Food Is Love!

Recipe 14: Last Customer

Roadtrip Day 1
Location: Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan

Claire's POV:

Upon hearing the sentiments of our last customer, Alice is really curious on hearing more about his story...

"Don't worry...go on, sir!" Alice's tone became a little bit serious. "You can tell your problem to us...."

When Alice is acting in this mood, nobody can't stop her...not even me...her best friend...from forcing anybody to disclose their problems to her...especially if she feels it by their emotions and faces...

"My girlfriend has just left me...she has been a part of my life..."

The customer stopped from eating his order...and starts to cry. I already know that his problem is about his love life and he can't go on after their breakup...

"Come, sir. Eat up...it will ease your feelings for awhile..."

The customer followed Alice's advice...and slowly eats his meal...he slowly calmed down...and tried to savor the taste of Alice's cooking once more.

"Tell me then, what is this...umm...I mean your girlfriend...look like?" Alice calmly asked him.

"Umm...okay...my girlfriend was always there for me. I met her when I was a child. She may not be beautiful, but she has a heart of gold. I am really shy when we first met...I even don't know how to befriend somebody who is not my cousin nor a part of my family...but she's the one who teach me how to do it. I always rely on her...she helped me to be what I am now...I'm confident, brave, and strong enough to face the challenges together...I even pledged to her that I will protect her..."

All of us continued to listen to the customer's testimony. "But that changed last week. She suddenly starts to act like I'm useless to her; everytime I wanted to see her, she just snub me. We almost fight more often because of every random excuse that she said to me...and then...my nightmare come true...three days ago, she called me to meet on this park to tell me something...but that something...crushed my heart...she would break up with me...and she even introduce her new boyfriend...that she already courting him under my nose! She's a cheater! After everything that we did together...this is the respect that she is given to me?!"

The customer starts to cry once again...trying to remember her former girlfriend...as he is saying that there is nothing else to do...to bring her back to him. Alice knows how to do...but she is not the only one who is concerned

"Have you tried anything to make up with your girlfriend?" Alex, who also listened intently to the customer's testimony, asked him.

"Yes, sir. I tried everything that I could...but it just make the situation...even worse..."

"You need to accept your breakup...and start to move on..." Alice declares her final judgement to the customer.

"Bu-but..."

"No, sir. You must do it. That's the only thing that we could do..."

With Alex approving with my friend's recommendation, the customer take a deep sigh...he accepted his fate...he must move on. And as a gesture of acceptance...the customer hugged Alice and Alex.

"There, there. Everything will be fine, don't worry." Alice kindly cheered him up. "That's the circle of life, you need to face it..."

The three hugged for a little moments before the customer lets go...I noticed his face a little bit relaxed and at ease...

"Umm...sir, may I ask...is the church open at this late at night?" Alex suddenly asked the customer.

"Oh, yes! It won't close it for awhile." The customer replied with a smile. "But, if you see it closed, just ask the parish priest there. By the way, why do you ask that?"

"Well...you can ask guidance from the heavens above." Alex advises him again. "Ask Him to guide you through your difficult times and help you find peace."

"Umm...OK. If you say so."

Alex acoompanied the customer as they entered the historical church. Alice, Danica and I, curious about what they are about to do, followed them. We saw Alex helping the customer to sit in the rear pew of the church. As the customer kneels to pray, Alex walks closer to him and whispered something...in which the customer nodded in response. And then, Alex walks away...leaving the customer alone...towards us three.

"Wow, Alex. You actually know how to deal with this situation, huh?" Alice grinned at him. "Anyway, thanks for helping me sorting it out."

"Your welcome." Alex smiled back at her. "Well...this the same experience that I've once suffered...one year ago, my own girlfriend broke up with me..."

"...sigh...don't tell me you're the one who needed my help! Hehehe!" Alice giggles and taps Alex's shoulders to cheer him up. "Not to mention that I'm still gonna beat your fastfood the second time around!"

But...actually...I hold an evidence that will hold...who is actually the winner of the deal this time...

"Umm...Alice...I hate to tell you this but...Alex seems to won the competition..."

"WHAAAT?!?! NOT YOU, TOO! HUHUHU!" Alice turned her puppy eyes on me. "Tell me, I won today! Tell me, please?"

"No. It's true, Alice. Sorry!" I just hugged my friend in consolation. "Come, I'll show you why..."

We returned back into our food truck and into the kitchen. There, I pointed out at a small notebook that I've been using to list down all the orders of the day. I show to them...how frequent Alex's burgers were ordered by the customers than Alice's mechado and giniling combo. In fact, Alex defeated his rival Alice with a very slim margin...I think.

"See...I'm telling the truth, Alice." I patted her shoulder. "Come on, accept your defeat, okay?"

Alice take a deep sigh and smiled back at me...perhaps she is just a little bit exaggerated earlier in dealing with her defeat. But now she's ready to accept it...

"Alright then...I guess were tied, Alex." Alice then grinned at her rival. "You just got lucky...hehehe...by the next time we face off with our cooking...I will already know what will be your cooking's weakness!"

"Ha! Let's see about that! You will never foresee the weakness of the fast food! Huehehe!!!"

Hehehe! I love to see these two argue over the best cooking! For I always see on them a competitive spirit to show up their cooking skills...but the best thing about them...is when they help that customer with his problems. I didn't know they have an ability to give advice...especially in front of their own cooking!