CHAPTER 5
2296 Words
Hera POV ( point of view)
Owen flew at Dubai dahil meron daw itong importanteng business deal, I was left alone again but he promise me to.call me everyday, which he did.
I was so damned tired cooking every orders at Princess Hera (PH), one of the restaurant owned by my parents.
This is why I hated being a chef as a profession. The only reason why I take crash culinary courses because I wanted to impress my future husband and not to confined myself at the kitchen for long hours.
Working at Princess Hera as a temporary chef for seven days makes me felt worn out, exhausted and stressed.
Last night, I been feeling sore all over my body but I ignored it kahit na pinipilit ni Hero na aminin ko ang may.sakit ako
"Hey are you okey? Baby your voice don't sound good" he said in a concern voice
"Kay sakit ka ba?"
"No medyo pagod lang ako"
"Kumain.kana ba?" tanong niya sa akin "heramarie don't lied to me, are you sick? You are want me to go home"
"Ano kaba I told you I'm okey" I manage to.say in a.calm voice kahit masama ang pakiramdam.ko "so how's the deal?"I asked him.trying to change the topic.
"Well.okey naman, by the way nagkita kami ni Selena" he told me.in.a happy tone which wring my heart
"Oh talaga?" I said in a happy tone too kahit parang hiniwa ang aking puso
Selena is his Ex, first love and first girlfriend.. damn gusto ko mamatay while he happily chanted their meeting
I said my goodbye last night after hearing him out, i lay in bed brokenhearted, but I force myself to sleep.
I sigh as i prepared the table, I don't know how I give in to my mom wishes. I just found out myself saying yes to her when she asked me.too, lagi naman ganun, I can't seem to say NO to.her
Hindi ko din alam if she did really asked me, I agreed maybe because to me it is more a conscience thing!
Princess Hera's resident chef and his assistant were involved in a vehicular accident thus leaving the restaurant with no chefs and giving me with no choice but to filled in the job they left vacanted.
Mabuti nalang at napilit ko ang BFF kong si Sarah na maging assistant chef ko dahil kung hindi eh baka bumigay na ako.
"One chicken curry and two Angus Steak for table no. 3, three Mac and Cheese three lemon chicken three crispy pata for table no. 15, " announced ni Dylan, our head waitress as she entered the kitchen
"kaya pa ba chef ganda?" She asked me with a concerned voiced.
I must looked very darn tired in her eyes. The truth is I felt dizzy and my eyes were hot.
"Yes definitely Okey"
"Your sure Chef ganda? You don't look good your self" she told me
I turned around to her direction, I won't let any one to notice that I'm not well, this is my last day so I better get through with it.
I winked at her and give her my fake sweet smile.
"I'm really okey, Just leaved the order slips Dylan, and get out of my kitchen before I break your neck! Ayoko ng makulit" I said in an irritated voice, at times like this I don't have time to have tête with her. She stood still trying to digest what I have said.
Nilapitan siya ni Sara "Sorry Dylan..sige na go back to your station, wala sa mood si chef ngayon" Hinila si Dylan ni Sarah palabas ng kitchen.
Habang ako naman bumalik sa pag garnish ng mga chicken legs. Tumabi si Sarah sa akin at ipagpatuloy ang pagbati ng egg whites. She noticed that I felt irritated and silent.
"Bakit ba wala ka sa mood ngayon?" tanong niya sa akin.
I glance at her as she rolled her eyes and shake her head "I'm just tired" iksing sagot ko.
Huminga siya ng malalim at ibinagsak ang kanyang balikat. "Tired? Well sorry missy, I'm not convinced!. Let me guess it's Owen? hindi ba siya nagparamdam sayo kagabi at kahit ngayon"
Inis na tinignan ko siya, naka kunot ang aking noo. May gumuhit na pilyang ngiti sa kanyang labi.
"At bakit napasok si Owen dito?" Asar na tanong ko sa kaniya.
