Just Another Stranger

Chapter 2

"Oh... someone looks excited," Felix pointed out, seeing my reaction about what he said.

I bit my lower lip to suppress my giggles. "Hindi naman, slight lang."

Natawa siya, tila hindi makapaniwala sa natanggap na sagot. "Seryoso ka ba? Ayaw mo kay Kyne kasi sabi mo masama ang ugali at hindi namamansin? You even said you were never treated a stranger as much as he made you feel."

"Dude." I leaned closer to the table and smiled sweetly. "People change! At saka, para namang may magagawa ako kung hindi niya 'ko pinapansin or kung masungit siya. Ganoon naman talaga, 'di ba? Kapag 'di mo kilala or close, you tend to be masungit and snobbish to them sometimes."

"Or maybe he doesn't really like you," he said nonchalantly.

"Oks lang. Happy crush lang naman, eh."

"Crush mo na agad? Ang angas mo naman, lods. Ilang beses mo pa lang siyang nami-meet, ah."

"Pogi, eh," I said as if it was the valid answer to everything.

Iyon ngang mga nasa labas, hindi ko pa nami-meet crush ko na, si Kyne pa kayang personal ko nang nakita.

Felix just shook his head and continued eating. Sinimulan ko na ring kumain at sabik na tinikman ang dinalang ulam ni Kyne. Hindi ko alam kung anong tawag doon noong una dahil mahina rin ako sa pag-distinguish ng mga ganoong ulam pero ayon kay Felix, Afritada raw iyon. He also added that he's sure that Kyne's father was the one who cooked this. Mahilig daw kasi talagang magluto ang Papa ni Kyne kaya nga paborito raw nilang magkakaibigan tumambay roon kasi masarap ang pagkain.

And I'll vouch for that.

Parang may nag-spark at sumabog sa bibig ko ang lasa ng luto ng Papa ni Kyne. I know I have eaten to some five-star restaurants that serves the best food but this one... it taste so good and addicting because of the homey feeling it gives off. And no, hindi 'to pambobola o dahil lang gutom ako, masarap talaga ito.

And... It tastes familiar.

I don't know, maybe I have been longing for this kind of taste that it felt familiar even though it had been a long time since I tasted something like this again. Para 'kong maiiyak because of a vague memory of me tasting a food that was able to warm up my insides.

I took a deep breath and focused on eating, pushing my unnecessary thoughts away. Hindi ko na namamalayang napaparami na ang kain namin ni Felix kung hindi pa kami sabay na sumilip sa kaldero at nakitang isang sandok na lang ng kanin ang natira mula sa limang gatang na inaing namin kanina. Halos isang kilo rin 'yon tapos ito na lang ang natira.

Nagkatinginan kami at sabay na napabalik sa kaniya-kaniyang upuan.

"Iyo na," ani ko at bahagyang itinulak palapit sa kaniya ang kaldero. "Mas malakas talagang kumain ang mga lalaki at alam kong hindi ka rin nagtanghalian kaya kailangan mo 'yan."

Felix shook his head and pushed it closer to me. "Ayos lang ako. You should be the one who should eat more because you have been cleaning since morning."

Umiling din ako at muling itinulak ang kanin papunta sa kaniya. "Sa 'yo na nga, idol. Para ka namang others, eh."

"Oh, drop it off, Hope. Alam mong ayaw kong nagugutom ka kaya kuhanin mo na 'yan at kumain ka nang marami."

Napasimangot ako, tuluyan nang nawalan ng pasensya.

"Iyo na nga sabi! Busog na 'ko!"

Felix looked startled when my voice raised a little pero hindi siya nagpadala roon. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms.