A Little Bit Of Something (On-Going)

#66

(Cace)

I was doing the bed when Jonnie screamed from the kitchen. Her loud scream made me drop whatever I was doing and had me run as fast as I could. Earlier that morning, she woke up before sunrise, prepared herself before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. She was bubbly as usual at 5am, and it made me worry why she suddenly screamed.

     "Why? Why? Why?" paulit-ulit ko'ng tanong, tumatakbo nang mabilis papunta sa kanya.

     "Baaabbuu." she cried running towards me.

   Napansin ko nga na ang lala ng usok mula sa frying pan.

     "Nasaktan ka ba?" tiningnan ko agad ang mukha niya, pati mga braso niya.

   Umiling-iling ito.

     "Natakot lang ako nang magsitalsikan ang mantika tapos ang lala pa ng usok. Akala ko sasabog siya."

   She's obviously frightened, it even made her sweat and pale.

   Napaakbay ako sa kanya, and she just clung around my waist, buried her face on my shoulder.

     "May tubig ba ang frying pan bago mo lagyan ng mantika?"

   She nodded, still hiding her face.

     "Masyado ako'ng excited sa pagluluto nakalimutan ko na hintayin na mawala ang tubig bago ko lagyan ng mantika."

   Nangiti ako.

     "Are you hiding because you're scared or because you're shy?"

     "Eiiii." mahina niya'ng sinundot ang tiyan ko.

   Tiningnan ko ulit ang kawali.

     "The water has evaporated."

   Saka lang siya tumingin ulit sa nakasalang na frying pan.

   Nagtama naman ang mga mata namin pagkatapos.

     "I shouldn't have left you here alone." she got me scared, too. In those short period of time that I was running to reach her, kung ano-ano nang naisip ko'ng worse case scenario.

     "Ako na ang magluluto." disesyon ko.

     "Sorry."

     "Bakit?"

     "Simple'ng pagpiprito lang hindi ko pa magawa nang maayos."

     "Sino ba'ng may sabi na madali magprito?"

     "Eiii." she whined again, "Gusto lang naman sana kita'ng ipaghanda ng almusal na gusto mo, tapos..." and I just noticed that she really looked so prepared from her hairnet down to her yellow apron.

     "You're cute." I pet her head.

     "Mabubusog ka ba nang pagiging cute ko?!" now she looked upset and teary.

     "Baby, you can still make breakfast for me."

     "Gusto mo ng silog. Tinanong ko Mommy mo, sabi niya mahilig ka sa silog. Kahapon.." her voice cracked, "kahapon ginawan mo 'ko nang pagkain na gusto ko, gusto ko rin naman gawin din 'yun para sa'yo pero..." she bursted into tears.

   Jonnie looked and sounded frustrated.

     "Let's make breakfast together." sinubukan ko siya'ng pakalmahin.

   Iling ang sinagot niya. 

     "Haharapin ko ang mantika nang mag-isa. Gagawan kita ng espesyal na almusal para sa'yo, kaya ako ang magluluto."