Scenes from SparkNA

"Convenience Store" from Chasing Mr. Prefect by Kathrin Briones

From the author: Here, Vinnie is seen alone at home, preparing for an org event. She leaves for the neighborhood convenience store to get food because she's hungry and there's no cooked food in the fridge. In the store, she encounters Cholo, the college prefect / org leader who she always thought to be stuck-up and unreachable. He turns out to be more likable than she made him out to be, and she decides she likes him better in ratty shorts and worn-out slippers.

I stayed up late that night. Finishing all of my homeworks (and some parts of my term papers) early, I went straight to making the event poster after eating dinner. As it was a Friday, I thought I could just catch up on sleep after - I just wouldn't be able to rest if I didn't finish it.

At 2:30 AM, my eyes were bloodshot, my head heavy from exhaustion, and my stomach was rumbling from hunger. I had wolfed down my supper (rice and reheated beef salpicao) four hours ago and now my tummy wouldn't shut up. I tried to continue but I couldn't think straight.

Stupid tummy.

I grabbed my door keys, phone, and wallet as I got out of the house. There was a convenience store four streets away. They served instant noodles with yummy, sodium-loaded toppings complete with equally salty broth, which was just what I craved.

I had no choice. There wasn't food at home. Well, none that didn't require cooking or preparation. Dad was in an accountants' conference in Bohol. Cris and Liana had gone on a road trip with their side of the family, so I was home alone. I had no idea how to cook and I didn't want to set the house on fire. I thought having the house to myself would be great, but it pretty much sucked. Didn't think I would ever need them, but I guessed there was a first time for everything.

The cashier looked up once and went back to his reading when I entered the convenience store. He was far too used to me walking in here wearing ratty shorts and worn-out slippers anyway. The chimes continued banging against each other after I came in. I found the noise strangely calming.

I got a paper cup and opened the hot pot toppings' lid. The noodles were arranged in a stack beside the hot container, so I grabbed one and opened the wrapper, emptying the contents.

"Kumakain ka pala n'yan?"

I recognized the voice, but I had to double-check just in case. I didn't know if it was because he sounded different in Tagalog, or because my village was around forty kilometers from Dresden, where I normally saw him.

When I turned to look, Cholo was already making his way towards me, looking just as sloppy as I did.

"Oi," I said, resisting the urge to give him another once-over. His hair was sticking out in every direction, eyes sleepy but alert. The flip-flops on his feet were just as depressing as the ones on mine. "What're you doing here?"

"I needed an energy drink," he said, raising the thing he was holding to eye level. "Had to finish my Rizal term paper. Ano 'yan?"

"Hot pot," I answered, scooping up broth into my bowl, then proceeding to take all the squid balls in one go. "Wait, you live nearby?"

"Are you kidding me? I wanted one of those!" he said accusingly, which was amusing. I never thought I'd ever see him acting like a kid.

"Well, ask them to refill it, I'm sure they have more behind the counter," I said, laughing at him. "Saka ayan o, ang dami pang kikiam. Brat."

"Are you going to eat here?" he asked.

"Malamang, eh di kung inuwi ko hindi na hot pot," I snapped. Cholo shook his head and got his own noodles, clicking his tongue all the while.