The Untitled Confessions - Chapter 13 : Alone, Listless by la_polla_loca — Pulandit.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Bawal din siyang kopyahin ng walang pahintulot. Please lang.

Please seek permission before copying/reposting. Please lang. Please. Fucking please.

This story was and still is posted on two websites: my wattpad profile and www.filipinosexstories.com. Please do not support any other website that reposts or steals the author's work without their permission. Reposting this story without the written consent of the author is a clear violation of the existing Intellectual Property (IP) code in the Philippines.

Please check my wattpad profile. Link's on my profile. Salamats!
________

Alina waited for the compressed-air hiss of the lift she was about to ride. Hinatid siya ni Samantha sa kanyang condo earlier today, pagkatapos ng 3 weeks nilang pamamalagi sa kaniyang resthouse. Tinitingnan niya palagi ang phone niya the past few days, umaasa na kahit papaano ay may message man lang ang kaniyang kasintahan (ex-boyfriend, in this instance) sa kanya. Pero sabi nga ng kanyang ate Samantha, huwag na raw umasa.

Hope is nothing but a folly.

Binitawan niya ang kanyang duffel bag at binuksan ang pintuan ng kanyang unit. Silence and the gray, rainy skies of Metro Manila greeted her. Dati, may sasalubong na sa kanya na isang lalake na parang aso na bigla na lang siyang yayakapin, telling her how much he missed her, showering her with kisses. She let out a sigh, arranged her things, then went to the shower to wash up.

Pumunta siya ng kusina para magbrew ng kanyang kape pagkatapos niyang mag-shower. Habang nagpupunas ng buhok, napansin niya ang mga upuan sa may patio nila. Naalala na naman niya si Tom.

"Fucking hell, Alina! Kung ano-ano pumapasok sa utak mo. Wake up"sabi nito sa sarili, sabay sampal sa kanyang mga pisngi. Kung ano-ano na naman kasi ang pumapasok sa utak niya. Mga bagay-bagay na, sa totoo lang, ay hindi na niya dapat pang iniisip pa."Wala na kayo ni Tom. Wala na. As in wala."

Nagsindi siya ng yosi pagkaupo niya sa patio. The cigarette crackled as it lit up, its grey smoke forming a trace in the rainy morning. Wala na talagang kahit anong trace na iniwanan si Tom sa dati nitong tinitirhan: pati footprints or fingerprints nga niya, baka binura na niya. Iyung isang paso ng monstera na parang mamamatay na lang ang tanging naiwan niyang memorya sa pagtira sa bahay na iyon.

Pinilit niyang hindi na lang isipin ang ginawang pag-alis ni Tom sa kanyang bahay. O ang ginawa niyang pakikipaghiwalay dito. Ini-imagine na lang niya na hindi nage-exist ang dati niyang kasintahan, na parang isang bula. lang ito na biglang napisa sa kanyang panaginip. Pero parang ang hirap lang gawin noon. Masakit pa rin kasi ang lahat ng pangyayari. And 80% of the blame's on her.

Nag-message na lang ito sa group chat nila ni Tia at Eric, nagyayaya ng lunch. Ayaw niya ang ganitong pakiramdam, iyung tipong nag-iisa ka na, malungkot ka pa. Kailangan niya ng kausap, kasama, or kahit ano lang na makakapagpalibang sa kanya. She needed to go out.

"Okay, go baks"sagot ni Eric, na sinundan naman ng"Alina Mirabellllll"na message ni Tia. Nagpasya ang tatlo na kumain na lang sa isang restaurant sa malapit sa opisina.

***

"Kumusta naman baks, ang bakasyon?"sabi ni Eric, habang hinihiwa nito ang steak au poivre na inorder niya.

"Was fine, baks. Unwound for a bit, relaxed. Learned how to cook."

"Aba, chef ka na pala bru"sabi naman ni Tia."Patikim naman ng steak a la pobre na iyan bakla"sabi naman ni Tia kay Eric, habang itinuturo ang naka-slice na steak nito.Nakangitian lang ang dalawa sa sinabi ng babaeng iyon.

