Chapter 22
CBI Awards (Part 2)
"Are you okay? What happened? Bakit kayo pinatawag?"
Pagkalabas ng boardroom, naabutan ko si Kuya Orpheus na naghihintay sa labas ng silid.
Napaahon siya mula sa pagkakasandal sa dingding para lumapit sa akin, seryoso at kritikal ang pag-aalala sa hitsura.
"K-Kuya... uh... may misunderstanding at..." Wala sa sarili akong napailing. "I don't know, Kuya. I was so... confused."
Iyon ang totoo. Kahit na-settle na sa usapan ang hindi pagkakaintindihan sa pagitan ng Mackenzie at Southern Valley, matindi pa rin ang pagkalito at kaba ko sa nangyari.
Sunod-sunod din, kalaunan, na nagsilabasan ang iba upang bumalik sa mga station. Sabay kaming napatingin ni Kuya roon. Tahimik akong tumabi para magbigay-daan.
Nang pagkakataon na ni Mr. Giovanni lumabas kasabay si Ian Bernardino at Mr. Blanco, sinundan ko ito ng tingin pagkalagpas sa akin.
"Ophelia? What are you still doing here? Oh!" Natigilan si Ate Michelle nang napansin ang katabi kong kapatid.
Pagkabalik sa akin ng tingin, nakataas na ang mga kilay nito. Alam ko na agad ang ibig sabihin ng hitsurang iyon.
"Kuya, this is Ate Michelle Velasco, one of my teammates. Ate Michelle," lingon ko muli rito. "This is my older brother, Orpheus Rizieri Mallari."
Tumango si Kuya at tipid na ngumiti, halatang nagiging civil lang kahit bakas sa hitsura na gusto pa akong kausapin.
Sa kabilang banda, pansin ko ang multong ngiti sa mga labi ni Ate Michelle kahit pinipilit nitong i-compose ang sarili.
"Nice meeting you, uh... Orpheus. How supportive of your brother, Ophelia, to come and visit you here!"
Hiya akong napasapo sa aking batok. "Actually, he's not a guest. He's one of our opponents, Ate Michelle. He's from Rouxton..."
Her eyes widened as soon as she realized.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Explains the familiar logo..." tukoy nito sa suot ni Kuya.
Before the conversation strays any further, Kuya narrowed his eyes at me for a second before turning to Ate Michelle, clearing his throat
"That's okay. Glad to meet you, too, Michelle. I really do. But as much as I'd like to contin-"
"Kuya," I cut him off.
Mataman itong lumingon sa akin.
"Kailangan na naming maghanda sa business plan presentation... Mamaya na lang tayo mag-usap."
Nakatulong ang bahagyang pagtango ni Ate Michelle. Later on, Kuya was left with no choice but to strain a nod.
"We'll discuss this later. All details provided."
Napalunok ako pero sa huli ay labag sa loob na tumango. Nauna na itong umalis sa kabilang direksiyon kaya naman pumanhik na rin kami ni Ate Michelle sa station namin.
I was secretly snatching glimpses of Mr. Giovanni. While busy maneuvering the laptop and the big screen, he looked unbothered to what had just happened.
I wished I could act like that. As if nothing happened. But I think... I think I was involved. I was thrown into this pitfall without my knowledge.
Kunot-noo akong napaiwas ng tingin upang ibalik ang atensiyon sa hawak na briefer.
All the other members were disturbed by the encounter, sure. But they seemed all relieved now compared to earlier. Unlike them, my mind was still filled with questions. Pabalik-balik sa isipan ang mga nangyari kanina.
Sitting opposite each other were Mackenzie and Southern Valley representatives with three CBI officials in between to act as mediators of the two parties.
Isang ginoo mula sa CBI Association ang bumali sa katahimikan. Napasapo ito sa noo, dismayado ngunit halatang hindi palalagpasin ang isyu.
"Let's get this straight to the point. Southern Valley College, could you tell us why you suspect that the team of Mackenzie University is cheating?"
Awtomatikong lumandas ang gulat sa aming mukha, maliban sa ilan, lalong-lalo na ang mga taga-Southern Valley.
Cheating? What are they talking about?
Halos mapatayo si Ian Bernardino para lamang umalma sa akusasyong iyon.
"There's no such thing as cheating from our team! This is a false accusation!"
"Mr. Bernardino, watch your manners," mariing saway ni Mr. Blanco.
Bumuntong-hininga ang isang ginang na nasa gitna.
"First, let me introduce myself. I am Director Romelda of the CBI Association, one of the directors obviously. Second, whether the argument is true or not, we have the right to investigate this case to avoid any potential unjust practices during the competition."
She's got the point. Even if we know to ourselves that we are not cheating, we have to prove our innocence. They couldn't just prove it by simply evaluating our words; they needed foolproof evidence. But...
"Okay, first of all." Finally, one of the guys from earlier had the guts to support their argument. "Denver heard one of the students of Mackenzie talking privately with a CBI Director in a very secluded area, which is suspicious, right? It's obvious that they wouldn't want to get caught."
Napatikhim ang ilan sa amin.
Denver? It sounded familiar. If I remembered correctly, it was the guy with glasses and piercings earlier. The one with a smug face.
