Taste of Life

22

"Wake up." Dad keeps on bothering me.

"5 minutes, Dad." I murmured.

"Aalis tayo. Mageenjoy ka promise bago ka umuwi." He removed my blanket already pero nakapikit pa rin ako.

"I think naririnig ko si Mom na tawag ka." I adjusted my position. I smirked noong I heard the door close. Alam kong yon ang trick para palayasin siya. He'll come running kay Mom kapag tinawag siya that's for sure. After a few minutes, bumalik siya.

"You fool." Pinitik niya ang noo ko. He started talking about The Grid. Gusto lang niya ko bumangon dahil sa kadaldalan niya. But I didn't flinch. I keep my eyes closed. Maya maya, I heard the door open again.

"Ano bang ginagawa niyong dalawa? Troye, bangon na. Ikaw naman, maligo ka na." That's my mom. Minulat ko ang mata ko at tinawanan si Dad.

"Favoritism ka sa magulang na gigising sayo. Pagtapos kita bilhan ng yate." He eyed me bago lumabas.

"Don't be so obvious na ako ang favorite mo. Magtatampo yon." Mom winked bago sumunod kay Dad palabas. Natawa nalang ako at umiling. Lalakas ng trip.

I don't really know saan kami pupunta so I just wore a lose brown button down and a black slocks with my gucci sneakers. I think Annie is right, New York influenced me a lot when it come to fashion.

"Are you done?" Mom shouted. I immediately got my film camera and went out. Dad's outfit is too much, lagi naman. Mom's just wearing a black turtleneck with a white trousers and her loafers.

"Saan ba tayo?" I asked habang nasa kotse.

"OG New York food experience." Dad said. I rolled my eyes. Ganito mga dates na gusto nila parang napilitan lang sila isama ako. They're both excited.

They've been bragging that they planned this trip last night and they even made a list of what we will do.

First, we went to a Katz's Delicatessen. They orderd just one Pastrami. Tumaas ang kilay ko bakit isa lang but they both said na dapat hindi ako mabusog kasi we have a lots of food to try pa. I just nodded.

I wanted to eat the whole Pastrami cause it was so good pero Dad made equal portions. He even said "unang mabusog, walang dessert."

The next stop is at Di Fara Pizza, my mom actually ordered a lot of pizza since we arrived pero sabi niya hindi pa raw dito kasi mahaba ang pila, which is actually true. We waited for an hour para sa pizza. But that's okay kasi the rule is not be full. So waiting is a good thing.

The pizza was incredible, mom keeps on praising it. Actually, we didn't finish it and they both said we can reheat it for tomorrow. We really just tried a slice.

Los Tacos No. 1 is what I think I will crave when I get back home. I'm such a huge fan of Mexican food. I cannot even explain how amazing it was. I actually annoyed my dad to buy me another order and promised na hindi ko kakainin for us to finish the food experience. Luckily, he agreed. To be really honest, siya rin ibang tao kapag andito.

From there, we actually walked to the next one which is the Halal guys. Mom said we needed to walk cause we won't be able to find a parking nearby. Of course that turned out to be right. And we actually had fun walking.

"This is actually rice, do you think we should get individual orders?" Dad asked mom. But she moved her head no.

"Ikaw?" He asked me.

"We can just share. The serving's too big oh." I pointed to the other people walking away from the food truck. Dad just nodded and fall in line. Mom and I just sat in the bench.

"Is your heart doing okay? No palpitations or whatsoever?"

"Wala naman. Although uminom ako ng coffee bago umalis ng Pinas. That made me palpitate but I don't actually felt it because..." I stopped when I realized I almost overshare. I can't continue the sentence cause she'll know what happened to me and Eli.

"Its okay. Isang bes lang naman diba?"

"Yeah."

Mom started to share about this 3D printed heart she's working on. Iba pa daw sa Clinical Trial na ginagawa ng colleagues niya. She's so invested.

"Are you afraid I'll die?" I casually asked. I saw how her eyes soften.

"Of course. You know how hurt I am back then."

"Don't worry, Mom. If whatever you are working on didn't work on me, remember that there are other sons, other moms, othe people that you can actually help. Plus, I won't go anywhere. I'll stay in your heart. Cause probably I don't have mine." I joked but I saw how her eyes are teary. I hugged her on the side.

"I promise to keep this heart until I'm 30. Alam mo naman competitive ako at 29 years palang ang recorded na pinakamatagal." She laughed at that comment. That calmed me down.

But to be really honest, I know my heart will last long. I'm pretty sure I'll fight death even if  I become heartless. I don't want to see my mom be sad again. Of course I wanna meet Angelette but not yet, baby sis. Not yet.

Kuya needs to experience a lot pa.

I was carresing my mom's back when dad walked with the food. It smells so good.

"Drama day niyo ba?" He joked kaya binatukan siya ni Mom.

"I need banana pudding na from Magnolia Bakery." Mom suddenly said while we are munching on Chicken over rice. They're so good.

"Busog ka na?" Dad asked and eyed her na siya yung talo.

"Kinda. Plus may pizza and Tacos pa kayo sa car." She reminded us.

"I will just order from Xi'an Famous Foods to let Troye try something and then we'll go to Magnolia." Dad casually said. Mom just nodded.

"Is that a Chinese resto?" I asked

"Yes they have this spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles and grabe I can't even cook that well." When my dad said he can't cook it, that means you have to try it.  Hindi madalas napuri ang Chef ng pagkain so when they do, you have to really believe them na masarap yon.

So we did just that. My mom and dad walked while holding each other's hand habang share sila ng lemonde. Ang lalandi.

Dad drove us to the Chinese resto and ordered the noodles to go. Mom is trashtalking him habang nasa loob siya naorder.

"Your dad tried doing that noodles a million times. Grabe dyan ko nga ata pinaglihi si Iza. Hindi talaga siya tumigil hanggang sa napagod nalang siya."

"So it must be really good?" We are looking at Dad. Kulang nalang he skips habang naglalakad sa saya niya.

"It was yeah kung di nagadik tatay mo kakagawa niyan malamang ganyan din itsura ko ngayon. but then di ko alam parang sawang sawa na ko." She chuckled remembering it.

After a few minutes, dad went out of the resto smiling ear to ear.

"They remembered me." He said pagkasakay ng kotse.

"Of course they will. Pag andito ka dyan ka lang nakain." Mom rolled her eyes. Dad just gave me the paper bag para iadd namin sa koleksyon namin para mamaya.

When we reached the Magnolia Bakery, I saw how my mom's mood changed.

"Pudding!" She smiled at my dad.

"Okay okay. Ikaw na umorder. Here's my card." Dad said and mom just excitedly went out of the car.

"She'll definitely buy everything, Troye." He sighed.

"Huh? Akala ko pudding lang?"

"Scam yan si Beatriz pag usapang bakery, cookies o kahit anong pastries." Natawa siya at umiling-iling

I chuckled.

I want that. I want that kind of love.