Seeking Twilight: Chapter 37

Chapter 37: TrendZine!

“Over here, Mitch!” sabi ni Tito Sam sabay kaway.

Andito ako ngayon sa loob ng Gloria Jeans. Mayroon kaming usapan ni Tito Sam ngayon. Sabi niya sa akin ay ngayon niya ipapakilala sa akin ang magiging temporary manager ko habang nasa bakasyon ito.

“Hey, Tito! what’s up?” sabi ko nang makaupo sa tapat nito.
“Eto, ayos lang naman ako, iha. By the way, nakausap ko si Nicolas Ghesquire. He’s coming right now. He wants to talk to you in person. Aalis na kasi siya pabalik ng Milan. May nangyari daw kasi sa shop niya doon pero babalik din naman siya dito.”
“Ahh…Bakit Tito? Anong meron at gusto niya ako makausap ng personal?”
Ngumiti ng nakakaloko si Tito Sam.
“What?” curious na tanong ko kay Tito Sam.
“…”
“Hay naku, Tito. Don’t give me that mischievous smile of yours.” naiiling na sabi ko.
“Hija, easy ka lang. Just wait and know for yourself kapag dumating na si Nicolas.”
“Whatever. Anyway Tito, may kumalat na bang balita about sa nangyari noong fashion show? I dunno what will I do kapag mayroong kumalat.”
“Well, be thankful for now na walang kumakalat na balita, Mitch or else, I know na lagot ka na naman kay Ate.”
“Hayyy…yeah, that’s what I’m doing right now. I’m thankful na wala pang kumakalat na balita.”
“Don’t worry, gagawin ko naman ang lahat para maprotektahan ka, Mitch. I am still your manager after all.”

“You don’t know what Mom will do to me, Tito. Baka palayasin na niya ako sa pamamahay namin kapag nakaabot sa kanya ang balita.”
“Don’t worry kay Ate. Ako ang bahala sa iyo. Kung palalayasin ka niya eh, di sa akin ka tumuloy tutal maluwag sa bahay at I am due to go to Europe for a vacation anyway.”
“Wow! Tuloy ka na pala sa Europe at hindi na sa Amerika. What changed your mind, Tito?”
“Wala lang, I want to meet up with my friends in Europe. May gagawin kasi kaming magkakabarkada. We’re thinking of putting up a business but of course, it’s not final yet.”
“What?! You’re still going to Europe for a business?! Oh, c’mon! Geez, how many times do I have to tell you that you have to relax and don’t do work in your vacation?”
“I can’t do it, iha. Sanay na ang katawan ko sa lahat ng ginagawa ko at hahanap-hanapin lang nito iyon kapag wala akong gagawin sa bakasyon.”
“Hayyy…may magagawa pa ba ako, Tito? Basta kapag pagod ka na ay magpahinga ka muna bago ka ulit sumabak sa work.”
“Yes, mommy! Hehehe…” maluwang na nakangiti ng nakakaloko si Tito Sam sa akin.

Kasi naman ay napakapasaway ni Tito Sam. Nag-aalala tuloy ako sa health niya. Alam naman kasi niya na importante siya sa akin. Siya ang isa sa mga itinuturing kong pamilya sa buhay ko.
“Oh, ayan na pala si Nicolas.”
Kinawayan ni Tito Sam ang bagong dating na nasa bungad ng pinto ng shop. Tumayo ako para magbigay galang sa bagong dating.
“Hello, Sam and Mitch! How are you?” nakangiting tanong ni Nicolas sa kanilang dalawa ni Tito Sam.
“Nicolas! We’re okay. How’s your trip? Did you get stuck in traffic along the way?”
“It’s okay though I’m getting the hang of it. You know me, Sam. I hate traffic and things that will slow down my work.”
Habang nag-uusap ang dalawa ay tumawag ako ng waiter para mag-order ng inumin at appetizer naming tatlo.
“What can I do for you, Ma’am?” tanong nung waiter.
“I’ll have double dutch drink and a chocolate muffin.” sabi ko sabay tingin sa dalawang lalaking kasama ko.
“Gentlemen, what do you want to order?”
“Iha, I’ll just have brewed coffee.”
“Me, too.”
“Okay. Well, you heard them. 2 brewed coffees for them.” sabi ko sa waiter.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Inulit lang nung waiter ang lahat ng inorder namin at umalis na.
“How are you, Mitch? I hope you’re okay now after the incident.” tanong ni Nicolas sa akin.
“I’m okay, Sir. Though I apologize for what happened. I ruined your show.”
“Nonsense, Mitch! Forget it, it’s not your fault. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I told you, Nicolas. She’s okay.”
“Yeah, Sam. Mitch, don’t be shy around me okay? I am a friend of your Tito Sam since I can’t remember.”
“Ahh…I didn’t know that.”
“Iha, sorry I forgot to tell you that. He’s your Tito Nick. He’s a family friend and you already met him when we had a reunion way back.”
“Oh…Sorry, I didn’t know.”
Ngumiti ako sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ko naman na kasi maalala eh.
“Don’t worry. Anyway, let’s do business now.”
“Sam, I want Mitch to be my main model for TrendZine.”
“What is it about?”
“She’ll be promoting my clothes in different advertisements and of course, she’ll have to go to places for the promotion period of my clothes.”
“What’s your theme this time, Nicolas?”
“I’m thinking of God and Goddesses in a magical land. Since, Mitch already portrayed as a Goddess from my fashion show. She suits the role perfectly. I’ll just have to find her a partner for this promotion.”
“Wow, that’s great!”
“Yeah, Mitch will be the Goddess of the forbidden kingdom wherein no one can go and talk to her because she’s cursed so, she’s alone and has no friends to talk to until a knight in shining armor came into the picture and didn’t listen to others about the curse. He did so many things for the sake of the Goddess.”
“What will happen to the knight?” tanong ko.

