"Happy Birthday, Jane!" parang naging isang chorus ng kanta ang sabay-sabay na pagbati sa kanya ng mga ka-trabaho at kaibigan. Binigyan siya ng isang surprise birthday party ng Salazar Land Corporation. Sa mga nagdaang buwan ay lalong naging successful ang SLC. As a matter of fact, ang phase 9 and 10 project na naka-assign kay Jane ay may License to Sell at bukas na sa publiko. At ngayon isa na namang 25-hectar ang ide-develop nila into a high-end residential subdivision.
Ilang buwan na rin ang nakaraan at wala pa ring balita si Jane kay Marsha. Ilang beses siyang bumalik sa unit nito sa Estacio. Pero ang sabi ng Property Manager ay binibigyan na lamang nila si Marsha ng isang buwan para kunin ang natitirang gamit, kung hindi ay io-open na uli for rent/lease ang kanyang unit. Nagamit na raw kasi ang mga advance at deposit, at ilang beses na din daw nilang sinubukang kontakin si Marsha. Sinubukan din niyang puntahan ang Lucena Branch ng bangkong pinagtatrabahuhan ni Marsha, pero wala na daw doon si Marsha, nag-resign na daw ito. Kaya sa mga nagdaang buwan ay pinilit ni Jane na bumangon at buoin muli ang kanyang sarili. Ginugol niya ang oras at panahon sa kanilang kumpanya, sa kanyang parents at sa kanyang bestfriend na malapit nang umalis papuntang States.
"Jane!" Lumapit ang kanyang Mommy kasama ang isang lalaki.
"Yes Mom?"
"Kanina pa kita hinahanap. I want you to meet someone," abot langit ang ngiti ng kanyang Mommy, "Jane, this is Erickson Villafuerte. Erickson, this is our only daughter, Jane Marie."
"Hi Jane! And Happy Birthday! Just call me Eric," inabot ni Eric ang kanang kamay kay Jane.
"Hello Eric," nakangiting bati naman ni Jane.
"She's very pretty, 'di ba?" panunukso ng kanyang Mommy kay Jane.
"Moo-oommm!"
"I'm just teasing. But she is pretty, right Eric?"
"She's certainly is, Ma'am," mabilis na sagot ni Eric.
"I know you'll say that. Anyway, I'll leave you two. See you, Eric-Jane, ikaw na ang bahala kay Eric, Make him feel at home."
"Yes Mommy." Lumabas ang dalawa sa garden habang dala ang kanilang drinks. Palingon-lingon si Jane at maya't-maya niyang tsine-check ang kanyang cellphone at pager. Bagay na napansin ni Eric. "Pagpasensyahan mo na si Mommy ha...Ganyan talaga 'yan. May kakulitan kung minsan."
"That's okay. I find your Mom so cool. Uhm...Jane, are you waiting for someone? Napansin ko kasi kanina ka pa tingin nang tingin sa labas. Pati dyan sa cellphone at pager mo. Do you want me to go?" tanong ni Eric.
"No...no, it's okay. You can stay. I'm not waiting for anyone-hindi darating 'yon," nag-iba ang tono ni Jane nang sinabi ito kay Eric. Actually, umaasa pa rin si Jane na maaalala ni Marsha ang kanyang birthday. Pero ni phone call, text or page ay wala pa rin.
"Sino?" nagtatakang tanong ni Eric.
"Ha? Wala...wala lang 'yon. I just thought she'll be here," malungkot na sagot ni Jane.
"She?" gulat na tanong ni Eric.
"Yeah—She," maikling sagot ni Jane. Uminom si Jane ng Scotch mula sa kanyang baso. Mukhang mabait si Eric, gentleman at may breeding. Pero aside from Ambers, ay hindi pa siya handang mag-open up tungkol kay Marsha. Especially to a guy she just met a few minutes ago. Kaya naman sumeg-way na siya para maiba na ang topic, "By the way, I haven't seen you here before. So Eric, what brings you to Salazar Land Corp.?"
"Actually, it's already my fourth time. You were probably just too busy to notice me. Oo nga pala, I was the one who paged you before. Did you get my message?" dagdag pa ni Eric.
"Page?—When?"
"I'm not sure—I think, few months back? Or a year na 'ata? But I remembered my message was like, 'Hi! I hope you have a great day. Good to see you last week.' Something like that. And I got confused and I told the sender's name was Erickson. Actually, it was my first time to page someone. I'm not a "page" person. So when I was about to add who I was and how I got your number on my message, ang sabi ng operator wala na daw space and I have to call again. Then when I called again, ang sabi naman ng operator may problem daw sila sa network."
"Oh yes, I remember na. Yeah...Erickson. It was you pala. I was reading your message when I bumped into-"
"-Into?" nagtatakang tanong ni Eric.
"Into Marsha," nagbago agad ang mood ni Jane.
"Oh...I see. So I guess I was the link between the two of you?" nakangiting sabi ni Eric.
"Anyway, paano mo nga nakuha 'yong pager number ko?" tanong ni Jane.
"Well, a week before I paged you, I saw you sa launching ng Phase 2. I was with Tito Ramon, your uncle and I bravely asked him. I knew him for quite some time now. I used to worked with him noong nasa Guevarra Realty pa kami and he was my mentor. Then when you were not yet hired as Marketing Manager, I used to do part time consultancy stints for SLC. And now that you're opening another prime lot development project, they will hire me as full time Consultant for Marketing. So I guess, I'll be working with you and you'll be seeing a lot of me around," nakangiting paliwanag ni Eric.
"Oh, okay. Congratulations then.-Oh, and we should make a toast to that," itinaas ni Jane ang kanyang baso, "To SLC."
"To SLC, Cheers!"