Misadventures of Team Bradford
I had misgivings about our team building. I wanted to go to the beach not another resort with swimming pools. I wanted to stay home and sleep instead of traveling. I was thinking of the hours I could spend in bed instead of a strange room in a bed not my own and of sharing space with other people. You see, I have this thing about privacy. What changed my mind is the chance to bond with my teammates. Though we have so many differences in personalities, views and temperaments, we get along just fine. I am happy to be with my team and all of us have expressed the desire to resign only if all of us would be together in the same company. So I found myself swiping my card to purchase a big bag and a pair of pink flipflops in Market! Market! For the love of the team.
Two days before the team building, I have clothes packed inside the bag and a checklist of stuff I need to bring. Erika advised me to make a list so I won't miss anything. In the whiteboard near my station, a teammate scribbled the number of days before our team building. We were quite bored and stressed with work and it was the only thing that kept us going. The day before we left for Bustos, Bulacan, I unpacked and packed four times in the hopes of stuffing all my clothes, toiletries and towel with enough space left for the blanket I have left in the locker. After a few minutes of struggling, I gave up and decided to just carry a paperbag along with my huge bag.
On the night before the main event, I bumped into Ben and Kat in Ministop and they were surprised to see my 'small' bag. Apparently, the other guys like Arcie brought bags twice the size of mine. I didn't want to be teased about looking like I'll be staying in the resort for a week so I brought only the essentials. Conrad dropped by my station and Ren asked him if he wanted to come along because we were all abuzz with excitement. We were also making Nelli feel guilty about not coming with us. We weren't upset because she had something important to do the next day. The time dragged on even if I was on pure email the whole night. My teammates were grumbling about the slow ticking of the clock. The waiting was unbearable because of our overflowing excitement.
By the time we were all able to log out, all the bags have been packed and the guys who lived nearby hurried to their apartments to get their stuff. Stan, Madz, Owen, Gi and I went to Jollibee to eat breakfast. I ordered a bowl of creamy macaroni soup and large fries knowing that I couldn't go hungry on the way to the resort. After our meal, we went to the small street beside the building to board the van. All of us couldn't fit in so Erika, Owen, Brendo and Gi decided to commute to Bulacan. I sat between Stan and Madz who was feeling sick. Chris who sat beside Stan brought his laptop and we spent our time listening to music. We stopped by Manila so that Stan can get kilos of pork, tocino and longganisa from their shop. Chris volunteered to help carry the meat. The guys smoked outside while Madz and I stayed glued in our seats. I was feeling anxious about getting to Bulacan before lunch so I was quiet the whole time. When Stan and Chris arrived, they placed the meat inside the cooler and we proceeded to NLEX. We were taking pictures, talking and teasing each other throughout the journey. We stopped by a gas station with a Jollibee branch located beside it. Stan and Chris wanted to buy the pastillas sundae thingy so I gave them money while I went to pee in the gas station's washroom. When I finished, Ren was shouting for everyone to board the van so we could leave. The two were nowhere in sight so I followed them to the Jollibee store where I found Stan cajoling the crew to put more pastillas and other sweets in our cups. We rushed out of the store and boarded the van. I hungrily ate my sundae while pushing aside thoughts of calories slowly seeping through my body.
We arrived in Will's house before 9:00 am. His mom served us bowls of soup, puto and cold water. Stan took out his this Magic Sing contraption and they sang several songs before Erika and the others who commuted arrived. Ren, Will and Brendo went to buy fish in the market while the rest including me explored the house and the garden. When Brendo arrived, he wanted to wash his hands using the hose beside the house. He tried to splash water on me and Erika. We screamed and ran for cover. Owen told me that he approached Brendo and he asked for help with the hose. When Owen had it in his hands, he sprayed Brendo with water in the face as a joke. Karma. Hmp. I jumped from one stone to another because the yard was bit muddy. Erika saw me jump from a stone to the concrete landing near the porch. She laughed at me and called the stunt a 'near-death experience'. You simply do not go to Bulacan and walk around in high heels I realized that.
We left for the resort shortly with fresh fish and meat in tow. When we got there, I followed Erika who had the keys to our room. I hurriedly placed my stuff in a space in the cabinet and explored the other rooms. I decided to take a nap before lunch so I won't get a headache. I was in the bathroom getting changed when I heard several raps on the door. It was right beside the bathroom door. Erika walked to the door and I heard her declare in wonder that nobody was standing outside when she opened it. She didn't even see anybody run or walk away. Uh-oh. Not another ghost story I thought when I got out and hurried to the bed with my blanket. I shrugged it off and covered myself. Erika and Gi left to see what the others were doing. I drifted off to sleep and woke up a few minutes later when I heard them come in. Gi greeted me when I opened my eyes then Erika uttered the sentence I so dreaded.
Wala namang kumatok, Pearl?
I jumped out of bed, grabbed my pillow and blanket and ran to the room beside ours. I opened it and I saw that there was no space left for me to sleep on because the other girls were snoozing. I went to Hal and Mark's room but decided against knocking because I don't want to play third wheel. Last choice was the boy's room. I saw Stan and Brian. I threw my stuff in the mattress spread out on the floor and told them that I will be sleeping there. I asked Brendo to wake me up after lunch so I could swim. Stan slept in the bed covered with his blanket from head to toe like a mummy while I settled myself in a little corner. The next thing I knew, Brendo was calling out for us to wake up so we could eat lunch. I combed my hair a little and scurried off to the cottage near the shower room where the other girls were cooking and eating. I sat with Hal and Mark and ate adobo and a little rice.
