EDMOND ROSSI
He always hated Barbs.
Barbara Riley Villegas never fails to make his day bad. Masyado itong nagmamagaling sa kitchen niya. Masyadong maraming iniimbentong mga bagong products na hindi talaga pumapasa sa kanya. But every time other people will taste her baked sweet delicacies, it would always win their hearts. If he sold it out in the market, it would always be a hit.
Kaya nga sumikat ang mga products ng Pastry Heaven dahil sa mga gawa nito. People in his shop loved her. Students in the baking academy liked her as their instructor. Everyone tells him that she was nice. A cool woman. But he knew he couldn't like her even if she was good in what she does. Even if people loved her, he would always hate her because of
what she was.
Barbs was a loud woman. She was very vocal to tell everyone that she likes him. She always come to his shop wearing out of this world clothes. Ripped jeans, boots, sandos. Pinapatungan lang nito ng chef's uniform iyon para hindi ko sniya masita. She was sporting a violet colored hair. Violet for Christ sake. Iba't-ibang shades ng violet. Sino ang matinong babae ang magpapakulay ng kulay violet na buhok? Punong-puno ng sunod-sunod na hikaw ang tainga. May nose piercing pa. Ang alam niya pa nga ay may hikaw rin ito sa dila. Idagdag pa ang lagi ng makapal nitong make-up sa mukha. Ang mga matang laging puno ng black eye shadow and mascara at pati lipstick na kung hindi bloody red, gothic black ang kulay kaya halos hindi na niya makilala kung ano talaga ang totoong hitsura nito.
Katulad ngayon. Nakaupo siya sa opisina at nakatingin sa monitors ng CCTV. Nakita
niyang dumating ang babae sa shop. Just like before, she was wearing her trademark goth style
wardrobe. Napailing na lang siya. Nagpalit pa ng kulay ng buhok. Reddish-orange na. Marahan niyang hinilot ang magkabilang sentido. Kailan kaya niya maipa-fire out ang babaeng ito?
Pumasok sa opisina niya si Buddy. Another pastry chef na pumalit kay Joelle. He needed to have someone as good as her para hindi mawalan ng client ang shop niya.
"The goth chic arrived," natatawang sabi nito at naupo sa couch na naroon.
"I can't wait to fire her," naiiling na sagot niya.
Kumunot ang noo ni Buddy. "Fire? Okay ka lang? Gusto mong ikaw naman ang i-fire out
ng daddy mo? Alam mong malakas ang kapit ni Barbs. Anak siya ng kumpare ng daddy mo. As
in best friend ng daddy mo." Tonong nagpapaalala si Buddy.
Lalo lang siyang nainis nang marinig iyon. Talagang wala siyang magagawa na matanggal ang babae.
"Bro, she's good. Have you tasted the French macarons that she baked last week? Fuck
me. That was the best macarons I've tasted in my life. Kahit ako hindi ko kayang gumawa ng
ganoon kasarap. The fillings are different. I can't explain it, but it was superb. Saka maganda ang
feedback ng mga coffee shop owners doon. They wanted to include that in their menu plus her
other baked goods."
Hindi siya umimik. Totoo ang sinabi nito. Talagang pagdating sa ganoong bagay ay walang tatalo sa babae. Talagang magaling itong mag-product experiment. Hindi natatakot gumawa ng mga out of the box recipes.
Napatingin siya sa salaming pinto ng opisina nang makita si Barbs na papasok doon. Weird, she was not smiling. Not like her usual jolly persona every time she was going to annoy him. This time, she was serious. She was directly looking at him when she entered the office.
"What do you want?" He made sure she would sense that he doesn't like her inside the room. That he doesn't even want to see her.
"We need to talk." Sabi nito nang tuluyang makapasok. Nagkalansingan pa ang patong-
patong na mga metal necklace at bracelets na suot nito na lalo niyang ikinairita.
"What about? Kung may bago ka na namang recipe na ipapatikim sa akin, please lang. Tigilan mo na muna. I don't want to taste a cookie with pako plant." Nakita niyang nagpipigil na matawa si Buddy kaya panay ang ehem nito.
Hindi sumagot si Barbs. Hindi ito sumasagot? Usually kapag ganitong sinusungitan niya
ang babae ay hindi ito magpapatalo. Sasagot at sasagot sa kanya at hindi titigil hangga't hindi
nasisira ang araw niya. Nakatingin lang ito sa kanya.
"Stop wasting my time, Barbara. Go back to your kitchen." Pagtataboy niya sa babae.
Sumama ang tingin nito sa kanya at may dinukot sa bulsa tapos ay inihagis sa mesa. Kunot-noong tiningnan niya ang papel.. Nagpapalit-palit ang tingin niya sa papel at sa babae.
"What is this?" Taka niya.
"Our fucking nightmare." Seryosong sagot ni Barbs.
"What?" Inis niyang kinuha ang papel at lalong kumunot ang noo nang makita iyon.
Black and white photo. He knew that. He had seen a photo like this before. When he accompanied his sister in her OB-Gyne and she showed him an ultrasound-
Nanlalaki ang mata niyang napatingin kay Barbs. Nakataas lang ang kilay nito sa kanya.
"What is this, Barbs?" Tumaas na ang boses niya.
"An ultrasound. It says there that I am eight weeks pregnant." Nakita niyang napailing ito at halatang hindi gusto ang sinasabi.
Natawa siya at pahagis na binitiwan ang papel.
"All right? Congratulations? Go tell your father. Your family. Your boyfriend. Anong pakialam ko diyan?"
Lumapit sa kanya si Barbs. Umasulto sa pang-amoy niya ang pabangong gamit nito.
Kung may isang bagay lang siyang gusto sa babaeng ito, iyon ay ang amoy nito. Her scent was
distinct. She smells like vanilla bean. Her natural woman scent was addicting plus her choice of
perfume. Halatang hindi mumurahin ang amoy.
"You are the fucking father, Edmond." Matigas na sagot nito.
Narinig niyang napa-ubo nang tuluyan si Buddy.
Napatitig lang siya kay Barbs sa narinig
na sinabi nito.
"W-what? Are you out of your mind? Ayaw ko nga sa iyo tapos ako pa ang tatay ng ipinagbubuntis mo? Did you snatch my marijuana stash in the kitchen at high ka ngayon?"
Natatawa siya sa kaimposiblehan ng sinasabi nito. He would never like her. He would never
want to have sex with her. Hindi niya magagawang sipingan ang ganitong hitsurang babae.
Lalong sumama ang tingin sa kanya ni Barbs.
"Tom and Gloria's golden anniversary two months ago. In Manila Peninsula." Tonong nagpapaalala ito.
Nag-isip siya. Naalala na niya na may pinuntahan ang family niya na golden wedding anniversary two months ago. He even provided the cake for that event. At naalala niya na may nakilala siyang magandang babae sa event na iyon.
"All right? What about that?" Taka niya.
"You met a woman named Barbie." Patuloy pa nito.
"How did you know about that?" Takang-taka siya sa sinasabi ni Barbs. Paano nito nalaman na may nakilala siyang babae na ganoon ang pangalan two months ago?
"Because I am that fucking Barbie." She was looking straight into his eyes when she said that.
Pakiramdam niya ay ipinako siya sa puwesto sa narinig na sinabi nito
BINABASA MO ANG
SUGAR RUSH (Sweet Series 2)
RomanceSUGAR RUSH (Sweet Series 2) BLURB Chef Edmond Rossi never liked Barbara Riley "Barbs" Villegas. He hated the way she looks, the way she talks, the way she moves. She looked like the leader of a satanic cult. He hated everything about her. Even if hi...