"Ayy, bakit hindi siya lasang bistek?"tanong na naman ni Tia habang nginunguya ang ibinigay na slice ni Eric.

"Kasi hindi siya bistek?"patawa na patanong na sagot naman ng kausap nito.

"Ahh, ganoon ba? Takte naman kasi itong restaurant na pinili niyo, may french french pa na nalalaman. Inihaw na karne lang pala iyan."

Iiling-iling na lang si Eric, habang si Alina naman ay tahimik na inihahalo lang ang kanyang soup na inorder. Napansin ni Eric ito, kaya kinatok ng kaunti ang lamesang nasa harapan niya.

"Kumusta naman iyan?"said Eric, pointing to her chest."Okay na ba ang puso?"Alina just gave Eric a sad smile then said"Okay lang naman. Naninibago lang."

Napabuntung-hininga na lang ang lalakeng kasama nila, samantalang si Tia naman ay hinawakan lang ang balikat ni Alina. Alam nila ang pinagdadaanan ni Alina sa ngayon, at alam nila kung gaano kahirap ang maghiwalay after so many years of dating.

Alina was deep into her own thoughts. Ilang linggo na nga ba noong huli silang mag-usap ni Tom? Two weeks? Three? Maybe even a month? Para sa kanya, it felt like an eternity. An eternity brought about by her silly actions.

"Hoy, hindi pa ba tapos ang paghahalo mo ng potion, Ms. Granger?"pabirong sabi ni Eric. Nagising si Alina sa sinabi na iyon ng kaibigan, at nagsubo ng isang kutsara ng malamig nang sabaw.

They decided to shift their conversation to "happier" things - mga chismis sa trabaho, showbiz, influencers, mga events sa buhay nila, and so on and so forth. Alina just stared at them, appearing to listen but her mind wandering aimlessly. Oo nga, may kasama siya sa ngayon, mga kaibigan niya, at maraming tao sa paligid niya rin pero she can't help but feel alone.

Tinapos nila ang kanilang lunch date after 30 minutes. Nagyaya muna si Eric na magyosi sa may opisina nila. As they were lighting up their cigarettes, napansin na naman ni Eric ang pananahimik ni Alina.

"You seem to be in a listless mood today, baklita. May problema ba?"Alina just smiled and shook her head.

"Wala naman baks. As I've said earlier, medyo naninibago lang. Tom's moved out of the house, cleared all of his things. Even the pictures we took, pinutol na niya sarili niya doon."Eric gave Alina a tight hug, while Tia was just looking worriedly at her.

"Not so tight, bakla. You're squeezing my tears out"paglalambing naman ng babae. Niluwagan ni Eric ang kanyang pagkakayakap kay Alina, took a whiff out of his smoldering cigarette, then gave out a sigh.

"What's done is done, Alina. Don't let it bother you."

"Oo nga bru, huwag mo na muna masyadong dibdibin iyan. Sabi nga noong pagong kay kung-fu panda, 'yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present', di ba"biglang banat ni Tia habang hawak-hawak ang kamay ng dalaga."Subukan mo na lang muna maging selfish sa ngayon, bru. Huwag mo na isipin ang ibang tao."

"Tingnan mo, baklita, pati si Tia napapa-ingles na din"said a smiling Eric. Alina gave gaze, an appreciative gaze, to Tia. She appreciates every little gesture na ginagawa ng dalawang kaibigan niya.

"Pero tama nga si Tia, baklita. Love yourself muna. Go out, meet other people. Be selfish, for once."

***

Halos tatlong buwan din nang umuuwi si Alina sa kanyang condominium na walang inaabutang tao dito. Nothing changed from her day to day activities, wala as in nada. She'll wake up at around 5:30 in the morning, gagawa ng kanyang kape at magyoyosi, pupunta ng trabaho, makikipag-meet ng mga clients, magdi-dinner sa labas, uuwi, matutulog. Pakiramdam niya para lang siyang isang protoplasm na nabubuhay, following a routine.