Nalipat ang tingin namin sa lalaking iyon na prenteng nakapwesto sa couch katabi ang iba pang taga-Southern Valley.
Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Director Romelda. "Who's this Denver? Is it true? Testify yourself."
"Well, it's true that I saw them." Umayos na ng upo ang nabanggit na lalaki.
Kung nakakamatay lang ang tingin, kanina pa siguro ito pinaglalamayan sa sama ng tingin ni Mr. Bernardino.
"Who's them?" Director Romelda probed.
"Director Sam..." he looked at the old man who was just silent the whole time then pointed his finger at us dramatically. "And one of the folks of Mackenzie right here."
Isa sa amin?
Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ng mga kasamahan ni Director Sam sa kanya, tila gulat at hindi makapaniwala.
"Who was it then? You can't even say the name!" bulalas ni Mr. Bernardino.
Denver smirked sarcastically.
"How would I? I didn't even know you, guys, back then. We're not even close. Isa pa, sa sobrang desperado niyo, sa dilim niyo talaga binalak pag-usapan ang pandaraya niyo."
"Do you have any idea of what you're talking about, young man?" Hindi na napigilan ng ginoo na siyang unang nagsalita kanina. "You are accusing the Head Director of this event! You are in no position to disparage Director Sam."
Hiyang-hiya itong humarap sa pinakamatandang ginoo sa silid, tila humihingi ng dispensa sa kaguluhang nangyayari.
Pero sa kabila noon, tila hindi magpapatalo ang taga-Southern Valley. Napatiim ako ng bagang.
"I'm so sorry, Directors, but I'm just saying what I witnessed. I personally overheard Director Sam and a Mackenzie representative having a deal to meet up in a certain coffee shop at 5 AM to hand over the papers. They even stressed countless times not to tell anyone about the agreement. They wanted to keep it a secret. Can you all believe that?" Denver gave out a mocking laugh. "No wonder Mackenzie acts all high and mighty. Turns out they have shady connections to boost their ego!"
I saw how Mr. Blanco prevented himself to chime in. It was obvious that he was just keeping himself under control. Ganoon din ang iba sa amin. Ganoon din ako.
Hindi totoo iyon! Ano man ang tagumpay at resulta namin sa kompetisyong ito, pinaghirapan namin iyon nang buong puso. Malinis ang konsensiya namin!
Napakuyom ako ng kamao habang pinapakiramdaman ang kabog ng dibdib.
Dismayadong umiling si Director Romelda.
"Do you have any evidence that they indeed met up and exchanged documents?"
Denver shrugged his shoulders with confidence before tossing a printed photograph at the center table. Lahat ay agad na kuryosong sinilip ang litrato. Pinag-aralan ko ang larawan.
Base sa anggulo at layo ng kuha, mukhang kinunan iyon mula sa ikalawang palapag ng coffee shop. Dahil may kalayuan, nakahara ang indoor tree sa halos kalahati ng litrato. Pa-slant iyon kaya hagip pa rin ang bahaging likod ng director. Ngunit mula dibdib hanggang paa lamang ang hagip sa isang lalaki.
Saktong nakuhaan sa litrato ang sandaling inabot ang isang folder. Pareho iyong hawak ng dalawang lalaki roon, animo'y inaabot ng isa mula sa isa.
Director Sam heaved a deep sigh and massaged his temple. The Denver guy continued.
"This photo was taken earlier this morning around 5 AM in the said coffee shop. As you can see, the older man was Director Sam if we based on the hair appearance and outfit. And the other one, although not captured completely, he was obviously a Mackenzie representative because of the polo shirt. It was clearly a Mackenzie shirt even under the coat!"
Kahit dinampot man ni Director Romelda ang larawan para tignan nang mas mabuti, malinaw sa utak ko ang bawat detalye roon.
I blinked repeatedly as I processed those details.
Nang nag-sink in sa akin ang lahat, awtomatiko akong napalingon sa aming lima. Hinanap ng mga mata ko ang partikular na lalaking sumulpot sa utak. Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali.
That posture. That Mackenzie polo shirt. The black trousers. A pair of white sneakers, and most importantly...
That leather belt with a gold buckle!
Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang mga kasama at natigilan nang nahagip ko ang kabuuang hitsura ni Edison Pascual.
For some reason, he was wearing almost... almost the same outfit the man in the photo was wearing.
Pabalik-balik ang tingin ko sa kanyang suot na pantalon, puting sapatos, at sinturon. Naalala ko ang kakaibang pakiramdam ko kanina nang napansin ang kasuotan nito pagkarating sa venue.
How come Edison dressed up like...
Pagkalipat ko ng tingin sa lalaking katabi nito, halos manigas ako sa kinauupuan.
How come... How come Mr. Giovanni's pants changed color? Was it dark brown all along? Lito akong napailing sa sarili.
No. I was 100% sure he was wearing black trousers earlier before we reached his place! He was also wearing white sneakers! How come he's wearing... loafers now? And the leather belt...
Natulala ako nang natantong ang sinturong iyon ay nasa akin ngayon.
Earlier after I went out of the shower, he styled my clothes and made me wear his belt. So that time while I was in the shower... did he change his outfit, too?
"I disposed of the evidence. Make sure you do your part."
Bumulong sa akin ang alaala kanina.
He spoke those words to someone on the other line of his phone.
