CHAPTER 1.

NEW JOB, NEW LIFE

To Kate, it is the heart that mostly matters.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR. Iyon ang nakasulat sa opisinang pinasukan ni Kate na nasa dulo ng napakalaking tila hall at conference room na iyon. Si Governor Franc O Henderson mismo ang kanyang magiging boss. Kahapon lamang siya na-interview then she was told right there to start the next day. Which is today.

Kate took her steps to the office, one at a time. Being her first day at work, she tried to be as observant as she could. She felt eyes directed to her, and that is normal. It didn’t bother her to the least. Before she entered the room, she stooped a little to check herself from her shoes up to her bossom. ‘I look good, I guess,’she mumbled to herself. With her semi-casual attire, that would do for now, she decided.

Doesn’t first day at work always apprehensive? Well, maybe not for some. For Kate, it is quite not. It is a new place for her. She will be working with new people. She will be doing new things. ‘I am good at anything I do, ‘she reminded herself. Precisely, if one is sure of what she can do, what is there to be anxious about .

To her surprise, her boss arrived earlier than her. She can see her middle aged boss inside his own office and he seemed to be busy on something. From what she remembers, she will be briefed today about her duties and responsibilities.

Iniwan niya ang kayang nakaraang trabaho. That was after realizing the importance of some other things in life besides making money. In fact, people nowadays are proving that life can be as fulfilling without money. Why do people go off the grid and find a more meaningful life than when they were in a corporate world? So many people live wih minimum usage of money while living in their homestead? There must be more to life than what everybody used to know. Nagsawa na siya sa naging trabaho niya sa maraming taon magsimula noong katatapos pa lamang niya sa pag-aaral, walong taon na ang nakakaraan. Aniya, gusto naman niyang makaranas ng ibang trabaho na hindi masyadong stressful kahit pa mas mababa ang sahod.

Oo nga at medyo mataas-taas ang kanyang sahod sa dating trabaho kaya nga siya nakaipon ng sapat na pera, nakapagpatayo din siya ng sariling bahay ngunit para sa kanya ay hindi mapapantayan ng perang iipunin niya ang quality ng kanyang buhay kaya niya inwan ito. An experience of life with much freedon to be herself and much more, to do what she really love, is what she is looking for. Nanghinayang ang iba niyang mga kakilala at katrabaho dahil magandang opportunity daw iyon ngunit hindi siya nagdalawang isip sa kanyang desisyon. So she left her job for another one that doesn’t demand all of her time, because she plans to give room for some other things in her life aside from work.

After she left her job ay naghanap agad siya ng mas simpleng trabaho. In fact, it was way simplified.

So, here she has found a new job where she didn’t have any idea of what her duties will be.

“Good morning, Kate! How are you? ,” magalang na bati sa kanya ng boss niya. Magalang talaga at pormal magsalita ang lalaki na kanyang nalaman kahapon pa nang sila ay unang mag-usap. Medyo guwapo ito, Just a little bit. Katamtaman ang taas with his stature of more or less five feet five inches at baby face. Well, at least for a Filipino, that should be average of a height. And he is not a meztiso so it is more excusable. Hindi halata ang edad na kuwarenta y singko. Hindi man masyadong guwapo, he is charismatic. Kahit sinong makakrinig sa kanya ay magugustuhan kaagad ito. Halatang tapat sa puso ang mga sinasabi, may pakialam sa kapakanan ng mga tao. That is the present governor.

Truth is Kate had already met the guy in more than one occasion. In this small town where everybody knows everybody, there is a big chance of meeting each resident around town whenever there is a function. Because the guests in one’s wedding will be like eighty percent the same guest in the next one. The province is divided into towns where each town has its own mayor. The town wher Kate is is the same town as Franc Henderson’s, it so happened. In one of the weddings she attended, the governor was there and that time he was the vice governor. It is common locally that people would most definitely want the functionaries to be present on their especial day. But of course! One thing is it will make you look like you are a special person. And another thing is he is likely to be their relative. And then the most common reason is because the politician himself wants to be there. Why? It is mainly because people are there. For a politician, wherever the people are, they want to be there. It is an advanced way of making one’s political career more stable. By going to each and every function, they get the chance to persuade people to favor them, albeit indirectly. Another time was during one of the occasions where Kate was a part of, Franc was the guest speaker. That is another thing. Why do they love inviting the politicians to be the guest speaker? Why, honestly, she herself didn’t know why. But when we really look into it, when we listen to what they say, they don’t say anything extraordinary compared to what anybody could have said. Certainly, we just blindly assume that those who are in the position only have something important to say!. Notwithstandingly, she liked and cherished those incidents.