Saturday saka Sunday, pumupunta na lang ito sa bahay ni Samantha, para makapaglibang. Nakikipaglaro lang ito kina Celeborn at Cirdan, ang dalawang anak ni Samantha. Madalas na niyang makita si Jaime sa bahay nila Samantha, na dumating sa point na binibiro na niya ang dalawa regarding their relationship.

"I'm planning to move houses, ate Sam"sabi ni Alina, habang nagyoyosi silang tatlo sa kanilang patio.

"Why?"

"Wala lang, Ate, just thinking of moving to a new place. A new environment"sagot naman ni Alina, habang hinihithit ang kanyang yosi. Tiningnan niya si Jaime. Tahimik lang siyang nagbabasa ng diyaryo.

"Anong plano mo sa unit mo?"

"Rent it out, or gawin siyang homestay. Malapit naman siya sa CBD eh, so malamang maraming kukuha noon."

"Nakahanap ka na ba ng prospect?"tanong ni Samantha, habang umiinom ng isang malamig na lata ng softdrinks.

"Wala pa ate. Either masyadong mahal or masyadong malayo sa office nakikita ko mga for rent ngayon. Saka add the fact na hindi ko din alam kung papaano magiging arrangement ko once I find a tenant na sa bahay."

"I see. Mahirap nga iyan kung lilipat ka lang once you find a tenant na. Saka madalas nga either malayo na ang makukuhanan mo ng units, tapos may move-in period ka pa."Hinarap ni Samantha si Jaime, kinatok ang ashtray sa harapan nito, sabay nagtanong.

"Jaime, what do you think?"

"Think about what, Sam?"

"Puwede mo ba tulungan si Allie sa paghanap ng bagong lugar?"sabi nito, habang kumukuha ng bagong sigarilyo. Inabot ni Jaime ang lighter nito sa kanya, then she proceeded to light her cigarette.

"You can use my condo unit na malapit sa opisina, Ina"said Jaime, facing Alina."You can rent out a parking space sa condo, kasi may naka-park na sa parking space ko."

"Ay, sir, nakakahiya naman. Thanks for the offer but I'd like to decline po"sabi naman ni Alina. Nahihiya kasi ito sa offer ni Jaime.

"Diyos ko, Allie, huwag ka nang mahiya diyan. Walang tao sa unit niyan iyon at ayaw niya pagamit or pa-rentahan. Mas maganda may taong gagamit ng isang bahay, don't you think?"sabat naman ni Samantha, habang pinapanood ang usok mula sa kanyang yosi.

"Yeah, Ina, tama si Sam. It would be best if someone, at least, takes care of that unit. You can choose to move out just in case may mahanap ka na bagong titirahan."

Nag-iisip naman si Alina. Gustong-gusto na niyang umalis sa dati nilang tirahan nila Tom. Living there wasn't good for her mental health, and as Eric and Tia said, she needed to do something for herself. Kailangan niyang sakim kahit kaunti.

"Let me think about it muna po, sir Jaime."

***

Wala pa ring mahanap si Alina ng bagong bahay na puwedeng malipatan pagkatapos ng dalawang buwan. She really needed to move out of her house. Para kasing mababaliw na siya dahil sa lahat ng memoryang iniwan ni Tom sa bahay nilang iyon.

"I told you to take up Jaime's offer, Allie. Wala talagang nakatira doon sa unit na iyon. He was reserving it for his family para may mapag-stay-an sila sakaling umuwi sila dito sa Pinas"Samantha said, as she was eating her halo-halo.

"Nahihiya pa kasi ako, ate Sam."

"Siya ang nag-offer, ikaw ang mahihiya?"continued Samantha. Oo nga naman, ilang beses na din kinamusta ni Jaime ang paghahanap niya ng bahay na iyon."If it could take those nasty thoughts away from your head, then I'd be glad to help"laging sabi pa nito.

