Si Raqs

Start pa lang ng shift yesterday, hindi pa umiinit ang puwet ko sa upuan, I heard something that's not only bad, it's something that can make my world fall apart. I tried to keep my cool on the outside, but inside, nawalan ako ng gana. I needed focus sa work and I couldnt do that then, so kung magpapauwi, uuwi na ko. At dahil nakikisama sakin ang mundo, syempre, walang available na ATO so hindi din ako nakauwi.

It might have been our last time together as a team because of the reshuffle so we had a team building in a place nearby and everyone was there, kasama yung iba from the other team. When some people get drunk, they get emo, they talk a lot, and have fun. I grabbed my teammate's digicam and started taking stolen photos of them to capture the moment. And I took great pictures worthy to be on friendster. I couldnt help looking at people, in groups, talking seriously, venting out. And there was this guy who all of a sudden, across the table, with his hand stretched out pointing at me, asked "what's your last name?" Nanginginig ako pero sinagot ko siya. He added, "You know, you're very observant. Napapansin ko kanina mo pa ko tinitingnan." And this is coming from a guy, who is maangas na kapag hindi lasing, imaginin mo na lang ano siya kung lasing na, like how he was at that moment. I really felt violated at that time, like, hey, lasing ka, lalaki ka, ako babae, and you're going to talk to me like that in front of all of these people? Can you be a little bit gentle to me? I even felt I would cry and I wanted to run home at that moment, dahil baka hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko, matingnan ko uli siya, and the next thing I knew, binato na niya ko ng bote sa mukha. Sabi ko sa katabi ko, "badtrip naman, ang saya-saya kanina, mukhang uuwi ako ng masama ang loob ah." "Ikaw kasi, tingin ka ng tingin eh", sabi niya. Sinisi pa ko.

I refused to have a bad day, I asked my TL, "TL, nagalit ba siya sa'kin?" Wala daw yun sabi niya, pero nahalata niya siguro na I was taking it seriously, at naiiyak na ko, tinawag niya yung guy who happens to be his close friend. "Hoy, tinakot mo!"

"Uy wala yun, Ms. (last name here)" sabi nitong si guy. "I just notice you are very observant, and that's good. Matatalino yung taong ganyan."

And I heard the angels sing, Hallelujah.

Some say I'm smart, because I can pick up easily, I can give the right answer. By the book smart. That was the 2nd time someone said that about me. That I'm intelligent because I'm observant.

Nga pala, yung unang nagsabi nun naguulyanin na ngayon. =)

At hindi nga pala kami naalis sa team. And I had the chance to tell my TL that, I thought this time, reshuffle na talaga, and I was preparing for that moment na I could thank him, and tell him that, at first, I see him as happy-go-lucky guy. When he wasnt my TL yet, I never approached him for help because to me, he was the kind of guy who would give me the attitude. But when I got to know him better, I now know he is more than I made him out to be.

Nga pala, the thing I heard at the start of the shift that almost ruined my day doesn't have anything to do with reshuffling the team (because I heard about it the day before).

At the end of the day, atleast I didnt go home with a D- day.