Chapter 2: Incident and Invitation

“Boss it seems that spirit is still a juvenile, very unfortunate, his too young to die”

“Idiot didn’t you see that he still got a marking in his forehead, it means that his still got his body and not dead!” the two guys are talking about the spirit that they saw lying on the grass and now walking in the direction of the lake.

“Look I think he notice us, don’t talk again”

After a moment of silence the importunate one cannot endure to talk

“Wow boss I think your right, soul has a good hearing” he said with amusement

“Boss I think that his going to the lake, ooops I think he hear me, sorry” while covering his mouth and looking sideways.

”What’s the matter with you why can’t you understand to stay quiet do you want to get a beating huh! Look at that guy his really going to check on us” his voice is now a little louder with a tone of annoyance.

“Well he already notice us here so no need to hide” the guy is slowly getting closer, so they decided to come out from hiding.

“Hey kid you seems at lost do you know where you are” his talking to the guy that seems stuttered in their sudden appearance behind the tree.

“I tell you what you’re here at the middle of Kadim Forest and on top of my place the beautiful mount Hayaman” he said with a proud voice but the kid was somewhat scared and move backward.

‘What is with this guy is he a mute’

“H…hheloo..o I….jus” the kid said when suddenly he got vanished on the spot

“Boss what happen is that the ability of a ghost?”

“No, his a spirit not a ghost remember, I don’t know either, maybe. . . maybe he move to somewhere else or returned to his place or go back to his body. You see I am also not familiar with that kind of thing. Let us return now I am going to ask the old man about what we saw.”

•••••

The rooster did his job during morning and the sun is wrapping the city with its embrace, the ray of it is reaching the face of a man that is currently sleeping in his tattered bed.

This man is now the twenty nine years old Kellen, wearing only a jet black pajama pants the sound of the rooster is his alarm clock for almost a year now when he move to this thirty sq. meter one room apartment in Taguig. He move in here when his house was been foreclosed a year ago, the rent here is low, the water is free and the room is fairly decent which makes him choose this place. The neighborhood is fine the street is lively during the day you can see people chatting on the street, children playing various games and some individual passing by to rush on their errand.

Kellen woke up from the sound of the rooster outside and start to clean and fix his bed, after that he cooked bacon and egg, prepare some rice for his breakfast and made a coffee. He pulled the curtain on the side to ventilate his apartment, viewing the outside he can see people doing their usual businesses.

He prepare his dress and take a bath, today his going to have an interview with the newly establish construction firm in Taguig and this is his twenty third interview for this month.

This is really far opposite experience just eight years ago, when he graduated in college and past the board exam being second to the top for civil engineering, at that time the company is the one who encouraging him to apply to their company and offer him many benefits.

In the end he accepted the job offer in one of the leading construction company, not long after he has been recognized and been well know after five years. That time he was in the peak of his career, he got well-paying job, money, his own house, girlfriend, circle of friends and he is considered as one of the skilled and competitive engineer in their company and also in the engineering community across the country. Who would have thought that from the peak of his career he would instantly drop down to that state.

It all happened two years ago when the construction building that they were making collapsed and turn to rubble, many people died on site and some who count themselves lucky had only take small injuries during the incident. It became the national news for almost a month, when the investigation reports have filed in he was the most shocked. It said that the materials they used on the construction are substandard and low in quality.

The primary responsible to this is the three engineers who are in charge for the project and he is one of them. He didn’t know that his two seniors and also some of the director inside the company are in cahoots on making a kickback from buying substandard construction material for almost a decade already.

They were really good on deceiving the uninvolved party because he also inspects the material that the construction will going to use and he was sure that it’s a top class. He was implicated in the things that he has no knowledge about and considered as his in collaboration to the two and other official of the company.

The company sued him, though he ended up winning the case and found innocent, it was contrariwise on his job. The company reliance on him is also reduce to rubble and did not take his service anymore and lose his job that he spent sweat and blood for those six years.

After he lost his job the rest follows, his friends that he thought would help him starting to turn their back on him, some are secretly envy him before and now turn to be happy on his downfall, his girlfriend left him after that, he mortgage his house to the bank and sold most of his assets to cover all of his expenses.

To make all things worst there is still no company hiring him because of the incident that involving him and his reputation to the other company is also bad. Now he ended up in a small one room apartment in the residential part of the city.

Kellen became a fine and strong man through all those year, now his getting ready for his interview. Standing in front of the mirror his wearing a dark grey trouser, black leather shoes and white long sleeve folded by one third, his height of one meter and eighty five centimeter with his short hair and natural brown color skin he looks quite handsome.

‘I must get this job it is getting irritating lately, this interview thing is getting boring and boring, I can even answer their question without them finishing their sentence’ he was recalling the many interviews he had, asking same question again and again.

•••••

Outside the building in Taguig Kellen was standing on a bus stop waiting there after his interview appointment finished not long ago.

> “Hi Ma!” Kellen answered the phone

“Kellen I called you to know if you already have a job. If not your uncle Pan will recommend you to one of his friend that started a business, I think it should be okay even if it is not related to engineering so you can have a job for the time being” knowing that his son is having difficulty with the money she insisting him always to try the job.

“Thanks Ma, but I don’t need it right now because I already have a job” Kellen replied, then he stand up to enter the bus.

“Really, that’s good what company is it and where?” Danica’s voice became delight immediately

“Garboa Construction and it’s also in Taguig, they say that they need skill and not concerned to the incident that involving me and I explained that I am innocent on that and they want to give me a shot” Kellen exhaled and smiled slightly

“Congratulation son, I hope that it will be the start for you to recoup on your lost, by the way son are you free today? I want us to have a dinner together with your sister and uncle Pan, you never show yourself for a year now” Danica make a deep sighed

“Okay Ma don’t worry now that I have a job there is no reason not to come, I also miss Lissy, how is she?” Kellen asked”

She’s fine and healthy, your sister also miss you. Let’s talk again later at the dinner I will prepare your favorite dishes, you take care then” Danica hang up after the last sentence.

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Thank You for reading.

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