Maganda yung concept kahit na parang magiging damsel in distress ang labas ko kapag tinanggap ko yung offer.
“Well, let’s leave it hanging first for the people who will speculate. If this promotion will click, we will have the 2nd round which will be showing the ending of the story.”
“Hmm…I like that, Nicolas.” tumatango-tangong sabi ni Tito Sam.
“So, do you want to take this job, Mitch?”
“The story looks good but no offense, Sir. But I don’t like to be a typical damsel in distress in this picture. It’s so cliché if you want to pursue this damsel in distress type of thing.”
“Well, you have a point there. Okay, I’ll think about it. For the meantime, I want to know if you’re doing it. Right, Sam?”
“Yeah, Nicolas.”
Ano ba ang gagawin ko? Kukunin ko ba yung offer o hindi?
“Okay, I’ll do it if you change the damsel in distress thing.”
“Alright! So, I’ll just have to give you tomorrow the details and the contract for you to sign.”
“Okay. Thank you, Sir.”
“So, Sam, I’ll forward it to your office tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Nice to do business with you again, Sam.”
“Same here.”
“To the success of TrendZine and to our partnership!” sabi ni Nicolas habang nakikipagkamayan na sa aming dalawa ni Tito Sam to end our meeting.
“Yeah, to our success.”

Krrrriiinnnggg…

“Oh, sorry. My bad. Someone’s calling me up.”
Lumayo si Nicolas para saguting yung call.
“Iha, congratulations! I know you’ll accept it.”
“Thanks, Tito. I just hope that it will work out good.”
“Yeah.”
Nakita kong palapit na ulit si Nicolas sa table namin.
“Guys, I’m sorry but I have to go now. Something came up. Bye.”
“Okay.”
“Nicolas, just give me a call about the contract.”
“Yeah, gotta go.”

“What now, Tito? Where’s your temporary manager? Akala ko po ba ay pupunta siya dito?”
“Yeah, he’s coming. Let’s just wait a little more.”
“By the way, how’s your school?”
“It’s still the same, Tito. Nothing changed.”
“Well, that’s good. Wala nang nanggugulo sa’yo?”
“I don’t give a damn anymore. Basta, I’ll just do what I have to do and not minding their business.”
“Basta, if you want to talk, I’m just here for you, iha.”
“Thanks, Tito. But I’ll survive.”
Ngumiti na lang ako.

After ng ilang minuto ay nagring yung phone ni Tito Sam.
“Excuse me, iha. Sasagutin ko lang ah.”
Paalam ni Tito habang hawak ang cellphone at nasa aktong sasagutin na yung tawag.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“Hello? Alex, iho! Nasaan ka na?!”
Narinig kong sabi ni Tito Sam.
Aba, sino naman kaya iyon? Alex daw eh. Ibig sabihin ay lalaki ang magiging temporary manager ko? Interesting. Ano kaya ang itsura nun?

“Iha, I’m sorry. Hindi na siya makakarating dito.”
Nagulat ako sa pagsulpot ni Tito Sam sa harapan ko. Andami ko naman kasing iniisip eh. Hahaha…
“Bakit daw hindi na siya makakapunta, Tito?”
“May inaasikaso pa kasi siya na requirements niya daw. Anyway, may bukas pa naman.”
“Bukas ko siya makilala? Sino ba siya at parang pa-importante, Tito?” nakataas-kilay kong tanong.
“His name is Alex. Mabait na bata iyon.”
“Hmmm…interesting. Taga-saan naman siya?”
“You’ll know it soon, iha.”