Chapter 2: It's Year 2021
It was late in the afternoon- quarter to two to be exact. I shifted in my bed and groaned. God, my head is killing me. I didn't drink much but coupled with my lack of sleep and the memory of last night made my head scream in pain.
There was a small party last night. It was the celebration for my promotion as team leader. The participants were my batch mates when I was a trainee and, of course, my direct superiors.
I was the first who got a promotion in our batch, considering I was also the youngest. But my batch mate isn't the type with crab mentality, they rejoiced for me. Well, they knew how much I needed this and worked for it. And we have gone through sleepless training together. Only the envious and cheap person would wish for my downfall. They cheered and partied. Then they sang with the karaoke, not minding how they sound.
"Congrats, girl! Come on, drink! Don't tell me again you wouldn't." Rhea poured me a drink and I drank it in one gulp.
I am not a heavy drinker even before. They knew it because in the numerous outings we had, there wasn't an occasion where I ever got drunk. Instead, it was me who had to look over for them.
But tonight, I took few shots of gin. They let me be but they're watching over me. I was just surprised to know who will be my boss is. He was seated at the far corner of the long table, way too far where I was seated at which was at the other end. I was thankful for that though.
The girls surrounded me with playful smirks on their faces. I knew what they're up to so I simply glared at them.
Apparently, my boss, which is the Project Manager, is my company crush. The girls knew it as an open secret between us. This just happened to be one of our innocent conversations when we were still trainees but somehow it was retained in their memories. Maybe I should let them drink more; perhaps there could be a chance they'd forget it.
How much did I drink? I knew it wasn't much but I could already feel my face burning up and my world was spinning. I placed my head down at the table and decided to sleep. I'd rather do that than utter some nonsense I might regret later on. And thankfully I did.
A while later, though. I found myself sobering up when I feel myself floating. The smell of mint, alcohol and smoke were mixing up but it wasn't disgusting, in fact, it smelled so masculine.
I opened my eyes and immediately noticed the sharp and slightly slanted baby blue, almost silver pair of eyes looking down at me. I was actually comfortably nuzzling against his chest as he carries me outside of the pub towards the parking lot.
I fought my way to be put down but just in time, a motorcycle whizzed past through, slightly wobbling as if the driver is drunk. He tightened his hold against me as he spun around to avoid the motorcycle.
In my fright, I clenched his shirt tightly and moved closer to his shirt.
"Are you alright?" I heard his deep, husky voice. His breath hitting against my ear.
"Ah, yes, sir. Just slightly dizzy." I replied quietly, afraid my breath would smell like alcohol. "Um, can you put me down now? I would be bothered if I ended throwing up in your chest."
He put me down and assisted me as I work on my balance. We slowly walked towards his black Toyota Vios and seated at the hood of the car.
He took off his coat and placed it over my shoulders. "Wait here. I'll get you something to drink." He said and walked towards a vending machine. His strides were long, apparent to his long legs which the pants were tightly wrapped against.
Shortly after, he came back with a bottle of cold mineral water and two bottles of yakult. He opened the water bottle first before handing it to me.
"Thank you, Sir."
I saw him frowned before shaking his head. "Please call me by my name and comfortably talk with me when we're outside."
"... I understand."
He slightly lifted his brows at my reply so I cleared my throat, saying, "Oh, okay, Kaine."
I drank few gulps of water before putting on the bottle's cap. Kaine took it away before giving a bottle of yakult to me.
"You like yakult, right?"
"Yes." I replied, quiet surprised. How did he know that? "May I ask where are the others?" I asked while opening the lid of the yakult.
"Their partners had picked them up just about 20 minutes ago."
I glanced at my wristwatch at his response and found out that it's quarter to 4 in the morning.
"Ah, I'm sorry for taking much of your time. You have morning duty, right?"
"No. We're on the same project now so I have the same schedule as you."
Well, that was true indeed. But as I know, other projects have various schedules. They're in rotation I should say. And as I have observed, most Project Managers operate in the day, to, you know, adjust their routine and life back to normal. Because as everyone is aware, night shifts don't do any good to the body in the long run.
"Do you have anyone to pick you up?"
"... No."
He glanced at me, probably weighing my words if they were lies or not. Unfortunately for him, I really don't have someone to pick me up at this time of the day. I'm the loser, alright? I don't have a boyfriend to send or fetch me from work. And I'm not rich either to have my own ride.
"Okay then. I'll send you home. Where do you live?" He asked and stood from his leaning position against the car's hood. Then he circled the car and opened the passenger's seat for me.
I finished the yakult and tried searching for a trash bin but found none. I crumpled the bottle and pocketed it before walking towards the opened car door.
