Break Fresh Ground

27: A HAPPY CHRISTMAS

I stirred from my sleep, only to find myself alone in the bed. As I gazed outside, the sun had already replaced to the moon, and the stars have begun to shine. Checking my phone, I noticed it was already seven in the evening, and I had been sleeping for hours.

Quickly, I fixed the bed and got up, feeling a little disoriented. The sweet sound of Christmas music drifted through the air, getting louder and louder as I made my way downstairs. As I entered the living room, a sight greeted me. Serge was on the sofa, his mouth full of marshmallows, singing along to the festive tunes with so much joy.

At the sight of me, he bolted towards me and wrapped his little arms around my legs, giving me the warmest of hugs.

I rubbed my eyes, still feeling groggy from my nap. "Gising ka na, Ate. Marshmallow?" I looked up to see Serge holding out a bag of fluffy marshmallows, a mischievous grin on his face. I couldn't help but chuckle and take one, savoring the sweet taste.

As I looked around the room, I noticed Arthur on his phone, lost in his own world. I shot him a smile, but he quickly averted his gaze, his cheek reddened.

"Where's your ate?" I asked Serge, hoping to catch a glimpse of Artemis. She always had a way of brightening up my day.

"Sino pong ate?" he asked innocently.

"Artemis," I replied, amused at his forgetfulness.

He told me she was in the kitchen, helping Tita Esme with Sapphire and Sierra. I made my way there, feeling the warmth of the Christmas season in the air. As soon as I entered, Tita Esme greeted me with a warm smile and a hug, happy to see me awake from my nap.

"'Nak, tikman mo 'tong sauce ng palabok." She carefully blows the sauce on the spoon before offering it to me.

I savored the flavors and said, "Masarap po, Tita."

"Talaga?"

I nodded and added. "Parang wala naman po akong nalasahan na luto niyo na hindi masarap."

She looked at me like I am kidding her. "Hindi ba 'yan biro?"

"No po, Tita. Nasa second place po kayo ng mga masasarap magluto sa list ko," I replied, walking over to Artemis who was wrapping meat for Lumpiang Shanghai.

"At sino naman ang una?" Tanong ni Tita.

"Si Mama Adelaide po, syempre," I said, grinning. "Can I help?" I asked Artemis, my brows shot up.

"Kaya mo bang maghiwa ng carrots para sa Spaghetti?" she asked. I nodded, jotting my lips. "Help Sierra. Marami siyang hinihiwang carrots."

I flashed a smile at Artemis before making my way over to Sierra, eager to lend a hand. She handed me a knife and a cutting board, patiently guiding me through the process of dicing the carrots into small cubes. With each slice, I felt my confidence grow, and soon I was deftly chopping away like a pro.

Meanwhile, Sapphire was keeping a watchful eye on the pot of pasta, making sure it was cooked to the perfect al dente texture. The sound of boiling water and the aroma of herbs and spices filled the kitchen, adding to the cozy atmosphere.

I couldn't resist taking a bite of the carrot I had just sliced, but before I could, Artemis placed a bowl of boiled carrots in front of me. I looked up at her, wondering if I needed to cut these as well.

She shook her head. "It's boiled. Eat up." Then, she walks back to her place where she's wrapping some lumpia, my eyes following her.

I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter as I took a bite of the carrot. It was soft and cooked just the way I liked it. "Thank you," I said, smiling at her.