Blank Canvas

Chapter Eight

Summary: After finding out that her Mom would come home late again, Talia visited Jay to distract herself from her disappointment. Jay was having trouble writing a paper for one of his classes.

Dad called on Friday afternoon while Mia and I were busy in the kitchen. I put the phone on speaker as I cooked dinner while Mia entertained me. It was my way of showing Mom that I was sorry for my outburst when she announced the engagement. I told myself that I would try to stay open-minded and supportive. My mom was the last person that I wanted to fight with. I hoped that she would realize that when she would see the surprise meal that I made.

"Dad, how do you repair a broken tomato?" Mia asked giddily. Dad had been living in Cebu for almost a year now.

"How?"

Before she could finish the joke, Mia started giggling. "With a tomato paste."

Mia answered the phone call because I was in the middle of adding green papaya wedges on my simmering chicken tinola. It was my favorite dish. My maternal grandmother taught me how to make it and it may be the only thing that I could cook but I could cook it well and I never scrimped on the ingredients. The secret is you have to use an aromatic stock made from simmering chicken bones, spices and vegetables along with a good fish sauce.

"That was a good joke, Mia. Is your sister there?"

"Hi, Dad. How are you?"

My dad and I talked for a while about what was going on at school. He asked about both the standard and special things that he missed so I told him everything – from my new fringes to my midterm grades. Dad lived far away but he always made time for each of us and I always told myself to be thankful for that. My dad casually asked me how I felt about Tim and I told him the truth.

"Honestly, I don't know much about him, Dad. He swooped into our lives and Mom expected us to accept that without any question? Without any apprehension? Do you know what Jay once told me? That you can say that you know someone well enough when you know at least five things about them like their favorite color or what food are they allergic to. I don't even know one thing about Tim. Well, except that he has a fondness for striped ties."

"Your mom seems happy. I talked to her yesterday," he said in an even tone. "That's what matters, right?" I heard the sound of papers shuffling. Dad always had a boatload of paperwork. If it was not student test papers to be graded or some research that needed to be finished, it was some book to be edited.

"I guess so," I answered as I arranged the sliced boiled eggs on a small plate in a counter-clockwise way. I changed my mind and arranged the eggs in a concentric way. The eggs are for Mia because she only likes tinola broth, not the chicken.

After a few more minutes of talking, Dad said goodbye because he had another call. Celia came home at seven.

"That smells so good," she said with an excited look. "Can we eat now?"

"Let's wait for Mom." While waiting, Celia made no-bake chocolate oatmeal squares for dessert. At eight, there was still no sign of Mom so Celia decided to call her. Mom said that she would be home late and that she would grab a late dinner with Tim instead.

We ate silently. Celia said she would clean up. I went to my room and started to study for an exam.

I loved my room. It was simple, with clean and smooth walls and no clutter. All the unwanted ephemera that I owned and cherished were stashed in the tree house. My room was a sanctuary with snow-white walls, soft pillows and an opaque light fixture in the ceiling that brought light that gives off a warm glow. It was minimalist. The only point of interest aside from my overflowing desk (which I learned was inevitable when you were in college) was a shelf with my Lego sets on it.