Could it be... Edison?
Para akong pinagbagsakan ng langit at lupa sa sandaling napagtagpi-tagpi ko ang lahat. Gusto kong matawa sa sarili. Gusto kong sabunutan ang sarili ko nang natanto ang isang bagay.
Palihim kong binalik ang mariing tingin kay Mr. Giovanni na tahimik lamang na nakikinig sa usapan ng mga nasa harapan. I contained my seething resentment.
You disposed of the evidence? You did? Then why did you fucking give me your belt?
Nahuli ko ang nagbabadya nitong pagsulyap sa akin nang sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, narinig kong nadawit ang pangalan ko sa usapan.
"Considering the set of clothes worn, Ms. Mallari and Mr. Pascual are the closest fit to the description," Mr. Blanco chimed in dismissively. "But considering the body frame, context, and sexuality, it's a no-brainer that Mr. Pascual is the one involved with the Head Director."
Para akong uusok nang napunta sa akin ang tinginan ng mga tao bago nalipat ang atensiyon kay Edison. Maikling segundo man iyon pero tila abot-langit ang kabog ng dibdib ko.
"Mr. Pascual, explain yourself. What is your involvement with Director Sam?"
Padabog na kinalampag ng isa pang director ang lamesa. "I said stop dragging the Head Director into this issue! You have no concrete evid-"
"Director Benedict." Sa wakas ay nagsalita na rin ang Head Director na kanina pa tila may kinikimkim.
Lahat kami ay nabigla roon.
"Sir..." labag sa loob na pakumbaba ng ginoo.
Director Sam cleared his throat before standing. "Let me fend for myself. I know how to defend myself and prove my innocence."
"Y-Yes, Head Director." Payuko itong bumalik sa kinauupuan.
Bawat kilos ng nakatatandang ginoo, tahimik na minamanmanan ng bawat isa. Tulad ko, paniguradong maraming katanungan ang iba.
Nagawa ba talaga nitong mag-leak ng confidential data sa isang kalahok? Kasabwat ba ito sa pandaraya?
Lumipat ang tingin ko kay Edison na ngayo'y napapalunok na sa kaba.
What's his motive? Was he that desperate to win this competition to stoop down to that level? Binahagi niya ba ito sa iba o para lamang sa sariling kapakanan ang pandaraya? Ito marahil ang katanungan ng iba. Pero hindi sa akin.
The moment I took a gander in Mr. Giovanni's direction, my breath was caught in my lungs by the way he anticipated that movement of mine.
Ang dami kong katanungan sa mga sandaling iyon sa puntong pinagtataksilan na marahil ako ng mga mata ko. My urge to ask him at this distance was futile.
And I don't know if my eyes were fooling me, but for some reason, I saw his face soften as I looked away.
Binalik ko na lamang ang atensiyon sa harap upang pakinggan ang paliwanag ng Head Director habang haplos ang singsing.
"I suppose everyone's done with the laments. It's my turn so hear me out, shall we?" kritikal na panimula ng ginoo.
Nilibot niya ang tingin sa buong silid bago dahan-dahang nilapag ang isang folder sa ibabaw ng center table. Lahat ng mata ay napukol doon.
"If we are going to talk about the papers we exchanged this morning, might as well do it right. Even if I'm not supposed to... because it's confidential," pagbibigay-diin nito sa huling salita sabay sulyap kay Denver, na tahimik lamang at halos magsalubong na ang kilay.
Si Director Romelda na ang naglakas-loob na buksan ang folder. Malinaw sa aming lahat ang nakaimprenta sa unang pahinang nasa loob nito.
Stock Purchase Agreement
among
The Shareholders of Von Rezella, Inc.
and
Samuel F. Esporlas, Jr.
Halos malaglag ang panga ko sa natuklasan. Hindi rin inaasahan ni Director Romelda ang nakita kaya agad nitong dinampot ang dokumento.
Inisa-isa niya ito hanggang sa napapikit at binalik kay Head Director Sam ang folder nang nakasarado.
"T-This is indeed confidential documents!"
"Is that what you're talking about, Mr. Pelagio?!" asik ng kanilang Dean.
Parang lulubog ang lalaki sa kinauupuan. Tumalim ang tingin ng karamihan dito hanggang sa napilitan itong tumayo para depensahan ang sarili.
"H-How would I know? They must've have changed the files inside! Paano namin... P-Paano namin mapapatunayang nagsasabi kayo ng totoo, Sir?!"
Halos malaglag ang panga ko sa sahig. The nerve of this guy? Kung hindi lamang inawat ni Edison si Ian Bernardino ay baka nasapak na niya iyong Denver.
Pinakalma ito nila Ate Michelle hanggang sa kinausap ito nang mahinahon ni Mr. Giovanni kalaunan.
Pairap kong iniwas ang tingin doon. What a thick-faced.
Nakita kong nilalabas na ni Head Director Sam ang kanyang phone. Pagkakuha, nagtipa siya saglit bago tila pagod na hinarap sa lahat ang screen nito.
"Check our messages after the private conversation and before the coffee shop scene. See it yourself."
Pagkakuha ni Denver noon, para itong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig at naestatwa sa kinatatayuan.
Director Romelda checked it herself to confirm. Turned out, Head Director Sam and the guy were talking about the stock that the former acquired.
