Five O'clock Sky (Nueva Caceres#1)

CHAPTER 17

Sa milyon-milyong kinikita ng plantasyon bawat taon, I could say Sandro is earning well. Hindi ko lang alam kung bakit kailangan niya pang mag part-time bilang waiter sa Casa Lucio tuwing gabi.

Nagbuntong-hiningi ako at marahang nilapat ang likod sa sandalan ng lounge  habang ang mga mata'y nakatutok kay Sandro doing his job as a waiter. He was serving drinks from one table to another.

That night when I first found out that he's a waiter at Casa Lucio, I concluded that maybe he just really needed to have a double job para makapag-ipon siya ngayong pasukan bilang isang 4th year agricultural engineering student. But after knowing that he's a stockholder of the plantation, na kumikita naman pala siya ng higit pa sa sapat, why does he need to work as a part timer in Casa Lucio?

Ilang araw ko na ring dinadala ang katanungang iyon. But above anything, I was proud of him. Tila ba gusto kong ipamukha kina Dahliarose at Lawrence that they're very wrong when they thought that Sandro is just a good for nothing handsome farmer.

Nagkasalubong ang mata namin ni Sandro when he walked towards my table bringing the drinks that I ordered. Walang nag-iwas ng tingin.

"Why do you have to work here?" Agaran kong tanong matapos niyang mailapag ang cocktail glass sa table. "You're a stockholder, aren't you? And you're earning higher than what is decent. So, why?"

Saglit na natilihan si Sandro. It's either he didn't expect me to ask such an out of nowhere question o hindi niya marahil akalain na alam ko na ang pagbili niya ng stock sa plantasyon. Kalauna'y nagkibit ito ng mga balikat.

"Extra money."

May maliit na ngisi na namutawi sa kanyang labi bago ako tinalikuran at tumuloy sa pagse-serve sa ibang table.

Muli, napa buntong hininga nalang ako at sumimsim sa cocktail glass. Nasa malalim akong pag-iisip nang marinig ang tilian at hagikhikan sa kasunod na table na nasa aking likuran.  Instinctively, I turned my head.

They were a group of five women. All looked pretty, rich and mature. In their poised and demeanor, naalala ko si Dahliarose with a natural sense of seduction. They're a woman with an established career. It was evident in the way they stand and carry themselves. My eyes moved and narrowed to the woman na nakahawak sa  kaliwang balikat ni Sandro while the latter's hand was on the woman's waist, tila ba inaalalayan ito.

"I'm so sorry. I was really about to go to the ladies' room pero nahihilo ako." Rinig kong saad nito dahil hindi naman nagkakalayo ang table namin. May bahid ng hinhin at formality sa kanyang kilos at pananalita. It looks like she almost fell when she stood up at kumuha ito ng supurta kay Sandro na nagkataong malapit dito.

Wala sa sariling pinaglakbay ko ang mata kabuuan ng babae. Her hair is naturally silky long and straight. Her make-up was light and decent. She's wearing a blue one-shouldered tight dress that reached half of her thigh. How can a woman look seductive yet educated and professional at the same time?

I unconsciously looked on my clothes. I'm wearing a pink Channel tube top and high waisted fitted skirt and a Manolo Blahnik over-the-knee boots. A typical outfit of young women. I'm all luxury from head and down at alam kong maganda ako sa ayos ko ngayon. In fact, kaning palabas na ako ng mansion upang tumungo dito, naabutan ko ang Mommy sa living area. She gave me a couple of complements. Sa pagpasok ko rin ng Casa Lucio, I was a head turner. If only I was here to flirt with random handsome man, I could have chosen among those men who approached and offered me high-end drinks when I arrived. Kaya hindi ko mawari kung saan nangagaling ang insekyuridad na unti-unting lumulukob sa'kin ngayon.

"Can you please accompany our friend outside the washroom?" Said by one of the women in their circle. "She's drunk. We're worried she might slipped again."