The Box

7. Siegfried and Athena

They had dinner at a small restaurant of Maia's choice. "Are you sure that's all you're ordering?" Chuck said when Maia put down the menu after giving her order to the waiter. "Drinks?"

"Water nalang, salamat" Maia looked at the waiter. "Konting ice lang please"

Chuck gave his order as well and the waiter left them.

"Are you sure with what you ordered? Are you on a diet?"

Maia shook her head. She was just really shy. "Okay na yun" She said softly.

Chuck nodded. "So, tell me a little more about yourself"

"Huh?"

"Like, your full name or your real name? Like me, I prefer being called 'Chuck' by my friends although my family calls me, "Rj" "

"Ang layo naman ng Rj sa Chuck..."

Chuck smiled. "...and Chuck is not the usual nickname for my real name..."

"Ano ang real name mo?"

"Siegfried"

"Whoa!"

"Precisely!"

"Ang layo nga!"

"I used to go by 'Rj' until elementary school. I decided to change my nickname to 'Chuck" in highschool"

"Saan mo naman nakuha yung 'Chuck'?"

"From Charlie Brown"

"Charlie Brown?"

"Peppermint Patty gave him the nickname 'Chuck'..."

"Oh, okay."

"Eh you, Meng and Maia aren't very close either. What's your real name?"

"Athena"

"Athena?" Chuck was slightly surprised. Both their names were rather 'rare'. "Well, you're pretty...and I'm sure you're very smart"

"Di naman, pero thank you" Maia said, slightly embarrassed.

"Athena...Meng...Maia..." Chuck furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Maia quizzically.

"Buong pangalan ko, Maria Athena, kaya MA-EE-YA. Yung Meng, tawag ng Nanay at Tatay ko sa akin."

"Oh right, they like giving "interesting" nicknames to kids and these don't necessarily have anything to do with their names''