And that guy happened to be Edison. His name was the one saved in Head Director Sam's contact. But for some reason, it's a bitter pill to swallow for me.
"I wanted to keep my connection to Von Rezella as private as much as possible. People would pry and use it to their advantage if they knew I'm associated with such an established company," Edison explained when everyone asked why he kept it a secret from us. "I'm very sorry, guys..."
I gnashed my teeth in disbelief. I wasn't convinced by that story.
Sinundan ko ng tingin ang palihim na sulyap ng matandang director. I winced when I tracked the other end of the line.
Mr. Giovanni nodded a fraction and crossed his arms against his chest, shifting his gaze to Denver's direction with pleasure.
Nagtiim lalo ang aking bagang sa nasaksihan. Malakas ang kutob kong tama ang hinala ko.
"We declare that Denver Pelagio is banned from any events affiliated with CBI Association due to his insolent behavior which caused unnecessary conflicts to the program, management, and other participants."
"What? You can't do that to me! I just stated what I witnessed!"
"This is defamation! You caused so many troubles today, Mr. Pelagio," giit ni Director Romelda. "We require you to write an apology letter to the whole CBI Association and Mackenzie Representatives. Since you're banned from this competition, you're suspended to join the next round of your division."
Hindi makapaniwalang napahilamos ito ng mukha. Dismayado rin ang mga kapartido nang nauna nang magsilabas ang mga ito. Samantalang lumapit naman ang kanilang dean sa mga director ng CBI para humingi ng pasensiya.
"That sick bastard. He deserves it," mayabang na komento ni Ian Bernardino, mukhang kontento na sa resulta.
Nang narinig iyon, panlisikan kami ng mata ni Denver at lumapit sa amin. Dinaluhan agad siya ng mga kasama para agapan ang binabalak nito.
"I bet you knew this would happen, huh? You disgusting cheaters!" umamba itong susugod nang humara ang babaeng lumapit sa amin kanina.
"You haven't learned your lesson, have you?" si Ate Michelle, hindi na nakatiis.
"Stop humiliating our team, even more, Denver!"
"Your team," he corrected as he faced the girl. "I'm fucking out of here."
Pabangga nitong nilagpasan ang babae at lumabas na ng silid. Tulad ko, labis ang pagkadismaya at iritasyon ng lahat sa inasal ng lalaking iyon.
How could he act so thick until the end?! And that question also applied to someone more twisted.
Hindi ako makapaniwala nang matunghayan si Mr. Giovanni na animo'y pinapagaan ang kalooban ni Edison kasama ni Ate Michelle. I sneered sarcastically to myself. Ian Bernardino went to Mr. Blanco instead.
Hindi ko na kayang sikmurain ang nangyayari kaya nauna na akong lumabas. I needed some fresh air to breathe, but Kuya Orpheus deprived me of that chance the moment I realized he's waiting outside.
Bago magsimula ang Business Plan presentation ng aming grupo, nagpaalam akong magbi-bio break lang muna sandali. Muntik pa akong samahan ni Ate Michelle pero buti na lang ay kinailangan ang opinyon niya sa isang slide ng presentation.
I splashed water on my face as I looked at myself in the mirror. Kung babalikan ang mga nangyari simula kaninang umaga, lumilinaw lalo sa akin ang posibilidad na kalkulado ang lahat ng ito. Everything was planned and I took the bait. Again.
Sa tindi ng sama ng loob, padabog kong tinanggal ang suot na sinturon. Kung pwede lang ito i-shoot sa pinakamalapit na basurahan ay ginawa ko na.
It was the symbol of my stupidity! I couldn't even believe myself that I fell again into his crazy trap. Kailan ka ba natuto, Riz?
I heaved a deep sigh to compose myself. I promised myself to avoid any unnecessary conflicts in the middle of the competition, but the joke's on me.
"This is getting out of hand..." I closed my eyes tightly.
Nang nakuntento sa pagpapakalma sa sarili, sakto lamang ang balik ko sa pwesto namin. Medyo napatakbo pa ako nang nakitang naka-arrange na ang lahat at naka-line up na sila maliban sa akin.
"Ophelia, hurry," Ian Bernardino scowled at me.
"I'm sorry!"
Nagmadali akong lumapit sa bag ko at initsa na lamang doon ang hawak na belt sabay panhik sa naka-assign na pwesto. Sa tabi ni Mr. Giovanni.
I distanced myself a bit when I realized our proximity. He seemed to notice my movement so his gaze dropped to my feet, questioning my sudden shift.
"Do I have a communicable disease?" Mr. Giovanni asked under his breath.
I gaped in surprise. "Beats me."
Sa gilid ng mga mata ko, kita ko ang bahagyang paglingon nito. He didn't probably expect the sharpness in my response.
Ilang sandali bago muling binalik ang tingin sa harap at nagsalita.
"Where's my belt?"
Pinigilan kong matawa.
Your show has ended. Ano pa bang gusto mo? I didn't respond so I was a bit surprised by his persistence.
"I want you to wear it before we start."
I sneered inwardly. "I don't wanna."
"Ms. Mallari." May pagbabanta sa kanyang tono. Lumingon ulit siya sa akin pero nanatili ang tingin ko sa harapan. "You wear my belt."