"Oh, ayan, sumagot na si sir Jaime mo. You can move-in sa unit niya in 3 days"said a smiling Samantha, habang ipinapakita ang message ni Jaime sa kanya.

"Ate naman eh"nahihiyang sabi ni Alina kay Samantha.

"Ako na nagsabi sa kanya, para wala nang hiya-hiya."Alina's phone then rang, with a message from Jaime.

"I've processed your move in papers with the admin. Sorry wala ako diyan to help you with your packing. Look for Ms. Gina Jasa, she'll guide you through it. Be back after this business trip."

Isang maikling thank you at sorry lang ang naisagot ni Alina sa message niyang ito.

"By the way, Allie, I'll introduce you to a prospective client in 2 weeks time. Please prepare the documents saka iyung pitch mo sa kanya ah"sabi naman ni Samantha na busy pa rin sa pagba-browse sa kaniyang telepono.

Alina moved in to her new apartment after 5 days. Room 6996 ang unit ni Jaime, which made her chuckle a bit kasi parang baliktaran lang lahat ng numbers. It was a penthouse unit, masyadong sosyal kumpara sa kanyang dating tirahan. A week after that, nakatanggap naman ng message si Alina mula kay Samantha.

"Tomorrow. 3:00 PM. Pupunta si Brandon Lang sa office. Break a leg!"

Kinabukasan, maagang nagising si Alina. She took a shower, then dried her body with a soft towel. Pumunta ito sa kaniyang closet, naghahanap ng maisusuot sa araw na iyon. It was a big day for her ate Sam, that's why she needed to look her best. She quickly studied the options, then picked on a black halter dress. It covered her good enough to still look professional, pero alam niya na it'll attract second looks.

She then pulled the dress over her head. Small strings from the top of her dress tied behind her back, gathering the bodice that slightly covered her bosom. The dress came around to her mid-back, showing off her toned shoulders. A strapless halter bra held her perfect 34C breasts, accentuating them even more. The length of her dress just fell below her knees. Nagdesisyon din itong magsuot ng heels, para naman madagdagan ng at least 3 inches ang kanyang height.

"Not bad"sabi nito, habang pinagmamasdan ang sarili sa salamin. She smiled at her reflection, looked at her wristwatch, then said"Okay, papasok na ako."

After a 20 minute drive to the office, nakasalubong ni Alina sina Eric at Tia sa elevator lobby ng kanilang opisina.

"Aba, aba, aba. May party?"sabi ni Eric sa kanya. Si Tia naman ay yumakap naman kaagad sa babaeng kaibigan.

"May client lang today, baks. Needed to dress up a tad."

"Ah, si Mr. Lang?" tanong naman ni Eric habang busy sa kanyang telepono. Alina just said yes to his question, habang tinutulungan si Tia sa kanyang pagme-make up. Hindi pa man nakikita, pero sikat na si Mr. Lang sa opisina nila. Too famous, in fact, that even the finance, legal, and even the executive teams were working hard to have this deal closed. Malaki kasing pera ang involved sa deal nilang iyon. He just flew in to hammer-out the final details of the deal, before signing.

Wala si Samantha pagdating ni Alina sa cubicle nito. Nasa isang conference daw ito, pagkatapos ay may susunduin sa airport, sabi ng isa sa mga colleagues ng dalaga. Naghanda naman si Alina, tiningnan ang mga ipe-present niya sa cliente nila mamaya, an air of excited nervousness reeking out of her skin. Pinakamalaking deal na ito, at isa sa mga pinakamalaking deals sa buong history ng kanilang kumpanya.

Dumating si Samantha kasama si Mr. Lang mga 1:30 ng hapon. He was quite handsome, around 6'0" tall, black hair and a trimmed beard. He was wearing a white shirt with no tie, navy slacks and coat, and brown shoes. The white shirt showed his slight tan, and his athletic build. He looks like a charismatic movie star, walking with a confident stride, offering everyone a warm smile. Samantha led him to one of the conference rooms in the office, habang pinapuntahan ang mga board of directors ng company kay Tia.