After eating, I went back to the room and slept. I forgot why I was roused from sleep but I woke up at about 4:00 pm. I took a quick shower, changed into my two-piece swimsuit, my shorts and a white off-shoulder blouse. I stayed with some of my teammates who were drinking alcohol while I slept in the room. Before the dark crept in, I went with Ren, Brian, Will, Stan, Anggueh and Brendo to the private pool to swim. We were having such a nice time before Ren screamed because something was swimming towards her. We found out it was an insect. I jumped out of the way thinking how ironic it was for an insect to swim really well when I couldn't. After about 30 minutes, Ren sneaked into the pool carrying a bottle of Emperador and four cups. They were drinking while I waded around. When I got tired of taking a dip, I scrambled out and stayed with Madz, Chris and Erika in the small cottage. The guys followed and started grilling fish. After about two hours of sitting around in the two-piece and shorts, I went back to the room and showered. I wore dry shorts and my off-shoulder blouse. It was already dark and I found Will hitting a sack on the side of the cottage. Something was squirming inside and being the curious creature that I am, I asked what the thing was. Catfish was the answer I got. Not one but about four of them inside the sack. I felt sick seeing how the thing had to be killed before being cooked. Can't they just die once they get out of the water? Kit told me days after that I was stupid to think that the catfish could die just by being taken out of the water when it could breathe fine in the mud. I felt sick to my stomach and I couldn't even taste the ones that were cooked and were being eaten as pulutan by the others. I was a few steps away from Will when he stood up with the sack in one hand and tried to throw it in my direction. I screamed and ran away from him. I slipped in a puddle and was able to maintain my balance instead of dropping in the muddy water. My feet and right leg were splattered with mud. I felt icky so I went to the shower room to wash off. Since then, everytime Will approached me, I would jump a little or squeal thinking that he was about to throw a catfish at me.
We listened to music from Tippy's mp3 and Chris' laptop the whole time while they chugged down bottles of alcohol. I found out later that they consumed a case of Red Horse, a case of San Mig Light and 10 bottles of Emperador. I sipped mango juice and mineral water and just made up for the lack of excitement by eating the liempo that they kept cutting into small pieces. The food seemed to double in amount the more I ate instead of decrease. We talked, took pictures, gossiped and laughed. Brendo and Kat swam in the pool alone while we stayed in the cottage. A few minutes later, Kat came running because apparently Brendo was stripping his clothes off. The guys ran and Ren followed with a camera. Brendo was already submerged in the pool with his trunks and shorts on. We teased him about disappointing us and we proceeded to go back to the cottage. When I was near the gate, I heard Ren screaming. I saw Will, Brian and Ren silhouetted in the dark. Will was holding Ren and Brian was trying to get the camera from her hands. She was struggling and screaming when Brian triumphantly shouted with glee. The camera was in his hands. Will saw it as a chance to carry her and throw her into the pool. She got out dripping. Her shorts and shirt were drenched. I ran to safety without the guys seeing me to avoid being in the same predicament.
After all the action, everyone settled in the cottage to drink. The guys went to a store near the resort twice to buy ice and more Emperador. We played a game of Truth or Consequence after but it was stopped unexpectedly when Gi started vomiting. A few minutes after with her in Ren's arms, she started bawling like a baby and muttering about Ren 'not giving her away'. She was being promoted as a Senior Agent and it left her distraught. That's how much we love being in the team. Ren's agents do not want to be promoted. They simply would like to stay in the team and if promoted, they ask to be demoted (though it cannot be done as requested). After all the rambling and joking, some went to their rooms. I escaped from my other teammates before they could remind us that we were not supposed to sleep at all. When I was about to cover myself with my blanket beside Anggueh, Ren arrived with a very drunk Gi who was like a distressed kid. She was ushered to the bathroom where Ren poured water on her slowly and massaged her back as she heaved in the toilet bowl. I stayed in the half-open door watching them before Gi pointed near me and screamed that a cockroach was there. I closed the door and Ren shouted for slippers that she could use to squish the cockroach with. I couldn't find anything near me so I removed my flipflops and threw it at her. I was petrified. Gi seemed to have woken up from her drunken stupor after the cockroach incident so she asked to be left alone. Ren asked me to watch over her before going back to the pool. I watched as Gi got out of the bathroom wearing dry clothes and as she crawled into bed. I went back to sleep beside Anggueh before hearing her vomiting in the bathroom again. She told me that she was having a hyperacidity attack. I went to the cottage and found Ren with the others. I told her about Gi but she advised me to let her vomit and then sleep. After Gi felt well enough to sleep, I went back to bed.
I woke up the next day with the sight of a newly-bathed Erika, her head covered in her towel and her cow blanket wrapped around her in bed. I washed my face and hurried out the door only to find Tippy and Madz dripping wet. Madz hugged me and I protested because I didn't want to get soaked. I walked to the cottage where I found Kat packing stuff. I ate a hotdog and rice for breakfast before being shown Erika's scandalous video in Chris' laptop. First she took off her top to show her chest and then she got out of the pool only to go near the laptop to show her butt. We were laughing our heads off with the thought that she did it in broad daylight. I went back to the room after eating to take a bath and pack. After having everything in its proper place, I went to the boys' room where Chris and I took pictures. Owen and Gi arrived after and we took more pictures.
We left the resort before 12:00 in the afternoon. We dropped by Will's house to return the things we borrowed from them. We said our thank yous to his parents and dropped Tippy off a place where she can get transportation home to Malolos. We were a bit annoyed at the owner of the van who is a retired colonel. He had the gall to bring his wife along for a little excursion. All of us couldn't fit into the van so Owen, Brendo and Stan had to commute back to Manila. Bummer.
Even with the slight annoyance and the trouble we had preparing for the team building, we had so much fun. The time I spent with my friends was worth it. Sa uulitin!
