The Smile Advantage
"Archer, someone's moving in across your apartment later. Help her out with her luggage."
I pursed my lips and nodded. "Around what time?"
"Hindi nagsabi," sagot ni Auntie. "Pero ngayong araw ang dating. Abala ka ba mamaya?"
"I'll make time, Auntie."
"You should. Magandang bata ito, Archer." Humalakhak si Auntie. Nangiti lang ako at umiling. "H'wag kang puro trabaho. Iyan naman ay hindi ka mamahalin."
Creases started to form on her forehead I had to playfully tweak a bit of her cheek to make her feel at ease. It earned me a light smack on my arm though, and I still boyishly grinned.
"Sige na, Auntie. Lalabas po ako mamaya para tumulong."
Auntie Tonette drew in great effort to tip-toe and tousled my hair, and it was possibly of out frustration because of the way she made a mess outta me. Halos manlisik ang mata niya bago ako pinagsaraduhan ng pinto.
I knew she was a bit mad—palagi akong pinagsasabihan tuwing inuuna ko ang trabaho kaysa raw mabuhay. Her and Uncle Benj's idea of living was to have someone special to love and, when lucky enough, to also be loved by them.
I guess my idea of living was to wake up working and sleep after working—eat in between so I would have the energy to continue working. An unexciting pattern, yet it drove people to become actively curious about my secret as to how I was able to achieve a managerial position at a young age.
They didn't know that I prepared for this my whole life. It wasn't that that I didn't like it but I didn't exactly have a choice.
I was an Asian outcast in middle school. I couldn't take the school bus or else all hell would break loose. Instead, my mom carpools me to and from school because it was the only choice.
My ambition to work started when Mom brought me one day to Dad's workplace—at the hotel. He was an esteemed executive that's why our family was well-respected, too. The employees would easily spot us whenever we're around and treated us highly yet warmly. It was a different kind of feeling to me as a kid without friends at school. That's why my Mom often brought me to the hotel on days I got off school early aside from weekdays. I had no friends, but I had plenty at the hotel. The clerks, bellboys, chefs, managers, directors—name it, I had a friend in every life of work.
So if I was asked to lay down my truth, I'd truthfully say that there was no secret, only a routine. My life, or job, was not as glamorous as others thought it was. And I guess it was rooted in one's nature to perceive that other people's lives were always better than our own.
If I had the chance, I'd like to tell them that it wasn't always true.
Metal rods clanked as I brushed the blackout curtains to the side, expecting a bit of sky light to squint my drowsy eyes, but it was already dark.
Ah, shoot! Bigla akong nahimasmasan at tumakbo agad pababa ng apartment complex para puntahan si Auntie.
"Uhh... sorry. I dozed off the afternoon. The new tenant already arrived?" I immediately asked when she opened her door.
"Snooki schlepped." Tumango si Auntie. Napailing ako sa bagong gising kong sarili at hinilot ang sentido.
"I think she's already settled in. Don't worry," she assured me with a tap on my shoulder. "Hindi mo nga lang nakita. Mas maganda pala ang batang 'yon 'pag kaharap mo na. Aakalain mong modelo!"
I couldn't really form a picture in my head. Besides, "Auntie, I'm not interest—"
"Oo! Alam ko na iyan! Halos wala nang tumagos dyan sa interes mong bata ka. Iisa nga, sablay pa."
Natawa ako nang malakas. Itinuon ko ang kamay sa doorframe ng apartment ni Auntie para suportahan ang bigat ng katawan ko.
"Finally, you admit it? That you and Uncles never liked Grazie?"
"We don't hate her."
"But you don't like her either?" I asked teasingly.
"It doesn't matter now, Archer! Puwede ka nang umuwi at magpakalunod sa trabaho—oh, wipe that smirk off your lips, young man!"
It was hard to suppress my amusement, but I still tried to stage a frown and raised both of my hands in a playful surrender. "Got it. No smiling."
"Aba'y dapat lang, kung hindi'y itataboy kita pagdayo mo sa shop."
I frequent Auntie's flower shop during my lunch hour. This part of my workday routine started when Grazie and I broke up.
Naging kaibigan din niya ang mga kasamahan ko sa trabaho na madalas naming kasabay kumain. Ako ang una nilang nakasundo at naging katrabaho, but if I won't give it up, then Grazie would have to eat alone. Kaya ako ang umiwas. I could always go to Daily Bloom or Jovial Tavern.
And if anything, I was never uncomfortable being alone. Because most times that I wasn't alone, people talked things with me that I didn't want to talk about. Like work—during my time off.
People might be in awe of my achievements only because of their own unblemished version of the narrative of my life. It was an easy thought in their head. Except in reality, no one really knew that I had been living my life breathlessly.
And it was only after I saw someone who was in quarrel with a chameleon that it felt as if I was able to truly breathe for the first time.
"Hello," she greeted me with a radiant smile when I entered the shop. Her lips made up another version from what I saw a while ago.
Her eyes so round, it was strikingly beautiful whenever she smiled. It was bewitchingly contagious that it took me enormous strength to not scurry off. Hulking shit.
