Acts of Service (Love Language Series #1)

Prologue

“Maraming salamat talaga sa lahat, Engineer Dizon!”

I kindly beamed at the construction workers I worked with here in Laguna. I brought them all here in the branch of my restaurant dahil hindi naman ito kalayuan sa site. Ngayon na lang ulit ako nakadalaw rito dahil masyado akong naging busy nitong mga nakaraang buwan. Mabuti na lamang at nagkaroon ako ng project dito dahil kung hindi, paniguradong matatagalan pa bago ako makabisita ritong muli.

“Paniguradong mabubusog ang pamilya namin dito, Engineer!” maligayang dagdag ni Kuya Jhon, isa sa mga foreman.

Tapos na silang kumain at paalis na habang hawak sa mga kamay ang pagkaing pinabalot ko para sa pamilya nila. Pinasadya kong paramihan ang mga iluluto ngayon. Maaga ko na rin itong pinasara ngayong araw para kami-kami na lang ang maiwan dito. Sobrang sisipag nila sa trabaho. They deserve to be rewarded with kahit ganito lang ka-simple ang kaya kong ibahagi.

“Wala po ‘yon, salamat din po,”

Bago sila tuluyang makaalis ay narinig ko ang pag-aayaan nila na pumunta sa isang coffee shop kaya agad ko silang tinanong kung saan ito. They all looked first at each other and hesitation was written on their faces but also responded.

“Ay, Engineer! D’yan po sa may tapat! Malapit sa may kanto!”

Habang nasa daan ay maya-maya ang paghingi nila ng paumanhin dahil mukhang naaabuso na raw nila ang kabaitan ko. Panay ngiti lang naman ang isinasagot ko sa kanila. Nang marating ito’y agad din kaming pumasok. Sakto namang dalawang costumer lang ang naroon at mukhang paalis na rin. The servers took care of us.

“Kopiko Blanca ho!”

“Kapeng puro!”

“Barako!”

Bahagyang natawa sa kanila ang mga staffs pero inabyad din sila.

Totoo kayang may Kopiko Blanca rito? Kapeng puro? At barako?

May humigit ng laylayan ng damit ko kaya agad akong napatingin doon. There was a smiling kid handing me a menu. My heart beats so fast without any reason. I just beamed at him as I handed the menu and examined their coffees.

“Ano pong sa’yo?”

“One iced espresso, please,” malumanay kong sagot.

He nodded while hugging the menu. “Okay po!” He then ran.

I sat on a table on the right side of the entrance. I faced my back on the road and watched these hardworking fathers happily drinking their coffees while chatting about their families.

Ano kaya ang pakiramdam na maging ama? At maging asawa?

I bit my lower lips due to the bursting feeling locked inside me. Maya-maya pa’y nakita ko na ang batang lalaki na dala-dala ang kape ko. Napangiti ako dahil marahan pa siyang naglalakad na parang ingat na ingat.

“Kape niyo po!” maligayang saad niya matapos itong ipatong sa mesa. “Pasensiya na po kung hindi masarap, ah? Wala pa po kasi si Mimi, eh. I made it po for you!”

“Oh, so, you’re the son of the owner?” I asked as I took a sip.

He bobbled. “Masarap po ba?”

Hindi ako sumagot at matapos uminom ay ibinaba ko ito saka inisod sa kaniya. “Here, take a sip,”

He immediately shook his head. “Bawal daw pong mag-share ng laway sabi ni Mimi!”

I chuckled. “Dito ka po sa kabila uminom,” I pointed to the other side of the glass.

He beamed again and followed what I said. “Ang sarap nga po!”

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ang gaan ng pakiramdam ko sa batang ito.

“Uhm...” nag-aalinglangang niyang turan matapos ibaba ang tasa. “Puwede pong ‘wag mong ubusin? Ipapatikim ko po kay Mimi!”

“Sure,” payag ko.

The bell in the glass door rang, a sign that someone entered.

“Mimi!” the kid immediately ran with the coffee in his hands. “Taste my coffee! Taste it, Mimi! Taste it!”

Ginilid ko ang mukha ko upang tingnan kung sino ang may-ari. There was a woman wearing the same uniform as the servers here. Her hair is in a bob cut where a cap was placed on top. Mukhang hindi niya ako napansin kahit nasa gilid lamang nila ako. She kneeled down and removed her cap. When she tasted her son’s coffee, I immediately turned my gaze somewhere because I saw how she drank in the part of the glass where I drank earlier.

Just act like you didn’t do anything, Clementine Kian!

“Ang sarap, anak!”

What is she referring to? ‘Yung kape kaya? O ‘yung laway ko?

“Ang sarap daw ng laway mo, Engineer Dizon!”

Nalunok ko ang sariling laway nang marinig ang sinabi ng bata. I shifted my eyes to them and it flew immediately to the woman beside the kid. Ngayon ay mas nakikita ko na ang mukha niya. She looks more mature and girly not like what she was years ago. I can tell it because I can see light make-up on her face and lipstick on her lips.

God. Those brown bronzed eyes.

May ibinulong siya sa bata at agad naman itong tumakbo papuntang counter. She sat in front of me as she put her cap on the table.

“May anak ka na pala?” Hindi ko napigilan ang sariling magtanong.

I already forgave her years ago.

Pero ngayon na nalaman kong ipinaglaban niya ang naging anak niya sa ibang lalaki? Samantalang ang sa amin ay hindi? I don’t know what to feel for her anymore.

The kid is surely not mine. He looks around three to five years old. And it’s been eight years since the last time I saw his mother.

“What are you doing here?” She shifted the topic.

“Naparaan lang kami.” I glanced at my workers. “Excuse me, Mrs.” I stood up and went to the counter.

“You’ll pay po?” Nagngingiting tanong ng bata.

I nodded at the kid as I gave him my card. Ilang sandali pa ay ibinalik niya rin ito sa akin.

“I hope I’ll see you again po, Engineer! Gusto ko po kasing maging architect in the future!”

Seems I would take a lot of projects here and grab a coffee in this coffee shop after my work.