SANDRINE
There's only one word to describe what's happening to us now. Chaos. For some reason, the information that Salguero Tropics will frack the Ecowind estates leak to the media. Reporters are flooding on our gates, convoys of police in and out of Ecowind and our estate, environmental protesting for hours. Everything is a mess, I can't even begin to decide which one to fix first.
I was at the office when the news broke. I tried calling Gustave multiple times but he wasn't answering his phone. I figured he didn't have the time since the media is quickly covering the news. Gustave's brothers sent the jet to Visayas to fly them back on our estate immediately. I didn't realize how much time passed and all I could think about is getting to him and see him safe.
Agaw-dilim na nang makarating kami sa mataas na gate ng compound. Napangiwi ako sa nakakasilaw na flash ng iba't ibang camera sa labas. Ilang mga tao ang nag-sisigawan, sa harap ay ang isang babae na may hawak na megaphone, basa ang pisngi at namamaga ang mga mata. The Aston Martim was heavily tinted but it felt like they can see me inside, I can feel their disgust and I don't even know why. It was an unfortunate accident. Walang may gusto ng nangyari!
"P-pinatay niyo ang Tatay ko! Managot kayo!" Isa isang nag-batuhan ng hilaw na itlog ang mga nag poprotesta sa tapat ng gate namin. Nahirapana kaming ipasok ang sasakyan dahil sa dagsa ng mga reporters at mga nag rarally.
Sonly grunted on the front seat and the driver tried his best to maneuver around the swarm of protesters quickly. A couple dozen of men dressed in black stood up behind the gates as it opened. We went inside quickly while they were blocking the people from going in with us. Hindi na ako nag-aksaya ng oras at dumiretso sa bahay ni Abuelo. As soon as the car stopped, I hopped out and marched inside.
Abuelo's house is filled with a lot of people. A group of lawyers is already inside his office having a meeting with Gustave. His brothers dropped everything that they're doing to help. Holden's people are also inside, helping with the fiasco and I just got home from the office. Everyone was busy, the maids are going around serving drinks, there are a lot more of those men in black and the whole house was just buzzing.
Umiiling na dumiretso ako sa office ni Abuelo. Ramdam ko na ang kirot sa leeg ko at wLa pa ako sa loob. Nahirapan akong umuwi dahil puno ng sasakyan ang daan pauwi. Ang iba sa kanila ay nakasunod sa akin. Hindi ko alam kung media din ba ang mga iyon o kailangan ko nang matakot sa kaligtasan ko. Sigurado akong nakilala nila ang sasakyan kaya nagpasalamat ako sa Diyos na mataas ang bakod ng lugar at tinted ang sasakyang sinasakyan ko.
My secretary already briefed me about what happened. I've met Mang Terry a dozen of times. He was the sweetest old man I know. He's loyal to the company and his skills are incomperable. Everything felt like a nightmare. Hindi ako makapaniwalang namatay ng ganun-ganon lang si Mang Terry.
There were two men in black standing outside the double doors of Abuelo's study. When they saw that it was me, they opened the door and I went inside. There were more than a dozen of people inside the office and Abuelo was sitting in the middle behind his table. Gustave and Holden sat in front of him facing each other, they both looked rough with dirt all over their faces, their suit is trashed with some holes in it and I saw a glimpse of blood on Gustave's long sleeve polo.
I took my phone out and dialed my secretary's number.
"Jane, I need two sets of men's clothing. Bring them to me ASAP." Everyone looked at me when they heard my voice but my gaze is fixed on Gustav and his miserable state.
He stood up and embraced me, his his head rested on my shoulder and I hugged him as tight as I can not minding the presence of the people in there.
"Hey..." Buntong hininga ko.
"Thank God, you're here..." Tanging aniya nang hindi humihiwalay sa akin.
I know there's been a gap between us this past few weeks but I think we can agree that we both need each other right now.
Dumapo ang paningin ko kay Holden. Pinapanood niya lang kami at nang mag-tama ang paningin namin ay nag-iwas siya kaagad ng tingin. It was awkward enough with strangers in here. Mas lalo pang naging nakakailang ang paligid nang dahil sa nanghuhusga niyang tingin.
"The detective on the case is on his way. The less you say about the accident, the better." One of Holden's lawyer said.
"I said I didn't know anything about the accident! I was there! Bakit hindi si Holden ang gisahin niyo? It's his fucking machine!" Gustave exclaimed defensively.
Hindi ko siya masisisi dahil sa tono ng mga abogado ni Holden ay mukhang siya ang gusto nilang umako ng responsibilidad sa aksidente. Why? It wouldn't take a genius to think who's responsible. Holden's machine is defective and it happened on our property grounds. They're both at fault!
"Did you forget? Nag-test run na kami ng mga makinarya sa lugar. It all went well."
"Then what the hell happened? Why did it fucking explode?"
"It was an accident, asshole! Don't blame this on me."
"Oh, I'm not blaming you for anything. But if I go down, I'm bringing you with me."
