Playing With Fire

Chapter 5

Too Gentleman

Hindi ko pa rin makakalimutan ang nangyari kahapon. Hindi nga ako makapaniwala na nangyari 'yon, eh. Para ngang isang panaginip ang lahat ng nangyari. I can't even focus on my work just because of that. I shaked my head mentally, hindi ko na dapat isipin pa 'yon. Ang mahalaga ay buhay pa ako ngayon at humihinga pa.

I am here today at my Café. Ayaw ko na ulit lumiban pa dahil kailangan ako ng Café. My workers and my assistant can't process whenever I'm away. I am the owner but I also act as waiter and cashier, mas napapadali kasi 'yong trabaho. Marami rin kasi kaming mga customer kaya mahirap na kokonti lang kaming mag-du-duty.

I stand firm and smiled at every customer in each table. Tinatanong din nila saakin kung ako ang may-ari ng Café at sinasabi rin nila na gustong-gusto nila ang pagkakatimpla at pagkakaluto ng mga pagkain ang mga inumin sa lugar na ito. I am flattered because of their compliments. Kung pwede lang nga na iparinig 'yon kay Mommy para hindi na siya magsalita ulit ay ginawa ko na. Ang hirap lang talaga na binababa ka ng magulang mo.

Kahit ganoon ay hindi pa rin ako nagtatanim ng sama ng loob sa kanila. I know that they love me, I think that's their ways on showing their affection to me.

"Isang mocha cake at isang strawberry cheese cake."

Tumango ako at kinuha ang order nila. I might say that I am fast when it comes to work. Nasanay na rin kasi ako at ayaw ko ring pinaghihintay ang customer ko. If I'll be fast, then they would say that our service is good.

Dadalhin ko na sana sa nag-order ang mga pagkain nang biglang may pumasok sa Café. My eyes widened when I saw that it was Pixie and her friends. They're wearing limited edition clothes and shoes. They were too flashy to look at but to be honest, it looks good on them. Bagay na bagay.

"Ate!"

I almost dropped the tray that I am holding when she pulled me closer to her. She smiled at me and embraced me as she went to her friends. Inihatid ko muna ang order ng isang customer bago sila pinuntahan.

"What's your order?" Tanong ko nang malapitan ang mga kaibigan ni Pixie.

I stared at the short-haired girl wearing a beige oversized shirt and a white skirt. She was also wearing a beige beret and dangling earrings. She looks cute, to be honest.

"A-Ang ganda mo p-po.."

I grinned. I don't know what to say and what she said was out of the blue. Hindi ko nga inasahan na 'yon ang sasabihin niya, eh.

"Your cousin looks like a beauty queen, Pixie. She can also pass as a Victoria's Secret model." The girl in a white puffed top and a square pants said.

Hindi talaga ako sanay sa mga salita na ganyan. I guided them to an empty table at tinanong ulit ang order nila. They will be having a leche flan, croissant and a strawberry shortcake. Mabilis kong kinuha ang order nila at bumalik din kaagad.

Tumayo ako at pinagmasdan sila. I want to ask if they like our food and I want to know their say on our dish, it would improve our food and help us deliver a good service to the customer.

"Siguro dahil maraming kumakain dito dahil maganda ka po, Ate. Bagay po kayong sumali sa Miss Universe. You have the body and also the face. You're also smart din. Pixie said a lot about you po. Na paglaki raw niya, gusto niyang maging kayo."

I warmly smiled at Pixie. Instead of being shy, she was raising her chin and smiling goofily. Siniko siya nung babaeng maiksi ang buhok kaya napatigil siya sa kan'yang ginagawa.

"Maganda rin naman ako. Pareho lang kami ni Ate." Pixie said.

"No one asked, Pixie." Pambabara sa kan'ya nung babaeng nakasuot ng mint green off-shoulder dress. She paired it with a gold chocker necklace with a heart in the middle.

"And no one wants you to butt in, Joana." Nakataas ang kilay na sabi ni Pixie.

"Kumain na lang kayo. Huwag na kayong mag-away." The short-haired girl said.

Sumubo siya ng leche flan and her eyes widened. Itinuro niya ang leche flan sabay sabi ng masarap at ilang mga salita na hindi ko na masyadong naiintindihan. Ang tanging naintindihan ko lang sa sinabi niya ay ang masarap ang pagkagawa ko nun. Well, I'm not the only one who cooked that dish. Marami rin naman akong mga baker at barista rin dito sa Café.

Nginitian ko silang lahat at lumapit kay Pixie. "Babalik ako mamaya, Pixie." Sabi ko sa kan'ya. She nodded, so I turned my back.

Pumunta ako sa kitchen at tumulong na rin. Everyone is good with what their doing, I'll give them that. Hindi talaga ako nagkakamali ng mga hinire sa trabaho. Mababait sila at makikita mo pa ang passion nila sa larangang ito.

"Ma'am, diba po 'yon 'yong kasama ng Prince Charming? Ka-ano-ano niyo po ba 'yon?" Angelina asked me. Bagong dating 'to kaya pinanliitan ko siya ng mata.

"Kakarating mo pa lang, Angelina. You're asking too much about my personal life, huh. I didn't know that you're so nosy." I said jokingly. She laughed at what I have just said and that made me smile.

"Pinsan ko siya, Angelina. She's Pixie and the Prince Charming that you admire is Vaughn Fortalejo. I don't know if that's his full name, pero yeah. They're together, so please let them be and don't become a nuisance to them."

"Si Ma'am naman! Nagwagwapohan lang naman ako, Ma'am. I don't want to cause a broken relationship. Maganda ako, Ma'am, pero 'di ako relationship wrecker. Over my dead body!"

