Inamorata (The Woman I love)

Chapter 1

I was looking at the glass window of my 50th floor building when somebody calls my attention.

"Sorry for interrupting you Miss but this is urgent, You have 2 meetings for today. One is with the ASEAN Entrepreneurs at 11am and the other meeting is with Mr. Raul Ohara of Greenfields Inc. at 3pm" napabuntong hininga ako, that is Sarah my secretary who was been with me since I started doing business. Kauuwi ko lang ng bansa para sa bago kong proyekto for charities at para ma-ipagpatuloy ang Power Corp. I wanted to sponsor charities especially for youth who wanted to practice entrepreneurship and aspires to be businessmen someday. Gusto kong palawakin pa lalo ang business opportunities dito sa Pilipinas. I have been in the United states when I become an overseas worker there. Hindi ako nakapagtapos sa pag-aaral simula nung tinanggal ako bilang isang cook sa Buena Mines. I remember begging to Benita Buenavista, the President of the Buena Mines Corp. Ang ina ng lalaking minahal ko at lalaking pinag-katiwalaan ko. Nag-makaawa ako at lumuhod para hindi niya ako sisantihin dahil ang Buena Mines lang ang nakakapag-paaral sa akin but unfortunately simula nung kumalat sa office ang scandal between me and Diego na may nangyari daw sa amin (Diego is one of Benita Buenavista's son) ay nasira na lahat ng pangarap ko. Pangarap na makapagtapos at magkaroon ng pamilya. Pangarap na hindi lang ako ang bumuo nito pati na rin ang isa pang anak ni Benita Buenavista, ang lalaking minahal ko. Ang aking multo ng nakaraan. Damn! Amor focus! Forget about Eduardo!

"So.. 11am with the ASEAN
& 3pm with Greenfields. Okay I got it. Thank you Sarah" kailangan ko pa bang i-remind ang sarili ko na dapat ko ng kalimutan ang lalaking yun. For God's sake it's been 20 years. Sarah looked at me and by the look of her face she is deadly curious. Kung hindi ko lang matalik na kaibigan itong si Sarah ay siguro matagal ko na tong sinisante. 10 years before I started this business nung binigyan ko ng proposal itong si Sarah. I met Sarah in the U.S. Pareho kaming nagta-trabaho bilang isang call center agent doon. Other than that, I had different jobs too. Naging dishwasher ako then I was been promoted to become a cook dahil nagustuhan nila kung paano ako mag-luto. Hindi naman ako aabot being isang Amor Powers kung walang tumulong sakin. With that I met Gary Powers, had a multi-billionaire company which is the Power Corporation and so many businesses surrounding United States. Para ko ng naging ama si Señior Gary, siya ang naka-diskubre ng galing ko sa pagluluto. At first, akala ko may gusto siya sa akin at gusto niya akong maging asawa but he is a decent man. At tinuturing niya akong anak dahil wala naman siyang naging anak. Tumira ako sa mansion niya and become a cook there especially when occasional gatherings. He trusted me with all his heart. Though, unfortunately he died because of cancer. Hindi ko inaasahang mamanahin ko lahat ng ari-arian niya because for me I was just working with him pero sa kanya tinuring na niya akong anak niya. I am very grateful to have him in my life despite of having vengeful past. So I told Sarah everything. Siya lang pinagkakatiwalaan ko sa lahat. She's with me through thick and thin. Alam niya ang buong detalye ng istorya ko at siya lang ang naniwala sa akin. Siya na ang naging pamilya ko simula nung kinuha ng langit ang tatay ko pati na rin si Señior Gary. Lahat ng malas na nangyari sa akin ay alam lahat iyon ni Sarah. I am very thankful dahil may kaibigan akong tulad niya. Sarah entered my office and locked my door.

"Tapatin mo nga ako Amor, Iniisip mo pa rin ba yang Eduardo na yan? Please tell me you're not thinking that Eduardo again! Kundi masasampal na talaga kita!" and that ladies and gentlemen is my secretary..

"No, of course not!" Sarah looked at me with disgust. Hindi man siya kumakain ng unriped mangoes right now but kitang kita sa mukha niya na nangangasim ito.

"Lies! Lies! Lies! Amor i've been with you for ten fucking years! Alam ko na nga hininga't utot mo, maglolokohan pa ba tayo?" Well, that's actually true pero nakakainis talaga minsan tong si Sarah, minsan umaastang nanay at tatay sakin kahit hindi naman dapat. Kinuha ko ang coffee sa ibabaw ng lamesa ko at tumingin ako sa kanya. Eye to eye. You know. Para intense.

"Alam mo, Sarah. You're over reacting pero kung sabihin ko ba na.. Oo may magagawa ka" I grab some magazine na nakapatong sa desk ko at inumpisahang buklatin ito na para bang batang walang pakielam kahit pinapagalitan ng magulang niya. Nakita kong itinaas ni Sarah ang dalawang kamay niya bilang pag-suko sa argumentong iyon naming dalawa. At napataas nalang ako ng kilay sa amusement.

"I knew it! Well, fine.. Do whatever you want to do MISS Amor. Napaka-tigas naman ng ulo mo so go ahead. Sa ginagawa mo hindi naman ako yung masasaktan at malulungkot eh, right? So go! Think what you want to think, remember what you want to remember. I'm done with this conversation...... And by the way your meeting is in 30 minutes" then Sarah walked out. I don't know. I'd tried and tried to forget Eduardo but it seems like fate is doing its own fate. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan.

I was browsing some article in the magazine when I notice someone familiar.

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Sorry for the cliffhanger. I just want to thank you kasi you lend your time with me para mabasa itong first story ko. Salamat talaga. Ready to read the next chap? Sino kaya yung nakita ni amor sa magazine? Would it be???

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