"Not a chance. It's suffocating."
"Where is it? I'll use it myself otherwise."
Dahil doon, napaharap na rin ako sa kanya. "Wait. Why are you so worked up with-"
"The panel is coming. Be prepared and focus!"
Naputol ang sasabihin ko sa anunsiyo ni Mr. Blanco kaya napatuwid ang lahat sa kinatatayuan. And I don't know if I heard it right, but I think I heard Mr. Giovanni cursed under his breath before regaining his composure.
What was that for? Kumunot ang noo ko.
Sa kabutihang palad, naitawid namin nang maayos ang presentation. Tulad ng plano.
Fortunately, Ian Bernardino, Ate Michelle, and Mr. Giovanni also managed to defend the first three questions of the panel.
Kitang-kita ang paghinga nang maluwag ni Ate Michelle. Ngunit sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, biglang umabante ang isa sa mga panelist upang tignan mabuti ang screen kung saan naka-pause sa last four slides.
Naghuramentado ang puso ko. Since I was the last presenter, that section was mine.
Mukhang ganon din ang nasa isip ng mga kasama nang silipin ako kaya lalo akong pinagpawisan nang malamig.
"This is great... This is a good presentation." Tumango-tango ang panelist bago humarap sa akin.
Ramdam ko ang pamumutla sa mga sandaling iyon. Ate Michelle dilated her eyes at me. I know she's just trying to console and motivate me. It's now my turn to defend my parts.
"But zero waste convenience store is still a convenience store. Have you ever worked in a convenience store before, Ms..." sabay silip nito sa nameplate ko. "...Mallari?"
"N-No, Sir. I haven't..."
May... mali ba roon? Napatikhim ako.
Sa sobrang kaba ko ata, hindi ko namalayang yumuko ako at humingi ng tawad. Tumawa ang ginoo at winagwag ang kamay.
"No, you're fine! You're fine."
"Oh." Napakagat ako ng labi.
"I worked several jobs back in my days. One of them was being a convenience store employee, so this presentation captured my interest. I see that zero-waste convenience store is not yet a thing here in our country, so tell me. Why is it called a zero-waste convenience store again?"
Napakurap-kurap ako. Hindi ba't napaliwanag na namin iyon sa umpisa ng presentation? Did he miss that part?
Ian Bernardino shifted on his feet to get the attention of the panelist.
"It will be my honor to explore that information with you, Sir."
"No, no. I'm talking to this young lady, hijo."
Mr. Bernardino was caught off guard, but he managed to bow in response to the panelist. Hindi nakatulong ang tagpong 'yon kaya mas lalo akong na-pressure! Kahit sino naman ata ay magugulat doon. He was too eager to test me.
"Uh..." My throat quivered when I realized it. "W-We called it a zero-waste convenience store because... our main goal is to help and promote to the community the principle of conserving all resources possible, from the packing, containers, up to the products themselves, without harmful effects that may threaten the environment and human health..."
Napaangat ang parehong kilay ng ginoo, animo'y mangha sa narinig. I started to think... was he amused by the idea of our business plan or... the way I proved to him that I can actually wrestle with his questions?
Bitterness crept into my system. I worked hard to learn and study our presentation. I won't let anyone belittle my efforts just because of my darn awkwardness.
Napahaplos ako sa aking singsing sa tensiyong nararamdaman.
"Sounds impressive! The Mackenzie team sure have their way with words. Their gift of gab never once disappoint me," manghang komento ng isa pang panelist.
Tumango ang ginoo bilang pagsang-ayon. "Very well. But perhaps I've already heard that point a while ago."
"I-I'm sorry?" Nabingi ata ako.
May mali ba sa sinabi ko? As far as I know, I answered his question, right?
Napalingon ako sa mga kasama at napatunayang hindi ako nag-iisa. Pati sila ay mukhang naguluhan na rin kaya feeling ko naman, ginawa ko lang ang alam kong tama.
Nanatili ang tingin ko sa kaharap na panelist.
"Looks like you've done your assignment about the big idea of the business plan. That's a no-brainer. I'm well aware of where the idea was inspired and the advocacy linked to the business." He scrolled through the touch screen to further check our PowerPoint before shaking his head as if dismayed. "You defined zero-waste. But how about inventory waste? Are you sure it's zero, too? After all, this is a convenience store, so inventory holds a great value, too."
Inventory...
Para akong nalagutan ng hininga. I covered all the financial sections of the presentation. The reason why he only wanted to discuss this thing with me was that... I presented the financials! That's what he meant from the very beginning. He was so sly!
"Inventory waste..." I was lost for words.
"Yes."
Napalunok ako.
Inventory is part of the assets. So when there's a waste of assets, it will be recorded as depreciation expense due to asset impairment!
Wait... is that correct? Is that even what he asked for? What was... the question again?
"Well..." Bahagya akong napapikit nang mariin. "Inventory waste is considered a waste of assets b-because of the related holding costs. Over-purchasing or poor forecast-"
I was cut off when the panelist gave a mocking laugh out of a sudden. Parang bumaliktad ang sikmura ko, lalo na nang nahuli kong napayuko sina Ate Michelle at Edison, animo'y dismayado at nahihiya para sa akin.
