The Dreamers

I

"Valerie Anne Sario?"

I look up from the bunch of documents I'm encoding upon hearing my full name. "Yes po?"

"Tawag ka ni Attorney." One of the guys from the legal department said before he left. 

I pause what I was doing and walked out of the document and data management office to go where I was summoned.

When he said Attorney, I knew he meant Atty. Christian Santos. 

Chief legal counsel of the San Vicente Municipality Office (SVMO). In his early 40s, Atty. Santos is a bar topnotcher abd has worked in one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. Until he was offered by the mayor to head the legal team for SVMO. He left his old job and has been in San Vicente since then.

Siguro konting background tayo. 

San Vicente is a bustling town of almost a million and a half people. It's one of the largest districts in the region, with the city proper housing several corporations, malls, schools and universities, while the rural areas boast rich agriculture and tourism. Investors and developers are looking at the rising city of San Vicente which is dubbed as the next metropolitan area to watch out for. Kaya hindi naman din ako nagulat sa desisyon ni Attorney. I myself is attracted to the city, more so to San Vicente Municipal Office.

I don't work for SVMO. I am a temp, seconded by the agency I am officially employed with. We were asked to work temporarily for SVMO as part of the documentation and data management directive, so we're working with all of the departments under the offices. 

For the past three months since I started, kay Legal team ako madalas ma-assign, kaya hindi na ako nagulat that Atty. Santos was asking for me. There might have been several documents we still need to process.

I reach his office on the third floor so I knocked three times before I hear him tell me to come in.

"Attorney, tawag niyo raw po—" I stop in my tracks when I realize he wasn't alone in the room. 

With him is Romualdo de Guzman, Chief Communications and Information officer of SVMO, and Jessie Young, SVMO Chief of Staff. Big bosses, plus Attorney. Next to the Mayor, of course.

I've never met them both, but I heard a lot of stories about them. 

These three are SVMO's strong pillars, all directly reporting to SV Mayor. They are all experts in their field even when all of them are relatively young—Jess and Rom are in their early 30s. 

Jess graduated with highest honors in Political Science from a well-known university. He has served as SV's councilor last term, but decided to support the current office from the sidelines for this term. 

Rom, a graduate of IT from the same university, used to work in a big multinational company, but was invited by SV and he accepted. 

A lot of the people in this office and this town respect and look up to them. Wala akong narinig kung hindi paghanga sa dedication and passion nila sa trabaho.

Well, apart from that, madami din silang literal na taga-hanga. As in fans.

I remember where I was so I bowed my head down, "Sorry, Attorney, I can return when you're—"

"No, Val, stay. We're actually here to talk to you." Atty. Christian said.

I raise my head and look at him in confusion. "Po?"

"Have a seat, Valerie." Rom points to the empty chair in front of him.

I cautiously take a seat while waiting for them to start. Bakit kaya ako nandito? Shit. Hindi kaya—

"You must be wondering why we called you here." Panimula ni Jessie and I look at the three of them who are all looking back at me.

"Yes, Sir." I almost whisper while nodding.

"Hindi na ako magpapatumpik-tumpik pa, Valerie. We heard something about you." Seryosong sabi ni Jessie and I swear, I felt a cold shiver run up my spine.

You can never run away from me. A bad memory popped in my head.

"Po?" I ask and clutch the hems of my jacket tightly.

"We'll ask you a question and you only have one chance to answer this. So, don't mess it up." Jessie says sternly.

I hold my breath and several scenarios run through my head. Each one worse than the one before.

"Be honest..." Jessie starts.

"Sino sa aming apat, kasama si Mayor Javi, ang pinakagwapo?"

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@ajnotawriter (Twitter)