Black Sheep

Chapter 3

"Why?"

She kept twisting the crisp white fabric of her uniform. "I just don't want to embarrass Tita Emma or give her any trouble. She's been so good to me. I know I can't ever repay her. So the least I can do is be a good niece."

"Why would you even need to repay her?"

She glanced at him, incredulous. "She sends me to school. She feeds me well. She buys me stuff even when I try my best not to ask for anything. Like, the jeans I wore to Foundation Day? Those were my first skinny jeans. She saw me looking at them at the mall and surprised me with them the next day."

He wondered what was the big deal about that. He grew up in a big old house where all he had to do was tell the mayor doma what he wanted and it appeared at lunch or dinner: crabs, shrimp, the small but incredibly addicting chorizo manaloto they could only get at the K-mart in Bacolod. His mom went shopping so often he begged off coming with her, it was so boring. And why would he be grateful that his parents sent him to school? They'd probably go to prison if they didn't. He was pretty sure that was in the law somewhere.

The way she was looking at him; it was like she could read his thoughts.

"My family isn't well-off like yours, SJ. My parents have a lot of debt, and then my lola got sick...everything they saved just disappeared. It was lucky they got that job in Singapore, to give them a chance to pay things back. But they couldn't take me with them. They couldn't even pay for my school, or keep the house we were renting in Manila. It was Tita Emma who came to our rescue. She said she'd take care of everything, but that I had to move here with her. She's been so kind and generous, I am so grateful to her. And so embarrassed. There must be a way for me to make it up to her, some day."

Slowly, he reached over and took her hand. It was the first time he had ever dared to do it, and his stomach filled with butterflies when she didn't pull away.

"Angelus is ending soon--let's go," she said softly. "And...I'm sorry I'm so weird."

"You are not weird," he said, squeezing her palm. "Palangga gid kita."

***

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in the world, she walks into mine.

His father loved the movie Casablanca. He watched the DVD so many times, SJ could recite some of the dialogue in his sleep. And right now, as he looked over the counter and saw the woman who owned Bacolod Goodies smiling up at him, Humphrey Bogart's famous line drowned out the Angelus in his head.

Of all the food parks in all the towns in Manila. Here was Ling. His first love.

"Sir, I am so very sorry for the mix-up in the orders. Nakakahiya po sa inyo," she was saying, eyes darting between him and Dom. She tried to heave the box with the new order to the counter but obviously struggled.

"Please, no need to do that, miss," said Dom, hurrying out the stall to help her. "I can check it from here." He produced a pocket knife from his back pocket and cut the tape.

"As you can see, sir, this is the correct order po. I have eight medium tubs of dulce gatas, 25 packs of premium piaya--Hera?"

The girl with Ling approached and carefully placed the box across from Dom, who inspected its contents as well.

"And here po is your order of extra-large barquillos."

Did she remember him? She seemed not to. Though she also seemed to be strangely avoiding his gaze...

"It was a good thing you came here so quickly. We really needed these today," said Dom.

"Yes po, no problem--our office is at the apartment building behind St. Tropez Court, one tricycle ride away, so anytime you need us, we can come over." She stood up and smiled. "As a gesture of how sorry we are, I added four packs of pinasugbo. On the house. I hope that is okay?"

"Nong-Chef?" Dom glanced at him.

He leaned over the counter. One part of his brain was excited about the unexpected possibilities of adding the syrup-hardened candied bananas to his menu--perhaps freeze-dried and shattered into tiny crystals to sprinkle on the cannoli?

The other part of his brain was focused on how Ling seemed to be looking everywhere but him. There also seemed to be a faint pink tinge spreading across her face and neck.

She remembered him. He knew it.

"Yes, that works for us." He withdrew into the stall, as if dismissing her, but he strategically placed himself behind a cupboard door, where he could peek as she completed the transaction with Dom.

"Thank you so much." She handed a receipt to Dom. "We truly appreciate your business. We'll get going na po. Bye, Sir Dom." She stepped closer to the counter. "Um, chef--?"

He closed the cupboard with a snap. "Have a safe trip back to your office, palangga."