Break Fresh Ground

25: CELESTIAL CONNECTION

As we walked along the embankment of the rice field, the only sound that reached our ears was the chorus of crickets. Serge walked ahead while I kept pace beside him, and Artemis had our backs, making sure I didn't stumble on the uneven path. The darkness surrounded us, and our flashlights were the only source of light.

Tita Letitia kindly offered us a place to stay, but Serge wasn't comfortable sleeping without his mother nearby. Additionally, Artemis was worried about dealing with her brother's potential tantrums. Thus, we all agreed to head back home.

Serge ran towards Tita Esme and exclaimed, "Mama, andito na po kami!" before embracing her warmly. He then placed her hand on his forehead, melting my heart with his sweet gesture.

Tita kissed him and asked, "Kamusta naman?" Artemis and I also greeted her by making mano.

"Mama, ang daming pinamigay nila Tita Letty at Ate Scarlett," Serge informed her.

Tita Esme's inquisitive gaze fell on me, and I explained, "Dinagdagan ko lang po 'yong mga regalo ni Tita Letty."

"Tapos, Mama, nagbigay pa po siya ng pera sa mga tao doon," Serge piped up again.

I couldn't help but smile at Tita Esme's beaming face, devoid of any negative emotions. "Mabuti naman kung gano'n."

However, I expressed concern, "Kaso po baka may masabi 'yong ibang barangays na hindi nabigyan."

Tita let out a hearty laugh. "May masasabi talaga sila kasi baka isipin nila na paborito ni Letitia ang Malico."

I breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Mabuti na lang po ay kinausap ko si Tita about that."

So, I talked to Tita about it and offered up a solution. And she was totally down to extend their gift-giving schedule. The other barangays got left out of the generosity we showed to the folks in Malico, and Tita was happy to make sure they got their fair share too. Gotta love her for being so cool about it.

Tita chuckled again, her head shaking in disbelief. "Mayayaman talaga," she exclaimed before letting out a sigh. "Tara, kain na tayo."

We walked over to the dining area where Sierra had already arranged the table with utensils. The smell of Pinakbet with Bangus drifted in the air, causing me to salivate with excitement. As we savored the scrumptious meal, our conversation flowed effortlessly and joyfully.

"Sayang, Ate Scarlett, wala si Kuya Gani kanina. Hindi tuloy kita napakilala," nanghihinayang na sabi ni Serge.

Sapphire immediately puts her spoon down. "Bakit si Kuya Gani?" she asked.

"Ipapakilala ko sana si Ate Scarlett sa kaniya kasi maganda siya tapos gwapo naman si Kuya Gani. Saka wala namang boypren si Ate Scarlett eh, baka malungkot siya." tuwang-tuwang pagkukwento ni Serge.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Artemis intently removing the bones from her Bangus, her eyebrows furrowed. I totally get it, Bangus can be a tricky fish to eat, and you really need to focus on getting those bones out. Especially since the bones are pretty big and you don't want to accidentally swallow one.

"At sigurado ka bang papatulan siya ni Ate Scarlett?" Sapphire raised a question.

Serge shrugs his shoulder, pouting. "Bakit hindi? Eh, gwapo si Kuya Gani."

"May itsura lang naman si Gani," Artemis said, her voice is in a tone like she's stating a matter of fact, making our attention focused on her. "What? Totoo naman. Kung hindi lang siya matangkad at maputi at magaling mag-English ay hindi naman siya magmumukhang desente." Her eyebrows almost one.