At exactly 3 o'clock that afternoon pinatawag ni Samantha si Alina kay Tia. Alina's heart began to race. Iba kasi ang suspense na nagaganap ngayon sa opisina, lalo na't close door ang ginawa nilang meeting. Nag-ayos ito ng kaunti, kinuha ang kanyang laptop, then knocked on the conference room's door.

"Come in"sabi ni Samantha. Binuksan ni Alina ang pintuan tapos nakangiting lumapit sa dalawang magkasama. They have stacks of paper in front of them, and the caramelly smell of coffee's filling up the room. Alina just stood there, nervously.

"Ina, this is Brandon. Brandon Lang. Brandon, meet Ina Aquitin"pagpapakilala ni Samantha sa kanya. Brandon just smiled, his eyes assessing her as she stood in front of them.

"Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Lang."

"Please, call me Brandon"sabi naman ng lalake, habang hinihila ang isang upuan malapit sa kanilang dalawa. Nagpasalamat si Alina sa ginawa ng lalake, impressed by his chivalry. Itinulak pa niya ng bahagya ang upuan na inuupuan ng dalaga bago siya umupo sa kanyang seat.

"Holly here speaks highly of you"sabi ni Brandon na nakangiti habang nakatingin sa kanyang mga mata. Alina blushed at his attention. His compelling smile was enough to draw anyone in.

"Ina's here to present you our business proposal, Brandon. Ina, if you can proceed please?"Samantha was looking at Alina, as if to urge her on.

Alina began explaining their proposal to Brandon shortly after. Umabot na ng halos isa't kalahating oras ang pag-eexplain niyang iyon, he having questions about almost everything that Alina was explaining. Alina and Samantha knew that Brandon was just trying to get as much information as he can, measuring the risks and problems that might arise from him signing the deal. Alina tried to answer every question Brandon presented as concise and precisely as she could. And to be fair to him, he listened very closely to what Alina had to say, even taking notes every now and then.

"So that's what we can do for you, Brandon, if ever you decide to sign up with our company. If you have any questions or any suggestions, please feel free to contact me or Holly here."

Tumayo na si Brandon, followed closely by Alina and Samantha.

"Thank you, Ina. Brandon, do you have any questions for her?"

"None at the moment, although I have a few things to discuss with you, if I may"sagot naman ni Brandon kay Samantha. Brandon then showed his hand to Alina, offering her a handshake."Thanks, Ina. Your presentation's been great"sabi nito. Nagpasalamat lang si Alina bago bumalik sa kanyang opisina.

She busied herself for the next few hours, staying later than usual to hear Mr. Lang's decision. Mga 7:30 ng gabi biglang pumasok si Samantha sa kanilang opisina. Parang medyo balisa ito, hindi mapakali.

"Kumusta ate?"tanong ni Alina kay Samantha. Isang malalim na buntung-hininga lang ang isinagot nito.

"To be honest, Allie, I'm not sure. We made progress, pero parang kapos pa rin. Parang may kulang pa. Iniwanan ko lang siya sa meeting room, he needs to discuss it daw with other members of his board."

"Sorry ate, I'm really sorry"taos-pusong paghingi naman ng tawad ni Alina kay Samantha.

"Ayan ka na naman sa sorry mo na iyan. You did your best. That's good enough."Samantha offered her a smile, tapos umupo sa sofa nila, nagpapahinga.

"He's willing to negotiate pa rin daw, to see if we can find a way to meet certain criteria, but the thing is he has to leave first thing in the morning. Kung hindi natin makukuha ang deal, then wala na. The deal's off. He's willing to stay daw and negotiate this evening"sabi ni Samantha uli habang busy na nagte-text sa kanyang phone."Ang problema lang, Cirdan's been sent to a hospital, dahil daw sa allergies. I need to be there, lalo na't wala si Jaime ngayon."

"Ako na lang pupunta kay Cirdan kaya, ate?"mungkahi naman ni Alina.

