Chapter 25 – Especially you.

Hindi nakatulog si Hannah. Kaya kinabukasan, dinaig pa niya ang puyat na panda sa kaitiman ng palibot ng mga mata niya.

Paano, bukod sa hindi na nga siya nakatulog, sinabayan pa niya ng iyak.

"Hannah, napa'no ka?" Syempre napansin ng co-worker niyang si Mia ang itsura niya.

"Puyat," simple niyang tugon.

"Oh siya. Puyat na kung puyat. Kanina ka pa hinihintay ni boss."

"'Andyan na siya?" Sinipat niya ng tingin ang suot na wristwatch. Maaga pa siya ng thirty minutes.

"Oo. Ang aga nga eh. Pinapahanda niya ang conference room. Meeting daw tayo lahat."

"Talaga?" Bihirang mangyari na iipunin silang lahat para kausapin. Kaya sigurado si Hannah na importante ang meeting na iyon.

She proceeded to her boss' office. Tatlong marahan at kalkuladong katok ang ginawa niya bago niya narinig ang boses nito na nagbibigay ng permisong pumasok siya.

Nadatnan niya ang boss na seryosong nakatanaw sa glasswall ng opisina nito. Seryosong tao si Mrs. Everett, but this time, may ibang level ng kaseryosohan sa mukha nito.

"Good morning, boss," she greeted.

"Hannah," she started, looking in her direction. "Is everyone in the conference room already?"

"Not yet, ma'am. But Mia is making sure everyone knows you're holding a meeting at eight AM."

"Good," naupo ito sa upuan nito and gestured her to sit as well. "You've been my most trusted employee, Hannah. So you deserve to know the problem prior to everyone," humugot ito nang malalim na hininga bago nagpatuloy. "I sold the company. At gusto ng bagong may-ari na palitan lahat ng empleyado."

'What??? For real?!' Hannah wanted to ask. Biglaan? Paano na 'yan? She couldn't lose her job!

"I tried to bargain if he can keep you, Hannah, even just you. Pero buo na ang desisyon niya na paalisin lahat, especially you. I could no longer do anything about it. I'm sorry."

Especially her? Bakit?

"Sabi niya, if he would retain an employee, it wouldn't be someone who worked closely with me. I don't know what to do anymore, he has changed a lot. That boy, he's no longer the one I once treated like my own child." Parang gusto pa nitong maiyak at lihim na nakadama ng galit si Hannah sa taong tinutukoy nito.

Who did he think he is? Na basta na lamang magtatanggal ng mga empleyado na hindi dumadaan sa tamang proseso?

"I'm sorry. I know this is all too sudden. It's just that I couldn't continue managing the company anymore. My husband needs me." Her boss looked at her with tears in her eyes. First time na nakita ni Hannah ang amo na gano'n ka-vulnerable. "He met with an accident the other day and he's in a critical condition right now..."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," sabi niya, sa kalagayan nito parang hindi naman niya kayang sabihin na gawan nito ng paraan na 'wag magtanggalan ng empleyado.

"We only have one month before the new owner takes over."

One month? Gustong maiyak ni Hannah. Paano na silang lahat na umaasa lang sa kita nila sa kompanyang iyon? Hindi madaling maghanap ng trabaho, that's for sure.

As expected, lahat nagprotesta sa announcement ni Mrs. Everett. Kahit pa mabibigyan naman sila ng kaukulang bayad, mahirap pa rin sa kanila ang biglang pagkawala ng bread and butter nila.

"Baka naman po pwede naming kausapin ang bagong may-ari," sabi ni Mia na mangiyak-ngiyak na.

Sinigundahan iyon ng marami.

"Tama, he might change his mind, ma'am. Baka kailangan lang niya kaming makilala, malaman na masisipag naman po kami."

Mrs. Everett shook her head at kay Hannah tumingin.

"He isn't easily persuaded," sabi nito. "I know that man. He gets what he wants."

"Pero ma'am–"

Iniwanan na sila nito matapos mag-sorry ulit sa kanila.

-----

Akala ni Hannah pag-uwi niya, pansamantalang mawawala sa isipan niya ang problema sa trabaho. Ang problema, pagkauwi niya, may note siyang natanggap galing sa landlord niya.

