LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na love story! ♥ [ 1 of 2 ]

Chapter 47-1. Lovapalooza-Toots!!!

Sa kusina ng mga Monteverde

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

Pramis!! Maniwala kayo!! WALA NA KONG CHOICE!! I can’t back out now. Leaving only means na AFFECTED ako kay Bea!!

AND I TELL YOU — HINDI. AKO. AFFECTED. GGGRRRRR.

“I’ll just take a shower.” Bea announced up the staircase. “Be down there in a minute.” Nakakainis lang, wala naman kasing nagtatanong nuh?!

“Follow me -” Sef then told me in a very controlled voice.

Ako naman, tahimik na sinundan siya papunta sa kusina. Okay, magluluto lang naman kami ee, what harm will it do? Di ba? Di ba? Mabilis lang toh… or better yet, BIBILISAN ko na lang. Pero bakit ganito?? My chest aches. Parang kinukurot.

Pootek!! Scrap that Ellie!! SCRAP THAT!!

Habang pinagmamasdan ko yung likuran ni Sef, gusto kong sabihin sakanya na… “Sef, kung pwede, kalimutan mo na yung sulat ko. Kalimutan mo na. Binibiro lang naman kita dun ee. Hahaha.” Pero naisip ko na kapag sinabi ko ba talaga yun sakanya, babalik na ulit kami sa dati? Yung dating kulitan? Asaran? Atchaka, ngingiti na ba siya ulit sakin? Kasi kung oo, I’ll be more than willing to tell him that lie.

“Teach me how to do this.” Sabi ni Sef in a casual manner na kala mo employee lang niya ko. Nilagay niya sa counter yung mga recipe na mukang pinrint lang niya mula sa internet. I browsed through it. Shrimp Cocktail. Guinataang Hipon. Crispy Garlic Shrimp. Gambas Al Ajillo.

I blinked. “Puro HIPON?!” I wasn’t asking Sef, nasabi ko lang ng malakas yung iniisip ko. He looked at me, and I was almost sure na gusto sana niyang ngumiti sakin but of course, he didn’t. Ano ba yan? So kailangan IPAGDAMOT na niya ang SMILE niya sakin? Ganun? Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay, gusto ko iparamdam sa kanyang, NAIINIS AKO!!

Tumayo ako sa harap ng counter. “So, what shall we cook first?” He was standing beside me like an excited boy na papakitaan mo ng magic, we weren’t touching but I was very much aware of him. Sheet!! Nakaka-conscious tuloy!! ANIMALES!!

I looked around, kinuha ko yung chopping board, knife, sibuyas at bawang. Bakat na bakat yung inis sa muka ko habang dire-diretso kong binalatan at hiniwa yung mga sibuyas. Nakatayo lang si Sef sa gilid ko, watching me like I was some expert.

“Wait.” I heard him say. Pero dinedma ko lang. I continued slicing the onions. “S-sanda–” He was protesting until he took my hand na may hawak-hawak nung kutsilyo to stop me. I froze. His hand was warm and soft against mine.

BADUMP-BADUMP!!

Ayoko siyang tignan. Ayokong tumingin. Feeling ko kasi namumula na yung buong muka ko ee. ANIMALES NAMAN!! WAG GANITO LORD!! PLEASE!! BAKA MAGULAT SI SEF, HINDI KO NA BITAWAN YANG KAMAY NIYA!! HAHAHA. Toinks!! Lechugas lang talaga Ellie!! Wag ka ngang ambisyosa!! I slid my hand away from his touch and that was when he spoke.  “Y-you’re supposed to teach me. At wala akong sinabing ikaw ang magluluto.” He took the knife from me that I was forced to step aside.

Sef stared long and hard at the onions while I was just doing the same to him. I could have laughed, yung itsura kasi ng muka niya parang sa tanan ng buhay ni Sef, ngayon lang siya nakahawak ng SIBUYAS. Sayang, sana hawak ko ngayon si Mr. Big, yung DSLR ni Borge. Parang mas masayang picturan si Sef sa loob ng kusina, kesa sa loob ng basketball court. HAHA.

“Hinihiwa kasi yan diba?”

“Oo nga, ito na.” He grimaced, and he carefully started slicing it. A minute or so, he started sniffling. His eyes were watery. He used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the tears forming in his eyes.  Ow, umeepekto din pala ang powers ng sibuyas sa isang Monteverde!!