"Di din puwede. Bukod sa kailangan ng parental chuchu ng ospital, hindi din ako makakapag-isip ng maayos nito dahil sa anak ko."Nakita ni Alina na parang pinupukpok ng dalawang naguumpugang bato si Samantha sa mga oras na iyon.

"Well, ate, if you want I can take your place in dealing with Brandon. Basta turuan mo lang ako kung anong dapat gawin"sabi ni Alina, nagpapawis ang mga kamay dahil sa nerbiyos at kaba.

Samantha's eyes lit up with what Alina just said. Tiwala ito sa kakayahan at sa talino nito. Kaunting explanation lang, malamang maco-close na nila ang deal. Tumayo ito at biglang niyakap si Alina.

"Wala akong ipambabayad sa overtime mo ah"pabirong sabi pa nito.

"Ate naman, sa dami ng ginawa mo sa akin, magcha-charge pa ako ng OT pay?"

Samantha then proceeded with explaining what has to be done for them to finally close the deal. Parang propesor lang sa pamantasan ang ginawang pag-eexplain nito sa kanya. After 30 minutes ng non-stop na pagsasalita, huminga ito ng malalim at naupo muli sa sofa.

"So that's it, Allie. I just need you to do whatever it takes to close the deal. Sagutin mo lahat ng tanong niya. Negotiate the numbers. Send me a message if you're stuck. And most of all, convince him this is worth the risk."

May kinuha ito sa kaniyang bag, sabay inabot kay Alina. It was her black credit card.

"Nagpa-book na ako kay Tia ng isang room sa may Shang. Mag-dinner kayo doon, go to a bar, do whatever you like. Spare no expense"sabi nito habang inaabot ang kaniyang credit card kay Alina. Nagpaalam si Samantha sa kausap saka pumunta uli sa meeting room. After 30 minutes, bumalik na ulit si Samantha sa kanilang kuwarto, kasama na si Brandon.

"So, as I've explained earlier, we can find ways to meet up with your expectations"Samantha said."Ina here will finish the negotiations this evening and do whatever it takes to find a way to get this done. And as you've said, she's smart, creative and determined"pagtataas naman ng bangko ni Samantha kay Alina."You've flown all the way here, it would be a shame if you leave empty handed."

Namula naman si Alina sa pangbi-build up na ginawa ni Samantha sa kanya."Tangina namang pampe-pressure ito, ate Sam"sabi na lang niya sa sarili.

"I know you just want to win this contract, Holly"sabi naman ni Brandon."And I've said earlier, I don't want to be bit in the ass for this."

"I'm sure it will be a win for both of us, Brandon"sagot naman ni Samantha sa kanya."We'll do whatever it takes and make sure you don't only get the deal, you can leave with a smile on your face."Samantha then looked at Alina, then continued.

"Ina here has my full authority. She can answer every question that you might have, and find a way to close that gap so it's beneficial for both of us."

"Okay then"sagot naman ni Brandon, smiling at Alina. Nakatingin sa mata ni Alina ang lalake, subtly looking at her body. Hindi tingin maniac, kung hindi tingin na may respeto."Hopefully we can come up with a solution for the issues I presented to you earlier."

"We definitely can, Mr. Lang"said Samantha while staring at Alina."Ina can drive you to your hotel, then you can enjoy dinner at one of the top restaurants in town. I hope to see a favourable response from you soon!"

"Shall we?"asked Alina, as she was reaching for the door handle.

"We shall. After you"sagot naman ng lalake, habang pinagbubuksan ito ng pintuan. Tiningnan muna ni Alina si Samantha bago ito umalis. Isang maikling tango lang ang ipinabaon nito, sabay muestra ng "Gambare" sa kanyang mga labi.

"By the way, I have a couple of bags that I left at the reception's desk. Mind if I pick them up?"asked Brandon while they were waiting for the elevator.

"Sure, do you need help?"tanong naman ni Alina.

"Nah, it's fine. If you can just pick me up near the building's entrance, that will be greatly appreciated."