Something That Glitters

3 // First Day With Cornelia

First Day With Cornelia

"Snooki, you need to cut it at an angle!"

I cried. "I'm trying! I'm trying!"

I have shaky hands, people. Auntie Tonette was teaching me to do flowery stuff. Naggugupit kasi kami ngayon ng stems dahil mag-a-arrange kami ng flowers sa vase na may tubig.

And Auntie Tonette said that I shouldn't cut the stems in a straight line but in a slash... uhm, line? I don't know I'm not a florist. Pero sabi kasi ni Auntie na mas tatagal ang buhay ng flower sa vase kapag angled ang pagkakagupit sa stem. The science behind it? I don't know.

"Well, Auntie, they're going to last long if, in the first place, we didn't pick them from the soil or tree or somewhere, right?"

She pursed her old lips and narrowed her eyes at me. I exhaled and my young lips vibrated at the release of air. Fine!

"Sa counter na lang muna po ako," I pleaded. She sighed helplessly and nodded at me. "I'll do good bukas, pramis, Auntie. Sakit lang po talaga ng head ko kasi ang dami kong need tandaan."

I'll be the employee of the day every day... starting tomorrow.

So I exited the freezer room or whatever and headed out to man the main area. I knew I was helpless with my lack of skills now, pero I swear, 'di ako magiging pabigat dito.

To be honest, I wasn't the corporate Snooki right now. I was told that kind of Snooki was exemplary at my hotel job in Manila... said my Lolo Gustin. 'Di siya biased, ha. Just saying.

I liked being good at things I was assigned to do, especially when it was new and challenging to me. Ngayon kasi, I was honestly distracted. I've always thought I could always be happy-go-beautifully-lucky till the day I die, but seeing my cousins so happy where they were now with their special ones, I felt genuinely happy for them but also kind of... jealous... and somehow hollow.

Or ewan ko, baka dahil lang 'to sa kaka-burger ko. Not super sure.

How Auntie Tonette managed the flower shop alone most of the time was unimaginable. Marami ang bumibisita sa Daily Bloom para bumili at tumingin ng bulaklak. Sa ngayon ay wala pa akong maitutulong bukod sa maliliit na task.

"Hi, would you mind showing me a pre-arranged flower suited for a mother? It's her birthday today." sabi ng isang babae na kakapasok lang ng shop. She's about my mom's age.

I smiled charmingly. "Yes, sure!"

Only I didn't know where. Tonette, halp!

Masking my overwhelming panic, I looked around to find where the bouquets were. Tapos napangiti na ako noong makita ko kung ano ang p'wede kong i-recommend.

"If it's your mother's birthday today, ma'am, I'd recommend you give her our arrangement of Yellow Rose and Peruvian Lilies. Vase included." I winked at her and the Lady ma'am customer chuckled.

"This is beautiful. I'll take it. Can you fix a card for me that says 'happy birthday, Mom'? Thank you."

I clapped my hands. "Sure, ma'am. I'm on it."

Binigyan ko siya ng isang pirasong papel at pen para maisulat niya ang pangalan. We don't wanna get the name wrong, we're not a coffee house here, alright?

Pagkatapos kong gawin iyong card ay tinawag ko na si Auntie dahil 'di ko pa sure kung paano ang proseso ng pagbabayad.

I was grinning in one corner as the lady ma'am customer paid and Tonette seemed a bit taken. Patingin-tingin siya sa akin at ako naman ay proud lang na nakangiti.