Three Desires

Chapter 7

Among the din of midday gossip and cutlery clinking, MAPEH teacher Arielita Balarama cautiously made her way through the buffet. Even though the spread of Indian and Filipino food was enticing, she was known for having a low threshold for heat. Nevertheless, she forced a modest grin as she spoke with her coworkers, Aurora and Michelle. A bubble of laughter emerged from their animated conversation amidst the general commotion.

Mrs. Subzero, her colorful character suddenly restrained, was having a lively conversation with Principal Salatandre across the room. Their conversation had a more serious tone because Arielita was not there to disturb them with her usual humorous antics.

In the meantime, Pacaldo dashed towards the buffet, excited to try the delectable treat in front of him. Regretfully, his energy seemed to surpass his coordination. He made a funny misstep as his foot snagged on a stray napkin as he reached for a plate.

The throng surrounding let out a gasp, but before Pacaldo could come into contact with the hard floor, a powerful arm appeared and steadied him. His co-teacher Mitchell had saved a gastronomic catastrophe.

Shaken but appreciative, Pacaldo fixed his attire and gave Mitchell a sly smile. "Thanks, my friend. Looks like I got a little too excited about the Hyderabadi hog biryani."

Mitchell laughed, his loud laugh temporarily filling the void left by the gasp. "Happens to the best of us, Pacaldo. Just be careful next time, alright? Wouldn't want you to miss out on all this delicious food."

Regaining his composure, Pacaldo brushed himself off and gave Mitchell a shoulder pat. "Thanks again. Now, about that Hyderabadi hog biryani..."

Conversely, the air was filled with the perfume of spicy curries and sizzling sisig as three faculty colleagues from Bulacan National High School, Aurora, Michelle, and Arielita, gathered around a table packed with Indian and Filipino treats. Ever the cheerful, stern, but perceptive one, Arielita couldn't help but look over to the buffet line, where Pacaldo had just gotten into a somewhat awkward scrape with the floor.

"Hey!" she said, giving Michelle a little prod. Her tone was worried. "Why did Pacaldo take a tumble earlier?"

Michelle smiled sympathetically. "Oh, that was just Pacaldo being Pacaldo. He got a little too excited about the food, tripped over his own two feet, and almost ended up face-first in the biryani."

Arielita trembled at the picture. "Good heavens! Thank goodness he didn't get a mouthful of dust."

"That's right," said Aurora, the group's silent watcher. "He can be a bit clumsy at times, but there's no harm in him. Maybe it's just his way of lightening the mood."

Arielita thought about this for a while. "Maybe you're right," she gave in. "He does seem to have a good head on his shoulders, despite the occasional stumble. Is he single, by any chance? I seem to recall him being unattached when I first joined the faculty."

Michelle smiled a little too nervously. "Ma'am," she murmured, "Pacaldo is already nikah."

Michelle gave a little laugh. "No offense intended, Ma'am, but 'nikah' is simply another word for marriage in another language. His husband is an engineer, I believe."

Arielita's countenance became gentler. "Ah, that's great. But let's remember," she said with a mischievous finger wag, "we married women need to be mindful of our other halves."

Aurora, who was always the voice of logic, raised an eyebrow. "Why, Ma'am Ariel? Are you suggesting I call Sir Pakula over here?"

Arielita blushed pale pink on her cheeks. "Oh my goodness, no! Nothing of the sort. Just saying, it wouldn't hurt to include Pacaldo in our conversations now and then. After all, even married men, gay or not, deserve some attention from their colleagues, right?"