untouchable

20

"The office will be right here in New York obviously, since our headquarters are here, but the position we're offering requires traveling. Like, a lot of traveling. You might be needed in the UK, or Spain, or somewhere else, but your visa wouldn't be a concern. All you need is your passport, and the company will take care of the rest. The workload wouldn't be so heavy. The benefits and negotiation of salary would be discussed further if you so decide to take up our offer."

Jill stares back at the card on her hands, then to the woman before her, then to her smiling boss. This is too good to be true, and she might need to think about this for a while.

Before she can reply though, the woman breathily chuckles while shaking her head. "Of course, these are all too much to absorb in one sitting. You can take your time thinking about it in the next few days or so. For sure, you're still choosing among your options."

The young woman sighs in relief. She's frankly overwhelmed and if pressured further, she might say yes without another doubt. Well, this was her dream job so there aren't any thorough contemplating needed, but she'd like to think she got options. She kinda want to work back home, but also knows letting this amazing job opportunity go would be regretful.

Jill needs time to think about it.

The lady then stands up from her seat because she has to leave. Jill follows suit. "Thank you so much for the job offer, Ms. Burns. I'll get back to you soon once I come to a decision. But I must admit, I would be dumb to let this slip away." She laughingly says.

Ms. Burns laughs at Jill's words. "Well, like I said, take your time. You would be a great asset to the company, Ms. Robredo. You can give me a call anytime, it's on the card. We can talk about the details better by then. Again, congrats." Jill shakes her hand firmly once more.

"Ah, let me walk you out, my friend." Her boss said to the lady and walked her out of the office, chatting about something else that Jill didn't care hearing about.

Besides, she's busy dwelling on this window that opened up for her. The want to work for this company weighs more than her want to return to the country. This would look insanely good on her CV, though, and the starting salary is pretty high for a fresh grad. Just a year or two of working and saving up, she can pamper her Mama and sisters the way she's always dreamt of doing. She could live out her wishes to be a rich Tita.

No, she must discuss this with her family first. Jill needs to hear more unbiased opinions.

"Ang lalim ng iniisip natin, ah." Her boss warmly speaks up.

Jill smiles at him. He has this fatherly vibe she finds comforting. She sits down on an office chair and sighs deeply, struggling to find words to say.

"I get na you're torn, Jill. Miss mo na rin ang Pilipinas. I know naman na you'll consider it carefully. Though, a piece of unsolicited advice, try mo muna 'to. Matiyaga kang bata. If it doesn't work well, you can always resign. Sayang lang din talaga ang rare chance. You can hone your skills and potential better, and you'd be more appreciated here. Don't get me wrong, I love our country pero... it's not that kind to us na medyo deviated ang field of expertise. Sobrang limitado ang oportunidad." He says.

Jill frowns. He's right.

He pats her shoulder warmly, to ease her worries a bit. "Pag-isipan mo pang mabuti. Hmm?" Jill nods in response. "Alright. For now, let's set that aside. It's your last day and you're graduating! We prepared a small party for you! Tara!"

Jill grins at that. She giddily accepts his outstretched hand. She'd think about that some other time.

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