3 Years Is A Long Time

*** Part 2

I became an RTA with no clear understanding of what life would be after. I came in the day of the launch, Richard asked me to take a seat behind the CMS and I stayed there for 16 hours straight with no breaks. I didn't even had the time to pee. The following days were a nightmare. No sleep, unending work and long hours. What was I thinking? Hahaha~

One unexpected thing happened though. I met new friends. Huggy became one of my most loved agents there. From the moment he asked for my number claiming we have a common friend named Ronald McDonald to that time when he brought a jarful of M&M with peanuts because I said I don't like Nips and would rather have M&Ms.

The team also became a tight group. Me, Jane, Orange, Pao, Mami Sha and Art. We'd slave for hours and extend unendingly but would always end up with a smile because we were able to find something good to look forward to the following day. Though I was still heartbroken at that time, my days and my nights got so busy I don't have time to remember I was whining over someone. That helped a lot. Really. And the promotion came in the most opportune time.

3 months into production they hired a new RTA. He was to be my partner since I was the only RTA in the afternoon. On my rest days Pao and Mami would have to extend or come in early to cover for me. It was tiring. They told me Boss wanted to hire Carol Silang then. I was not too sure I wanted her. She was way too noisy and boisterous for my silent self. I thought I won't like the shift with her beside me. Good thing Art and Richard convinced boss to take a guy instead. When they told me they hired someone from AT&T I got excited. His name didn't sound familiar though, but his girlfriend's name does.

BJ was brought in a week before Valentines 2005. Then, Pao and I were telling him to be careful because of the RTA curse. Everyone with a long standing relationship tends to end up in splitsville the moment they become RTAs. It happened to me and Pao.

I met him on a Wednesday. Thursday that week he came to me and said he's got the curse. He hugged me like old friends (I was a bit ilang pa cos I'm not too touchy feely with new acquaintances). The following week, something happened and he ended up soaking my shirt with his tears. That was the start of our friendship. An emotionally draining one. BJ became my partner in so many ways. He made work worthwhile and became someone who's constantly there for me. Soon after him, several others followed.

The early days were spent drinking with BJ and Paopao at nineteen20. We'd talk about how hard it is to pick up the pieces after a break up. We became a tight band of broken hearted souls.

One time, BJ was at the yosi area chatting with May. I've known her since AT&T as she'd always talk to Carme during breaks. They talked about BJ's very rocky relationship then and ended up being really good friends. She started to hang out more with us at our station. One day our agent, Randy, told me he'd be out with May and another agent Paolo Joaquin for the night. I said I can't come since I'm gonna meet my High School friends. That got canceled though. At 11PM when I went off the building they literally kidnapped me. They hauled me inside the car and dragged me to Morato!

That became a weekly thing for us until Paolo J. was replaced by BJ and Morato became Tagaytay. With them I learned to drink again, I learned how to pass out elegantly, how to throw up mindlessly in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere, drag myself to the restroom, crawl in the middle of the night with a throbbing head, sing like a diva, dance like Madonna and have fun like it's the last day of my life. I picked up where I left when I suddenly decided to be an adult. I remembered how nice it was to be uncaring and young.

At the same time this was happening I tried to get back with my college barkada. After shift I'd be a regular tambay at their apartment near UP. We'd stay until the wee hours of the morning. We'd work on their thesis, we'd play games (Riders on the Storm was their theme!), horse around and get drunk. I was ecstatic to have them back after my self imposed solitude when I started to work. I started to feel really good about myself again.

My love life also picked up about the same time. After a year and a half of constantly bugging me to go out with him, I finally went out with Patrick. I was, after all, finally single. In the following months, his red hatchback would a staple in front of the ELJ Building every 2AM-4AM. That's when his shift would end at Epix and he'd head to see me afterwards. I'd go tell BJ I'd take a break and he'd let me go. He knows I'm gonna meet some guy downstairs whenever I tell him I'm taking a break. Hahaha~ He knows I don't take breaks.

Life then became a mixture of eclectic sweetness. I have my work, my UP friends, my RMH buddies and Patrick. I'd head to work at 2 in the afternoon, spend the next 9-12 hours with BJ and May, Randy, Rei, Jodi, Angelo and everyone else that matters. After shift I'd head to the apartment, talk like crazy and just have clean fun with Randell, Janrey, Mak etc and head home at 6AM. Sleep until lunch and head back to work. In between I get to see Pat and maybe also head out with the RMH people. It was a fun life. And the months flew by like nothing happened.

It was also a crazy time. Randell and Agnes became an item after we "forced" them to kiss each other one night. Patrick got together with Dianne and I decided to disappear when Cecille came into the picture once more. May started an illicit relationship with an attached guy. BJ got his ex pregnant and slept with Rei who also got pregnant (but BJ denies it's his). May got mad at Rei. Randy and Rei were convinced May's got something for BJ that's more than friendship. Randy kissed me and said he's fallen for me but we decided to let it pass. Huggy resigned. Mon was hired as RTA. Jane and Pao became an item. I had an ongoing spat with Orange...AND ABOUT 10,000 other things happened the best probably was that I finally patched things up with Glenn. I made a promise that he'd always be a friend and finally, I was able to deliver.

By the end of Summer 2005 I was tired.