Ang sabi sa note, kailangan na niyang lumipat dahil naibenta na ang apartment na tinutuluyan niya.

'Seriously? Nabenta na naman? Opisina, bahay, ano pa?' Frustrated na aniya sa isip.

She couldn't afford to lose a job and then lose a home at the same time! Ang lungkot-lungkot na nga ng buhay niya for living alone. Tapos mawawalan pa siya ng bahay at trabaho? Ano na lang mangyayari sa kanya?

She was lying helplessly on her bed nang tawagan siya ni Mia.

"Hannah, guess what I overheard?"

"What?" Hindi interesadong tanong niya, mas marami siyang kailangang isipin kaysa sa tsismis na sasabihin nito.

Maaga siyang umuwi kanina dahil na-stress siya. Staying further in the office might trigger her depression.

"Mrs. Everett talking to the new owner through the telephone..."

Okay, that somehow got her interested.

"So, did he already change his mind?"

"No. But I know someone who can convince him to change his mind."

"Really?" Nabuhayan siya ng loob at napabangon pa. "Who? Can we talk to that person? Where do we find him?" Sunod-sunod niyang tanong.

"Hannah, relax..." bahagya itong nag-atubili bago nagpatuloy. "Actually, it's you."

"Me? What do you mean it's me?" She was confused.

"Hannah, listen. The new owner is Nate Sarmiento–"

"What??!" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya.

"Si Nate Sarmiento ang bagong may ari. That's why ikaw agad ang naisip ko. Hannah, you're going to talk to him, right? Alam mong ikaw na lang ang pag-asa namin–"

Madami pang sinabi si Mia pero nag-hang na ang utak niya. Nate Sarmiento bought Mrs. Everett's company?

Why? Nate is in the hospitality industry. Mrs. Everett is in a small printing business. A small company in fact. Why would he acquire something na hindi naman related sa industriya nito?

Hannah shook her head in confusion.

Her boss was referring to him as the boy she once treated as her own child? 'Yong malaki raw ang pinagbago?

'I tried to bargain if he can keep you, Hannah, even just you. Pero buo na ang desisyon niya na paalisin lahat, especially you.' Parang sutil na umuulit-ulit sa isipan niya ang sinabi ng boss niya kanina. At tila bawat katagang hindi niya pinansin habang sinasabi nito iyon kanina ay parang matatalim na bagay naman ngayon na humihiwa sa puso niya.

Nate wanted everyone to leave the company, including her, especially her.

And for sure, it wasn't for the reason that she had worked closely with Mrs. Everett. It was because of something else. Maybe because she was Hannah and he's extremely mad at her.

Hannah found herself burying her face in her pillow while crying alone.

Nate's image at the hospital kept flashing in her memory. The way his cold eyes looked at her as if he didn't know her. The way he ignored her as if she never existed.

'You turned the people you love into cold human beings...'

Totoo ba? May kinalaman nga ba siya sa pagbabago ni Nate? But he was already ruthless in business even before they met each other. She couldn't be the reason why he's being inconsiderate.

But Nate was not a bad person. He's a nice guy. Alam ni Hannah 'yon. Nate allowed her to see the good part of him. That good side of him na naabuso ng mga taong mahal nito.

Then it hit her. Gano'n din ba ang ginawa niya? She took advantage of his kindness when she walked out of his life three months ago without them talking like he wanted?

But why would he get so mad about it? It wasn't like sinama niya si Elisha. No. She left his daughter no matter how much it hurt her. So, wala itong dahilan para magalit sa kanya.

"Nate," usal niya sa pangalan nito. "I'm sorry!"

-----

Kinaumagahan, 'di pa man nakakaalis si Hannah papasok sa trabaho nang puntahan siya ng landlord niya.

"Hannah, 'andito ka pa? 'Di mo ba nakuha ang sulat ko?"

"Sir, nakuha ko po. Wala namang nakalagay doon na urgent," katwiran niya. "Isa pa hindi pa ako bayad sa renta ko ngayong buwan," that might as well buy her more time. Hindi ito papayag na hindi siya makakabayad.

"Kalimutan mo na 'yon. Malaki ang binayad para sa apartment na 'to. Ang importante umalis ka na," sabi nito. "Hannah, biruin mo, limang beses na mas malaki sa totoong presyo nito ang binayad sa akin ni Nate Sarmiento!"

