Philippines
January 2017
Ravenas Meet the De Leons
Bea has been enjoying the Philippines, and as her boyfriend promised, every day, they eat at different Filipino restaurants.
Today, the Ravenas, Valdez family, and the De Leons are going to eat dinner together at The Grid after the restaurant closes. Bea and Thirdy are already in the kitchen, one hour before closing. Two days have passed, and the kitchen staff are also in love with Bea and her kindness.
"Angel, Tito Elmer called. Hindi ko nasagot because I'm chopping carrots. Call him back nga," Thirdy ordered sa girlfriend niyang nanggugulo sa other kitchen staff.
Bea went out of the kitchen and dialed her father's number.
"Hello, Dad! Bea here! Why did you call?" Bea said on the phone.
"Oh, you guys are together na? Okay, will announce it na lang later," Elmer confidently said.
"Oh, okay. Take care, Dad!" Bea said, and after that, she ended the call and saw that pasara na yung restaurant. Some staff are already fixing the long table.
Thirdy and his hired chefs will be cooking all of The Grid's menu.
The Valdez family, together with Mariane, are the first ones to arrive. Since Chef Thirdy is still cooking, Bea is the one to entertain them.
"Ninong," she greeted Luis.
"Pretty naman ng inaanak ko." Luis and his wife, Carmela, greeted their goddaughter.
Bumeso naman si Mariane kay Bea.
"You're much prettier in person. Lucky Van!" Bea praised Van's fiancée.
"Thirdy is so unlucky," Van blurted out while using his phone, na kaagad namang siniko ni Mariane at sinaway ni Carmela at Luis.
"That's okay, Ninang and Ninong! That's how sweet Van is," pagtatanggol ni Bea sa kaibigan.
"Welcome to PH, lil sister I never had." Van hugged her.
"Wow, biglang sweet," Bea teased him.
"Uy, Thirdy is right ah. Your Tagalog is improving."
Bea just winked at him and told them to sit already. After a while, the Ravenas came, and the De Leons followed din naman.
Loel and Van's interaction is really funny.
"LOOOOOELLL!"
"VANNNNNNN!"
They both shouted nung nakita ang isa't isa. They did a slow-motion run towards each other.
"I missed you. You were so small back then," Loel said, mocking how small Van was back in the day.
Everyone laughed.
"You nga, you were so skinny back then," laban naman ni Van.
"Enough na. Let's eat," Det said para sawayin ang boys.
All the kitchen staff are serving the food and smiling at everyone.
Everyone's enjoying the night. Van and Mariane are telling some details about the wedding to the oldies. Loel and Thirdy are talking about basketball. Dani is now reading a book that her Ate Bei gave her, while Kiefly are trying to look like they're listening to what Mariane is saying, but they're actually flirting with each other.
But Bea? She's frowning while browsing her phone.
"Hey, why? Keep your phone muna kaya." Tapik ni Thirdy sa leg niya.
"Emergency mission," she said, which made Elmer look at Bea and Thirdy.
Elmer can see the worry in his daughter's eyes, but he can also see the pain in Thirdy's.
"When?" Thirdy asked, but Bei looked at him.
"Who says I'll go?" She smiled and held his hand.
"WHO WANTS DESSERT?" Bea shouted.
Almost everyone raised their hands.
"Well, boyfie will serve the dessert na."
"Oh, wow," Thirdy said.
"Reklamo?" Bea frowned at him.
"Nah."
Everyone laughed.
"Ayyy, under," Kiefer teased his brother.
"You din kaya," Dani said, closing her book.
Thirdy went out of the kitchen with a tray of cheese tarts, chocolate pudding, and dirty ice cream.
"Kuya Loel, there's dirty ice cream," Dani said, pointing to the ice cream.
"I wish it tastes like the avocado we ate in Luneta."
"You guys went to that park?" Bea asked.
"Yes. Go there with Thirdy. They have the best dirty ice cream."
"What? Wait! How dirty?"
The whole table laughed. Natawa na lang din si Bea kahit she's really confused.
While munching on their sweets, Elmer cleared his throat.
"I have an announcement to make."
The whole table looked at him.
"Det and I are growing old already..."
Loel commented, "Enough with the drama. Go straight to the point, Paps," which made everyone laugh again.
"We decided to move back here to the Philippines and manage our businesses here."
Everyone smiled and congratulated them. Some clapped.
"Wow, I will live here now," Loel shouted.
"You too?" Bea looked at her brother.
"Yeah, because of the house," Loel answered.
She just continued eating her pudding because she didn't want to kill everyone's happiness, but little did she know that there was someone watching her reaction.
Everyone in the room had someone to talk to except Bea. Det grabbed her daughter para isama sa usapan nila ni Carmela together with Mozzy.
"When will you fly back to NY?" Mozzy asked Bea.
"In a few days, Tita. I have a mission po." She smiled fakely.
"Akala ko you're not going?" Det asked, looking at her daughter na nagtataka.
"Change of plans," masungit na sagot ni Beatriz.
"But I'm sure Bea will visit us often because of The Grid and syempreeee, Chef Thirdy," tukso ni Carmela sa inaanak.
Bea just smiled.
"Inaasar na nga namin si Thirdy about wedding, patawa-tawa lang," kwento ni Det.
"MAAAA!" saway ni Bea at namula ito sa harap ni Mozzy.
"Okay lang. Kami din, inaasar na siya." Mozzy tapped her shoulder kasi sobrang pula ni Bea.
When everyone was leaving, Thirdy was checking everything sa restaurant, and Bea was just sitting at one of the tables, browsing her phone.
"Why so moody, Angel?" he asked while locking the kitchen.
"Nah. I told you. Sabay na lang ako kay Kuya," she said coldly, at saka tumayo para sumabay palabas kay Thirdy.
"Sungit ah. Period mo ba?" he jokingly asked.
"Nah. Just tired," she answered na nakasimangot pa din.
Thirdy pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. Inayos niya yung nakakunot na kilay ni Bea and whispered,
"I love you, Ghost."
Bea broke away from him and went inside the car.
