05

 

 

 

"Hayna'ko! Bakit sunog pa din 'yung mga luto mo, Bruhilda!? Tsk! Huwag ka na nga diyan, ako na."

 

 

 

I crankily took the kitchen tong out of Bruhilda's hand at maingat na itinabi siya sa gilid ko. Potek. Ke-aga aga pero sumasakit na agad ang ulo ko. It was the next day pero same old stress pa rin talaga. And as usual, andito na naman ulit ako sa mansyon ng mga Del Montezor.

 

 

 

This time, hotdog naman 'yung ulam ni Soleil na nirequest niya kahapon. And my plan is still the same. Kaso nga'lang, ang hirap-hirap talaga turuan nitong Nanay niya. Jusmeyo, pagpri-prito na nga lang eh pumalya pa.

 

 

 

"Sorry! Ang sakit kaya nung tumatalsik na oil! Plus look oh! I think I got burns na nga ata from it!"

 

 

 

Walang emosyong tinignan ko lang siya as she poutily showed me her non-existent burns from the oil kuno. Eh ginamit na nga niya bilang shield 'yung pantakip ng pan!

 

 

 

"Sa totoo lang, ano lang ba ang kaya mong gawin?" I asked her while flipping the red tender juicy hotdog from the pan. Eto kasi ang paborito ng bata at alam na alam 'non kapag ibang brand ang inihanda para sakanya. Tas sabay magagalit. Well, kids can tell nga naman.

 

 

 

Hindi muna siya sumagot bagkos ay nag-isip pa. "Well, I'm good at acting. In fact, I'm very darn good at it." She snickered proudly and that made me side-eye her.

 

 

 

"Ah ganun? Eh bakit hindi ka mag-act na magaling magluto ngayon?" Acting-acting pala ha.

 

 

 

Her face contorted. "Sorry, but I can only do romance. Not chef movies."

 

 

 

"Well, Ma'am Allessandra. Just so you know, hindi tayo mapapakain ng romance na 'yan." I argued sabay lagay ng mga lutong hotdog sa pinggan. I then turned off the stove atsaka tumungo na sa lamesa. Sumunod naman siya.

 

 

 

"Actually, by making millions does. So technically, I can still feed Soleil, you, and myself or whoever for a very long time. And I'll just hire a chef to take care of that." She shrugged like as if she had it all figured out. Plain and simple. Edi siya na 'yung mayaman.

 

 

 

I set the plates down and returned from looking at her.

 

 

 

"Hiring a chef is good. Pero mas maganda pa din talaga kapag ikaw 'yung nag-effort. Mas special." Sagot ko dito. And why am I even arguing about this with her? Lol.

 

 

 

Napailing nalang ako sa isip atsaka pinaghila na siya ng upuan. Nakangiting nagpasalamat naman siya sakin at umupo.

 

 

 

"Base on your answer, do you perhaps like girls who can cook?" I was starting to push her back towards the table nang mapatigil ako sa tanong niya. I raised my brows and looked down.

 

 

 

"Huwag mo naman agad i-associate ang tipo ko sa babae just because I said that. Cooking is a basic skill. Dapat lahat tayo marunong." Eksplenasyon ko na ikinatawa niya.

 

 

 

"Sasagot ka lang naman ng yes or no eh. Pero sige, I'll take that as a yes then." She winked while I only shook my head. Bahala siya sa kung anong gusto niyang paniwalaan. "I guess I'll seriously learn how to cook now."

 

 

 

I scoffed, finding it hard to believe. Pero sige, tignan nalang na'tin. Suddenly, I remembered something about acting-acting.

 

 

 

"But I may have one thing though." Pagbibigay alam ko. Umangat naman agad ang tingin niya sa'kin, looking highly intrigued.

 

 

 

"Ooh. Sige, ano pa ba ang mga tipo mo sa babae? Maybe who knows, pasok pala ako sa standards mo." I chuckled. Mukhang seryoso talaga siya dito.

 

 

 

"Nah. It's actually quite the opposite from that." I shrugged as I start walking out of the kitchen pero nakatingin pa din ako sakanya.

 

 

 

Her brows furrowed and that somehow made me smirked. "Actually, ayaw ko sa mga taong marunong umarte or anything associated with the limelight. Sakit lang sa ulo."

 

 

 

"Oh?" I watched as her lips tugged upwards after I dropped the bomb.

 

 

 

"Yup."

 

 

 

"Kahit retired na?" I paused.

 

 

 

"What?"

 

 

 

Kumibit-balikat siya. "I mean, would you still consider a retired actress an actress? Are they still out of your type list kahit na retired na sila, ganon?"

