B E F O R E I M E T H E R.
My life suck.
I got a formidable lawyer as my mom.
I got a stupendous doctor as my dad.
I got five prodigies as my older brothers and sisters.
We were a family of geniuses. I hated it!
I am Sixth Truex Viclariso, the unloved son of my family. They didn't love me not because I was not a genius. They hated me because I was the only one who could stand against our parents. I was what they called the rebel. All of the siblings thought that mom and dad favored me everytime since I got to do what I wanted. The truth was they didn't even give a damn. They couldn't even take a day off to see me in my contest. For them if I was not going to win, it was unworthy to see. If ever I won all I could hear from them was 'It's not enough. Be bettter!'.
At age of 13, I already walked out from our house. My remaining two years in college, I shifted my course and finished it without their help. I learned to live by myself. I tried modelling to earn some money. I had different part time job just to survive. At that time, you couldn't say I was only 13, I was already around 6'2 with developed muscles and body of a man.Unfortunately, my body had matured briskly because of the hard core training I had when I was younger. My dad wanted me to be a sport genius but I was in love with food more than anyone.
After I graduate from a Culinary Arts school, I started looking for a more permanent work. Right then, my mom got a gasp of me. She asked me to go home and make up with my dad. Sadly, I refused her. I told her I was not ready to face my dad. I really had a relentless time finding one so I gave up. All of the company I wanted to work in didn't take me because I was too young.
Those rejections made an impact to me. I felt like I just survived those past two years with the secret help of my family. I started thinking that maybe my dad was right.
W H E N I M E T H E R.
One night, I was out for a little drink. I just needed some distraction. I knew I was still a minor but my apperance looked older so some pubs would let me in. I had lost track of my alcohol that I ended up sleeping. When I was dreaming about something, someone tried to wake me up.
"Hoy, lasing. Bumangon ka nga dyan." I heard. Curse that someone who sounded like a tyrant.
"Shut up. Let me sleep,"
"Rascal ka! Hindi ko makuha yung pagkain ko sa counter. Gutom na ako." I had no idea that I had slept on the bartender's counter. But thanks to that I had a feeling where I was.
I sobbered up a little. I found a small intimidating fat girl glaring at me. Great! A girl was acting tyrannous all of a sudden. She seemed like a tiny wanna-be monarch. "Oh, piggy. Looks like you lost your way, " I laughed.
She just gave me a poker face.
"Was that the way to communicate with your subject? Hahahah---," Then suddenly my stomach ached. I accidentally vomited at the girl. I had expected a slap from her but she just asked the bartender some tissues. She cleaned her shirt and my face.
"Kung maglalasing kasi dapat may kasamang matanda," She said. She grabbed my hand and took me somewhere.
I had no idea who she was. But I felt blessed meeting her. She was kind enough to send me home. The next day, I could still remember her face thanks to my photographic memory. I saw her inside a convenient store near my apartment. She was eating three bars of chocolate at the same time. When she glared at me, I had confirmed that she was definitely that girl. She looked like a tyrant!
"Hi, thanks for last night. I owe you one," I smiled and sat beside her. I could feel bloodlust from her. It felt like any moment I would be killed.
"Pugutan kaya kita." She sounded like an emperor. Wait, it appeared not right. The term emperor was for male. " Sinong nagsabing umupo ka sa tabi ko?" Then there was her vicious glare. Ahh, it was empress for female!
"Wow, I was just thanking you,"
"Marunong kang magluto?" She asked out of the blue.
"Why?"
"Wag mo nga akong ma ingles ingles jan. Pugutan kita,"
"I really have hard time talking in tagalog so I'm sorry,"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Pupugutan talaga kita," She locked her hand on my neck. The Empress was going to choke me to death.
"Sh*t, cut it out."
"Ano magtatagalog ka na?"
"Oo na. Takte ka." My whole body urged to obey her. I didn't know why. Maybe because of the feeling I was getting from her. It felt like she had authority over me.
"Marunong ka naman pala eh. Para kang kapatid ko. Amerikanong hilaw. By the way, I'm Sabel," She reached her hand to me.
It felt weird. Earlier, she was cold and harsh; acting all mighty. Then, she started talking to me. I shook my hand with her ; only finding myself being electrocuted. I was really pissed off.
"Oh, sorry. My bad."
"Ikaw kaya ang pugutan ko?"
"Kaya mo?"
"Oo naman,"
"Nag drudrugs ka no?"
"Ha?"
"Wala, marunong ka bang magluto?"
Okay, I found her creepy asking me that. Should I tell her I already graduated or should I say I was naturally talented in cooking? She must not know I'm a genius.
"Marunong,"
"Great. Halika, sama ka sa bahay. Gutom na kasi ako."
With that I got a job from the Seisflina family.
A F T E R I M E T H E R.
The Sabel I met changed.
She never had time to talk with us.
She never dare to speak up.
But for her family, they felt she just returned to her old self.
It had been one month since her mom gave me a job. I was really thankful to them but I couldn't tell them my real identity. Of course, I was really guilty about it.
In their house, we were urged to speak in tagalog since the youngest child had a hard time with it. They said the boy's first language was English which made him a little bit gloomy since most of his friends couldn't understand him. I knew what it felt to be judged just because you couldn't talk straight in tagalog. It was a great help for me too. At least , they would not suspect me as liar; saying he was a drop-out student.
After the day we met, I never saw Sabel again. I asked her dad about it. He said she was studying in a boarding school and she rarely had time to go home. She was really queer. I found her hard to deal with. I had some insane brothers and sisters to compare with her but she made them looked like fleas. Her mom told me that Sabel was looking for someone who could cook for them. She said Sabel used to be the one to serve them meals but because of her remote school, she could no longer do that.
Her brother named John was a very sweet child. He always called me Kuya Sixth which flattered me. Somehow, even without her presence, I could still enjoy my life with her family.
I just wished that the Sabel I met would comeback someday.
I wished to see The Empress of Sixth again.
