Kao
Present time
"What are we doing here?"
I looked at Pete incredulously as he stood right before the first step of the stairs to the eatery.
"We're eating lunch. I'm hungry. Let's go!"
I smacked my lips together before I narrowed my eyes at him.
And it was not just because it was hot outside.
"What?"
He stepped back down the stairs to pivot towards me.
"What happened with five stars and expensive food?"
I asked him when it fully dawned on me where we actually were at the moment.
"Didn't you say you don't like it?"
He said as he made a face at me.
Hands on either side of his hips.
"Yeah. I did say that. But it doesn't mean I want to be here either!"
I mean, this is specifically one of the few places I didn't want to be alone with Pete at the moment or any moment for that matter.
We're supposed to leave the past behind but now he has brought me to the place where it has started somehow.
"Okay? Why? I mean..."
I raised a hand at him.
Not minding the heat that was now glaring over us in full effect.
"Yeah, actually, same question. Why? Why here? You were talking about hotels and expensive restaurants, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and yet, you brought us here, why!?!"
I cleared my throat and trailed off a little when I realized my voice got a bit louder than I intended to and the people passing by were looking at us standing by the steps in front of the eatery-which actually was now looking more like a high end restaurant.
"Oh, I forgot to mention Filipino food then?"
Pete asked casually and I knew he was being sarcastic.
"Really!?!"
I got back at him and made sure he would also feel the sarcasm the same way I did.
"Oh, come on, Kao! Can we just argue inside? It's so hot out here and I'm famished. So please, let's go in first? Okay!?!"
That.
And the guy did walked up straight inside the restaurant without looking back.
He left me there standing in disbelief.
With what he did.
And with my realization that it had been years since I visited the place.
Actually, the last time I did, was with Pete, back when he was still in my life.
And it was always a good time.
Then life happened and I never get to visit here again.
I actually had never been in this side of the city for the last five years.
Looking at the place now, so much has changed.
Well, five years does that to a place I guess, a sit does to a person.
The then small eatery was now looking rad on the outside with glass walls and wooden interior as seen from where I was standing outside.
I smiled to myself, at least, the people and places I know from five years ago had it better than I did.