"Hey! Hey! Tama na 'yan! Fighting will not solve anything! Gustave, tell me exactly what happened."
"I really don't know, Sandrine. He said he's just going to fix something and then the truck suddenly exploded."
Umupo ako sa bakanteng upuan at hinilot ang pumipintig kong sintido. Can't I have a fucking break? The whole week is fucking rollercoaster. Ni hindi pa ako tapos sa naunang problema ko, mayroon nanamang kasunod!
"What do you think we should do, Mija?" Abuelo's gentle voice cut off any sound in the room. Everyone looked at him while he was looking at me.
Huminga ako ng malalim. I felt the sudden pressure crawling through my skin. I didn't know what to feel when Abuelo really showed interest in my opinion. Me, the only woman in the room.
"Have you contacted the family of the deceased?" Ibinaling ko ang atensyon ko sa abugado ng Salguero Tropics.
"Y-yes, Madame. We made sure they are well compensated." Sagot niya.
"The press and the public are taking sides. We need to talk to the family and release a joint statement. Make sure they won't sue both companies."
Umiling ako at hinilot ang sentido ko. Hindi magiging madali ang lahat. Naalala ko ang babaeng nasa unahan ng mga nag-po-protesta sa labas. She said we killed her father. I bet she is Mang Terry's daughter. Sigurado akong hindi siya papayag na aregluhin ang lahat. And even if we did manage to pay the family off, it wouldn't sit well with the media. This is not good, not when everything is on the line.
Bumukas ang pinto ng opisina ni Abuelo at iniluwa noon si Jane. May dala siyang dalawang pares ng damit panlalaki. Kinuha ko iyon at iniabot kay Gustave ang isa. His fingers lingered on mine for a while and then he sighed and took the clothes from me. Iniabot ko naman ang isa kay Holden. I got irritated with the way he keeps on looking at me, like he's longing or something. Which is quite inappropriate because number one, I'm married and number two, my husband and his entire family is here.
"Go change. We'll do more damage control after. Everyone, go and have some coffee or something. God knows we all need it." Naiiling na anunsyo ko.
Gustave and Holden looked like they were going to murder each other. Gustave stepped out of the office first and then Holden followed him. Napaka daming banyo sa bahay ni Abuelo at malalaki na sila. Siguro naman makakahanap sila ng kanya kanyang banyo, ano?
Isa isang nag-labasan ang mga tao sa opisina hanggang sa ang magkakapatid na Salguero at si Abuelo nalang ang natira.
"What are we going to do?" Emil was the first one to break the silence.
"We fix it, just like we always do." Sagot ko.
Ito ang unang beses na nagkaroon ng ganito kalaking krisis sa Salguero Tropics. Everything could go to waste with one wrong move. Investors will pull out, consumers will castrate us for the mess, stocks will plummet down and we could go bankrupt in seconds!
"Contact the head of PR and tell her to fucking fix this. Release a statement as soon as possible."
"The police are going to be all over this. I'm sure they are on their way here." Sancho said.
"What about the paperworks on Ecowind? I'm sure they'll dig into that as well." Lucho said after a few beats.
Lahat ng papeles para sa plano ng Ecowind ay naka-ayos na. Gustave wanted to dig the land to extract oil. A fracking land as big as that will raise an alarm to the police, the department of environment and natural resources and not to mention the people of the country. It doesn't look good for us. They can't know.
"Burn it. Burn it all." I'm in full blown damage control now. Everything else doesn't matter. I have to focus and getting Gustave and Holden out of jail.
Bumukas muli ang pinto ng opisina at pumasok si Enrique. He looked as oblivious as anyone else. I'm surprised he took a long time to get here.
"What the hell happened here?" Bakas sa mukha niya ang gulat.
Hindi maayos ang relasyon namin ni Enrique. Kahit na gusto ko siyang pag-buntunan ng inis ay hindi ko ginawa. Sa ayaw ko at sa gusto ko ay kailangan ko siya dito. I need every bit of help that I can get.
"Where have you been?" Kalmadong tanong ko.
"I got on the first plane back in Manila when I heard the news. I was in Singapore taking care of some business." Pinasadahan niya ng palad niya ang buhok niya. Napansin kong magulo iyon. Halatang frustrated din siya sa nangyari. Sino ba namang hindi?
Yumuko ako at ibinaling ang paningin ko sa isang baso ng scotch na nasa center table. Walang nangahas na sumagot kay Enrique.
"We're fucked, Enrique. That's what happened." Si Lucho ang sumagot sa kanyang pinsan at nanatili akong nakayuko.
Ilang sandali pa ay nakarinig kami ng kalabog at ng kung anong nabasag kasabay ng sigawan sa labas. Nagka tinginan kami ni Abuelo at mabilis na lumabas ang mga kapatid ni Gustave para alamin kung ano ang nangyari. Napailing akong muli dahil may hinala na ako kung ano ang madadatnan namin sa labas.