Someday, I'll Find My Way Home

Karl eats breakfast.

Trust me when I say that my mom is the biggest breakfast warrior. She always make sure that we eat breakfast for the last sixteen years of my life. She was one of those mothers who makes sure we wake up before 8AM. In most of my high school days when I slept at 3AM to finish reading a manga series, that was a total wrecker.

And trust me when I say that she would probably give me a lecture if she finds out that I've skipped breakfast for 2 days already. When school started, I had forgotten to take my meals on time because of my schedule. And my stomach doesn't feel hunger until 11AM.

I could hear her reprimanding voice: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Don't you ever skip it!"

I would've gone a three-day streak if it weren't for this dork.

"So, where would you like to eat?" Axel asked while we were walking towards Raymundo St., famous for its collection of cheap carinderias, dormitories, apartments, and street food. We went through the Institute of Biological Sciences that was buzzing with people in lab coats and students in pants, holding a bunch of handouts. Then, we traversed the College of Economics, iconic for its best comfort rooms (it had bidet!).

"I don't know," I answered. "Have you eaten at those places?"

He scratched the back of his head. "That's one reason I wanna have breakfast with someone."

I raised my eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, I've been eating a lot of fastfood lately..."

"Seriously?"

"Except for Selinas, that was the only restaurant I tried with my high school friends here."

"It's good, right?" I said. "It really feels homey in there."

"So, where should we eat?" he asked again.

"I don't know!"

"Maybe we should check the places one by one then."

"I'm craving for some tapsilog," I confessed. "That's top-tier breakfast for me."

"Then let's check for a place that offers that!"

We entered the Raymundo gate, an orange gate that separate the university from the streets. A flock of students with their umbrellas open were going out of the gate, their hair wet and smelled of fresh perfume.

A small market on the right was at the entrance of Raymundo, filled with styrofoam crates and big blocks of ice. Next to it was a line of carinderias: Tess & Ylloys, Melville, and... a Iskulmeyts? Oh, that was a printing shop. Weird.

We checked on Tess & Ylloys first. We checked the viands behind the glass covers. There was tapsilog! I checked the place while Axel was still checking. A few students were sitting apart from each other near the wall fans. The tables were covered with checkered cloth.

Axel shook his head. "I don't see anything I like."

Next carinderia: Melville. Compared to the bright, yellow paint of Tess & Ylloys, Melville was a bit dimmer because of the cerulean shade of the counter and tables. We checked the viand. No tapsilog.

We went to the other side of the building complex, with one carinderia next to Upbeat, a UP-focused merchandise store. Beeyanka's was vibrant with its tangerine walls. We were greeted by its waitresses behind the glass partitions.

"I'm having a great feeling about this place," Axel whispered.

As we lined up for our orders, I tiptoed to get a glimpse of their selection of food. There's tapa! A lot of vegetable choices as well: buttered vegetables, munggo, and  sinabawang upo na may miswa. For their breakfast meals: tapa (yum!), pork adobo (another yum!),  hotdog, afritada (which is steaming hot!), and sinigang na baboy (another hottie!).