"I am planning to do a business." She told the other three habang naghahapunan sila isang araw.
"Anong business ang naiisip mong gawin?" Nanay Onang asked.
"Food business. I think we can earn a lot from the food I made." Veira sounded a bit boastful when she said this that's why the other three couldn't help but chuckling.
"Hey, I am serious!"
"En, en... You are serious." Pacify ni Nanay Onang sa kanya which made the two kids chuckled.
"So magtatayo ba tayo ng restaurant?" Lulu asked excitedly.
"Not yet."
"Eh?"
Lili thought for a moment. "Carinderia?"
"Also no."
"Then what is it?"
"I am thinking of roaming food cart."
Then she explained to them what roaming food cart was. They never had that in the capital of I Country. But Veira saw those from the Northern Border.
Patok ang mga ganung pagkain lalo na sa army dahil kadalasang pagkain lang nila doon ay kung anong ration ang dumating mula sa capital at kalapit bayan.
But there would be times na nakakatikim din sila ng ibang pagkain kapag may mga roaming food carts na napapadayo sa army.
Of course, they were still careful about these strangers and their foods. They never let the people inside the barracks and they test the food from poison.
Anyway, ever since the success of the feast they prepared, Veira was even more certain na ang magiging source of income nila sa bayan na ito ay ang pagluluto niya.
She had been deliberating it for a few nights now and she finally had a concrete plan.
"We will turn our horse cart into food cart and drive it around the barangay. I think we can take advantage during the morning work of farmers and fishermen. Since maaga pa ng ganung oras, paniguradong hindi pa sila nakakapag-almusal. But if we go where they are with our food cart, they can just buy breakfast from us."
"That's a good idea!" Nanay Onang said and that night, they continued planning.
***
The next day, Nanay Onang and Veira woke up early to cook what they would sell as breakfast to the farmers and fishermen.
They started with a simple rice porridge. Isang sweet na hinaluan ng tsokolate at gatas, at isang savory na hinaluan ng luya, sibuyas, itlog at lamang loob.
After na maluto ang mga ito, saka naman nagising sila Lili at Lulu. Veira wanted them to sleep again at sila na lang muna ni Nanay Onang ang maglalako ngayon but the two insisted to come and so si Nanay Onang na lang nagpaiwan.
That day she, Lili and Lulu put two large clay pots on the cart and had the horse drove them to the farming area of their barangay. When they saw the three of them out that time in the morning, the people were skeptical.
Alam nilang lahat na bumili din ng farming plot sila Veira but ever since, hindi pa nila ito ginagalaw. They understood why so. They were late for the planting season so malamang ay saka lang nila gagalawin ang plots nila kapag panahon na naman ng taniman muli.
Kaya naman, seeing the three of them out early in the morning made them wonder.
Finally, the horse cart parked in the middle of the road. Veira got down from the cart and greeted the people na nakatingin sa kanila.
"Magandang umaga po! Mga Manong, Mga Manang! Naglalako kami ng lugaw at champorado! Baka gusto niyo! 23 copper coins lang po!"
(A/N: I am following this conversion.
150 copper coins = 1 silver coin
90 silver coins = 1 gold coin
25 gold coins = 1 banknote)
Of course, they got curious! Bihira lang silang mag-almusal sa umaga dahil kesa kainin ng oras nila ang pagluluto, ilalaan na lang nila iyon sa mga tanim nila. Kahit hindi pa season ng harvesting o kaya naman ay planting, kailangan pa rin nilang bisitahin ang kanilang mga pananim.
Anyway, they all knew by now how good in cooking Veira was. Even a common recipe would be elevated in her hands. Besides, reasonable naman ang presyo na 23 copper coins kaya nang maamoy nila ang aroma ng lugaw at champorado ay hindi na sila nagdalawang isip pa at bumili na sila agad.
"Ummn... Kay inam ng mainit na sabaw sa tiyan sa umaga!" One of them commented.
"Araw araw na ba kayong magtitinda ng almusal dito?"
"Opo! Hindi lang po almusal! Kapag maaga pong maubos ang tinda namin sa umaga, maglalako din po kami sa tanghalian o di kaya naman po ay mirienda!" Lulu answered them.
She was really a people person kaya laking pasalamat din ni Veira na sumama ito. Siya ang halos nakipag-usap sa mga magsasaka.
Matapos na mabentahan ang karamihan sa mga ito, they began to drive towards the beach. Sakto namang kakabalik lang ng mga pumalaot ng madilim pa. Inabutan nila sila na nagbababa ng kanilang huli mula sa mga bangka.
"Veira, Lili, Lulu... Ang aga niyong nagising, ah! Bibili ba kayo ng mga isda?" It was Fernan.
Aside from driving passengers to the market, nangingisda rin ito tuwing madaling araw. Ipanauubaya na niya ang kanilang sakahan sa kaniyang tatlong kuya at ama.
"Not really but I might as well buy some now." After that, Veira got down from the cart at nagtingin tingin sa mga huli nila.
Lili and Lulu looked at each other. Sa umpisa ay di nila alam kung magtitinda ba sila. But they decided to do it anyway.
Soon, the majority of fishermen on that bay were slurping the hot porridge.
"Nabalitaan ko lang na may mga bagong lipat nga daw sa barangay ninyo at masarap daw silang magluto. Mga binibini, magtitinda ba kayo araw araw ng almusal dito?"
"Opo, Kuya. Dadaan kami dito tuwing umaga. Maglalako din kami ng ulam pangtanghalian at mirienda kung maaga kaming makaubos ng paninda sa umaga."
"Bakit di kayo dumayo sa barangay namin? Kung hindi maubos agad ang paninda niyo dito sa Rojo, dumaan din kayo sa Barangay Morado. Aabangan namin ang inyong paninda doon sa tanghali at hapon."
"Okay! Sabi niyo yan, Kuya ha. Kapag nagpunta kami doon at wala kayo doon, ibblacklist kita."
Veira smiled as she let the two girls managed the cart. She originally just want to see kung magsstep up ba sila and they really did.
At least she knew now that she could leave this business to them if she needed to.
***
Weeks had passed at kinasanayan na ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang paglalako nila Veira ng almusal sa umaga at ulam sa tanghali. They would even have free coffee or tea para sa mga suki nila.
And they would not just go around Barangay Rojo but also Barangay Morado.
Sa ngayon, with the amount of food they prepared in the morning, it was enough for two barangays. But of course, Veira didn't plan to end it there yet. She planned to expand their food business. And the main ingredients na naiisip niya ay ang mga lamang loob ng baboy at baka.
You see, she noticed that these internal organs could make her rich. Kung sa barangay nila ay ngayon lang din sila nakakain ng pagkaing gawa sa lamang loob, then that should be the same for the whole town too.
And so, she decided to go to the nearest slaughterhouse one day para kausapin ang may ari nito at bilhin ang mga lamang loob ng baboy at baka na kakatayin nila tuwing madaling araw.
The owner was skeptical with her request but still agreed to her request anyway. Those things, they usually throw them away but since someone wanted them now, of course, hindi siya hihindi sa dagdag kita. He had one of his men deliver these internal organs to Veira's house every morning then.
***
