7am in the morning I was here already in the shop. Kailangan ko agahan since wala din dito si Aunt Cila to manage her florist shop. As far as I can remember matatagalan from other country si Aunt Cila dahil may ilalaunch siya na new business. A bakery. Palagi talaga kaming magkasundo, despite the fact na kaming dalawa nalang ang magkakilala sa pamilya at nabubuhay nalang, we have each other's back.
As soon as I arrived to the store marami na agad nakapila na mga tao outside from the shop. There is no single day na hindi napupuno ang store ni Aunt Cila. Maybe someday, I'll be like her, but for now, I'm happy serving and making people flowers for their loved ones. Kalahating araw palang pero pagod na agad ako sa dami ng tao na nagsisipuntahan, valentines is near kaya sobrang patok din talaga sa tao ang magpagawa ngayon ng flowers. Some are already buying, and some are reservation to get from the exact valentine's day.
I closed the shop muna for a while to catch some lunch nearby, nagutom ako sa dami ng ginawa. Wala din ako masyado katulong since nahihirapan si Aunt Cila to find someone that has an interest to flowers. She thinks kasi it would be better to hired someone na interesado to create a colorful bunch of flowers kasi doon nila naibubuhos ang pagiging artistic nila, which I agree. For now, kinakaya ko naman but I still ask Aunt Cila to hire someone para mas mapadali din ang process sa shop.
I decided to eat my lunch in Cafe Henrici, pinakamalapit na cafe sa shop nila Aunt Cila, looks like 3 stores away from the florist shop. Maliit lang ang place na ito and I can say lahat ng mag cafes nila dito ay masasarap. No doubt. I ordered a Vietnamese Iced Coffee and a Ceasar Salad, what I like about this cafe is most of the food they serve, look alike with a Filipino food. As far as I know a combination of sweden and Filipino foods.
Hindi ko na din ginamit ang bike ko since hindi naman kalayuan ang cafe na pinuntahan ko. When I'm decided to leave, I saw someone standing outside from the shop. He looks like looking for someone or should I say thinking if the shop is open. Hindi ko makita kung sino but I can tell its figure, but impossible. It's been like over a week since I talked to him. That was our last conversation either.
My heart is beating so fast as soon as I walked out to the cafe, and I don't know why?! What the hell is happening to me? Hindi ko din maintindihan sa sarili ko kung bakit sobrang kabado ako when I'm going to see that guy again. Wala naman akong ginawang masama. Pathetic Evelyn. Inalis ko nalang sa isip ko ang mga nangyayari and took a deep breath but as soon as I'm starting to get near in the shop, hindi ako mapakali, para akong sasabog.
I cough a little to catch his attention kasi nakatalikod siya saakin. I was stunned again as soon as he faced me. A clearer view of him. A gray hair, fair skin tone, long eyelashes, thick eyebrows and a pinkish lip. Why the hell I even staring him like that? Para ko siyang hinuhubaran sa pagtitig ko sakanya. Gosh, this is so embarrassing.
I heard him chuckle a little and it makes me feel more embarrassed than what I feel a while ago. I scratch my head out of shyness. "D-do you need something?" I shuttered. Great. "Open?" he asked me while pointing to the shop. I have no words to say because I still feel the embarrassment at kung sa tagalog man, gusto ko nalang magpalamon sa lupa. I nodded and I quickly get the keys to my sling bag and opened the shop. Sakto din pagkabalik ko it's exactly 1pm.
"You're back again, do you need something? Probably to your.... girlfriend?" Hesitant to say that to him but it just came out to my mouth. Umiiral nanaman ang pagiging madaldal ko. He faced at me smiling widely. He looks good doing that rather than before na parang tinipid ang pagngiti niya saakin. "I don't have a girlfriend" as soon as I hear that from him, hindi sa malamang dahilan lumuwag ang paghinga ko and feel happy hearing about it.
"Then if you don't have a girlfriend, for whom is the flowers?" asking him without facing him, I feel like di ko kaya makipagtitigan sakanya, para kang sinisisid sa mga titig niya. "To my mom. It's her 5th death anniversary". I turned to him immediately as soon as I heard that from him, saw the sadness in his eyes even though his smiling. I assured him with a smile and instructed him to follow me to the back of the shop para mas makapili pa siya ng mga flowers na probably her mom wants.
"I just want 5 pieces of flowers; can you make that?" He said in a low and a very sad tone. "Of course, just pick the flowers you want and gave it to me in the counter to fix it." I leave him there alone while picking the flower for his mom. Now I'm wondering kung meron din bang naglalagay ng flowers sa puntod ni Mommy.
"Here" he handed me 3 pieces of white roses and 2 yellow tulips. I nodded "Nice combination" I compliment him and started to wrap the flowers. "Is this your shop?" He started the conversation. "No, it's my Aunt Cila shop, she just handed me this shop for a while since she was busy with her new business outside the country" I answered politely while still finishing the flowers. "I see, akala ko namatay na si Aunt Cila kaya ikaw palagi nadadatnan ko dito sa shop". I laughed and turned to him so quickly when I hear him talked in Tagalog.
"You're Filipino?" tanong ko sakanya habang gulat pa din nakatingin sakanya as soon as I hear him talked in Tagalog. He laughed a little and scratched his head shyly, "Yeah, half probably, but I grew up in the Philippines that's why I know how to speak in Tagalog". I roll my eyes on him and quickly turned to the counter to compute his payment. "Halos manosebleed na ako kaka english sayo and you still didn't bother to speak to me in Tagalog" pagtataray ko sakanya habang nakasimangot na nakatingin sa computer.
I heard him laughed which makes me more na naiinis sakanya. "I'm sorry okay, I thought you're a Swedish you don't look like a Filipina. You look beautiful though". I'm biting my lips when he said that to me preventing my lips to formed in a smile because of what he said. "Bolero!" I jokingly said that to him which makes him laugh even more.
"I'm not bolero. I'm just stating facts" he winked at me which makes me to smile even more but before he sees it, I turned my back to him because I just can't help but to smile. "I'll go ahead Evelyn; I'll see you again. Bye!" he waved his hands to me while running away from the store because of the rain starts to pour again heavily.
Will I able to see you again Caleb?
YOU ARE READING
Falling Petals
Roman d'amourA story between two wonderers, Evelyn a florist and Caleb an an artist whose world has grown dim from chronic illness. Their lives intertwine by chance, and in each other's company, they find light, warmth, and a renewed sense of wonder. As Evelyn s...