Tumango na lang ako at inutusan na lang siya sa mga gagawin niya ngayon. As usual, the café has received tons of customers. If only Mommy can see that my business is booming. She will not say any bad things if she can only see this happening. Napangiwi na lang ako at hindi na lang inisip 'yon. Nang matapos na akong makatulong sa kanila ay lumabas muna ako para puntahan ang aking pinsan with her friends.

I smiled at them as I went to their table. The short hair girl saw me and I smiled at her when she pulled another chair so that I can sit on it. Umupo ako doon at binati silang lahat.

"My relationship is really boring, you guys. Hindi ko alam kung ako ba 'yong boring or my partner is boring. Imagine, we are together in a room tapos wala siyang ginagawa saakin. I mean he can do whatever he wants to me and I will like it. I will even oblige. Vaughn is too gentleman. He hasn't kiss me wildly and rough, gusto ko pa naman 'yong ganoon." Nagulat ako nang sinabi 'yon ni Pixie.

I didn't say anything and listen to her rants about her boyfriend. She's only 18 but she's saying those words as if it's nothing to her. Well, hindi naman pareho ang nagpalaki saaming dalawa. May pagkakataon talaga na naiiba ang perception niya saakin and I am okay with it. I should not forced her to change, but if it's too much already, I will make her realize that she's stepping into the boundaries already.

"You guys know make-out, right? I haven't experienced that with him. He's respecting me, I know that, but I don't want that. He always say that I am young and that I should wait, but f**k waiting, right? f**k waiting if tomorrow is the end of the world, f**k waiting if we don't know what will happen. He's really frustrating me, to be honest. If he's not mayaman, he's not handsome and a model, I will surely break up with him. We look perfect naman together and everyone keeps saying that we are relationship goals. They don't know that my partner is wrecking our relationship by not doing anything."

"I get your point, Pixie. But you should really wait for the time. You're only 18 and even if you're in a legal age already, you're still young. You should admire him that he's becoming a gentleman for you and that he's respecting you. Nagtagal kayo ng 4 months tapos ngayon lang kayo titigil? Relationships are not always about pleasure for it is about the understanding of one another, trust, and respect." I blurted out my opinion. I can't keep quiet.

"Hindi mo naman 'yon maiintindihan, Ate. You don't have a boyfriend, so no offense, but I don't want to hear your opinion on this." She even smirked at me. I raised my eyebrows at her, she's becoming rude and I don't like that.

"Funny how you're sharing something tapos you don't want to hear Ate's opinion about it." Natatawang sabi ng maikli ang buhok.

Pixie squinted her eyes, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then please shut up."

"Wow. What's with this attitude, Pixie?" Her friend, Joana, said.

"Ugh! Fine! Sorry. Sorry rin, Ate. I am frustrated and that's because of my boyfriend. Don't blame me, siya dapat ang sisihin niyo sa mood swings ko. Nakakairita naman."

Kinuha niya ang frappe niya at ininom 'yon. Ramdam ko ang pagbabago ng mood ni Pixie habang nagsasalita ang mga kaibigan niya. I felt sorry for what I've said. I haven't experienced having boyfriends, but I know that relationship should not only focus on the pleasure and the chemistry that it is giving. It's not always about that. I felt sorry for what I've said because I don't want her to be hurt and be annoyed with me.

"Next na gala natin, Manila?"

"I will be busy pagdating ko sa Manila, Joana. I am still studying. I doubt you understand what studying means." Pixie said, she's still in a bad mood.

"H-How dare you.."

"Ate, magkano ba ang babayaran namin para makaalis na ako dito? I can't understand why I'm friends with these people. They look rich, alright. But their attitudes are trashy." Pixie stood up and held her white bag. Binuksan niya 'to at kinuha ang kan'yang wallet.

"So, Ate, Magkano ba?"

"Don't worry about it, Pixie. I appreciate that you went here, so it's okay. Huwag niyo na akong bayaran." I even smiled at her. She nodded and went to me. She gave me a kiss on my cheek and turned her back to us.

Humarap ako sa kan'yang mga kaibigan ay nginitian silang lahat. I am so sorry about my cousin's behavior. They don't mean anything bad to Pixie, I know that. Ganoon lang talaga si Pixie and I can't change her.

"Sorry about that.."

The short haired girl waved her hand, "Don't feel sorry about that, Ate. It's not your fault and it's okay that she's not with us anymore. We don't really feel her vibe. Lumapit lang naman siya saamin dahil nakita niyang suot-suot namin ang mga damit na gaya nito. It's not your problem that she's like that, Ate."

"She doesn't even listen to our opinions and our stories, Ate. Gusto niya na lang siya parati ang bida. Ano siya? Gold? Hindi ko nga lang talaga alam kung bakit magkadugo kayo. You're too nice, Ate. Too nice and she's too sassy." Joana said.

"Hoy.. pinsan niya pa rin 'yon." The girl in a white puffed top said.

"Hala.. sorry, Ate.."

"Ako nga dapat ang mag-apologize sa inyo. My cousin is always like that. Sana ay pagtiyagaan niyo. Maaayos niyo pa rin ang pagkakaibigan niyo, trust me. Visit me anytime here sa Café and I'll gladly make all of you a dish that you can always remember. Kaibigan na rin kayo ng pinsan ko, so kaibigan ko na rin kayo."

They nodded at me. The girl wearing a white puffed top smiled at me, "Grabe. Ganda na nga, mabait pa. Pinagpala ka talaga, Ate. Huwag ka pong mag-alala. Papapuntahin namin mga kaibigan at kakilala namin sa lugar na 'to."

Tumango na lang ako. Mamaya ay tatawagan ko si Pixie. I will call her and ask her if she's okay. Ayaw kong magalit siya saakin. She's still my cousin after all.

#PWFTooGentleman