The Empty Mug

It was Pedro's first day at his new job. He arrived twenty minutes early. The office was on the fourth floor of a building near the river. Someone showed him his desk and gave him a laptop. Then they disappeared into a meeting.

Unang araw ni Pedro sa bago niyang trabaho. Dumating siya dalawampung minuto nang maaga. Ang opisina ay nasa ika-apat na palapag ng gusali malapit sa ilog. May nagpakita sa kanya ng kanyang mesa at binigyan siya ng laptop. Pagkatapos, pumasok sila sa isang pulong.

Pedro sat down. The desk was clean. There was a single ceramic mug on the corner, empty. He thought it was a welcome gift, maybe. He didn't drink coffee, but he was thirsty.

Umupo si Pedro. Malinis ang mesa. May isang ceramic na tasa sa sulok, walang laman. Inisip niya na baka ito ay regalo bilang pagtanggap. Hindi siya umiinom ng kape, pero nauuhaw siya.

He walked to the small kitchen and filled the mug with water. When he sat back down, a man with a beard appeared at the door of his cubicle. The man looked at the mug for a long second.

Naglakad siya papunta sa maliit na kusina at pinuno ng tubig ang tasa. Nang makabalik siya sa kanyang upuan, may lalaking may balbas na lumitaw sa pintuan ng kanyang cubicle. Tinitigan ng lalaki ang tasa ng matagal na segundo.

"That was my mug," he said. "I sat there before." He smiled. "It's fine. Welcome. I'm Diego."

"Akin ang tasang 'yan," sabi niya. "Diyan ako nakaupo dati." Ngumiti siya. "Ayos lang. Maligayang pagdating. Ako si Diego."

Pedro turned red. He apologized and offered the mug back. Diego laughed. "Keep it. Consider it your welcome gift. But ask first about the coffee. The machine is more complicated than it looks."

Namula si Pedro. Humingi siya ng paumanhin at inalok na ibalik ang tasa. Tumawa si Diego. "Sa'yo na 'yan. Isipin mo na lang na regalo sa'yo. Pero magtanong ka muna tungkol sa kape. Mas kumplikado ang makina kaysa sa inaakala."

Later, Diego showed him how the coffee machine worked. It took ten minutes.

Maya-maya, ipinakita ni Diego kung paano gumagana ang coffee machine. Inabot ng sampung minuto.