"Oh, dear! I don't think you understood my question, Ms. Mallari."
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What is the question a-again?" Nanginig ang lalamunan ko kaya sa huli, napayuko na rin ako at wala nang mukhang maiharap sa lahat.
Dumiin ang hawak ko sa singsing upang parusahan ang sarili.
I thought I knew the answer. I was just... lost. Nawala ko ang tanong kaya paano ko iyon masasagot nang maayos? Was I presssured? Nervous? What the heck is even happening to me?!
"To give you a chance to redeem yourself, let me reiterate my question, hija, but in a simpler way now." Bahagya itong bumuga ng hangin. "In a convenience store that is zero-waste, does it mean there's no waste in inventory, too?"
Ilang sandaling katahimikan bago ko inangat ang ulo at huminga nang malalim. "No."
His brow shot up, intrigued. "Why is that?"
"The idea of zero-waste is bringing no waste to landfill which is one of the most striking advantages of our business, but there is no business in the world that never suffered from any waste of inventory." Umayos ako ng tayo at ginaya ang pagtaas nito ng kilay. "With tight inventory controls or improved inventory management systems, we can prevent or at least reduce inventory shrinkage and inventory waste, and keep quality levels high at the same time. If you would check the summary of our presentation, you will see our strategies on how to manage the costs of unnecessary inventories caused by over or understocking."
Nagsalubong ang kilay ng panelist sa pinakita kong asal. Bumagsak ang balikat ko.
"It's always easy to defend by the book, huh? Any businessman knows what you just stated, Ms. Mallari. It's all about how you put them into words. I'll give you that. But if you are so confident about your answer, then why don't you give me one of those strategies of yours?"
He just won't give up. Napatiim ako ng bagang.
"One of our strategies for managing excess inventory, if there is, is diverting these excesses into a new product or material." Napaiwas ako ng tingin nang tumalim ang mga mata nito sa akin. "After all... zero-waste is about reuse, reduce, and recycle. That's a no-brainer..."
Pagkatapos noon, hindi ko lubos na mabasa ang ekspresyon ng ginoo. Wala akong ideya kung satisfied ba ito sa naging sagot ko... o na-offend sa pinakita kong asal.
The last thing I knew, he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and whispered something to his co-panelists before he walked past them.
Kanya-kanyang paalam ang mga natira bago tuluyang sumunod sa ginoo.
"Maybe it's my lucky day after all!" Edison jumped in triumph. Palibhasa ay hindi natawag sa defense.
"Great work, team! Finally, naitawid na natin ang major category for today!" si Ate Michelle sabay palakpak.
Tipid akong ngumiti at tumango roon.
Bakit ganito ang pakiramdam ko? Kung tutuusin, nasagot ko naman ng maayos ang tanong sa kabila ng kapalpakan ko noong una.
In times like this, what matters most is how you ended it. How you wrapped up your conclusion, your final say. But why do I feel frustrated and dissatified still?
"It was nerve-wracking, Mallari." Mr. Bernardino neared me in the middle of packing up.
Bukod sa gulat, ramdam ko ang paglubog ng puso nang na-realize ang kahulugan noon.
Hindi ako nakaimik. Bumagsak lang ang tingin ko sa inaayos na gamit.
"I have to say it. I thought you're gonna give it up, but you did well in the end. Let's just hope for the best, yeah?"
"Yes. Thank you..."
He just nodded and patted my shoulder before excusing himself to the team.
Naging malaki ang epekto sa akin ng nangyari sa presentation. Sa maikling panahon, nakalimutan ko ang hinanakit kay Mr. Giovanni dahil nangibabaw ang pagkadismaya at hiya ko para sa sarili.
The more I think about it, the more humiliating it feels. Hinding-hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko sa oras na matalo kami sa Business Plan presentation... dahil sigurado akong walang ibang rason sa pagkatalong iyon kundi ang pagkabigo ko sa defense.
Everything was perfectly fine until I opened my mouth. I messed up big time. And for a dumb reason at that.
"Take your seat while we're waiting for the rest of the participants. This will be the final round for the quiz bee competition, so be ready!" I heard the organizer announce while we were looking for our spots.
Tahimik ang parteng ito ng bulwagan. Tanging bulungan at pagkuskos lamang sa sahig ng mga upuan ang maririnig. Siguro dahil na rin konti na lang kami ngayon pagkatapos ng elimination round. Sampu na nga lang, nalagasan pa ng dalawa dahil suspended na ang dalawang representative ng Southern Valley.
Pagkahanap sa pwesto namin, nauna nang naupo si Mr. Giovanni. Napansin kong kanina pa ito tahimik simula nang natapos ang presentation. Hindi ko malaman kung anong iniisip nito. If he was angry, dissatisfied, or happy with the results of our team so far. I don't know.
Kaya naman hindi ko inaasahan ang paglingon niya bigla habang naghahanda akong maupo sa tabi niya. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa aking bewang kaya nakuha ko agad ang ibig sabihin noon.
Ano naman kung hindi ko suot?
I was so ready to utter those words. Pero sa pag-aakalang pupunahin niya ulit na hindi ko suot ang kanyang sinturon tulad ng kanina, taliwas doon ang tahimik niyang pagbalik ng tingin sa harapan.
