It's Only Her In My Mind (Hacienda Style)

Chapter 2

Outside Villa Sal and Villa Iluxonada is the marketplace.

Merchants are scattered all over the area, bustling around and luring customers with their variety of merchandise. There are also stalls were entrepreneurs sell food items, and one of these stalls belong to Perlita. Two stalls from her, meanwhile, is Cordapia's camote-que stall. It is almost eleven at noon, and many people flock to Perlita's stall. There is obviously a grand following because people are willing to wait just to eat Perlita's dishes. Her viand is varied and inexpensive, so people get to enjoy a hearty meal. Meanwhile, Cordapia cannot seem to get customers because she only sells camote-que, and she does not have the knack for cooking other dishes. So desperate is she that she tries certain tactics to gain customers.

As Perlita is serving a customer, Cordapia from nearby is waving her hands up the air and shaking her hips as if dancing at the baile. The male customers are starting to laugh because Cordapia is trying too hard to get everyone's attention. In her anger, Cordapia places her hands on her hips and screams at the laughing men.

"Hoy! My camote-que is certainly the best! You better buy, or else, no debit!" she threatens them.

"How could we even eat your camote-que when it is not even fit for merienda?" one man cajoles her.

And his mates laugh. Cordapia is really embarrassed, but she continues her dance and lures the customers to buy also her camote salad, which is the camote version of the potato salad that we are familiar with. Even with that serving, only a two or three customers come to buy. And Cordapia is extremely envious of Perlita, more than words can ever say.

"Cordapia, stop that already," Estefania said to her sister.

"No Manang Pani," Cordapia said to Estefania. "I will be diligent with selling."

"What can you do? Nobody even buys," Estefania sighs. "I myself do not know how to cook!"

And the two women sigh. And the whole market was in silence, with only the wind and an occasional mansanitas branch being swept along in sight.

Perlita, meanwhile, asks Helena to take care of her store because she will be delivering some food to the farmers working in the land outside of Fantasia No Cubierto. 

****

"I am so hungry!" Timoteo grumbles as he rubs his flat belly.

"All of us are hungry, you know," Facundo retorts as he points his sickle at Timoteo.

"I am sure that Perlita will deliver food again, just as she always have," Pablo grins.

Ysmael stood up to the name of Perlita. The young men seldom help at the ricefield because Don Sucaldito often is making them do various hard labor in his manor. It is only Pablo who has the idea that Perlita delivers food to the farmers because he had worked one time at the farm when his father was at the hospital.

"Really?" Ysmael asks, dropping his sickle. 

"Of course, Manong," Pablo replies proudly. "Perlita allows utang, but she makes rounds every Friday to get the payment from the wives of the farmers."

Ysmael smiles again. It does not matter to him what he will eat, just as long as he will get to see Perlita again. And the woman in question arrives with her bayong filled with rice and various viand. The farmers cheer as she gets near them.

"Good morning, Perlita," one of the middle-aged farmers greets her.

"Good morning, Manong Daloydoy," Perlita says to the farmer.

"Do you have lots of bananas for me? I love bananas," Daloydoy says.

The four young men start to secretly laugh because the man Daloydoy looks like a monkey.