The President's Paramore

Episode 24: Jelous

PATULOY akong natigilan habang ang mga mata ay nakadako lang sa screen ng cell phone. I really don't know what to do. I was just there, getting stunned as the ring of it stopped. Then it revealed a voice of a woman.

"Hello, Mr. President?" She said.

Yven is staring at me with a firm determination on his eyes. With his jaw tightening and his broad chest moving upward and downward with a harsh manner, he is staring at me as if telling me to just do it. To just answer the call.

Patuloy lang naman akong natigilan. Nawala ang kanina kong pagtataray. I found myself getting intimidated, I just tore my gaze away from him.

"Hello?" Ang pag-uulit ng babae.

"Come on, Zabi. Just answer it, please." It was Yven's begging voice. "Para matapos na 'to. Para ma-clarify mo nang lahat. Na ikaw lang talaga. Na wala akong iba."

Right at this moment, I felt like I was dragged inside a ball of pressure. I have no choice but to deliver and follow what I am being told. Iyong parang bang na-warshock ako at wala akong ibang choice ngayon kung hindi ang sundin siya kasi on the very first place, ginusto ko naman ito.

"Come on," Yven pushed more. He said it while handling his cell phone more to me. Pinagpipilitan niya iyong kunin ko.

Naiilang, wala na talaga akong choice. Kinuha ko ang cell phone mula sa kanya. Matapos ay lumunok muna ako nang malala bago nagsalita. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinakabahan ngayon.

Dahil ba sa kahihiyan? Na dahil sa pagiging malisyosa ko, isang inosenteng babae ang magsasayang ng oras? Isang disenteng babae ang inakala kong masama pero hindi naman pala? Pero kasi naman, iba naman kasi talaga iyong nakita ko kanina lang doon sa restaurant!

"H-Hello . . ." I told her.

"Hi, who is this?"

"Zab-"

"Zabi is listening, Spox." Ang pagputol sa akin ni Yven. He gently raise his voice in order for Mariztella to hear him. "Can you please kindly tell her what we did earlier?"

"Oh," I heard the woman to laugh. Para bang bigla niyang napagtanto kung ano lang naman ang nangyayari. Tuloy-tuloy talaga akong tinubuan ng kahihiyan, "about that, because of the cancelled flight towards Mindanao due to the bad weather, we had to re-schedule our peace talk there."

She continued and I am getting embarassed as times goes by, "and because you don't want to waste your day, after nating kumain ng lunch ay nagtungo na tayo sa Department of Justice para mag-meeting about the Extra Judicial Killing cases na kinakaharap ng administrastion."

Ramdam ko ngayon ang pag-akyat ng mga dugo papunta sa ulo ko. Gusto ko na lang talagang maiyak dahil sa kahihiyan! Ayoko na rito! Gusto ko nang magpakain sa lupa at 'wag nang umahon pa!

Mariztella continued with her professional voice that we always hear whenever there is an announcement from the President, "it was a 10-Hour meeting. Started at 12 NN and ended 10 in the evening."

Ilang sandali ng katahimikan ang namayani sa amin. Walang nagsasalita. But Mariztella was the one who cut it.

"For what I can remember, that's all." She started, "okay na po ba, Mr. President? Uhm, and Ms. Zabi?"

Matapos niyon ay napapaiwas pa rin ako ng tingin nang ibinalik ko kay Yven ang kanyang cell phone. Tumango lang ako sa kanya na parang sinasabi na oo, okay na. Naniniwala na nga. Mariztella is still on the line that very moment.

Ang lalaki naman ay iginigiya ang mukha sa cell phone na para bang sinasabing magtanong pa ako. I only scowl at him as I shook my head. Ano pa bang itatanong ko, complete details na ang sinabi ni Mariztella. Kumbaga sa isang pagkain, kumpleto rekado na!