“Son, are you going home?” Nanay Remmy asked Randell but received no response from him. Randell just frowned and was about to leave the mansion. “Randell, wait! Did you and Martina quarrel?” Nanay Remmy yelled in a hurry to follow Randell.
Randell sighed and unwillingly faced the old woman. “You tricked me. You didn’t even tell me that thing about marrying your granddaughter. Is that your intention? To embarrass me in front of other people?”
He made his face look really mad at this moment. He hated the part that Nanay Remmy isn’t really honest about everything. “I don’t even know how to react at all, I deserved to get angry but it turns out that I’m just making myself look rude in front of you because you’re old and should be treated with respect and courtesy.”
“Randell, about that thing, I’m really sorry. If I told you right away about my wish for you to marry Martina, I’m sure you wouldn't agree to that,” Nanay Remmy apologized. “Because you’re my last resort for her to change herself. I needed someone to take care of Martina because I’m old enough and she needs to marry a good guy, like you.”
Randell threw a sarcastic laugh. “Is that a kind of another manipulation? Like how you did to the people living at the tenement?”
He paused and then looked straight into the old woman’s eyes. “You know what, looking for someone to marry your wicked granddaughter is easier because you have the money and privilege. And I bet, no one will dare to marry Martina because of her terrible attitude,” he stressed.
“But—”
“I have to go, madam. I was supposed to have a job interview today but I think I won’t be able to do it because you made me come here and meet your witchy granddaughter.” Randell was about to leave but Martina yelled at him. “Wait! Don’t leave because I have something to say too!”
“Your pride won’t be able to feed you. You told grandma about the job interview that you missed, yet you refuse to accept my money as a form of gratitude? Before leaving, take this.” Martina’s voice was calm unlike earlier when she talked to Randell. She kinda feels deep sympathy for this guy. She understands the way he reacts because of Nanay Remmy's fault.
“Yes, son. Accept that money. My granddaughter didn’t mean anything. It’s just her way of showing that she’s thankful for what you did,” Nanay Remmy interrupted them. “And also, please do everything to make Sean go away from her.” Nanay Remmy whispered that part.
Randell’s forehead wrinkled due to his confusion. “And who’s Sean? A rapper from the States?”
“Lola Remmy, please don’t mention Sean here! Our affair was done, ages ago!” Martina stressed to change the topic. Her face turned red because somehow, she felt embarrassed everytime she recalled that she had a bad relationship with a man that made her life miserable and even brought her a lot of trauma.
“He’s the spine on my throat. He’s a bad guy and you should protect Martina away from him!” Nanay exclaimed and the strong fear already reflected on her face.
“Then you need a bodyguard for her, not a husband,” Randell clarified. “Nobody is going to marry her because she’s an evil hiding in the body of an angel.”
“As if I will marry an arrogant but poor guy like you!” Martina screamed.
“You two, please reconcile with each other. Martina, you should apologize to Randell because you seemed to insult him with your words.” For the nth time, Nanay Remmy interrupted the two in their petty argument.
“He’s the one who should apologize first, for accusing me that I neglected you,” Martina insisted.
“But you are the first who insulted me when we first met,” Randell insisted too.
“Okay how about I will reconcile the both of you?” Nanay Remmy asked while meddling with them. “Randell, since you don’t want to accept Martina’s payment, and you missed the interview—how about you apply to be a gofer for a while? I heard from Alina that Martina is looking for an assistant or someone who can help her to do errands at her accounting firm.”
“And you, Martina. You should hire Randell, immediately. Because that guy is very intelligent and compassionate.”
Martina chuckled a bit. “I don’t need a compassionate employee because he might prioritize sympathizing rather than doing his job.”
“And I don't want a grumpy boss either, who keeps on acting like they own the world,” Randell stressed.
“Look at him, lola Remmy. By the way he acted, he doesn't even like someone who’s looking for a job,” Martina described.
“Martina please. I know Randell badly needed a job, maybe you can hire him temporarily, or what they call—putting someone under a month of probation,” Nanay Remmy pleaded.
“I’ll have to interview him first,” Martina clarified.
Nanay Remmy’s face lightened up. “Does it mean that Randell has a chance to get hired by you?”
