Behind His Curtain (COMPLETED)

Kabanata 24

I was too caught up looking and relishing the brand new wristwatch I got from my own sibling I didn't notice the immediate change inside the building.

Wala pa akong sampung metro mula sa elevator nang bumukas ito at may hayok na tumatakbo paalis. The letterings of my name glinted from the high chandelier and as I regard who's the one running, blood drained off my face.

"Darlene?" I crookedly said. "Darlene!"

It's her! May hawak-hawak siyang malaking storage box at hindi pinapansin kung sinong makakabungguan sa pagtakbo. I glanced back, hoping to know what was the cause of her sudden exit, but I rushed back to catch up with her.

Yet just like the time I tried chasing Dustin when he saw us in the canteen, she's gone. Gulong-gulo ang utak ko na bumalik sa building, pressed our floor button and pushed the office door.

Magtatanong sana ako sa isa sa mga minsan nakakausap ni Darlene na kasamahan ko but as soon as I stepped in, all their sympathetic eyes were on me.

Gumapang ang kaba sa dibdib ko. "H-hello? Good morning."

Nag-iwas ng tingin ang mga babae pero ang mga kasamahan na kalalakihan ay hindi. I proceed on my table pero para akong nabuhusan nang malamig na tubig nang makita na wala halos lahat ng gamit ko roon. There's only one storage box, like what Darlene's clutching, on it. May isang envelope din sa ibabaw noon.

I heard some shifting of chairs and when I tried to grab a hold on the envelope, doon ko lang napansin na sobra na akong nanginginig.

Oh, please, no...

"Pare," called one before I even touched it. "Wala kaming kinalaman diyan, ah? Sabi ni Fe, pagpasok niya ay nakaganyan na lamesa mo."

"Huh?"

Hinanap ko sa paligid si Fe at naniwala rin nang makita na maluha-luha siyang nakatugon sa akin. Pursing my lips, I opened it and for a fleeting moment of time, everything around me stopped.

Kitang-kita na kaagad sa fold sa harap kung anong klaseng letter 'to. And I was right. Fucking right. History is repeating itself.

The girls broke down when I raised it in the air. Suminghap ang ilang mga kasama ko at humingi nang sorry. But what we all have in common is that... we're clueless. Putang ina, paanong nakatanggap na naman ako ng termination letter?

I don't want to open it. I don't want to be on the same road again.

The door behind me opened and almost everyone peered who went in. "Nandito ka na pala, Henry."

"A-anong nangyari?" bulong ko pero mukhang narinig nila iyon.

Pumasok si Jeff, isa sa mga nasa HR department ng buong kumpanya, at pinisil ang mga braso ko. I wish he didn't do that; my tears were squeezed out of my tear ducts.

"Pare, as much as I want to explain it here, mas maganda kung sa HR na tayo dumulog, okay?"

But I can't move. Not again. Ayokong masigawan sa isang office uli. Ayokong mapahiya sa harapan ng mga kasama ko sa trabaho. Ayokong...

"Kakausapin ka lang namin..." maybe Jeff sensed my reluctance.

When I looked at him, I couldn't see him properly. Wala akong kaide-ideya kung paano ako matatanggal sa trabaho e wala naman akong... ginagawang masama. Maayos pa ako nag-time out kahapon... Did I break the machine? No, kasi nagpunch in naman 'yung time in...

So how?

***

It's weird to unpack all my things and hide them inside my cabinets. Parang never ko nakita ang sarili na hindi magtatagal sa kumpanya dahil nadala na ako noong nakaraan pero... anong nangyari? Tinanggal na lang nila ako bigla.