I saw how it was like. I saw things differently by then. And I was ready to slowdown again.

Things after that was pretty monotonous. BJ and I got transferred as GY RTAs. I'd head home early after work since thesis period was done and no one's hanging around the thesis house anymore. And I met a new set of people from P*yups that Ladit introduced to me. Things were slower with them. Coffee dates. Dinner. Hanging out at Elbow room. Merienda at UP. Isaw afternoons. And the same happened to work. It was not as hectic as before since BJ and I have learned the tricks of the trade. We're like a well oiled machine. We worked so effectively we don't even have to render overtime like the other RTAs. Patrick at this time was a casual thing. Sometimes there, sometimes not. After months of havng to explain to Darvin and Lester (and all the tambays at the yosi area) who owns the red car that speeds by after dropping me off in the middle of the night, it just stopped appearing on our driveway. No more rendezvous in the middle of the night. And no more drunken moments and dreaming stupor to worry about. I was grounded and I was surefooted.

By December that year, they announced that Gerber's leaving the company and they need to hire a new scheduler. The post was offered to me. They said they wanted me to consider before they open the position to the everyone. I was hesitant. Art though talked me into it. Better to be a well rounded workforce personnel he said. I accepted the post and I was able to welcome this new job together with my 24th birthday. I held my birthday at McDonald's and had a kiddie princess party. I thought, I won't be young forever and I could definitely go insane now. The UP guys were there, the p*yups peeps were there, the RTAs, May, Carme, Randy, Hernan and a very pregnant Rei.

Just like with everything that's new I was staggering a lot at first. The only thing that kept me going was my team. By then the workforce team has grown so close we really felt like a family. Though I was happy there, finances became a problem. My aunt stopped supporting my family. With a set of jobless parents and siblings starting college, I felt it was my responsibility to help. I started to look for another job. Unfortuntely, Paul got to it even before I can. I decided not to pursue any of them. I'd rather stay than leave and have someone report to him everything that I've been doing. It doesn't seem right.

As my confidence with my job grew, my life once again turned into a monotonous case. So the moment Patrick knocked on my door, I welcomed him immediately. By then he already left Epix and was hired to start up another center. I became a fixed figure at Eastwood as I'd spend breakfast with the p*yups gang and I'd spend the night with him while waiting for my shift to start. Of course, something happened. And in between the coffee dates that I'd have with Yuri, Abel and Aian I was crying again.

Summer was spent healing myself. I was resolved to get everything back on track. At this point, all I wanted was to go back to the year before. Where summer was all fun and laughter. I want to cruise around the metro without having to worry about anything. But it didn't happen. My group has now disbanded. Rei transferred to Sykes, Randy's with Ambergris, Jodi and Angelo left, May was spending time with iska and Ian more, BJ was with Tinay and Mishka was taking the rest of his time too. Booie stopped showing up. Aian transferred work from Eastwood to Makati. Abel transferred work too. Patrick was giving me all the attention I need. And old friends at RMH left even before I was able to say goodbye.

After summer, Pat and I were able to pick up where we left. And just like before, just when were starting, things got really nasty. Cecille became an ally. Sad part was, though they've been through more than what I had with him, it still hurts that he denied he had anything to do with me. It was hard enough being the "other" woman in everyone's eyes, it's harder when you're denied of even such a horrible title.

At the same time, work became more and more frustrating. The amount of work was not, in any way, equivalent to the perks we're getting. Final blow was when we learned Paul was leaving. We all wanted out.

By this time, Hernan and Penny became an almost permanent fixture in my life. Hernan and I would slowly dissect my disastrous history with men and Penny and I would rant endless about work. Not long after we've formed a tight group who lives on coffee alone. hahaha~ Anything's bearable as long as you have friends to talk to and the right amount of caffeine to induce the happy hormones.

The next few months was a steady fall from then on. One by one I was losing everything. The team was slowly becoming non-existent. The only reason why I decided to hold on was by now an almost indistinct memory. I tried to get by with what I have. I tried to be as effective as I can be with work.

Then my Dad had a heart attack. I never felt more numb. For days I was not feeling anything. The emotions were constrained in my head, but my heart can't feel anything. How would you feel if you had to go through all those things? Daily I woke up feeling like all I want was go back to sleep and forget my sad reality. Work was a mess, school's a mess, my finances' a mess, my personal life's a mess...I was ready to just give up. I didn't know there were more things to come though. And that was the final blow.

I started to lose respect for the people I'm working with. I don't think I'm working for the right team and the right side anymore. I decided it's time to move on. Fate is tempting me and all I have to do is jump. I no longer have the team to worry about, I'm in dire need of an extra income, and my boss is a big bitch. What else is left consider?

Fate helped me recover from the feeling of lost fast. I got 3 offers in no time...and now I'm officially out, starting a new thing which would hopefully be better than I've expected. There would never be another RMH but there would always be another chance for something new.

3 years is a long time. It might not seem much from someone else's perspective, we all know some people stay with other companies their entire life...I guess, for me, 3 years just ain't the number of years and days I spent with a company. 3 years means having to meet a million people and having to say goodbye to almost all of them. 3 years means having to learn to cope up with losing friends and gaining enemies. 3 years means having to go through 2 heartbreaks and thousands of caring smiles. 3 years is a long time really.

3 years is a long time.