Tuluyan na akong pumwesto sa tabi niya at tinuon na lamang ang pansin sa nakahandang flag sa table ko.
Hindi ko maintindihan ang sarili... For an unknown reason, I felt more disappointed than earlier. Kailan nagsimula ito?
"Aside from Net Income divided by Cost of Investment multiplied by 100, what is another method to calculate Return on Investment?"
Hindi ko pa man tuluyang napoproseso ang tanong, tinaas agad ni Mr. Giovanni ang flag namin.
Napamulagat akong lumingon sa kanya. Mukhang hindi lang ang mga kalaban at audience ang nagugulat sa bilis niya. Pati akong kakampi niya mismo.
Lumagpas dito ang tingin ko nang natantong halos sabay lamang silang nagtaas ng flag ni Guillen.
"Mackenzie," tawag ng quizmaster, patunay lamang na nauna pa rin ang katabi.
"Return on Investment is equal to the Final Value Gained minus Initial Value Spent divided by Cost of Investment, multiplied by 100."
"Correct. Additional 10 points for Mackenzie."
My eyes were automatically directed to the scoreboard. Hindi hamak na naghahabulan lamang ang Mackenzie at Rouxton Field.
MZU - 30
RFU - 20
SBC- 10
LBT - 10
Sa loob ng pitong tanong, isa pa lamang ang naambag ko sa team namin. Lahat siguro ay sasang-ayon kung sasabihin kong buhat na buhat ni Mr. Giovanni ang team naming dalawa.
Mas malinaw iyon ngayong pabilisan na ang round na ito at hindi na multiple choices sa loob ng sampung segundo tulad ng una.
Higit sa lahat, sampu lamang ang tanong sa round na ito. Tatlo na lang at malalaman na ang kampyon sa division namin.
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga upang gisingin ang sarili.
Sa sumunod na tanong, naunang magtaas ng flag ang partner ni Guillen at sa kasamaang palad, nasagot nila ang tanong nang tama.
That made our scores tied. Dumiin ang hawak ko sa sariling flag. Two more questions...
For the next question, I did my best to focus.
"This is the 9th question," the quizmaster informed us before looking at her questionnaire. "What is the first step in the internationalization process?"
For the record, it sounded like the easiest question of this round I heard so far. Kaya naman, wala na akong sinayang na oras at mas mabilis pa sa kidlat na tinaas ang hawak kong flag.
"Mackenzie."
The goal signal!
I noticed Mr. Giovanni's gaze on me. Siguro hindi niya inaasahan na sasagot ako ngayon.
So with my heart climbing up to my throat, I answered... "Exporting."
"Wrong."
I gaped in shock and fear. Para akong nabingi sa resulta ng sagot ko.
"Steal!"
"Sergio Business College."
"Licensing."
"Correct." Bumaling sa direksiyon namin ang tingin ng quizmaster bago hinarap ang scoreboard. "Additional 10 points for Sergio Business College. Minus 10 points for Mackenzie."
RFU - 30
MZU - 20
SBC - 20
LBT - 10
Naging mabilis ang bawat pangyayari. Maiglap at may bahid ng takot kong nilingon ang katabi at parang pinunit ang puso ko nang bumaling lamang ito sa harapan nang walang imik.
What the heck? What have I done? Napakagat ako ng daliri, pilit kinakalma ang sarili.
That was... That was the first wrong answer and minus points ever made in this round. At galing pa iyon sa akin! Nakakahiya!
Kung hindi ko pa maririnig na tinawag muli ang team namin sa sunod na tanong ay baka hindi pa ako nahimasmasan.
"Mackenzie."
What was the question again?
Tuliro akong napasulyap sa katabi na nakataas ngayon ang kamay hawak ang flag namin. Samantalang hindi ko man lang narinig ang tanong.
"Pareto's law," Mr. Giovanni uttered nonchalantly like he waited all his life for this moment.
"Correct. Additional 10 points for Mackenzie."
Hindi ko maiwasan ang gulat at pagkamanghang pinagsama nang muling umangat ang team namin sa scoreboard.
RFU - 30
MZU - 30
SBC - 20
LBT - 10
The embarrassment I felt a while back was more realized after that. Halatang siya na lang ang sumasalba ng score namin.
"Since that was already the 10th question and we have a tie between Rouxton Field University and Mackenzie University, we are now required to enter a tiebreaker," the quizmaster declared.
Lumakas ang bulungan mula sa audience. Batid ko ang lamig ng pawis nang naramdaman ang paggalaw ng upuan dahil sa pagsandal ni Mr. Giovanni.
Diniin ko ang kamay sa tandayan ko at napayuko dahil sa kahihiyan.
I'm sorry.
I fought all my urge to say that. Hindi ko magawang bigkasin ang mga salitang iyon kaya tinuon ko na lang ang atensiyon sa harapan.
Kung nasagot ko lang nang tama ang tanong kanina, posibleng panalo na kami ngayon. O kung hindi ako nagtaas ng kamay, baka siya ang nakasagot at tama ito panigurado. Kaya panalo na sana kami. Hindi gantong mapupunta pa kami sa alanganin...
"For every correct answer moving forward, you will get additional 15 points, and every wrong answer will get minus 10 points, giving a chance of winning to Rouxton, Mackenzie, and even Sergio."
