First Glance

Chapter 10:

While I was eating in peace, a call from my cellphone caused me to stop my ongoing drink of a really aromatic coffee.

"Yes?" as I picked my cellphone to talk back.

"Hello and Good Morning Mister Regidor!"

"Good Morning, too. Veronique, is this you? Sounds like you."

"Yes, I am, ang galing mo talaga, ha! (you're very keen!)"

"Siyempre, ikaw una kong nakausap dito sa Philippines!" Jaiveer replied.

"Hey, our Boss, Attorney Mutuc wants to see you this 10:00 AM at the Network Headquarters along with Claire Ruth Medica, the one who first contacted you."

"Ok! Anything I need to bring? You know, resume, portfolio?"

"Yung best looking at confident self mo. First impressions last so don't be late, be the handsomest you can get, smile demurely – you look best that way. Saka, alam na nila halos lahat about you (They know almost anything about you)."

"Oh. That's scary though. Thanks, sa tip!"

"Ok. Ma-traffic ngayon papuntang office. I think the service is already at the hotel."

"What? Ok, I'll be hurrying…"

"I'm kidding… just be on time."

That joke was double-edged, so even if she never meant to stress me, it stressed me and I didn't finish my breakfast, returned to the room and almost bumped to a rather burly guy again wearing overalls.

So, after a few minutes, I raced down to the first floor and expecting the PBN service to be there and instead, a chauffeur greeted me with that typical Filipino smile, asking me if I am ready."

"Well, since you're facing me now, do I look ready to you? And good-morning too." I have to ask him since I did not feel that ready or the entire episode is now causing butterflies in my stomach to flutter.

"Sir, walang binatbat sa'yo mga artista ng TV! (our TV stars don't hold a candle on you)"

His comment and smile arrested me enough to say, "thanks, I needed that. What's your name?"

"Mr. Aguilar po!" and he immediately opened the vehicle door for me.

I boarded the service vehicle, which was a van anyway and we sped through the roads, and the chauffeur expertly chose the least crowded roads, even to the point of passing through areas that are not normally passed by vehicles even at busy or peak hours of traffic, although 9:00 AM isn't that too busy but my father and mother already told me traffic situations here in Manila are always bad at any time of the day.

"Mahirap talaga ang byahe dito, sir kahit taxi (traffic here is so bad even if you use taxi)."

"That's what I heard," and looked at my black-leathered wristwatch. It's 8:45 AM. It's more than an hour although the information booth of the Manila Hotel told me it'll take an hour to go to the PBN headquarters.

"So where are we going exactly?"

"Sir, we will go from Manila Hotel to a bridge across Pasig River."

"From there, we travel west and reach the PBN headquarters. Okay ba English ko, Sir? (Is my English okay?)"

I laughed with him although I am beginning to feel a little uneasy again.