Last few weeks na lang before ang benefit concert, in fairness all is going well for everyone. Malaki ang iginanda ng music production mula nang dumating si Ian dito-world class ika nga. Maganda man ang lahat ay hindi parin maiwasan ni Elle na maging kabado lalo pa't ito ang unang concert na maikli ang preprasyon. Mabuti na lamang at nandiyan si Ian sa kanyang tabi para icomfort siya sa paraang alam ni Ian.
While watching the kids rehearse...
Ian: (looks at her) Hey, you fine?
Elle: (keeps watching them) yeah?
Ian: no, you're not.
Elle: eh kasi... kinakabahan ako! konting weeks na lang ang natitira. Paano kung magka problema?:
Ian: eh di, sosolusyonan natin (smiles)
Natapos na ang rehearsals ng mga bata. Natuwa ang parehong musikero sa naging resulta nito.
Ian: alam mo kanina ka pa tensyonado eh. By the way, do you also like teas?
Elle: huh? o... oo? bakit?
Ian: may bago kaming product sa shop ko. Wanna try it? Ano? tara!
Elle: ok sige.
Sumakay na silang dalawa sa kotse ni Ian dahil hindi pa tapos gawin ang coating ng sasakyan ni Elle. Pagdating nila sa shop ni Ian ay agad pinaupo si Elle at sinabihang maghintay - si Ian pala ang gagawa ng tea na ipinagmamalaki niya (impressive).
Maya-maya ay lumabas na rin muli si Ian dala ang dalawang tea para sa kanila. Doon sila sa isang private room kung saan idinadaos ang mga meeting etc.
Ian: be the judge (smiles)
Elle: (sips) uuuy, ang sarap! Magkano to?
Ian: regular price P239 yung small. Pero since introducing, P200 buy 1 take 1 small cupcake.
Elle: not bad! for the quality and presentation, ok na rin.
Ian: you know what Elle, we've been working together for a few weeks now pero napansin ko hindi pa pala tayo nakapag formal... you know? get to know thing? All I know is your name, your car, your work and your event. Tapos wala na.
Elle: (smiles) I'm not really good at telling who I am. So you just ask me anything. haha.
Ian: okay. so pano ka napunta sa concert direction? sa music teaching? etc.?
Elle: well, I am a graduate of conservatory of music sa UST. So 8 years yon, natapos ko lahat. With voice as my major and piano as my minor. Then I taught for 4 years tapos ayon...
Ian: Oooh. Conservatory... Eh when did you establish your own school?
(Elle looks at him in surprise) sorry. HIndi mo ba pinapaalam? Tinanong ko dun sa crew mo sa resto kasi ayaw nilang tanggapin yung bayad ko. Ayaw mo daw na iba ang nagbabayad so sabi ko, bakit? ano ba siya dito? And this guy told me na ikaw pala ang big boss nila.
Elle: I hate it when someone knows about that because they tend to take advantage of me. of the privilege they think they have forever. tss (smirks)
Ian: do you I think I will do that to you? I just wanna know what's on your mind.
Elle: (smiles then looks away)
Ian: I won't. Not even once.
Ilang taon ka na pala?
Elle: Ako? guess.
Ian: if conservatory is 8 years, then you taught for another 4 years, you might be like 28?
Elle: wrong.
Ian: huh? 27?
Elle: last one.
Ian: shet. sirit.
Elle: (laughs)That's my expression! Why are you using it? (smiling)
Ian: just found it cute. (chuckles). so, ilan nga?
Elle: 31 (watching his reaction)
Ian: really? (disbelief) 31? bakit?
Elle: anong bakit? (laughs) what about you?
Ian: (bits lower lip) haha. Tell me, do I look old?
Elle: why? are you 50?
Ian: (LOL) duuuh! I'm 36. Not 50.
Elle: You're 36? edi matanda na rin pala yung brothers mo? You're the youngest, right?
Ian: yes, I'm the youngest! aaah, Oo, 4 years ang gap namin each eh.
Elle: so how does it feel like to have siblings?
Ian: Ah, only child ka?
Elle: (nods)
Ian: well, in my case, super close kaming lahat. Gimik together, iyak together (Elle lughs) lalo pag napapagalitan kami when we were kids. Tho there are times na may inggitan, syempre. Pero kahit galit galit, basta dumating yung nag iisa naming pinsan na babae nagiging ok na ulit kami. We treat her like our sister (laughs) sabik kami sa babaeng kapatid eh.
Elle: ang saya siguro pag big family no? Kaming dalawa lang kasi ng mama ko eh. Wala akong kapatid, wala rin akong tatay.
Ian: talaga? (sympathizing)
Elle: Oo. Then mahirap kami. As in super mahirap. My mom was a public school teacher but she had to resign to look after me kasi walang ibang gagawa. I wasn't able to go to school until I was 7. Super late na no? Tapos hindi na bumalik sa school si mama. Nag tutor na lang siya tapos ako minsan suma-sideline ako sa mga tita ko para sa kaunting barya- pandagdag baon. Kaya lang ako nakatapos at 23 kasi I took the ALS then scholar ako nung mayor namin.
Ian: (muted for a moment) where was your father the whole time?
Elle: I have no idea. My mom never told me anything about him until she died. No pictures, no names, no anything. So pano ko siya hahanapin? Imposible diba? Kaya naisip ko, wag na lang. After all, I made it this far - without him.
Ian: are you alright? (concerned)
Elle: (laughs) naman! It's not something I can cry hard for forever.
Ian: kung ganon, how did the Emily Lofts became possible?
Elle: yung mayor namin since scholar niya ako, we got the chance to meet personally. And parang she liked me a lot so sabi niya since wala akong anak, I will give you some of my properties kasi anak na kita, sabi niyang ganon. My mom died due to heart attack when I was 16, so si mayor Sasa na yung naging nanay ko. Until I finished college and soon decided to put my mana into something productive.
Ian: I'm sorry to hear that. Feeling ko tuloy I shouldn't have asked about it. Nakaya mo yon mag-isa? or maybe kasama mo yung boyfriend mo along the way?
Elle: of course not.
Ikaw? How did you become the CEO? and etc?
Ian: My parents gave us portions of their business and our job was to make it grow. Sa amin kasi ako yung less achiever kaya sabi ko, babawi ako sa ibang bagay. Ayan, after all the hardwork, I was able to establish The 14th group of companies- the name is The 14th kasi I am Carlian Maierhofer XIV.
Elle: oooh! i see. kaya pala. Nice!
Ian: gaano katagal na kayo ng boyfriend mo? 8 years? 10? 12?
Elle: (shakes head while smiling)
Ian: huh?
Elle: I don't have one! (chuckles)
Ian: hindi nga?
Elle: oo nga! (laughs) ba't ba ayaw mong maniwala?
Nang gabing yon ay mag-isa na lamang sa condo si Ian. Iniisip pa rin niya ang sinabi ni Elle na wala itong boyfriend. Para bang nabuhayan ito ng loob since matagal na rin ang panahon na lumipas matapos ang naudlot na relasyon nila ng kanyang first love.
Ian: If she has none, then she's probably worth the effort. Hmmmm...
(to himself) handa na ba ko? O baka matagal lang akong single kaya pakiramdam ko siya na? Pero paano nga kung siya na yung hinihintay ko?
