Pay Hike

Baabaa and I strolled around Salcedo Park after our Banchetto date was canceled. It was a rainy evening and a sudden cloudburst earlier that night left him stranded at Greenbelt 1.  Cabs were hard to find, so instead of him showing up at the gym to pick me up,  I ended up fetching him instead.

The change of plans slightly soured my mood.  What blew it to pieces was an arrival of someone who double-crossed me in the past.  We were gym buddies and good friends, until I  learned he was telling a friend some not-so-good-things about me.  While I tell myself the issue has been resolved, getting over the betrayal was another matter.  To see him with a gang while my disciples were away made me feel vulnerable in their presence. Riding a cab to Makati from Mandaluyong whose flag-down rate unleashes your sleeping demons wiped all hopes of recovering.     

I showed up to my beloved reeking with bad temper.

But the partner knows how to lift my spirit when it gets broken. I say its sheer talent. (No wonder, he makes friends with everyone, while my ever-reclusive self drives people away)  A short walk from Greenbelt to PBCom Tower; a hearty dinner of Spaghetti and Potato fries at KFC and a stick of Marlboro Black and I felt better. We were at Salcedo Park at past 1 in the morning, horsing around under the trellis.

But it was not how our night ended.

A few rounds of walking at the park and I decided to check my ATM at a nearby bank since it was our payday.

"Fuck!"  I exclaimed. 

"Bakit?"  Baabaa was visibly worried.

"Mas malaki yung balance sa bank ko kesa sa expected salary."

While the recent promotion calls for salary adjustment, the boss had recently spelled out during a management meeting that he cannot afford to raise our compensation yet. I have other explanations to offer such as tax refund or the accountant had mistakenly increased my pay.  It might also be possible that my very prudent (?) spending left extra cash from my previous salary. After all, I don't count my money lately.

The boss had no explanation when I inquired about the mysterious moolah the next day. He was confused at first, (since the agents whose pay falls below their projection are the ones who complains) but said that I should ask for my pay slip so he can review my income.

After all, he claims to sign only  the documents.  

I'm almost sure that it was just an honest mistake. However, if the new projected salary reveals itself as real,  I  wouldn't mind staying in my company beyond the restructuring phase after getting such raise. With extra money available, I treated my partner to a gustatory feast at Sinangag Express the following evening.  

Sinangag Express, La-Salle Taft

Update: Got my payslip and it reveals that nothing has changed in my pay scheme.  Still I don't know how on earth did my salary get doubled.  


I will inform the boss about my findings.