Hindi na sila nag usap. They just stood there quiet and deep in thoughts. Maya maya pa kumilos na si James. Nag prepare na sya para pumasok sa trabaho.

By: Akhi Ryu Go

New Life Chapters

*At Cherry and James place*

Cherry: I told you already James I wasn't messaging this guy! Nakita mo ba reply ko sa kanya? I was shutting him off!

James: Yeah I saw, but you didn't show me the rest of the conversation and just deleted it anyway. It makes me think that you're hiding something.

Cherry: Why would I ever hide anything from you?! Hindi pa ba malinaw sa'yo na mahal na mahal kita? I deleted it and blocked the guy para hindi na sya pagmulan ng trouble but it seems the effect is opposite.

James: Yeah somehow I'm starting to doubt you.

Cherry: You doubt me? Halos ayaw mo na nga ako papasukin sa office diba? So how would I know what's going on with you there and what you're doing? I think sa ating dalawa ako dapat magkaron ng doubts but I never did.

James: You're making me laugh. Subsob ako sa trabaho. I love you so much and I'm not the kind of person who cheats.

Cherry: Saying that doesn't make it true.

James: I could say the same thing about you! Hindi na kita halos papasukin because I just want you to relax and have time din for your friends. You talk about doubts? Eh ikaw 'tong freely magagawa kahit anong gustuhin mo!

Cherry: Wow... So now ikaw ang nag decide to give me more time to my self but I'm still the one to be blamed?

Hindi na sila nag usap. They just stood there quiet and deep in thoughts. Maya maya pa kumilos na si James. Nag prepare na sya para pumasok sa trabaho. Just when he was about to go

James: I've got to go to work.

Cherry: Do what you want!

Habang nakatalikod parin si Cherry nakatingin lang sa kanya si James, then he continued and went outside. Umiyak nalang si Cherry doon sa sobrang inis nya.

---

Alyssa: Oh dahan dahan lang at baka mabuhusan mo ng sabaw yang panot na nakaupo jan sa table na yan.

Ang sabi ni Alyssa sa isa nyang waiter na may dala dalang sabaw.

Panot na customer: Hoy! Narinig ko yun ha?

Alyssa: Eh ano ngayon kung narinig mo? Magkakabuhok ka ba jan? *nakapamewang*

Customer: Aba bastos 'to ah?

Aktong tatayo sana ang customer ng biglang lumapit si Celine

Celine: Ay naku sir, pagpasensyahan nyo na po yan si Lyssa my co-owner. May regla po kase sya ngayon kaya ganyan. Kung gusto nyo po libre na kayo ng softdrinks para lumamig yang ulo nyong panot.

Customer: Anung sabi mo?!

Celine: Ay este para lumamig ang makintab na ulo nyo. Ang gwapo gwapo nyo pa naman baka magkaron kayo ng wrinkles.

Customer: Hmmp! Paki hatid nalang yung free softdrinks ha.

Celine: Shege po sher.

Then tumango si Celine at lumapit kay Alyssa.

Celine: Anu namang problema mo ha? Bakit ang init ng ulo mo?

Alyssa: Eh pano? Ang init init na nga ng araw tirik na tirik ang kintab kintab pa ng noo nya at isa pa, may utang pa sa'tin yan.

Celine: Tsk tsk. Yan na nga ba sinasabi ko sau eh. Pinalagyan lagyan mo pa ng aircon tong karinderya natin ayan tuloy nasanay ka sa malamig. Ngayong nasira yung aircon di ka na sanay.

Si Celine (Toni Gonzaga) at Alyssa (Jennylyn Mercado) ay may malaking malaking karinderya. All the design ng karinderya ay masyadong girly at obviously tinatry nilang gawing sosyal. Pina install-an ni Alyssa ng aircon last month and then nasira kaagad.

Alyssa: Celine, kung di sana mumurahing aircon ang pinabili mo eh di sana hindi tayo namromroblema ngayon.

Celine: Hayyst! Nako tama na nga. Tulungan mo nalang din ako may order pa dun dinuguan tsaka dalawang fried chicken at isang order ng pansit. Bilisan mo at mukhang may regla din yung mga customer doon gaya mo. Napaka bagal pa naman ng mga waitress at waiter natin.

Maya maya pa may pumasok na gwapong lalaki. Mukhang Phil-Am (John Spainhour). Napatingin si Alyssa at parang nag slow motion ang paligid habang papasok ang lalaki. Papalapit ito sa kanya. Di nya napansin naka nganga na pala sya at kinakausap na sya nito.

Phil-Am: Excuse me miss? What's wrong?

Alyssa: Ha? Oh... Nothing haha. May dumi kase sa mukha mo.

Phil-Am: Really?

Alyssa: There oh just there.

Nagtutūro si Alyssa sa mukha nung guy at palipat lipat ang turo nya. Uto uto naman ang lalaki and he keeps wiping wherever she points. Hanggang sa makalapit na ang mukha nya dito.

Phil-Am: Wait, are you trying to get closer to my face?

Umatras si Alyssa at hinawi ang buhok nya.

Alyssa: No! I was just helping. *murmur* ekew nemen mesyede ke jen.

Phil-Am: I was just looking for a place to eat na malapit lang from where I am staying. Since ito pinaka malapit I decided to try but it looks like punong puno. Mukhang masarap ang food nyo dito.

Alyssa: Of course isa rin ako sa nagluluto dito. Don't you worry. Actually may customer kaming papaalis na. Teka lang ha.

Then she walked towards the table of the customer she called "panot".

Alyssa: Hoy panot tayo na jan. Tapos ka nang kumain diba?

