Maybe This Time

Chapter 10

-Caleb’s  Time-

The Cooking Challenge, Surprise Cook-off Mania, Jingle Making Contest, On-the-Spot Poster Making Contests, Quiz Bowls, Table Arrangement Contest, and the Dance Exercise Battle are over. All that’s left is the Mr. and Ms. Nutrition – apparently the highlight. Since today is the last day of the celebration of the Nutrition month, we have to end it with a bang. All the results and awards will be announced afterwards and then we will know who will be the over-all champion for this year’s Nutrition Month Celebration.

I’m talking with my friends backstage while waiting for the contest to start. My partner, Patricia, is currently being mobbed by her own set of friends.

Jonathan handed me a bottle of water. “Good luck later, dude.”

“You’re gonna win this!” Paul announced.

“Thanks guys,” I replied and took a sip of water. “I just want this to end.”

“We’ll be rooting for you, Caleb. Don’t mess up!” Eric warned.

Winston added, “Just smile, bro. Make the judges swoon.”

“Do your best!” Mike and Jeremy said simultaneously. It really must be a twin thing, saying stuff together.

Afterwards, every single person who is not in the program was made to go to their seat at the audience and leave the backstage. I approached Patricia and smiled.

“Ready to win this?”

“Definitely. Let’s go!”

True to all pageants, there’s the opening production number, the part where you introduce yourself, and the showcase of your fit body by wearing your sportswear – in catwalk. Patricia and I managed to get all those parts done well, I may add. We did a wicked hip hop with jazz performance for our talent portion, credits to Mike, the resident king of the dance floor in our batch. I know that it would be so conceited of me to say this, but I could say we have the crowns in the bag. 

And then the part that everyone looks forward to came - the much awaited and anticipated question and answer portion. Ah yes. This is the make or break part where you’ll either win or lose. I just tried to keep my cool and calm down. It’s a piece of cake, right?

“Now, may we call on the representative of the fourth year for Mr. Nutrition, Caleb Alvin Larmedo to pick up from the bowl the name of the judge who will give him the question,” the emcee announced.

Everyone was cheering loudly and so I gave everyone a smile as I did just what the emcee said.

“Mr. Larmedo, the judge who will give you the question is Miss Gordel.”

She smiled at me and said, “Mr. Larmedo, your question goes this way. We all know that being healthy does not only mean having a fit mind and body. Aside from having a good lifestyle, what makes you healthy?”