Food Is Love!

Recipe 65: Dabaw

Road Trip Day 24
Location: Davao City

Alex's POV:

It only takes a couple of hours to reach this large and populous city of the south...but it seems that Azmina is becoming lonely by the minute...

"Umm...Azmina...you look so sad." My girlfriend Flonne is concerned about her. "What's wrong? If you have a problem, you shouldn't hesitate to ask me for my help."

"Oh...ehehehe...don't worry about me. It's fine." But her face contradicts her words.

"Come on, Azmina. Keeping your problems inside you won't help at all." Claire overheard the conversation and joined in. "Tell us your problem so we can help you, no matter how hard it is."

"Oh! Hehehe! Thanks." Our friend lightens up a bit and smiled. "It's just...ugh...I have a quarrel with my father days ago..."

Everybody is then lending their ears to what Azmina is about to tell us...another problem that we are about to solve with Flonne...

"I came from a family of entrepreneurs...we own several businesses here in Mindanao, ranging from hotels, restaurants and transport services. I am the heir of to those chains that I can advice my father about some random business choices to make our investments growing...since I finished college with a degree of masters in entrepreneurship...but...my father always rejected my advices, telling me that I should shut up and wait for the time that I would take the lead..."

In the midst of the conversation, Flonne goes to the refrigerator and opened it...there, she get a leftover leche flan and gives it to Azmina.

"Here, eat up...if that's okay with you." Flonne smiles as she gives the desert to cheer Azmina up. "You can continue your story while eating those."

"Oh...ehehehe...thanks, Alice." And she then did continues her story. "More than a week ago, I had a heated argument with my father here in Davao, it's because one of our restaurants are losing sales and my father is planning to close it...but I suggested that he should form a joint venture with other private firms...which he strongly rejected, claiming that he wouldn't allow any 'dirty' people to interfere with our business. I defended my stand...so did my father...that I ended up furious and run away from home...that's when you found me in Surigao."

"Oh...I see...then, let's help you reconcile with your dad right now!

"No...that's not easy to do it." Azmina clarifies. "The security's very tight these days ever since a bombing shook this city on the same day I run away. So I'm not so sure that you can all enter the hotel where my father lives...unless...hmm..."

"Huh? Unless what?" Danica is curiously wanted her answer.

"Well...unless I pretend to own a new company and make you as my assistants. How's that?"

"Sure! We'll take it!" Without hesitation, Alice accepted my plan.

"But first...we need to make a dish for my father. Every business transactions with him needs something for him."

And that's when my brain began to work...

"Something fitting for your father, huh? Hmm...rich, successful, has so many businesses he has...oh! Azmina, don't worry. I got the perfect solution to your problem."

"Hehehe! Thanks, Alex!"

Then I turned to Flonne and winked...in which she immediately understand what I mean...we will gonna truce about our cooking rivalry and help each other in making my idea...its a bacon and cheese lasagne!

A couple of hours later...

Danica's POV:

Alice and Alex carries the dish together, as Azmina leads the way into the tall hotel tower...where she told us is where his father works as CEO.

"Oh, hello miss. What's your business?" A fabulous guard asked Azmina as she approaches him.

"We have an appointment with Mr. Muhammad Diamla." Azmina, on the other hand, devise a fake meeting. "We are given permission to enter the building as long as Mr. Diamla would be given this lasagne as a package for the meeting."

"Oh...I see, you can go in."

And without a hinch, all of us go in into the building. We are pretty astonished on how powerful this lady is.

"Wow, Azmina! You're so totally cool!" I admire Azmora so much. "I mean from the moment you approach the guard, he didn't even doubt us as your companion!"

"...ehehehe...it's no big deal, actually." Azmina giggles a bit. "As daughter of my father, the businessman, all of the people who works here in this tower always knows me and doesn't doubt any words and decisions that I make."

We quickly go into an elevator...we are just enough to fill it as Azmina pushed the button, indicating the floor where...perhaps her father is working. It was 56th floor. As the elevator slowly lifts up, suddenly...something's wrong with somebody.

"Uugh...I don't feel so good..." It was Alice, holding her mouth as she try to evade. "Dang it! I think that I'm gonna puke!"

"Flonne! Stop it! Just cover your mouth and don't let those things out of your mouth." Alex tries to help her girlfriends condition. "Just hang in there, just hold on oka-whoaaa!!!"

But Alice didn't take it any much longer so she fell outbalanced...but Claire and I was able to catch her.

"Alice!" I noticed that Alice is already unconscious by her condition so Claire and I helped each other to carry her on our shoulders until she wakes up.

"Ding!" The elevator bell sounds, signaling that we have reached our destination: 56th floor. As I follow Azmina for directions leading to her father's office...

"Uuugh....I feel that I just hit my head." Alice quickly regains composure and stands up. "I'm sorry, guys. I just can't take those elevators...it mess up my stomach."

"That's okay, Alice. What matters most is that you're okay now and you're good to go." Azmina smiles at her. "Alright, we've reached to my father's office. You need to observe some etiquette and stay serious while I am talking to my dad, understand?"

"Yes, Azmina!"

Everyone's gulping their throats as Azmina opens the door of her father's office. In my case, my heart is literally pounding right now. I don't know what kind of dad will we  gonna encounter...perhaps a very strict one. Regardless, I will help, along with my friends, to solve Azmina's family strife. We can do this!