The ride home was silent. I would occasionally break the silence when I was giving directions. 15 minutes after, the car stopped before a two-storey house. It was surrounded by a bamboo fence with butterfly tea twirling on it. It's dark blue violet closed buds were like leeches under the night.
I alighted the vehicle and Kaine followed suit.
"Is there anyone awake? It's still 4 in the morning."
"It's fine. Grandma is already awake." I replied and glanced back at the house. A small ray of fluorescent light passed through the small gaps of the windowpane by the living room.
I knocked on the gate. At the same time, from the dog house came hostile barks. It didn't take long for the front door to open and an old woman with white hair appeared.
"Dear, what took you so long? I thought something bad happened." She said while unlocking the locks and chains on the gate.
"Sorry, Grandma. We had a small celebration. I was promoted as team leader that's why. Anyway, please keep this a secret for now. I will surprise the little ones later on."
"Oh! Congratulations, dear! Raven will surely bombard you with things he'll ask you to buy for him if he knew." Grandma joyfully said squeezing my hands. Then her attention shifted to the person behind me. "You have company?"
"Ah, yes. Grandma, this is my boss, our Project Manager, Sir Kaine. Sir, this is my Grandma Annie."
"Good morning, Sir. Thank you for bringing my granddaughter back. Would you like to come in first so I could prepare you something to drink?" Grandma offered.
I glanced back at Kaine. He was ought to decline when Grandma caught his arm and dragged him in. I shook my head at Grandma's pushiness but oh well, she doesn't mean any harm. I closed the gate behind me and followed after them.
Kaine was guided past the living room and into the dining area. I sat at the chair next to him anx watched Grandma strode to the kitchen.
"Sorry 'bout that. She just won't leave you alone knowing that you're my boss."
"It's fine. My Grandmother was the same." He replied. "This is a pretty big house." He added after a quick scan of the house.
"Yes. This used to be a small wooden house during the time of my great grandmother, as I was told so. Then it was renovated from time to time, if it received too much damage from the passing typhoons. Besides, there are 11 people living here."
"Your grandmother's children?"
"Yes and her grandchildren as well." I replied, stifling the yawn about to escape. But Kaine probably still noticed the small tear from the corner of my eyes.
"Go on. Just take a sleep already. I will immediately leave anyway after accepting your Grandma's hospitality."
"It's fine." I declined but placed my head on the table nonetheless, stifling another yawn, slowly closing my eyes.
I shifted in my bed again and noticed that I was still wearing the same outfit from yesterday. It simply meant I didn't got to change and actually fell asleep at the dining area. Damn. I probably just fall asleep right after seeing being told to sleep.
I shoved the blanket away because it's freaking hot. I checked my phone for any missed calls or unread messages and emails. Nothing important from my emails and no one to drop a message or call. Perfect!
I tossed my phone at the other pillow and got up, then noticed the black coat at the back of the chair before my folding bedside table.
I frowned. I don't remember putting it there. Oh, well, maybe I was just too tired to remember small details. I had a small stretching exercise before exiting my room to grab some late lunch.
A not so good way to welcome my day awaited me at the living room. My three bratty cousins were probably watching cartoons and it was just time for advertisement but a flash report from the local TV station happened to be currently showing.
It was simply saying that the death cases due to the virus is increasing. Of course, would it decrease? Anyway, what stressed me out is that what they're simply doing is counting the death rate and infected cases. There's nothing new in the report aside from the growing figures.
It's Year 2021. It's already a year and few months since there was a virus outbreak. Duh, it's not zombie apocalypse. It's not like that. There's no such thing as mass evacuation or looting as if it's the end of the world where ordinary people could ransack a grocery store or the pharmacy. It's only seen in the movies. Reality is that, life has to go on.
Really, there's nothing good in it. Economies were greatly affected and the boundary between the rich and the poor has become prevalent. During this time, only the rich could afford the rising prices when employment rate is decreasing as business establishment closed down. As the eldest in the family without a father and mother to guide us, I could attest that me and my siblings don't eat three times a day. If luck is with us, we could simply harvest root crops and some vegetables from the farm behind our small cabin.
Education was affected just as great as the economy was. To the intellectuals, it is an obstacle to reaching the peak of their knowledge. But to the simple, ordinary students, it is the time to rejoice. They don't have to go to school and meet the bullies, or watch the flatterers acting all nice and good to their teachers or listen to the gossipers talk about the scandal of the school queen.
And I was a student also. I was grasping my straws, hoping that school got suspended so I could not take the Qualifying Exam because I knew to myself I could not pass it. Jeez, I'm not smart, okay?
Anyway, 2020 is a year full of learning experiences. I struggled and did some stupid things I would regret my whole life. I could really say, 20 is my unluckiest number. But thank God, I made it until year 2021 and yes, I'm doing well already.
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