Customer: Bastos ka talaga ano-

Alyssa: Hepp!! Pag sinabi kong tapos ka na, tapos ka na. Makaka alis ka na.

The customer stood up and was about to talk back pero dahan dahan na itong tinulak ni Alyssa at naglakad papalabas ng karinderya

Alyssa: Wag ka na marami pang satsat. Tapos ka nang kumain at kung gusto mo wag ka na magbayad anyway nakakadagdag sa init yang ulo mo. May utang ka pa nga dito eh. Layas na!

Nakatingin lang ang lalaki sa kanya at natatawa nalang sa ginawa nya.

Alyssa: Oh here ka na sir oh. Take a seat. Lilinisan ko lang yung table.

Celine took the initiative to clean up the table pero pinigilan sya ni Alyssa.

Alyssa: Ako nga maglilinis diba ang sabi ko?

Celine: Ha? Eh may mga orders pa diba? Sige na ako nalang. Asikasuhin mo nalang yung ibang orders.

Sabay hila ni Alyssa sa siko ni Celine and she whispered in a threatening tone

Alyssa: Celine pag sinabi kong ako nalang, ako nalang. Masyado kang eksenadora eh.

Celine: Okay okay! Ayan linisin mong mabuti ha!

Sabay bigay kay Alyssa ng pamunas.

Celine: Make sure na malilinis mong maigi ha? Pati singit nya. *Sabay tingin sa Phil-Am*

Alyssa: Panira ka talaga eh.

Habang nililinis ni Alyssa ang lamesa

Alyssa: Sir if you don't mind, since parang magiging regular customer ka namin, may I know your name?

Phil-Am: It's Andrew, and you are?

Alyssa: Alyssa. But you can call me Lyssa. Nag shake hands sila at titig na titig si Lyssa kay Andrew.

Sa buong time na kumakain at nandun si Andrew si Alyssa lang ang exclusively nag aasikaso sa kanya. Nasa kahera na si Alyssa then lumapit si Andrew para magbayad.

Andrew: How much para dun sa kinain ko?

Alyssa: Ahm... free pa this time. Don't worry. Free talaga food namin para sa first time customer.

Then narinig iyon ng isang lalaking customer na nakaupo malapit sa kahera.

Customer: Ay! First time customer din po ako.

Napatingin si Alyssa sa table ng customer na mukhang unggoy at ang dami dami pang order.

Alyssa: Ay hindi po kase included sa promo yung mga mukhang unggoy na matakaw pa. Pasensya na.

Customer: Hmmmf!!!

Then may pumasok na mystery woman wearing a brown leather jacket and jeans na parang may pagka cowgirl ang dating.

M. woman: Andrew! Anu na? We're gonna be late.

Lumapit ang babae kay Andrew.

Alyssa: Ahehe, kilala mo sya?

Sabay turo sa babaeng nakatayo sa tabi ni Andrew. Before Andrew could answer nagsalita na yung babae.

M. woman: Yes I am his wife. So now we really don't have time to be talking idly pasensya na miss. Come on Andrew kanina pa tayo hinahanap!

Naloka si Alyssa sa narinig nya. Maya maya pa nag smile nalang si Andrew sa kanya and gave her a call card. Pagka abot sa kanya

Andrew: Give me a call okay.

Then the woman dragged him away

Celine: Kaloka, wife daw? Eh wala naman akong nakitang nakasuot na wedding rings sa kanilang dalawa nagbigay pa ng calling card sayo yung lalaki.

Alyssa: Nako nag aksaya lang pala ako ng panahon at benta. Nakakainis talaga mga gwapong lalaki these days! Grrr! Kung hindi bakla, may asawa na! Bwiset!

Pinunit ni Alyssa ang binigay ni Andrew na call card.

Celine: Hala? Kaloka sya. Pinunit pa sayang naman.

---

*At home*

Nakahiga lang kami ni Gab in bed nang biglang tumawag si Aaron

Gab: Sino yan?

Akhi: It's Aaron.

Gab: Then why won't you answer?

Akhi: Do you want me to?

Gab: Well as much as I hate him, baka it's about work.

So I decided to answer.

Akhi: What do you want?

Aaron: *over the phone* Akhi, this is important. My mom is really sick. She's in the hospital.

Akhi: Oh my god. Wait, why are you telling me this?

Aaron: Well, I just want to tell you that she entrusted me to take over the restaurant and all the other branches throughout the country. So I'm no longer gonna be a part of the wait staff. I'm gonna be your boss and I'd want to tell you that we're gonna be keeping things professional from now on.

Akhi: Well I don't know, I guess I'm glad to hear that.

Aaron: Maybe now that I am the boss you're gonna start liking me?

I didn't answer nung sinabi nya yun. Napatingin nalang ako kay Gab at si Gab nakatingin din sakin with a questioning look. He can't hear our conversation kase di naman ako naka loud speaker.

Akhi: See you tomorrow boss.

Aaron: One more thing, wag ka na pumasok bukas.

Akhi: What? Why?

Aaron: Don't worry I'm not firing you. "Professional" nga diba remember? Take an extra day off. You'll still be paid.

Akhi: Okay. Thank you I guess...

Aaron: Bye. I'll see you at work baby.

Damn! Nakaka asar si Aaron! Professional but he calls me baby anyway.

Gab: Well? Anung sabi nya?

Akhi: His mom, our boss is very sick and he's taking over their family business. Which means he's gonna be my boss from now on.

Gab: Should I worry?

Akhi: No. I got this. Sabi naman nya he's gonna keep things professional and he gave me an extra day off tomorrow para makasama pa kita.

Gab: Well, looks like he's turning over a new leaf.

I lied to Gab kase I don't want him to worry about this situation but something tells me this isn't a good news and things are actually gonna get worse.