New York
October 2016
Final Session
Thirdy called Loel and invited him to drink that night after he saw her face in his bedroom.
"Okay, I know a place! Let's drink."
"Not too much because the session will continue even if we both have a hangover," Thirdy reminded him.
"I'll sleep there and I'll cook you Mussels with Wine and Smoky Bacon. That's my hangover soup," Loel said proudly.
And that's what happened. Thirdy got so drunk while Loel only drank a bottle. He knew that his friend needed someone to be there, plus, he's driving.
Thirdy woke up the next day with a severe headache. Loel slept in the other room but couldn't be found when he woke up.
"Pota, pati si Loel naging ghost," he whispered habang hawak-hawak ang masakit niyang ulo at tiyan. When he reached the kitchen, he saw that Loel had made him a soup with mussels in it. There was also a note.
"Didn't wake you up. Take this soup as my challenge for today and rest! See you tomorrow, Chef!"
"At least nagpaalam." He smirked and texted him thanks.
---
A day has passed since Thirdy drank his heart out. Loel's challenge for today is to bake something that he feels like Gordon Ramsay would approve of. Thirdy is baking Cheese Tarts, Egg Tarts, and an Orange Coconut Cake for Det as a goodbye gift.
While the two are busy with their creations, Elmer went to the kitchen.
"Chef, can we talk?" Elmer smiled sadly.
"Yes, Tito!" He removed his apron and went to the garden with Elmer.
"You know, the day when she slept over at your place, she asked me if she's too obvious and if you love her. Akala ko she'll finally realize that she needs this. She needs to fall in love with the right person," Elmer narrated.
"I honestly thought na she would never ghost us again because you came. Believe me when I say that you're the only one who makes her so excited to go to the kitchen. She hates the kitchen. All she does is eat in the dining room but never makes herself comfortable in the kitchen. But you? You make her eat at the island table, you make her curious, you make her smile. I remember the first time she ghosted us, I hired someone to follow her.
"She's my daughter. I had to know where she was. But Beatriz knows me so well, she found out and invited me to visit her. She told me about this jerk doctor who flirted with her and then one day, she just found out that the doctor had a fiancée. I promised myself I wouldn't let my daughter be that broken again. So I allowed her to do her missions, do more of that, until that hobby of hers became her life."
Tears started falling from Elmer's eyes.
"And I'm sorry, Thirdy, that I protected her so much that I made her into this. I made her ghost the guy she really loves."
"Tito," Thirdy finally spoke.
"It's not your fault and I promise you one thing. I'll do everything to make her stay. I'll try my best to make her stay. Maybe this time she has so many doubts but believe me, Tito, if she felt the same thing I felt, she'll be back," he added.
Thirdy smiled and tapped Elmer's back. The old man wiped his tears and asked,
"Why did you cancel the trip I booked for you to enjoy New York?" Elmer remembered.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow already, Tito. Mas lalo lang akong malulugmok. NY reminds me of your daughter po and I have to work on my restaurant already." Thirdy smiled.
"I'm tampo. You never asked me to invest."
"Tito, you gave so much already."
"You gave Loel not only knowledge but friendship. He won't say much but he loves you. He always wanted a brother and when you came, making all of us laugh, he would always say the exact same thing every time you went home, 'I wish Chef Thirdy was my baby brother.'"
Thirdy smiled and smelled the orange in the cake he's baking.
"Let's stop the drama, Tito! I baked Tita Det's favorite cake."
"That's why it smells so citrusy," Elmer said, chuckling.
-————————————————————————-
Philippines
October 2016
Van is the one who picked him up.
"Boi, I missed you!" Van shouted.
"WTH! Shh." Thirdy punched his best friend jokingly.
"It's fine. I'll let you meet the chef who I think will be our regular when you leave us."
"I won't leave until my restaurant is operating already and I have to train that new chef!" Thirdy said.
"No need, bro. All the staff and Chef Iya trained her. Kawawa at first, bro. Isipin mo, Chef Iya's kasungitan is so scary."
"Sus, bakit sa akin di ka naawa noon?"
"Because Chef Iya likes you. She wants you pa nga to be the head chef kesa sa kanya, diba?"
"I kinda deserve that naman."
"Yabang!"
They drove to Jollibee because Thirdy missed Spicy Chickenjoy.
"What the hell, bro? You ordered almost everything!" Van commented.
"Just eat," Thirdy said.
Thirdy told Van about what happened, how close he is to Loel, na kinatuwa ni Van, and how much the household likes him. Then Van asked,
"So you met my kinakapatid?"
"Yeah."
"She's pretty! I told you," Van said.
"We kinda... I don't know."
"Huh? Potek. Pabitin ka, Ravena."
"Hindi kasi naging kami eh, pero it feels like it."
"Oh my God. What happened? She never falls in love, Thirds. You're the first."
"Yep. And she ghosted."
"Yeah, that's so Beatriz!" Van said as if he had forgotten that Bea ghosts everyone when she's starting to fall.
Thirdy's emotions betrayed him nang may biglang tumulong luha mula sa mga mata niya.
"Fuck, you like her that much?" Van asked.
"Boi, I love her so much."
Van is so shocked but he knows that when a Thirdy Ravena falls in love, he will always be the one who never gives up.
