NOVEMBER PAIN (PART 2 OF 5)

2nd week

Monday. November 13. Meron bang Monday the 13th?
3am pa ang shift ko ng Tuesday pero pumunta ako ng Monday ng 10pm dahil alam ko na nga ang hinaharap ko. Tangna. Matatanggal ako sa trabaho.
Pagdating ko ng opisina wala ang mga bossing ko. Meeting. Ayos. Tambay muna me.
Tinanong ng mga ka-team ko kung ano nangyari. Final na daw ba ang desisyon. Sabi ko ewan ko.
10:30 lumabas sila from the conference room. Si Cynthia, one of the supervisors na hindi ko naman ka-close pero araw-araw ko niyayakap ang hinahalikan para lang ma-tsansingan ay bigla akong niyakap na mahigpit. "Raaaaaffffaaaa!!!!" she screamed, sabay bulong, "Mamimiss kita."
Si Donnie, yung baguhan kong boss na ang unang taong iteterminate ay ako, nakipagkamayan sakin.
Si Sims, yung dating Quality Control Supervisor ng segment namin, bigla ako kinausap ukol sa kaso ko, sa plano ko. Bigla kinuha cellphone number ko. Eh tangna babae lang pinaguusapan namin nun biglang naging concerned at kinamayan ako! Ü
SUPERPANALOMOMENT: Si Me-Ann. Ex girlfriend ko na supervisor na. Nakasalubong ko. Sabi lang sakin, "Hi Rafa" sabay alis. anaknganamantalagangtokwaoo.
Nilapitan ko na yung manager na si Ron.
"So Ron, do I need to sign anything?"
He gives me a poker-faced look (Ron is an Amboy; bald, baby-faced, earring on the left ear and all.) "Sign anything for what?"
"My escalation. The newest one."
Trying to be pokerfaced-pero-nagsalubong-na-ang-kilay-look. "How'd you know about it?"
I laughed. "Dude, I was here last Saturday. I know where I stand."
Buntong-hininga na sapilitan lang. "I have to talk to Jill about it." (Jill is the Senior Manager, the Head Honcho, the Principal.)
Tangna, ilalaban pa ako nitong mokong na ito. "So I just wait?"
"yeah."
Para naman I could show that I appreciate his efforts, I offered to pay-off yung utang ko sa kanya na Starbucks (natalo ako sa pustahan). "By the way, I'm going down. Mocha Frappe?"
He blinks his eyes a couple of times and smiles. "Nah. I had 4 cups of coffee already." Tado.
So nagpunta me sa malapit na netshop at nanood ng YouTube for about 2hrs.
1:30am.
Balik sa opisina habang tumutugtog ang "3 Stars and a Sun" ni Francis M sa utak ko.
Lahat ng tao: "O Rafa ano nangyari?" "Rafa final na ba?" "Kinausap mo na?" "Hayaan mo yang mga yan; makakarma rin yan." "Tangna 'tol ingat ka."
Finally narinig ko ang hatol.
RON: Rafa! Follow me.
pumunta kami sa VA Lab (isang maliit na opisina na pwede gamiting ng kahit sino man for confidential conversations.)
*buntong-hininga* Rafa, tell me what happened... *makikinig sa explanation ko about kung paano nag-progress ang mga escalations ko.* When I entered the sales segment, I said that I was gonna bring it to number one, and now, it's gonna be too hard if you're not around *buntong-hininga ulit* Oh man this is hard *buntong-hininga ulit* Rafa, your employment with this company has been ended effective immediately... We actually filed a dispute on your case, but it wasn't granted so... Yeah, sign here... I'm gonna have to ask you to get your things and exit the premises immediately... Yeah sure you can get your stuff from the locker in a week or two... *buntong-hininga habang I was telling him na "Look man, you did what you could do. It's okay. I know what happened and I know where I stand. I thank you for going that far. i guess it's just time..."* Thanks... you're actually making this easier for me... I know with your skill and talent you'll go farther elsewhere... Hope I get to work with you again somplace... Take care man. *buntong-hininga ulit tapos tayayo*
Lakad derecho. Kunin ang bag. Hawakan sa balikat lahat ng kakilala at ibulong ang salitang "Salamat". Yumakap kay Me-Ann one last time. Wag pumansin ng kahit sinong tao habang palakad papuntang elevator. At umalis ng building. Sumakay ng taxi.
Paalam, CLG.