III: Coffee and Touch
The Lost ShipDara does not know what to say, she is coming as early as possible and greeted by the old lady who hired her yesterday night. She bows to the old lady, still not sure of what to do. After she cried last night, and being consoled by the little girl, she still feels embarrassed about that.
"You're early," the old lady smile at her and nods.
"Ah, my apologies. Shall I come back later?" the girl seems really nervous and bows to the old lady.
"Aigoooo, just stay. Don't be awkward. Come here."
Later she learns the woman name is Choi Hyunmi, a wife from Park Jaewon. The owner of Park enterprise, one of the biggest company in South Korea and currently dominated the trading market for food and beverages. She told Dara that she knows about her looking for a job, and she like the girl already.
"... so, I decided to hire you. Can you cook?".
"Only Philippines food..." Dara answering, her cheeks flushing red.
"Oh good, you can teach me and I'll teach you. Chaerin can eat almost everything, but mostly healthy food."
"Chae-Chaerin?".
"My daughter in law," Dara nod hearing the explanation, probably the little girl last night is the daughter.
Not long after Hyunmi explaining about Chaerin, a little girl with pink pajama while rubbing her eyes walking into the kitchen. Her eyes suddenly glowing when she look at Dara, she was sulking when Dara left last night. With her little step, she is approaching Dara with a huge smile.
"Moning Dala unnie," she says cutely with two of her arms open wide, gesturing Dara to lift her up. After Dara lift her up, she is quickly snuggling to the crook of Dara's neck. Her little chubby fingers twirl Dara's hair and she is giggles while looking at her halmoeni from Dara's shoulder.
"Have you drink your water?" she ask the little girl, who shook her head with her lips jutting out, "okay, let's have it."
Patiently, Dara pours the water into the little glass pointed by Hyunmi then letting the little girl have it. The old lady looks at the view and smile. Eunmi drinking slowly her glass of water, she is usually whining every time people told her to do something after she is wake up, but with Dara, she seems okay.
Dara put the little girl on her baby chair, she walks to the elderly woman who is ready to cook something for breakfast. "What are you usually cook for breakfast? In the Philippines?".
"Just a usual food, but in there, we use Arroz Valenciana," She takes the apron from the woman and put it on herself.
"What is that?".
"A glutinous rice, a bit similar to paella. Actually isn't for breakfast, I just like the taste. Philippines breakfast is simple, just like the Western style. The rice is sauteed with garlic, we called it sinangag, and complete with tapa, we can use beef, chicken or pork."
"Make that, and no pork. My daughter in law not really like pork."
"Yes, mam." Dara nod, she asks for permission to look inside the fridge.
She found ingredients she needs, she asked on how many people join for breakfast and start calculating the portion. While waiting for the rice to cook, she starts to make the chicken tapa. Once in a while, she looks at the little girl who is staring at her amusingly, she plays with her bottle and smile whenever Dara look at her.
In one and a half hour, she finished cooking the garlic fried rice, since she has no time to make a perfect tapa. She just adds more flavor in order to loose the marinated process. She is adding lemon juice and soy sauce for more flavor and glistening effect. Then she adds a sunny side up egg, with a grilled sausage that has the same sauce with the tapa and adding tomatoes cut on side of the plate.
"Smell really good," a hoarse yet deep voice accompanying heavy steps coming inside the kitchen, it is Park Jaewon.
The man already using his casual clothes and walk slowly with his limp leg to the jumpy little girl. He takes the little girl out from her seat and put her on his lap. His wife coming to give him a glass of hot tea.
Dara put the plate on the table when she hears a husky voice that gives a stabbing feeling on her chest and literally can kill her anytime. She looks up slowly, looking at the blonde woman with no makeup, using a shirt with a big letter of 'Bad Girl on Board', sweat pants and a glasses on her face. She looks so much younger without the makeup, cuter and harmless.
The woman stares back at her, giving Dara chill on her spine. She sat down without saying anything.
"Dara dear, go make Chaerin a coffee. No sugar. Black." Hyunmi asking Dara to make her daughter in law cup of coffee.
"Yes, mam."
It took Dara ten minutes to make a black coffee, the cup look like a mess, but it has a good brownish crema on top of the coffee. Other people usually give her coffee from the machine, it is clean and no crema. The cup is a bit dirty with some of the coffee powder left. The younger girl stands next to her, waiting.
She sips the coffee slowly and stunned.
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