Maging Akin Ka Lamang

9

"NATASYA, are you done there?" katok ni kuya Zander sa kwarto ko nang gabing magdi-dinner kami with Scottvilles.

"Yes, kuya! Coming na po!" sabi ko habang naglalagay ng matte lipstick sa harap ng salamin. The last color I'll be putting on my face.

Ngumiti ako sa salamin at nakuntento sa ayos ko. I am wearing a pure white see-through shoulder laced dress with sexy knee lines. The bottom of the dress in my back is kinda' long and in the front, it's above my knee. Simple but presentable enough for a business dinner.

Lumabas ako ng kwarto.

"Let's go, Natasya. Tayo nalang ang hinihintay sa baba." ani kuya Zander saka inilahad ang braso niya sa akin.

Kuya Zander is on his usual formal clothing which is suit and tie.

Tumango ako't kumapit roon. "Sige, kuya. Let's go."

I can hear my silver stilettos on the grand staircase the moment we are walking down to go downstairs.

Dumiretso kami sa dining room kung saan naghihintay sina mommy't-daddy kasama ng mga bisita namin.

One of our maids opened the transparent sliding door for us and then we've entered.

"They're here!" natutuwa at proud na sabi ni mommy sa mga bisita nang makapasok kami ni kuya Zander.

Ngumiti kami ni kuya sa mga magulang namin tapos ngumiti sa mga bisita. Natigilan naman akong bigla nang makita kung sinong isa sa mga ito.

He's staring at me while smiling from ear to ear.

Hindi makapaniwalang napangiti rin ako. "Chance?"

He smiled even more. "Natasya..."

"Chance, you're here!" natutuwa ko pang sinabi.

Hindi kasi ako makapaniwalang isa pala siya sa makakasama naming maka-dinner ngayong gabi.

"Magkakilala na kayong dalawa?" natutuwa ring tanong ni daddy bigla.

Tinanguhan ko ang ama ko. "Yes, dad. I know Chance. We're friends and he's a regular party goer on my bar."

"Wow. We've never expected that you two have already met and you are even friends with each one!" anang eleganteng babae naman na mukhang may maamo ring aura at kaedad lang ni mommy kung titingnan.

Nginitian ko ang magandang ginang. So, this must be Mrs. Scottville? Chance's mother... Ibig sabihin, Scottville pala si Chance? How come I didn't know about it from the first place!

"Anyway, mga anak. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Scottville, the owner of the great Centres Commerciaux de Scottville on Europe especially on France. And yeah, this is their one and only son Chance Scottville." pakilala ni daddy sa kanila sa amin ni kuya Zander.

"Hello, hija, hijo." natutuwang nagbeso si Mrs. Scottville sa amin ng kapatid ko para sa pagbati.

Si Mr. Scottville ay ganu'n din tapos simpleng tinapik sa balikat si kuya Zan.

"Scottvilles, meet our son and daughter. Zander Jahmal and Natasya Wynnfor. The heir and heiress of Wynnfor Group of Companies."

Nagkamay naman sina kuya at Chance tapos marahang niyakap ako ng huli para sa pagbati.

"So, let's take a seat now?" ani daddy.

Sumang-ayon ang lahat.

Umupo kami at inihanda na rin ng mga katulong ang mga pagkain namin ngayong gabi with Scottville family.

Habang naghihintay sa mga pagkain, nagkwentuhan na ang mga matatanda about business.

"I heard sobrang sucessful ng malls ninyo around Europe countries." sabi ni mommy kay Mrs. Scottville.

"Uhm, hindi naman. It's just doing very well." humble namang sagot ng huli.

"I believe it's more than doing very well. It's doing very great lalo pa't dinig ko ding marami-rami na ang branches ng shopping centers inyo anywhere in Europe."

Ngumiti at tumango na lamang si Mrs. Scottville sa sobrang papuri ni mommy sa success na business ng Scottville.

"If you don't mind, Mrs. Scottville. May we know kung ilang branches nang mero'n ang Centres Commerciaux de Scottville internationally? You know... I mean, we're just curious..."

"Uhm, as of now, we have three malls on Switzerland. Five on Belgium's different Cities. Two mini malls on Czech Republic. Five shopping centers on Slovakia, as well as on Italy. And then our main and grand mall is on France with two branches on Paris City and Strasbourg City and also on Ukraine."

Namilog nalang ang bibig ni mommy sa sobrang mangha. "Wow. Therefore, I conclude you're super rich!"

Ako rin ay hindi maiwasang mapamangha. No doubt, Scottvilles have it all! Hindi lang basta-bastang business mayroon sila, they have huge business anywhere in European countries!

Kaya pala... kaya pala, kung makapagbigay si Chance ng mamahaling friendly gifts parang wala lang sa kanya 'yon kasi hindi lang pala siya basta-bastang rich kid, he's super rich! At ngayon ko lang nalaman ang tungkol rito, ngayon ko lang din nalaman na Scottville pala siya. Na anak at tagapagmana pala ng malalaking malls from around Europe.

I was so clueless that my newly found friend is a euro billionaire!

Marahang natawa nalang si Mrs. Scottville sa praises ni mommy. "Hindi naman."

I knew it. She's humble.

Wow. So, is it really possible for euro billionaires to be this humble? Well, hindi na nakapagtataka. May pinagmanahan si Chance. I presume, the latter is also humble kasi sa ilang weeks na naming nagkikita at nagkakasama, never naman niyang na-mention na isang Scottville pala siya at tagapagmana ng yaman nila.

"Kayo din naman... I believe na sobrang successful din ng Wynnfor Group of Companies in the whole Philippines, and I also heard that your clothes, your products, your fabrics are ones of the most in-demand products especially in the US so, million-million din ang nai-import ninyo every two times a year everywhere in the Philippines and as well as in other Asian countries." balik naman ni Mr. Scottville ng praise sa amin.

Oh well, successful din naman ang Wynnfor Apparel namin... but not as gigantic as their malls in Europe!

Kaya nga sobrang eager ang Wynnfor Group of Companies to having a partnership with Centres Commerciaux de Scottville. Kapag kasi nag-partnership ang dalawang malalaking business, the Scottville malls will buy and import billions of Wynnfor Apparel products para sa ipatatayo nilang dalawang branch din dito sa Pinas, I heard it's anywhere in Visayas' cities pati na sa mga malls nila sa Europe. If they will buy our products, they will display them into their different malls from around European countries kaya mas makikilala pang lalo ang Wynnfor Apparel.

Centres Commerciaux de Scottville has a big potential to popularize Wynnfor Apparel and endorse our products not just here in the Philippines but also in Europe. Madadagdagan ang audiences at mas makikilala pa ang mga fabrics namin at mga produkto namin kapag naituloy ang partnership sa kanila. They will buy and import our products and at the same time, will endorse them around the world. Now, I understand why Wynnfor Group of Companies is so eager to get this partnership with Scottville malls.

Naihain ang lahat ng pagkain at nag-umpisa na rin kaming kumain. The big bosses are still talking about business. Maraming tanong si Mr. Scottville about how promising our clothing products are kaya si mommy at si daddy todo pabango din ng company namin sa kanila.