Turn The Page

Chapter 39

June subtly looked up from her menu. She watched as Winston and Page looked intently on theirs. "Have you decided on what you like, sir?" Page asked politely. June swallowed. Was this the same daughter that was so afraid to talk in English to the store workers? She thought to herself. She thought her daughter had a heart of gold. "Mama, ikaw ano gusto mo?" Page asked with loving eyes that June melted again as she stared at her. "Wala pa, anak. Ikaw?" She asked in return. "Wala pa din eh. Lahat masasarap," Page said with a giggle. "Are you speaking in Tagalog?" Winston asked curiously. "Yes," Page answered, seemingly amazed that Winston knew they were speaking in their language. Winston smiled. "I used to have a lot of Filipino friends back in the day," he told them. "Where are they now? If you don't mind me asking" Page asked curiously. "Some dead, some, I haven't kept in touch," Winston said. Page nodded. June smiled as she watched the two in front of her. There was magic between Page and Winston. There was friendship that automatically bloomed between the two. "I'd go for anything you guys order for me," Winston said. Page took a deep breath. Then she touched his arm. "Sir Winston, like my mama would always say, order what YOU like not what we like for you," she said. June swallowed again. "Right, ma?" Page asked for confirmation. June nodded in return. "That's right," she replied. "Oh ma'am, everything's so expensive," Winston said worriedly. "Sir, you don't have to worry about that. Just order anything you would like," June tried to reassure him. Page smiled. "Yeah, and like my mama always says, 'sky's the limit,'" Page said. June had to laugh. Then she watched as Page and Winston looked through the menu together. Then she looked away after she had an image of Summer and the little girl they helped out back in the Philippines. She could still see Summer clearly in her flowery dress, carefully helping out the little girl pick out the food she wanted to eat. June tried to swallow back her tears. Then she looked at Page as she told the waitress her and Winston's order. "Mama, ikaw?" She asked. June swallowed. "I'll have what my daughter is having," she said to the waitress. "Ano nangyari? I thought you told me to order what I want not what you want? How come you're ordering what I want?" Page asked. June had to smile as she listened to Page speak in English to her. "Well, I want to try eating the food you eat. Maybe it'll make my heart turn into gold just like yours," June said half-jokingly. Page gave her a gentle smile, "But ma, you already have a heart of gold."

As they were having dinner, Winston told them about his life. He admitted that he was an alcoholic and a drug addict before he decided to finally get clean just two years ago. He said he never got married and never had a family of his own. His brother and parents are now gone. June and Page felt extremely sorry for him. He said he lived on the streets most of his life, but had a time where he was clean and sober and had a good-paying job and an apartment. He told them he lost everything again when he went back to his bad habits. He went back and forth from being clean to being an addict most of his life until he got old and didn't have the energy to find a job. "I think I can help you," June said to him. "You could?" He asked. June nodded. "I know some people who work for the county, they can give you resources. They can even find you a place to stay. You just have to cooperate and let them know what you need," she explained. "Oh miss, thank you," he said. "I'm surprised no one has ever offered you any help," she added. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I have been offered help many times before, but you know, I can get pretty stubborn. It's all my fault," he said truthfully. "Then maybe it's time to stop being stubborn and accept the help," June said to him. He nodded with a smile. "You know, it's rare to find people like you and your daughter who notices people like me. As a matter of fact, I'm so used to being invisible. People walk past me like they don't see me, like I don't exist. It feels like you're dead, but you're still alive," he said to them. Page swallowed. Then she started singing.

As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat. This wind is blowing my mind. I see them all in the streets with not enough to eat, who am I to be blind pretending not to see their needs?