The Second Time Around (The Starving Squad #1)

Chapter 23: Pancakes and Bullets

We need our Kapampangan friends again. Mambulabog na kayo ng kakilala nyo para mag-translate haha. Please excuse the typos. Antok na antok lang. Sobra.

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Fresia woke up the next morning with Bullet staring intently at her. Agad na dumapo ang mga daliri niya sa gilid ng mata. Nakakahiya naman dito kung makikitaan siya nito ng muta.

"You missed one."

Agad siyang tumalikod at kinapa-kapa ang paligid ng mata. Narinig niya itong tumawa. Then he hugged her from behind and whispered, "I'm kidding."

Siniko niya ito saka siya bumangon. They were given separate rooms to sleep in last night. Sa dating kwarto ng parents nito siya pinatulog. Ito naman ay may sariling kwarto. But after midnight, Bullet knocked on her door and asked if he could sleep beside her.

Hindi siya tumanggi. Wala naman kasi itong ibang ginagawa sa kanya. Ito pa ang madalas maunang matulog. But to be on the safe side, natutulog siya nang naka-pajama. Hindi rin siya nagtatanggal ng bra. Ina-unhook lang niya iyon. She couldn't forget the look he gave her when she opened the door wearing a white shirt with nothing underneath and her panties.

"Kanina ka pa gising?"

"Medyo."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Ang sarap kasi ng tulog mo," nakangiti nitong sagot. "Humihilik ka pa."

"Grabe ka ha. Hindi kaya ako humihilik."

Lumapit ito at umakbay sa kanya. "Okay, you didn't snore. But you definitely sleep-talked."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? What did I say?"

"Gibberish," seryoso nitong sagot. "Maybe you're enumerating all the food that you want to eat today."

She hugged his waist with her left arm. "Speaking of food, what are we having for breakfast?"

"I don't know. Let's ask lola."

Together, the two of them headed to the kitchen. Naabutan nila ang dalawang matanda nag-uusap sa kusina. Bullet removed his hand from her shoulder. Lumapit ito sa lola nito at hinalikan iyon sa pisngi.

"Balamu masanting ka gising ngeni, Apo," sabi ng matanda kay Bullet.

"Manyaman matudtud atin ka-kawul, Lola."

"Asus!" Ngumuso si Manang Sinyang. "Magpakasal kayu pa bayu ye dinan apo keng tud i apu mu!"

As usual, she was feeling left out again. Sana kasi, my subtitle kapag nagsasalita ang mga ito para nakakaintindi rin siya. Magpakasal lang ang naintindihan niya. Hindi pa niya sigurado kung kapareho noon ang iniisip niya.

"Good morning po," bati naman kina Manang Sinyang at Lola Dolores.

She excused herself and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Pagbalik niya ay naipagtimpla na siya ni Bullet ng kape. Nagluluto si Manang Sinyang ng bacon at itlog. Si Bullet naman ay naglabas ng harina, itlog, at gatas.

"We're making pancakes!" nakangiti nitong anunsyo.

Tumabi siya rito at nanuod sa ginagawa nito. He measured the flour and put it on a huge bowl. He made a well in the middle. On a separate bowl, he whisked the eggs. Saka nito inihalo ang gatas.

He then added some dry ingredients to the flour before he combined it with the milk and eggs. He began mixing all the ingredients with a whisk.

"Pa-try," sabi niya.

He gave her the whisk. Todo halo naman siya ng mixture. They make the pancakes from scratch. Ngayon lang niya naranasan ang gumawa noon. Sanay kasi siya sa pancake mixture.