sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng Asya.

Hindi nga nagkamali si Austin dahil nang makarating sila sa malawak at matayog na building ng kompanya, ang una-unang sumalubong kay Meiryn ay ang ama niya.

“Mei! My dearest Mei! I missed you so much, hija!” anito nang sinalubong siya ng yakap.

“And I missed you too, dad! It’s been almost half a year! Grabe! Na-miss ko kagwapuhan ninyo!” tatawa-tawang biro niya habang yakap din ito.

He pouted when they released from the hug. “Ikaw! Pilya ka talagang bata ka kahit na kailan!”

Mas lalo lamang na napahalakhak si Mei.

Kalauna’y tinahak na nila ang elevator at ang kahabaan ng hall papuntang boardroom.

“Kamusta na nga pala ang sales natin these past few months na wala ako, dad?”

Tila naging medyo mailap itong bigla sa kanyang binuksang topiko at sa halip ay nag-iba. “Mapag-uusapan din natin ‘yan with the board members later, hija. For now, ako muna ang hayaan mong magtanong sayo, kamusta naman ang Thailand?”

She shrugged and simply answered, “Still a great place, dad.”

Nakakatunog na siyang may tila hindi nagwo-work according to her means, but she remained keeping her cool. After all, tama naman ang daddy niya, mapag-uusapan at malalaman naman niya ang lahat ng gusto niyang malaman tungkol sa performance ng kompanya these past few months sa meeting sa boardroom mamaya.

“I mean, how was your stay there? I am asking about you and not the place nor your work there, hija.”

“Dad, I’m all fine,” she assured her father. “How about you? Kamusta naman kayo, mahal kong ama?” At sa muli ay naglambing siya.

Magiliw na ngumiti ito saka tumango. “Nothing to worry about me. I may age, yes, pero mas malakas pa rin ako sa kalabaw, hija.”

Pareho na lang silang marahang napangiti ni Austin sa biro ng kanyang daddy.

Pagkarating sa boardroom, kaunting kamayan, ngitian at kamustahan at diretso kaagad sa pagpapa-present si Mei ng tungkol sa sales and rents performance ng kompanya for the past few months na wala siya at nasa Thailand. As expected, she gets disappointed hearing na bumaba ang performance level, and worst, naging fourth place na lang ang pangalan nila sa top and leading building businesses, that’s based on a survey conducted by a well-known business magazine and it’s d*mn accurate.

“Bakit ganito? Bakit naging pang-apat na lang? Aren’t we the best of all the best? We used to be always on top, at kung hindi man, at least second on top! Anong nangyari? Nagpabaya ba kayo habang wala ako? How about the acting Chief Marketing Officer, anong ginagawa while I wasn’t around?!”

Yuyuko-yuko at tila nahihiya sa hina ng boses na nagsalita ang Marketing Manager. “Miss Mei, believe me I did my very best during your absence. Ginawa ko lahat, and even had several sleepless nights mapantayan ko man lang ang galing mo sa Marketing, but you also have to understand that I am not you, and we are different–“

“Well, at least, you tried to be me! Even better sana kung naging mas magaling pa sa akin, I’d be very thankful! Or, at least, pumantay ka man lang sa kakayanan ko! And what are you ranting now? Your sleepless nights? It’s part of your work and you’re paid for it!”

“Mei hija,” marahang pagpapagitna at saway na ng ama niya sa kanya.

“I’m sorry, dad,” pagpapakumbaba naman kaagad niya, gayunpama’y hindi pa tapos sa pinapagalitan. “You did your best but your best wasn’t enough! Isn’t it a time for you to resign from the company?”

“Miss, that’s pointless. Huwag na kayong mag-away dahil lahat naman tayo, ginagawa ang lahat ng ating mga makakaya para sa kompanya at mapaganda ang performance nito,” saway at pagpapagitna na rin sa kanila ng may edad at beterinaryo nang Chief Finance Officer.

“Mr. Aguinaldo was right, Mei. Huwag na tayong magsisihan dito. Ang pagtuunan natin ng pansin ngayon ay kung paanong muling mabalik sa top ang pangalan ng Montevalle CAB,” sang-ayon naman ng may edad na ring General Manager.

“Besides, hindi tayo-tayo ang magkakalaban dito,” dagdag pa ng babae namang Chief Operating Officer. “Ang kalaban natin dito ay ang ating mga katunggali at kakompetensyang mga kompanya, at kung paano natin silang mauungusan para manguna ulit tayo nationwide.”

Mei sighed. Tama naman ang kanyang mga kasama. It’s pointless to point finger at whoever who. Ang mas dapat nga’ng pagtuunan ng pansin ay kung paanong mapabagsak at muling matalbugan ang mga kompanyang ngayon ay mas nangungunang tinatangkilik ng mga consumers and clients kaysa sa kanila. Hindi siya papayag na ganito lang! They should be on the top again!

“Ang nangunguna sa leading companies right now is the Lorenzo Architectural Company, next is their sister company which is the L Homes and Hotels, Inc.. See? Lorenzos’ really giant when it comes to the business world! They’re no joke to compete with,” patuloy ng COO.

Lorenzos? Familiar for Meiryn, though. These past few years, palagi niyang naririnig ang ganyang pangalan, and if she wasn’t mistaken, ito ang pinakamalaking katunggali nila these past few years on being on top.

The Product Manager intertwined his hands on the table as he leaned his face closer to them. “You know why the Lorenzos are leading on the sales and trades, nowadays? It’s because I heard, napalitan na ang dating Executive Director nila. The new one now is the wise son of the Chairman of Lorenzo Group of Companies. Si Grant Lorenzo. I’ve even heard you graduated from the same University, at magka-batch lang daw kayo, Miss Mei.”

Napaisip tuloy si Mei. Yes, the name’s, somehow, familiar, ngunit hindi niya matandaan, eh! And she’s kind of shocked to hear na magka-batch lamang pala sila, and in the same University pa! Ng kung sino mang poncio pilato’ng iyon!

Hindi rin pahuhuli ang Deputy General Manager to add some more tea. “After graduating, he didn’t involve himself with any business, nag-aral umano muna ito for his Architectural board exam and that made him pass it with flying colors. He also attended master’s education for another set of years, habang nagha-happy-happy but secretly studying about businesses and running and operating huge and giant businesses, kaya kung sa unang tingin, akala mo’y masisinu-sino mo lang ito, but behind very little detail you know about him is, actually, a tricky businessman who could do everything just to succeed into his businesses.”

Napapataas na lang ang kilay ni Mei sa mga naririnig na tila kulang na lang ay sambahin ang lalaking iyon kung sinuman iyon pag-business world na ang pinag-uusapan. Nacu-curious tuloy siya.