Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kung pwede ko lang sanang tadtarin ng pindot ang button ng elevator, ginawa ko na. Kaso, mabilis naiharang ni Loyd ang kanyang katawan bago ko pa man isipang gawin iyon.
"Fritz," bati niya sa akin nang nakangiti.
A curt nod was the only thing I could do.
He walked in and checked the button panel. He didn't bother pressing any.
I know I'm supposed to befriend him if I wanted to stay long in this job. Bestfriend kasi siya ng CEO naming si Chase, and the only way to survive in this work is to branch out, grow myself a network.
But with a circulating news na ipinasa na raw ni Chase ang katungkulan nito sa sekretarya niyang si Nadia, I guess I don't really have to bother anymore. Besides, Loyd was a playboy. A living threat that needs to be eradicated.
Nang magsara ang pintuan ng elevator ay nakaramdam ako ng pag-uga. Mahina lamang sa umpisa. Ngunit nang tangkain uli nitong bumaba ay tuluyan na itong nahinto.
Namatay rin ang ilaw, pati ang pag-hum ng aircon ay nawala.
"What the...?" wika ni Loyd.
Napakapit ako nang mahigpit sa folder na hawak-hawak ko.
Hindi pwede ito. Alas-diyes na ng gabi at hindi ako pwedeng ma-trap dito...nang kasama pa ito!
Umabante si Loyd at pinindot ang emergency button. Nang walang nangyari ay umatras siya at kumaway-kaway sa camera. I tried my cell, tried contacting anyone, kaso, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit tuwing sa kamalas-malasang pagkakataon pa nagiging mahina ang signal.
I told him to check his phone too.
But 30 minutes passed, we're still in the elevator.
Nakaupo kami sa magkabilang dulo. Siya'y nakasandal malapit sa elevator panel, ako'y nakakapit sa may handrails.
"So I heard single ka na pala?" aniya. "May chance na ba ako sa'yo? Can I be the man to make you happy now?"
This is what I'm afraid of. Him talking.
Hindi ako sumagot.
Tatlong buwan na kaming wala ni Sebastian, a painter I met from an art gallery, the one who filled me up with colors, the one who brushed my fears away.
Before, three months for me felt like such a long time. But in our case, it only felt like yesterday. Tama nga sila sa pagsabing mas masakit kapag 'yung partner mo ang nagpasyang makipaghiwalay. Kahit anong pilit niyang pagsabi na siya itong may problema, deep inside, feeling ko'y ako talaga itong may kasalanan.
Hanggang ngayo'y hindi ko pa rin matanggap.
"He was a jerk, you know. Seb," sabi niya.
I glared at him. How dare he accuse Seb? E hindi naman sila gaanong magkakilala?
"If I was him, I'd never chose to break up," dagdag niya, "lalo pa't sa isang gaya ni Fritzsen Domingo."
Sumingasing ako. "Wow. Galing pa talaga sa isang babaerong katulad mo?"
"It's not my fault that girls find me attractive."
I scoffed.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and go ask for help?" sabi ko.
"I already did my best. Pero wala. We're stuck."
"That was your best?"
His eye twitched.
"How about you, then?" sagot niya. "Bakit kinailangan pang si Seb ang gumawa ng move para makawala sa toxic relationship ninyo?"
"Ang kapal naman ng mukha mo 'no?"
"It's true."
"Na makapal ang mukha mo?"
Pumait ang kanyang mukha.
"He sees you as a threat, not as a partner," aniya. "Sa tuwing umaangat ang posisyon mo, katumbas no'n ay isang suntok sa bayag niya. And when you just attempted to show your artistry, at 'yung gawa mo pa ang mas napansin, hindi iyon kinaya ng pride niya. I mean, you were a hotel manager, but you were still able to outdo him in getting what he longed for, the recognition. Only with one attempt."
"That's not true."
"It is."
"Paano mo naman nasabi ang mga ito?"
"I was there at the exhibit, watching you two, watching how he actively prevents the others to see your work."
I shook my head.
But no matter how I try to deny it, I know it makes some sense. Dahil sumagi na rin ito sa isip ko noon.
"You were there? I thought no one even paid a visit."
"I was like a potted plant hiding in plain sight. Ayoko lang na matakot ka sa pagsunod ko sa'yo. It would make me look creepy."
"Now that you've mentioned it, you kinda look like it. Creepy."
He smiled, chuckling.
"So what do you think of my painting?" sabi ko.
"It was simple, I think."
"Simple?"
"Yet meaningful," klaro niya. "At one point I noticed how you started it off with complicated and meticulous strokes, but then halfway you thought against it. Might be because you're afraid to show off."
Pumatlang ang bibig ko. Never in my life I had been correctly interpreted.
"Fritz, you know, you're better off without him. If you wanted to shine, then shine. Huwag mong ibaba ang sarili mo para lang pumabor sa'yo ang iba. Keep that in mind."
The whole moment we're here I was actually afraid. I thought of Loyd as a predator. A guy who wouldn't hesitate to have sex with anything that moves.
I was wrong.
Tumango ako.
We heard footsteps approaching. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa at nagtulong sa pagsigaw upang mapansin nilang na-stuck kami. It turned out these were our rescuers. Mabuti na lang.
Alas-onse na ng gabi nang makalabas kami ng hotel. We might be a little shaken from the experience, but I'm still grateful na isang oras lang ang itinagal no'n.
As I waited for a taxi, I can't help but look at him.
"Loyd," tawag ko.
"Hm?"
I was about to remind him about his first question. I wanted to say yes, pero ayoko rin naman kasing magmadali.
So instead, I said, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making me feel safe."
He smiled.
This might not be the exact answer to his question, but at least, it's something more.
In him, I could see the second chance at love I was longing for.