This might be our last chance, I thought. Even Sergio Business College has a chance to rank first in just one swift move and a correct answer.
"And in this tiebreaker, Lakeview College of Business and Technology is now eliminated. Thank you so much for your participation, and congratulations on reaching this point."
Pinanuod naming lahat ang pagbaba ng nasabing kalahok sa entablado. Ginawaran sila ng medals, plaque, certificates, at malaking mockup cheque ng napanalunan nilang consolation prize.
Pagkatapos ng photo op kasama ang ilang director, organizers, at guest of honor ng CBI Awards, naghudyat na ng pagpapatuloy ng tiebreaker round.
Habang pabalik sa podium ang quizmaster, nilingon ko ang katabi na tahimik lamang at nakaayos na ulit ng tindig, animo'y malalim ang iniisip.
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago bahagyang yumuko para hulihin ang atensiyon niya.
"I promised someone that I will win this, so you can count on me, too...."
Hindi siya natinag doon. Bagkus, nanatili lamang ang atensiyon nito sa harap kaya ginaya ko nalang iyon bago bumuntong-hininga.
Hindi ko tuloy alam kung saan ako mas kabado. Sa tanong na lalabas mula sa bibig ng quizmaster ilang sandali lamang. O sa panganib na dulot ng mga sinabi ko sa oras na hindi ko iyon mapanindigan.
"You got 10 seconds to answer the tiebreaker question. Ready?"
We all pressed the button as our go signal. Bawat tibok ng puso ko ay tila diretso sa tenga. Rinig na rinig ko iyon kasabay ng bawat segundong lumilipas.
I held on to my flag tautly and gathered all my scattered impulses when the most awaited moment began.
"What is the popular Latin phrase in economics that means... all other things being equal?"
Pagkarinig noon mula sa quizmaster, ilang sandali akong napatitig sa big screen kung saan lumitaw ang kaparehong tanong.
That phrase...
"Ten seconds on the clock."
Ilang segundo na ang lumipas at wala pa ring nakakapagtaas ng flag.
For the first time in a while, I noticed from my peripheral vision how Mr. Giovanni turned to look my way as if he was waiting for me to answer it.
And just like a magic spell, I caught myself lifting my flag. Para akong nilagutan ng hininga nang napukaw noon ang pansin ng quizmaster.
"Mackenzie."
This is it. I swallowed to push the lump in my throat. One wrong move and we will lose this round for sure...
But that magic spell. I was so sure of it...
Mr. Giovanni shifted on his feet as he dragged the tip of his pen to a certain paragraph on the page.
"...Other-things-equal assumption."
Kunot-noo kong pinanuod ang pagguhit niya ng imahinasyong linya sa ilalim ng mga salitang iyon.
"That means the factors, which are not considered, are always constant; they stay the same. They never change..." he almost whispered. "Interesting."
Nang nagtama ang aming tingin, inangat niya ang kanyang kanang kamay at bahagyang tinakpan ang mga labi.
That familiar gesture.
"You should take that book with you. It discussed the principles of economics pretty well."
"Bakit ako makikinig sayo," bulong ko sa sarili.
As if he heard my little secret, he gently tapped the hardcover of the book I was holding and stepped aside as a sign of leaving.
"I finished that yesterday and requested the mentor to include it in the assessment. Your call, Ms. Mallari."
"Ceteris paribus!" I almost shouted when I finally remembered the phrase.
Ceteris paribu-llshit! Oo, iyon nga!
Halos mapangunahan ako ng saya nang nahuli kong lumandas ang pagkamangha sa hitsura ng quizmaster.
Binaba niya ang mga mata sa questionnaire bago iangat ang tingin sa scoreboard.
"Correct. Additional 15 points to Mackenzie. And with a total of 45 points, we now have our winner," anunsiyo nito kasabay ng pagsabog ng makikislap na gold confetti sa kisame.
"Congratulations, Mackenzie University!"
MZU - 45
RFU - 30
SBC - 20
Hindi ko na napigilan at napalundag ako sa tuwa! I couldn't believe it! Who would have thought that that magic spell will appear in the questions, let alone in the tiebreaker round?!
Nilingon ko si Mr. Giovanni nang tumayo na rin ito at nilapag ang sariling flag sa table. Kaya naman hinarap ko ito at hindi na napigilang ngumiti.
"Thank you."
He just stood there, watching me.
To be honest, I have a lot of things to thank him today. Mahirap lang para sa aking aminin iyon dahil sa pangamba ko sa buong pagkatao niya.
But at that moment, I felt the need to say it. Sa lahat ng kailangan kong ipagpasalamat sa kanya, sapat na siguro ang isa sa ngayon.
"For which reason?" he probed nonchalantly as he ran his fingers through his hair, eyes busy wandering around.
"For trusting me that I'll remember it," pag-amin ko dahilan ng pagbaba ng tingin niya sa akin. "For counting on me in a very crucial moment..."
His gaze searched my face as if he was memorizing every detail of it until his sharp eyes softened.
Later on, Mr. Giovanni pulled back lightly, his dark lashes shielding his eyes like tinted windows, depriving him to reveal any of his emotions.
"Whatever floats your boat," aniya sabay talikod upang bumaba at lapitan ang kapatid.
November 11, 2022
#GCSeries1