"Kilala kita Hera, maaring makapag sinungaling ka kay Jasmin pero hindi sa akin. Hindi pagod ang true reason ng bad mood mo dahil kung pagod, well pagod ka din nitong nakaraang araw but your stilled look happy, kanina pa kita napapansin simula ng pumasok ka dito sa kitchen ni isang genuine smile ay hindi mo magawa! " panudyong sabi nito.
I take a deep breath and sighed in defeat.
"let us not talked about it" I pleaded. I can felt my head is spinning but I fucos on my task. Tiis muna sabi ko sa sarili, I'm glad that the pain is bearable.
"For now but later you have to tell me in full details" she glared at me.
"Let's go back to work Sarah, marami pang orders na nakapila" I commanded her trying to dropped the subject.
Sarah rolled her eyes again at me
"okey I will tell you after work, happy? " I assured her, knowing that she will not stopped until she get all the answers she wanted
"You better be" she smirked
I sigh again and start to deep in
chicken in lemon juice.
Why am I acting weird today? Dahil ba I'm not feeling well? or dahil ba sa nalaman ko kagabi kay Owen na nagkita sila ni Selena sa Dubai. At ayon pa dito, naka check in sila pareho sa iisang hotel and worst magka floor lang din ang rooms nila.
Pag naglaro nga ang tadhana. Si Selena ang first girlfriend ni Owen, ang babaing halos pinagselosan ko noon at sinumpang kong ilalayo kay Owen.
Nakakatawa nga dahil thirteen years old palang ako noon nang maging mag girlfriend sila ni Owen. Hindi ko alam kung bakit subrang kong kinainisan noon si Selena.
And now that I learned that their path crossesed again, I can stilled feel that hatred all over my heart. Bakit nga ba? I touched my chest trying to feel where my heart is, hoping I can get the anwers.
I shake my head and force myself to focus on my task. Thinking too much about him does give me goosebumps so I decided that I need to set aside my feelings for him.
Ginugol ko nalang ang buong maghapon sa pagluluto sa kusina. Hindi ko na namalayan na mag 6pm na pala at hindi pa kami kumakain ng lunch ni Sarah. Ganun naman talaga kaming dalawa ni Sarah, we tend loss appetite when we are at the kitchen. Kaya nga ayaw kong maging working chef kasi iyon ang magiging problema ko
"Hey guys I'm putting Ms. Olley in charge, kakain lang kami muna ni chef Sarah" I announced as I take off my apron. They all said "Yes" in unison.
"Olley padalhan mo kami ng food kay Dylan sa VIP 4, the usual ha pasamahan mo na din ng isang strawberry juice and isang buko shake" masuyong sabi ko kay Olley, isa sa mga kitchen staff ko.
"Yes chef" ngiting sagot niya sa akin.
"Let's Go" aya sakin ni Sarah. Lumabas kami ni dalawa sa back door ng kitchen at inakyak ang hagdan sa may gilid nito at sa dulo nito nandoon ang connecting door sa VIP rooms.
Pumasok na kami sa VIP 4 which is a room reserved for restaurant manager, chef, assistant chef and its guest.
Pagod na pagod man pero hindi ko maiwasan na maging proud sa sarili ko. Being a temporary chef of Princess Hera is an accomplishment I felt contented and rewarded at the moment. Kaya hanga ako sa resident chef ng Princess Hera dahil he could scoop up with its demands.
Princess Hera is a three story restaurant: ground floor is composed of common dining area, kitchen, lobby, waitress station and manager's office; second floor consist of six VIP rooms; third floor is consist of four function rooms.
Habang hinihintay namin ang food namin ay sinimulan na akong kulitin ni Sarah.
"So tell me honestly the reasons why you had been so fiesty and silent for the whole day? " she asked me in a serious voice with a looked that tell don't-you-ever-lied-to-me.
Guess I have no choice but to tell her the truth about Owen meeting again his first love, Selena, in Dubai.
She was so eargerly listening to me but her eyes were rolling once in a while. She never reacted until I finished talking.
She burst into laughter that made me glare at her.