So those were the occasions when she saw him in person even if she didn’t talk to him.

Governor Franc Henderson is everybody’s hero. He is everybody’s man!

Nag-umpisa ang political career ni Franc Henderson sa pagtakbo niya bilang municipal councilor. His brother himself used to be a politician since he was young. And then he followed his footsteps. But the time Franc is his on his way up, his brother suddenly changed his path and pursued business . Isn’t it usually the case that when someone in the family is in politics, somebody else will follow and then another one. During his brother’s time, he was once the first municipal councilor. Not surprisingly, Franc himself got the same the very first time he got into politics. Siya ang pinakamataas ang nakuhang boto sa mga kandidato sa pagkasanggunian. Nang matapos ang termino ay tumakbo ng pagka vice mayor. Very easily, he won. Kasunod, tumakbong board member at siya na naman ang nakakuha ng pinakamataas na bilang ng boto. Sure hit! Kaya naman noong namatay ang vice governor ay ito kaagad ang kumuha ng naiwang posisyon nito. At ngayon ay nanalo na namang gobernador sa lalawigan. So, masasabing successful nga ang politico. Naging madali at mabilis ang pag-akyat nito sa itaas. Maganda ang image nito sa mga tao.Hindi kumukupas pagkatapos ng ilang taon nito sa politika. One can say na iyon siguro ang calling nito. He undeniably loves his job as shown in his constantly good performance. The people, in addition, continued to like him. Bakit hindi ay lagi nitong inuuna ang inilalapit sa kanyang problemang pang-masa. He is also not the greedy type of politician. Medyo malaki ang bahay nito kumpara sa karaniwan ngunit simple lang. Walang karangyaan sa buhay nito. ANg sasakyan lamang nito ay iyong ipinapagamit ng gobyerno. You could say he is one of a kind.

Ang pagkatao naman nito ay walang maipipintas. He has never committed anything against the law. Nor does he ever wish to go against the people’s eexpectation. He had been the exact ideal politician. He is more of selfless, to be exact. He is too devoted to what he has taken oath to, to serve the people. He is the perfect definition of a PUBLIC SERVANT. Kaya naman todo ang respeto sa kanya ng mga tao. From the beginning until now , he have been doing his duties from a-z without slack. For the public, Franc Henderson is the man!

And when it comes to dealing with people, kahit sino basta lumapit sa kanya ay maayos at laging magalang ang kanyang pakikitungo. And then ginagawa niya ang kanyang makakaya para maibigay ang pangangailangan ng mga ito. Karamihan ng mga lumalapit sa kanya ay trabaho ang hinahanap. Ang mga iba ay mga infrastructure projects.. Kung kailangan naman niyang I turn down ang mga ito ay maayos niyang sinasabi sa mga tao.. Attitude wise, he is always the polite guy who acts and behaves with grace.

Sounds interesting,huh. Mabait talaga sa mga tao si Honorable Franc O. Henderson. He is one of them who knows his way up, one might say.

Humahanga na si Kate noon pa man sa kanyang naging boss. Napakatalino nito. Then he also is very wise. Sure, a politician should have something admirable in him otherwise he wouldn’t get the people’s favor, in the first place. In this places where candidates cannot and will not buy the people’s votes, one cannot get a sit up there if he has something unpleasant in him.

“Im fine, sir! “ Tumango siya sa politico at nangiti ng tipid.

“I am having a discussion with Governor Dailan here,” Pakilala nito sa kasamang nag-uusap sa loob ng opisina. The other man in the office smiled at her. He looked very decent, just like Franc, and is obviously older. They seemed to have a very serious discussion before she arrived.

