More to Life ✔

Chapter 14 Welcome Gifts

Rialoves2cook: Sawatdee Kha from bright, beautiful, Thailand! Congratulations to Sameeraskitchen, Eatprayeat, and Stirfryqueen for guessing my destination correctly. I will be teaching English here for a year, so you'll notice more Thai flavour creeping into my dishes. I can't wait to share the amazing markets, spices, and flavours with you! Since I expected my first day would be a big change (and it has been), I made one of my family favourites with my lovely mother and sister in advance. Enjoy our take on halo-halo, a shaved ice, milk, plantain, sweet potato and ube ice cream dessert.

#Thailand #Madeit #Halo-halo #sweettreats #Pinoydessert

Posted October 14th, 2:30 PM

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After waking up in the early hours of the morning, tossing and turning for the hundredth time, Maria logged onto her computer and scrolled through her social media pages. Her family had bombarded the photos of her at the airport with wishes and prayers for a safe flight along with requests for pictures. She doubted anyone wanted to see a dark, blurry, 'I can't sleep' selfie.

After she opened her last conversation with Adrian, his lacklustre 'Safe travels' made her scowl. He probably considered this trip the ultimate betrayal, not that it mattered anymore.

A loud thump and giggling near her door interrupted her thoughts. Within a few minutes, her neighbour's voice indicated she had found a man who could please her. Maria put in her headphones and played some reggaeton music as she responded to the inundated comment section for her last Gourmet Adventures post. Sameera had advanced to round two as well and had sent an excited message. After bingeing a romantic sitcom that left her crying into her blanket, she drifted to sleep.

A knock at the door stirred Maria from her slumber. Daylight streamed through her nook window, brightening up the bachelor apartment. She pulled the fleece blanket over her head. It must be for her neighbour. The knock echoed again, and a high voice called out "Maria."

Oh crap, there had been an e-mail about some orientation this Sunday before she started work tomorrow.

"Coming." She sprinted to the front door.

When she swung it open, a smiling woman in her twenties stood with sunglasses perched in her blonde hair. As she looked Maria up and down, her body shook like she held in a laugh. Maria's cheeks heated as she recalled her attire: a tank top and ratty sleeping shorts. This girl wouldn't want to deal with her.

"Hey, it's Maria, right? I'm Emma."

Maria nodded.

"So, are you up for exploring the neighbourhood? I can show you good places to buy water, snacks, breakfast, booze, and then maybe we'll grab lunch."

Maria pressed her heels into the warm floor tiles. A ping from her phone sent her mind racing to home, a place where she didn't need an orientation, where she belonged. Was the message from Adrian? She imagined his words: 'You're selfish, you never loved me, you're a liar!' After abandoning him, along with her angry father, and her pregnant cousin who all needed her in their own way, she realized he was right. She'd never considered the people she'd hurt and disappointed with this decision.

Her breathing quickened. "I made the biggest mistake of my life. I need to book the first flight home!"

"Well, shit, I knew I'd be bad at this orientation stuff, but I didn't think I'd bring you to tears and put you on a plane," Emma joked with a grin.

Maria wiped away a few droplets on her cheeks. Emma's shaking hands, clutching two condensation-coated cups of milky brown liquid and ice, caught Maria's attention.

"Sorry, it's not you. I'm a wreck." Maria inhaled the delightful, nutty, caramel aroma. "Is that coffee?"

Emma's posture straightened, and she extended the full cup to Maria. "Yeah, I remembered my first day and figured you'd like a pick-me-up."