 

 

 

"Because technically, out of the limelight na rin naman sila eh. Kumbaga, normal people nalang if you can say."

 

 

 

Napatawa ako. Todo justify talaga siya ih. Mukhang may ipinaglalaban talaga. "Ang seryoso mo naman."

 

 

 

She laughed back. "Sorry, I just got hyped up. Ikaw kasi eh." Aba. Nanisi pa nga. Then, tumalikod na ito  and made a shoo'ing command with her hand. "Just go and get my daughter already na nga lang."

 

 

 

I scoffed at that and then proceeded walking when she stopped me for a second.

 

 

 

"Wala ka ba talagang alam or are you just putting an oblivious act?"

 

 

 

Lumingon ako sakanya, putting my hands inside my jean's pocket and raised my brows.

 

 

 

"Tungkol saan ba?"

 

 

 

"You don't watch netflix or anything?" Ahh.

 

 

 

I playfully scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Tv nga wala kami, netflix pa kaya."

 

 

 

She thought for a second before responding. "That night, I remember rambling about something– which in my defense, lasing ako 'non." I looked down, amused.

 

 

 

I remembered that. It was when I was about to finally leave when I heard her mumbling about some things. I thought she woke up or something pero nagsle-sleep talk lang pala ang gaga– naghamambog na kesyo ganito, ganyan.

 

 

 

Up until she revealed who she truly are. The famous actress of Italy or whatsoever. I didn't believe it at first but then I asked Mareng Karina about it during breakfast and she confirmed na totoo nga.

 

 

 

"Yeah. Ang dami mo nga'ng hinambog."

 

 

 

She rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up. So I guess it's only fair to assume that you already know a couple of things about me from that moment on?"

 

 

 

I chuckled, leaning beside the wall as I gave her a playful response. "Yeah. Binash mo pa nga ako dahil hindi kita nakilala at first hand."

 

 

 

"Oh yeah? Haha." Parang natutuwa pa siya ah.

 

 

 

"Yup. But you know, na kahit na magka-tv man kami, I'm still pretty sure na hindi pa rin maaabot ng cable signal namin ang tv stations sa Italya o Hollywood o sa kung saang lupalop ka man sikat. Kaya sorry naman."

 

 

 

"So you do know."

 

 

 

"Yeah. Confirmed it the morning after."

 

 

 

"Is that why you didn't reply to me na? I was really waiting you know."

 

 

 

"Wala na akong time eh."

 

 

 

Her lips tugged in an impish manner. Inikutan ko siya ng mata. "Wushu reasons."

 

 

 

"Totoo naman. Kita mo naman 'yung trabaho ko dito diba?"

 

 

 

"Oo na, oo na. But what about that day after? Would you still agree to my coffee date invitation kung hindi ka pa uuwi 'non?"

 

 

 

"Ahh." I smiled teasingly. "So coffee date pala dapat 'yun? Akala ko pa-thank you mo lang sakin? Scam ka ha."

 

 

 

A smirked painted on her lips before she playfully clicked her tongue and fingers. "Muntik ka na sanang ma-scam. Sayang."

 

 

 

"Tsk, tsk. Benta ko kaya ang lahat ng sinabi mo sa media?"

 

 

 

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Anyway, go wake up my daughter na talaga. The hotdog's getting cold."

 

 

 

"Sino ba kasi 'yung tanong ng tanong dito?" She raised her brows and I detached myself from the wall.

 

 

 

"You know, types can change, River. Plus you also attract what you dislike– me, as of the moment. But don't worry, I'll will catch you naman if ever that  happens. Promise!"

 

 

 

That made me laughed. But why is she like this though? And how can she just so casually let go of such words? She's so forward and confident like as if she really knows that it would be bound to happen.

 

 

 

But it won't. I won't let it. Because I also do know that she didn't mean it. They all do. Because I know her type very well. And I would just end up getting hurt in the end if I let myself get carried away again.

 

 

 

I mentally took a sighed. Eto na naman tayo haha.

 

 

 

Anyway, I cleared the lump out of my throat and decided to humor her instead. "Still not interested. Gagawin mo pa'kong batang ina kung sakali."

 

 

 

Tumawa siya. "Well, aren't you one already?"

 

 

 

Langya.

 

 

 

"Awayin ka pa sana ni Soleil." Nagsimula na akong lumakad talaga. Makapag gising na nga'lang ng bata.

 

 

 

"Magaling ako sa romance! Kaya magaling akong magmahal!"

 

 

 

I raised my brows. "Weh? Eh bakit nang-iiwan?"