The Art of Persuasion

Laugh At Me

Laugh At Me

Like some other action movies, when a guy punches a guy out of nowhere there will always be a commotion after. So here I am, panicking about what on Earth should I do to stop the both of them from beating each other's face. Sa sobrang taranta ko ay hindi ko na namalayang napapalibutan na kami ng mga tao at halos lahat sila hinahawakan na silang dalawa at pinipigilan. Even the owner tried to stop the both of them pero mukhang ayaw nilang papigil. I was so frustrated and at the same time depressed by the whole scene and I just snapped in front of them.

"Will you two stop the hell out?!" My high-pitched voice echoed across the place and also did stop everyone from what they were doing. Pinahidan ko ang mukha kong puro luha and it was a good idea not to wear make-up dahil kung meron man akong make-up ay baka mukha na akong aswang.

"Aren't you too old to fight in public? Mahiya kayo please. Seth, I'm really sorry. " I apologized and his eyes finally relaxed and met mine as he nodded for acceptance. I managed not to look at the other guy because I think I'm going to kill the shit out of him if I do. I excuse myself from the audience and walked out of the bar—feeling irritated and exhausted. Pagod na pagod kakaiyak at inis na inis sa nangyari kanina.

Kikiligin na sana ako pero mukhang hindi ko magawang kiligin ngayon. Hell no, not this time. He went way across the line and by hitting someone in the face didn't help at all. Napaka-inconsiderate niya talaga kahit kailan, that cold-blooded monster and his anger issues. The nerve of that guy ugh.

I was about to open my car door and finally decided to head home and have a good sleep when someone pulled me and started walking to another direction. Kahit pagod na pagod na ako ay nagawa ko paring kalasin ang kamay kong hawak-hawak niya at saka siya hinarap. His face was still chic even if he had a few cuts on his lips and right eyebrow. Damn Cil, seriously? Galit ka pero chineck-out mo kung gaano siya kagwapo?

"Kapal rin talaga ng mukha mo no? Did you know that that was one of Mr. Ongpauco's managers? He's our fucking partner, Caleb. Sinong matinong taong susuntukin ang partner niya sa negosyo ng walang dahilan? What kind of logic do you have?" I asked directly and I noticed how his jaw clenched. Napapikit siya sa galit at saka huminga ng malalim. I remained still in my position, crossed arms and all. I was definitely waiting for an answer, ano na lang ang ihaharap namin sa Fuego Cebu? That their very own Caleb Ignatius, the respected CEO of the board punched one of his partners in public? Way to go, Caleb.

"Where have you been? Absent ka kanina. Hindi ka macontact ni Portia." He said and it made me raise my eyebrow. I was aware of my intentional turn-you-phone-off scheme because I don't want to feel disturbed while I mourn. What I am curious about is that ano naman sa kaniya kung absent ako? I know I'm his associate but I know for sure wala siyang appointment ngayong araw na 'to. I maybe a bitch but I'm responsible. Hindi ako basta basta umaabsent, nagkataong broken ako at wala rin namang gagawin. So why does he care?

"So you're concerned, why?" I asked with the most sarcastic tone I have ever made. I felt his eyes glued onto mine and I can see how it was falling apart. His eyes were the most factual thing I have ever seen. His eyes alone tell a whole story. What I don't understand is that, what is he implying? Is he sad, is he upset or is he disappointed? I don't even know how to read him.

"Caleb kung wala ka ng sasabihin aalis na ako." I affirmed and his eyes changed from downfall to panic. Tipong hindi niya alam kung anong gagawin niya plus his hands were shaky which is very unusual of him. He never gets nervous, he's always prepared. Ano ba nangyayari dito?

"Fuck." He cursed and within that second he held me into his arms. It felt weird because I haven't felt like this before. All these butterflies roaming inside my tummy and as my heartbeat turned from normal to fast. Hindi ko alam kung gagalaw ba ako o hindi, all I know is that Caleb's hugging me—no more like squeezing me that I can't even breathe what the hell.