“I don’t think so,” Martina uttered while looking at Randell from head to toe.


****
Martina let out an audible breath just when she and Randell arrived at the office. She let her interviewee, Randell, sit in front of an empty seat on her table. “Just think that it was like a tight background checking.”
Since this is an interview, Martina keeps herself to focus more in observing Randell’s actions, even the way he looks at her. She maintained eye contact between him. That’s her weakness. But she had to do so she looked at him straight through his eyes. She's not wearing a smile but Randell keeps on smiling at her which annoys her easily.
‘A vampire who grinned like a poor dog,’ she uttered in her mind.
Randell looked away when he noticed that Martina’s stare was like judging his whole personality. He just broke eye contact.
‘Terrible. A witch frowning like she’s hungry for a long period of time,’ Randell pestered his own mind.
“Okay, let’s start. Introduce yourself,” Martina stressed to start a serious interview.
Randell cleared his throat. "Randell Milagroso, 29 years of age, currently living in Quezon City."
Martina faked a sly smile.. "What a name, you must believe in miracles, right?"
Randell shook his head and got annoyed with Martina’s cryptic little laugh. He just kept looking at her. “Excuse me? It seems like you are mocking my name. Are you going to insult me again?”
“Oh? I didn’t mean that, I'm not mocking your name either,” Martina denied. “But honestly, you have an odd weird last name.”
“And it comes from your mouth already, that you are mocking my last name!” Randell protested.
“Chill, I'm the only one who’s supposed to yell. You don’t have any authority because you are looking for a job and at this moment, I’m the boss,” Martina explained in a sarcastic way.
Randell nodded twice. “Okay, I understand. But because you have the authority doesn’t mean you have the right to insult people who are beyond your level. That attitude should go to a dumpsite full of trash.”
“And for the record, if it’s not for Nanay Remmy’s request, i will never agree for this interview,” he replied with full disgust.
“Me either, I won’t even hesitate to interview you and waste my precious time,” Martina emphasized. “By the way, time is running and I’m always on a hurry so let’s continue this stupid interview, come on tell me about yourself.”
“Do I have to be formal here?” Randell asked.
“It’s up to you. Just use your common sense,” Martina replied with a noticeable grimace on her face.
“To be honest, after graduating college, I took several jobs and failed several times too,” Randell admitted. He doesn’t have to fake that part since he already knew that Martina is just playing with him during this interview. He really wanted to piss her off.
“I already guessed that, just by observing your attitude. It’s either you’re not a good follower or you’re simply lazy so you took many jobs and failed all of them,” Martina bluffed.
“You are definitely wrong with that Ms.,” Randell insisted confidently. “Employees fail to follow their bosses because the whole management is unfair and deprives them of good opportunities. You, who obviously belong to an upper hierarchy of the working class will never understand how it feels to get underpaid for your hard work.”
“How did you say that all people in the upper working class are unfair? Did you know that it’s the system that deprives us? Can’t you see that every owner of companies are working hard for their employees too?” Martina justified.
“Maybe working for their own benefit. And most of the working class who are earning more than a minimum wage are blinded by the system, because why? Their higher wages made them privileged and sometimes they let others suffer and they were still silent about what’s the sad reality that divides this nation,” Randell clearly explained. Somehow, he thinks that Martina isn’t cruel. He wanted to give her a chance to voice her sentiments too.
“So, you are forcing those privileged people to speak? What’s on your mind? And you hated them for having a higher salary than yours?” Martina sighed. But she can guess that Randell’s sentiments were truly a form of empathy to others. He speaks his heart with an undeniable intelligence because he thinks critically to analyze everything around this society.
“Yes of course, what's the use of their rights if they don’t do that?” Randell replied.
“But they also have a right to be silent,” Martina said.
“By the way, am I hired or not? Because I think everything starts to go political here.” Randell stood up.
“I guess, you didn’t have to tell me about yourself. Your point of views already tell who you are. Congratulations, you are hired, But I will put you on a month of probationary status.” Martina put on a sly smile as she was about to shake hands with Randell.
“Thank you, and thank you for that half smile. It shows that somehow, you agree with me.” Randell timidly held Martina’s hand. It was soft and warm.