Not Into Her

XLIV - The Revelation

An hour later, Francine walked to the podium and smiled at the audience.

"And now," she said on the microphone. "the dinner awaits. All food, Filipino food, are now serving at the tables at the side. Please enjoy and have a great dinner!"

After the little announcement, the people walked to the table and formed a long line at the end of the last table at the front. Daniel and my old friends walked to the line and waited at the tip of the line. While they wait, they looked at each other and smiled.

"You look great at this time, Von." Kris said to Von. "If Alex is still alive until now, he'll gonna commented you on your attire. He's a freaking stylist."

I stood up from the chair and looked at Alessa. "You wanna go and have a dinner before the upcoming performance?" I asked my daughter. "By the way, your violin is also there at the stage."

"So we're still up with Just Give Me A Reason and Runaway?"

"Yeah. Have you've been memorizing their lyrics?"

"Yes, Dad."

"I decided to make the surprise after we perform."

Then a moment of silence came before I took Alessa's mask.

"I'm gonna take this." I said at my daughter, taking the mask from her eyes.

"Why, Dad?"

"Let them know that you're my daughter. If they ask you who are you, just tell them that you're one of the daughters of the people around here. That'll make them being suspicious to each other. And also make the entrance of the surprise."

"Okay, Dad."

"Go ahead and eat first."

Alessa stood up as I sat back. Alessa walked to the line and took some food from the table. As she's looking at the other picking some unknown food for her, Alessa looked at the young Aprielle boy and smiled.

"Excuse me." she said at the young man. "Can I ask you something?"

Aprielle's son, Brian, is now fifteen years old. Aprielle easily took care of him while she's still a young boy and the mother taught him how to use spoon instead of chopsticks. Aprielle also taught her boy with some Filipino languages and some famous Filipino food. After a few years, Brian became even fluent with Filipino and been a fan with Filipino food.

"Sure." Brian said to Alessa.

"What are these food?" Alessa asked. "Can you tell me about them?"

"Well," Brian said to Alessa. "These are Filipino food. My mother told me about them and it looks like they have some famous food from the Philippine Islands. You see, here," Brian is now pointing at the whole roasted pig. "is what we call Lechong Baboy, a whole roasted pig. Maybe you're parent might know about this.

"And this is," now Brian pointing at the Chicken Curry. "we call it Kare-kare. A chicken curry, if you ask. And this," now, referring to the Pork Adobo. "This is the Adobong Baboy, Pork Adobo if you ask."

"So that's what I and my father ate when we got to a lechon house." Alessa said on herself.

Then Alessa took a plate from the stacked versatile plates, took some food from the silverwares and walked to the others to take some muffins from the plates. Brian, on the other hand, also took some food from the silverware and some muffins from the Tower of Muffins on the other tables. After taking some food, Brian took Alessa's food and took her back to our table.

"We haven't introduce ourselves yet." Brian said to Alessa while they're heading to the front tables. "I'm Brian. Brian Hwang. And you are?"

"Alessa Mariae de Castro." Alessa replied.