“I came early to meet him at breakfast. Help yourself, Kate,” parehong nagkakape ang mga ito.. Sa bandang kanan ng opisina nito ay bukas ang pinto papasok sa isang maliit ngunit magandang kusina.

Medyo nahihiya man ay nangiting nagtungo na lamang ang dalaga para ikuha ang sarili ng kape. Pagkatapos gumawa ng kape ay nakiupo siya sa dalawang politico. Dinig niyang nag-uusap ang mga ito, nanatili naman siyang tahimik na nakikinig. From what she can recall, Mr Henderson wants to keep people comfortable, he is not formal in most of the things. That doesn’t mean he is lousy because he is not. When it comes to work, he is very tenacious.

Sa unang araw ng trabaho, feeling at home na si Kate. The atmosphere is generally nice. Added that they are dealing with clients just by talking. She doesn’t sense any pressure, at least in the office. Busy but not pressured to finish anything. That is one of the difference. There is unlimited chain of clients coming in. All it requires is the office to enteratain whatever their concern is and they leave, another one will come.

Mula umaga ay pinapanood ni Kate ang mga taong papasok at palabas sa opisina ng kanyang boss. Iba’t-ibang klase ng mga tao ang pumapasok sa opisinang iyon. Iba’t iba rin ang pakay. In this office, she noticed, is way diffirent from the normal offices she saw. People from all walks of life, entered. Most of them asking for help. Well, what else to expect, people see the politicians as somebody who can do something for them. Or did the government design the system so that people will think accordingly? Do we see ourselves as helpless who is unable to make our lives better except when somebody helps us? Do we actually ourselves that small while idolizing those who are in the position? May mga grupo ng kalalakihan, mga kababaihan, may estudyante, merong senior citizens and so on. She is in a public office, indeed. At gaya ng instruction nito ay doon siya naupo sa malapit sa kanya. Tahimik lang siyang tumingin-tingin sa boss na walang pagod na nakikiharap sa mga iba’t-ibang mga panauhin. Minsan ay nakaupo ito sa sariling upuan sa likod ng kanyang mesa, minsan naman ay dinadaluhan ang mga panauhin sa sofa para kausapin ang mga ito. Meron ding mga pumapasok na ibang staff doon na nagpapapirma ng kung anu-ano. Pumapasok ang mga iba upang mag-follow up ng kung anu-ano. Some parents come to ask for educational assistance or scholarship.

She wasn’t occupied on anything but she isn’t bored as well. For her, it is completely new seeing things like this. And it was somewhat entertaining to watch people coming in from all walks of life and then leaving the office after a while. One can have the chance to observe different people from different backgrounds. And yes, people coming in and out aren’t business personalities. Most of them are from the lower class if there ever is social stratification.

Once in a while ay tumatayo ang politko at naglalakad-lakad at saka ulit babalik sa kanyang upuan. Just deal with people. Say yes to them or say no, sometimes tell them the word, “just wait”. What to wait? Maybe something was promised to them. Maybe they are waiting for some assistance.

It seems that everyone who enters the office ay inaalok nilang magkape, may tinapay pa. ‘Hmmm. Yumaman nang konte and Pilipinas,’ aniya sa sarili. ‘At least, one gets to drink coffee inside offices like this.’ Which was one good thing happened nowadays in the country. Philippines is not that bad, after all. That is thing to smile about.

“Are you okay, Kate? “ tumingin sa kanya ang boss na halatang nagliliwanag ang mukha kahit na hindi nakangiti nang wala nang pumasok na tao sa opisina. For few minutes, bakante ang office. There are ladies in the hall way who usher the clients coming in. And for now, Kate sees no one sitting on the sofa where the people wait for their turn to see the governor.

Bigla namang na-conscious ang dalaga sa tanong ng boss. “ Im alright, sir! “ she wasn’t expecting that fromt eh well dressed guy sitting a meter away from her.

“You can have you snacks, Kate, if you like..,” he suggested her.