Cheesy, Charming & Light-Hearted

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"THE THING IS, I'm saying yes," I say, "to the offer," I add hurriedly.

"An— ano 'yon?" tanong ni Abigail at hinugot ang earbuds sa kanyang mga tainga. Pinakita niya ito sa akin. "Nakikinig ako sa isang meditation podcast."

"Ay, pasensya na. Naistorbo kita," sabi ko. Hindi niya ako napansing pumasok? Maybe I should leave. I glance around her office, trying to muster the same strength of purpose I've had seconds ago when I said the word yes. Kinailangan kong mag-push-ups ng singkwenta.

Handang-handa na ako kanina. Ngayon? Hindi na.

Si Abegail ay isang sixty-one year-old na byuda. Her Italian husband died from cancer almost a decade ago. She has a short, graying bob hair. Red thin-rimmed pair of glasses perches on the bridge of her nose and bracelets that make noises around her wrists sum her up. She is one of the board of directors, pero ayon sa kanya, mas gusto niya raw mas immersed siya sa mission-vision ng PCC. Kaya niluklok siya bilang general manager in charge of corporate fundraising five years ago. Isa rin siyang plantita at environmentalist. That explains the mint on her desk and the succulents placed randomly, but orderly in her office, and why she limits the use of plastics.

"Fa niente," she says, waving it off. It's Italian for "no problem" or "no worries". Parang naging catchphrase niya na ito sa coalition. She seems businesslike, but actually more laidback if you get to know her. "Ano yung sinasabi mo sa akin, Freddie?"

"Yes," sagot ko. Napangiwi ako. "Doon sa offer."

Kumunot ang noo niya at napakurap siya. "Okay. Bakit?"

Ako naman ang napakurap. "Bakit? It's a huge amount of mone—"

She tuts loudly, cutting me off. Right. Money is a bad word for her. She doesn't want PCC to be about getting money, but instead, earning causes. Giving but not expecting good rewards in return. Bigla ko tuloy naalala yung time na tinawag niyang stronzo yung businessman sa annual gala event. The guy wanted his face plastered on a projector with the money he wanted to donate. He ran for mayor the following election.

The donation didn't push through, and he didn't get elected. It's a double win for us.

"That word was never mentioned in our mission statement—"

"And doesn't speak of our values," I finish.

Ngumiti siya at inayos ang eyeglasses kahit hindi naman ito nagulo. It's probably a mannerism that developed with wearing glasses. Pansin kong ganoon pa rin ang itsura niya simula noong unang nag-volunteer ako rito. Ganito siguro kapag unproblematic, gaya ni Keanu Reeves o Paul Rudd.

My eyes flicker to my reflection in the glass wall behind her desk. There are bags under my eyes that have never gone away since that interview blip, the lines on my forehead are more prominent, and I even asked Fiona once if my hairline is receding. Matutuwa siguro si Geoff kung napanot din ako. I feel o-o-o-ol-l-ld.

Sure the suit is sharp, my watch — a gift from Hazel — shows of class, and the barber's cut gives the impression of being polished, but I can't help thinking that everything about me has become dull.

I am thinking the opposite of fa niente. No no problem. Fa fa niente.

"Freddie?" 

"Ah. Oo." Why why why. "Sa tingin ko lang isang malaking tulong yung proposal ni Audrey para sa PCC. With the cause, we don't just celebrate lives, but also Audrey's comeback. Kilala natin si Audrey na isa sa mga pinaka-commendable volunteers ng PCC," paliwanag ko, "hanggang sa umalis siya," dagdag ko kahit hindi na mahalaga ang information na 'yon.