"What?!" Gulat niyang bulalas.

Nate Sarmiento? Again?

"Oh bakit gulat na gulat ka? Alam mo kung gaano kayaman 'yong tao. Ang ipinagtataka ko lang, 'yong tindi ng kagustuhan niya na mapaalis ka rito. Eh hindi ba nagkaroon kayo ng relasyon ni Nate Sarmiento?"

"H-hindi po–"

"Bakit mo pa kasi pinakawalan? 'Andoon ka na eh. Alam mo, Hannah, hindi naman ako naniwala sa mga masasamang balita tungkol sa 'yo noon. Mula sanggol si Elisha, dito na kayo tumira. Kahit minsan, hindi ko nakita na may Nate Sarmiento at Olive na bumisita sa bata. At kung dadalhin mo 'to sa korte, baka may chance ka pang makuha ulit ang anak mo." He might be right. She can sue Olive for so many grounds and might even win. But Nate? He didn't have knowledge that he had a daughter. And the moment he learned about Eli, he willingly played the daddy role he was deprived of. In short, manalo man siya kay Olive, kay Nate hindi. Isali pa kung kasamang magdedesisyon ang pera sa magiging kustodiya. "Hannah, sorry, pero kailangan mo na talagang umalis."

"Sir, bigyan mo naman ako ng oras para maghanap ng lilipatan ko," emosyonal niyang hiling bagamat wala na siyang naiintidihan. Nilamon na naman siya ng nalaman niya.

It's Nate again.

Now how could she believe na nagkataon lang ang lahat? It was clear as crystal. Gusto siyang paalisin ni Nate. He bought the apartment five times its true value despite the fact na noon ay nilait-lait nito iyon sa kawalan ng seguridad. Nate spent that much just to make sure she loses a home?

And the company, he bought it just so she would lose her job. Pero bakit kailangan pang mandamay ng iba?

'Hannah, you're going to talk to him, right? Alam mong ikaw na lang ang pag-asa namin.'

Talk to Nate. Is that even an option para 'wag na itong mandamay?

Three months. Nanahimik ang binata that Hannah thought okay na ang lahat. Tapos ngayon, out of the blue, he would reappear in her life with the strong desire to destroy her?

What did he want from her? Wala na sa kanya si Elisha. What could she probably give him so he would stop?

Clueless, Hannah can consider going back to her hometown and forget about everything else. But doing that while innocent people suffer from losing their jobs might not give her peace at all.

On the other hand, maybe it's about time to face Nate Sarmiento again.

-----

Sa halip na pumasok sa trabaho at intindihin ang turnover, Hannah thought she could try talking to Nate. Hindi para sa sarili niya kundi para sa mga mawawalan ng trabaho gaya niya na hindi naman dapat.

Kaya natagpuan niya ang sariling nasa NS Hotel at nakikipagtalo sa assistant ni Nate para makapagpa-appointment. Wala kasi ang sadya niya roon.

"One month? Are you kidding me?"

"No, ma'am... That is Mr Sarmiento's next available schedule. You're lucky a client cancelled an appointment. That's the slot I'm giving you. If you don't want it, the next one will be in two months."

"Two months? That's even worse!"

"Ms Rodriguez," isinara ng may edad ng assistant ang appointment book na hawak nito at tiningnan siya nang diretso sa mga mata. "I won't lie and tell you that I don't know you. In fact, I expected your visit here. Hindi ko lang inasahan na agad-agad. I underestimated your conscience."

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you forget all these formalities and go directly to his house?" Sa halip ay sagot nito sa kanya.

Tama ito. Naisip naman niya iyon. Pero ayaw niyang maging unprofessional. Isa pa ayaw niya mag-impose na welcome pa siya sa bahay ni Nate. Besides, Olive might see her. Pati na rin ni Elisha.

"I can't," mahinang sabi niya. "He might get even mad kapag doon ako nagpunta."

"Ms. Rodriguez, you'll never know unless you give it a try," ngumiti ito sa kanya na parang ina sa anak. "Nate is so unpredictable. One moment he's mad, the next, he's sweet. So, it's worth the try, Hannah," she added, calling her by her first name like matagal na siya nitong kakilala.

She nodded and said her thanks. She left the hotel unsure of what to do next.