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Chapter 3

Waking up on her grandmother's arms, Zoey's heart was full. She got up from the bed, very careful not to wake Julie up. She then went to the kitchen to heat water and prepared the mug of coffee for her grandmother. She knows that Julie's about to wake up by seven in the morning so she had about 10 minutes to make her coffee.

She was never fond of coffee. It became her habit to make coffee for her grandparents when she was still staying with them, but she never really found her own cup. It was either too bitter or too sweet for her, and she never got the right combination no matter how many times she tried. However, her grandparents have always been vocal about how good she makes their coffee.

As she stirred the cup of coffee that she made, the door to their bedroom opened. Her grandmother went out whose short hair looked like a mess, wearing the warmest smile anyone could imagine.

"Ang sarap naman magising sa amoy ng paborito kong kape." her grandmother said as she walked her way to the table. Zoey wished that every morning would look like this.

"Asus naman talaga. Here's one cup of coffee for my lola." Zoey said as she placed the cup on the table. Her heart flutters on the thought that her grandmother enjoys her company as much as she does. Just about before she took her seat, they heard knocks on the door.

"Tao po!" a man shouted from the outside. She already had a trauma about men shouting outside her grandmother's house so she went to open the door herself. There she found Mang Jerry holding a plate of rice and beside him was Michael and Manang Esther who were also holding plates of food. She stood there confused of what's going on when her grandmother appeared beside her.

"Nandyan na pala kayo! Pasok na dali at gutom na din ako." her grandmother said as she opened the door wide enough for them to enter. Zoey didn't quite understand what was going on, but she helped them fix the table and sat down on her usual spot after.

"Okay mukhang gulong-gulo na si Zoey sa nangyayari kaya ipaliwanag na natin" Manang Esther started. "Matagal-tagal na rin naming ginagawa itong pag-kain ng sabay-sabay dito sa bahay niyo. Ayaw rin kasi ni Manang Julie nung pakiramdam na kumakain mag-isa kaya sinisigurado namin na lagi siyang may kasama. Dapat nga walang ganito ngayon kasi nandito ka naman na para sabayan si Manang kumain at ayaw namin maka-abala sa bonding niyong mag-lola pero gusto ni Manang na maranasan mo rin kumain ng ganito."

She realized how hard it might be for her grandmother to face the loneliness when her grandfather died. These people are those who helped her get through everything, and she was very thankful for them.

"Alam kong masyadong maaga to para sa pakikipag-usap sa maraming tao, pero pagtyagaan mo muna kami." Michael joked as he smiled at Zoey. They just knew each other yesterday, but Michael already knew how she hates being surrounded by too many people.

"Ano ka ba? Parang gusto ko nga rin gawin mamayang lunch eh." Zoey replied. She was never that type of person who would initiate eating with friends, but it made her happy to spend time with these people.

"Oo ba! Kumain na tayo ng almusal at didiretso tayo sa palengke mamaya para mamili ng mga lulutuin para sa pananghalian." her grandmother replied. She was so happy that her granddaughter was finally trying to socialize with other people She knows how Zoey is struggling to build new relationships towards people.

After the scrumptious meal, they all headed to the market to buy ingredients for their lunch. They all enjoyed picking out ingredients and discussing what food they should have for later. Zoey was more than happy to pay for everything despite all the buts she received both from her grandmother and her new-found family. Bargains after bargains, they headed home with everything they bought.

"Ang alat naman ng timpla mo, Ate Esther eh!" Zoey heard Michael shout when he tasted Esther's cooking.

"Manang Jullie oh! Nanggugulo nanaman ho si Michael dito. Eh kung tinutulungan mo si Zoey dun sa hinihiwa niya para naman may magawa kang matino?" Esther replied as she pointed to Zoey who was in-charge of slicing the vegetables.

"Maalat nga Esther." Julie said as she tasted Esther's cooking. "Parehas kayong pumunta doon at tumulong kay Zoey sa gulay. Ako na ang bahala dito." she continued as she tried to fix whatever was left fixable.

Zoey loves seeing her grandmother cook. She has tasted a number of cuisines from around the world, but her grandmother's cooking remained in the top spot of her favorites. Her skills in the kitchen were all from her experience and despite not having a proper degree in cooking, her hands cook flawlessly in the kitchen.

A few hours of cooking had passed and they were ready for lunch. They had set-up the food in the hut by the sea and they enjoyed the meal. Grilled fishes, crab stew with vegetables and a few more dishes courtesy of Manang Julie were served and enjoyed by the whole family. They were joined by a few more people who knew Zoey ever since she lived with her grandparents. These people had also brought their own dishes and shared whatever they could for the on-the-spot boodle fight.