"What's so funny?" I said, hurt and disappointment wrapped my being, this is the reasons why I hate telling her what I felt. She always laugh at me.
"You!"
"Care to tell why?"
"Your a fool, behaving as if your not affected by him, trying to concealed your feeling by pretense. Sorry missy but I think your just over reacting because of your jealousy
"No I'm not!" I snapped
"Stop it Hera, just accept the sad truth that your in love with him. Sooner or later your heart will defeat your mind. There is nothing wrong with falling love with a friend. We cannot choosed whom we fall in love but our heart will."
"I can't be in love with Owen, can you see Sarah, he will never love me back, I'm always a friend and sister to him"
"Who says that love is easy, hello Missy, kaya nga they called it a crazy thing. Love make you happy then it can also make you sad, but the you can't help it. When love hit you bulls eye you cannot get away with it. Take my advise, don't try to fight your feelings because it will always make you weak and vulnerable, take it from me my friend"
"Admit? Matagal ko nang inamin sa sarili na mahal ko siya, pero hindi ko pweding aminin sa kanya iyon, he will never love me, believe me Sarah"
"I see, but think it again, you were scared to show your feeling because you wanted assurance, assurance that he would love you too but that's not the way love works Hera. Love is loving someone with out assurance that it would be reciprocate. Fears, uncertainty, distrust are part of our life and loving someone can be alike to gambling for your happiness, you never know if you be lucky or broken hearted in the end but at least you try, you experience and felt love. If you want Owen to love you, get out of your comfort or safe zone, acknowledge your feelings and gamble for your love with your heart as bet, and try to listen to your heart"
"I don't know Sarah but I'm having second thought whether if he is worthy of my love and affection. He's a playboy, an a certified one, pano kung malaman niya na mahal ko siya eh paglaroan niya lang ang damdamin ko."
"Thats for you to see Hera, kaya nga susugal ka, paano mo malalaman kung your so full of what if's? instead of "why not's"
Dumating na food namin ni Sarah. We starting to eat our food silently. I was starting to feel duzzy as I sipped my buko shake.
Napansin ni Sarah na nanginginig ang aking labi at pati ang mga kamay ko.
"Hera are you okey?, hey your chilling" worried na tanong niya
"Malamig lang, It must be the air con, pwede paki hinaan nalang" pakisuyo kong sabi sa kanya
Tumayo si Sarah para i adjust ang aircon pero panay parin ang panginginig ko.
She was so bother that she put her hand on my forehead
"Oh God Hera, your burning hot with fever" she said
"I'm okay, don't worry too much, mawawala din ito. Pagod lang to!" I was trying to make her calm
"No you're not. I think we better go home and you need rest, I drived you home."
"I'm okay, look I can manage" I objected
"No Hera, please don't be so stubborn. you should rest and no need to worry, Ms. Olley can perfectly run the kitchen, saka ilang oras nalang closing time na din natin, masama na na pakiramdam mo kanina umaga?"
"Kagabi pa, I'm tired and exhausted, thats all"
"What? Why didn't you tell me, are you on suicide? Damn it Hera, you should at least take some medicine!"
Sarah dial a number on the intercom inside the VIP room and waited, after a minute she speaks.
"Tristan, its me Sarah, I want to informed you na mag a-under time kami ni chef Hera, she sick and burning with fever. I need to drive her home"
She paused trying to listen to the voice on the other line
"Yes thank you" she stood up and grabbed me in the arm. "let go!'.
But as I tried to stand up, I felt my head whirled, seing my sorrounding spinning I let out a groan, I hold her arms tighten making Sarah more worried and nervous.
"Sarah I feel so dizzy! Oh God the room is whirling, I can see only black" I scream as I panicked.
"Oh no! God!, Hera please hold my arms, I better take you to the hospital instead." She said in a quelled voice. Panicked is evident in her eyes.
She dial Tristan number again screaming.
"Tristan help me! Si Hera, she---!" She screamed in horor
That the last thing I heared before I passed out.
- Writer
