Unswerving Desire [ON-GOING]

Chapter 4

It's already wensday and my parents will be leaving today as well. Maaga akong nagising around 5 am cause I bid my goodbye's to them and also, they asked me kung may gusto ba akong ipabili and I requested a bag from Channel, the newest flap bag. I also asked them kung kailan sila babalik so that I could prepare myself of how many days I would endure the feeling of being so awkward with Braden, knowing that he's staying here till my parents are back.

Luckily Monday nandito na raw sila. They like to stay longer there and have a short vacation but good thing they remembered that next Saturday would be our cheerleading competition so they have to attend and see me performing in front of many people. I want them to be proud of me that's why I'm doing my best whenever we practice.

Bandang 6:30 am, I decided to go down and jog for like 20 mins around our village. Also after that jogging around, naisipan ko na magwork out and do a little warm ups para di na masyado mabigla at mabugbog yung katawan ko.

I almost fell in the last steps of the stairs when I saw Braden in our living room. Seems like he's doing something in his laptop, which is being placed at the top of the center table habang sa lap niya naman ay may mga papel and seems like it's a drawing. Mga bahay yun if I'm not mistaken it. Nakatuon lang ang tingin ko sa mga papel na may nakadrawing na Ibat-ibang design ng bahay. I step closer and looked at it and I saw lots of numbers, agad naman sumakit ang ulo ko. Before he would notice me that I'm peeking with him, I decided to just go out and do what I just planned on doing this morning.

Di pa ako nakalabas mismo sa pinto ngunit agad kong naramdaman na binalingan niya ako nang tingin. I just shrugged it off at lumabas na nang tuluyan. I jogged just around our village pagkatapos ng 20 mins bumalik na ako agad. I went to our garden at doon ginawa ang work out ko at iba ko pang warm up.

It's already 7:35 when I finished exercising, as I am entering the house agad kong nasinghotan ang napakabango na mga ulam. I arched my brows nang mapagtanto ko na may nagluluto. Though it's actually not like this kabango pag nagluluto yung maid namin. But anyway, I didn't think about it that much since gutom na ako and I just want to eat.

I rushed to the dining hall immediately and I even passed in the living area and doon nakita ko lang ang mga gamit ni Braden pati yung laptop niya na nakaclose na. Though he's not there, baka natulog or what.

When I arrived in our dining hall agad akong nagulat nang makita kung sino ang nandun. It's Braden, wearing a neon green apron. Di ako agad nakasalita at pinansandahan lang siya nang tingin. Like how can someone look so cute wearing a neon apron? I mean, darn it! He looks so really cute! Para siyang karakter sa mga chef na laro.

"Uh what were you cooking?" mahina at awkward na tanong ko

He seemed startled a little when I spoke siguro di niya napansin na nandito ako since seryoso siya sa ginagawa niya and he never look back. Bahagya niya akong tinignan at binalik ulit ang tingin sa niluluto niya.

"Chicken curry saka may sausage at  bacon rin. Kung gutom kana pwede ka kumain, kung gusto mo rin." saad nito while me, still can't believe that of these is happening.

Like first of all he's wearing that neon green apron which he looks so undeniably cute and second he just cooked a chicken curry, one of my favorite dish, may sausage and bacon pa. I never expected that he's good at cooking and lastly, did he just told me that I can eat the food he just cooked?? I mean di siya madamot. Like okay, he cooked all of this and I thought para sakanya lang to lahat.

Umiling ako and I washed away my thoughts na para sakanya lang to lahat since andame ng niluto niya kung para sakanya lang. Maybe he's just really kind enough to offer the food he just cooked, andame naman din kase kung siya lang uubos lahat. It would just be a waste.

I remained still and I don't know what to do, all I know is that I'm stuck looking at him na niluluto yung chicken curry. I want to taste the chicken curry cause I feel like masarap yun, bango pa nga lang nakakalam na ng sikmura.

Maya't maya pay lumingon siya saakin na may dalang bowl. He then, looked at me. "Kakain ka ba?"

Nabalik ako sa ulirat ko when he asked me so I nodded my head and pulled one chair in front of him at umupo na. Siya na rin naglagay nang plate, fork and spoon ko. I feel like I'm such a baby today and he's trying to feed me, oh come on V! I thought you don't like him that much?

"Gusto mo ba uminom ng gatas?" tanong niya

I didn't looked at him and just nodded. Tumayo siya at ipinagtimpla ako ng gatas. After awhile nilagay nya na sa harap ko and then he muttered a prayer, he told me to pray. Agad akong natigilan because we don't usually pray before eating.

"Salamat Lord sa lahat ng biyaya na binigay niyo saamin sana po mabigyan niyo rin yung mga taong walang makain ngayon. Amen."

The whole time he was praying nakanganga lang ako because I actually never met a guy na ganito ka religious. That even in eating a meal, a breakfast meal to be exact, still nagpapray. I don't even pray at night. Saka lang pag nasa church ako which I don't usually often do.

Suddenly I'm conscious kase para ako yung devil at siya yung angel. I secretly rolled my eyes. Whatever.

I started to eat and then I almost drop the my jaw when I tasted the chicken curry like heaven. Akala ko wala nang mas ikakasarap sa luto ng mama niya, si Manang Deliah. Umiling nalang ako. Their genes are pretty good in cooking.

Tahimik lang siya and I tried looking at him pero focus lang siya sa pagkain. Sumimangot ako because it feels weird pero I like him better asking me some questions than being quite at all. Ang awkward lang kase.

"So uhm you cook?" di na ako nakatiis na tanungin siya

I'm fighting the urge to shook my head because of frustration because first of all, I have never done initiating a conversation with someone else especially boys, they are the one who always reach me out. And now look? Ako na yung nag initiate.

"Oo. Nasanay ako sa probinsya lalo na pag wala sa Mama." saad niya

I felt a pang of guilty because her mom is here, taking good care of me, while her son was left all alone in their province, trying to live independently. So I remained silent and didn't bother to ask more questions.

"Ikaw ba nagluluto rin?" nabigla ako dahil tinatanong niya na ako.

I shook my head and suddenly I felt shy all of a sudden dahil babae ako ngunit mas marunong pa siya magluto saakin. But so what? Duh!

"Nope. I don't know how to cook." Saad ko

Tumango-tango siya. "I see. Paano yan kung gusto mo nang maging independent at umalis dito?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "I just like to be independent pero ayaw ko naman umalis dito. Like duh why would I even want to stay away from home?" sarcastic na tanong ko na ikinatawa niya. I looked at him with disbelief. Like what's funny at all??

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Xoxo :)))