And all she ever said was 'hello.' Nice, Archer.
"Is Auntie Tonette here?" I asked, hiding my hand inside my pocket to nip my thigh so I could try and get myself together.
I already learned the ability to talk to people, but right now that I felt a hefty degree of timidness just by being in front of her, it seemed like I plummeted back to square one!
"Yeah, but she's busy. Anything you need, I'll give it to you. I'm your girl—I mean florist." She shook her head in an unnoticeable wag. I noticed she had a shallow dimple on her right cheek when she bit her lip and smiled bashfully.
Sa sobrang ganda ng mata at ngiti niya, ako na ang hindi makangiti. Napapatitig ako. And for a moment right here, I was convinced that I was able to breathe because she was the kind of fresh air that I was waiting for.
I was really signing myself up in huge trouble, huh? I knew I'd gotten crazy. Because this time, I'd do it voluntarily.
Nang dahil lang sa ngiti. Well, damn.
"O, Archer! Nakilala mo na pala si Snooki. Lika na't kumain. Mauna na tayo at ayaw lumabas ni Snooki, nahihiya sa 'yo."
Snooki. The name rang, I just couldn't remember where I heard it before—
Oh, shit! She's the neighbor? My neighbor? God really needed to help and work on me!
I barely I made it out alive that afternoon from the shop, how would I even survive it at home? The whole day, I tried to dismiss unnecessary thoughts. Thoughts that were probably caused by a new scenery. I hadn't seen Auntie with anyone's help other than Julio. I guessed it was only that... and a little bit of her smile.
"Archer, your Uncle Benj said you don't have a girlfriend. Is that still true?" Auntie asked randomly after I walked in the entryway of the apartment complex. I got off late from work, and I was surprised she's still awake.
"Bakit mo po tinatanong?" Nangiti ako. Was she sleep-walking?
"May nagtatanong sa akin. Ayokong magbigay ng maling sagot sa kanya."
"Oh. Okay." I suddenly went stiff. Napahawak ako sa batok, nanghina pa ang kamay kong may hawak sa briefcase. "Last time I checked, I don't have one."
"Mabuti." Tumango siya at tinalikuran ako para sana pumasok sa apartment niya.
"Auntie, wait!" I swallowed at my embarrassing outburst, lalo na noong halos mapatalon si Auntie sa gulat, napahawak pa siya sa dibdib. "Uhh... sino po bang nagtatanong?"
"Interesado." Humalakhak si Auntie at tinanguan ako. "I can tell you, but you'd then have to marry her."
It depends, though. Crazy thought, but is it...
Inilingan ko ang naisip nang hindi ko namalayang umiling talaga ako. Dahil do'n, sa mata ni Auntie, nagmukhang hindi ko gustong malaman kung sino.
I didn't push it further to know who it was, only to spend the whole night wishing I had asked.
Maybe I'd really gone crazy to have been thinking about her when we just met. And instead of caving in to my curiosity and feelings that had done nothing but to inundate me these recent days, I avoided Daily Bloom.
But while I avoided things, it expectedly came on its own. I was just surprised that it was this soon.
Although I could already hear my older sister's voice in my head scowling words along the lines of, 'It's long overdue, you yawnfest of a bachelor with old money but no honey!'
And thank heavens there was only one of her.
I just got out from a meeting and was walking to my office when Auntie Tonette called. "May sira yata iyong bike. Hindi ko alam kung ano. Si Snooki lang ang nakakaalam. Mapupuntahan mo ba ngayon?"
"I can check it tonight after work," I distractedly answered. I jerked a nod to a co-worker before going in the room. "Great job on your presentation, Jim."
"Wow! I mean—thanks, boss!" He beamed as his ears turned red.
I gave him tight-lipped smile before I closed my door. Just in time when Auntie spoke again. "Hindi ka ba rito kakain ng tanghalian?"
I unceremoniously sat on my office chair, the backrest creakingly reclined 'cause of my weight, while I wondered what might be up at the flower shop.
"I guess, it's alright—"
"O, e 'di ngayon na lang! Hihintayin kita."
Auntie dropped the call before I could say something. Wala rin namang magbabago kung sasagot ako. Pupunta pa rin ako sa shop dahil kay Snooki—just to inspect her bike and see if I could fix its issue.
I usually travel to places on foot during lunch time because I liked walking and taking my time out of the office. But today, I took a cab to Daily Bloom... just for the hell of it.
Before going in, Snooki was the first one I saw inside the flower shop—no, probably the only one I could see amongst strangers, but what did I know? I hadn't eaten yet.
"Hi, uhh... Snooki?"
Snooki. I noticed that she wore a lot of black. But today, I wasn't sure if I was being humored by my eyes because I saw she was wearing things that made her glimmer. A lot of it. Like the butterflies in my stomach—no one wouldn't be able to finish counting it.
Ah, dammit, Archer!
Hindi ako sinagot ni Snooki. Mabilis niya akong iniwan para pumunta yata kay Auntie. Baka sasabihin na nandito ako. 'Di ko man lang naihabol na siya ang ipinunta ko rito. Yeah, well, Auntie told me to visit, but it was because of Snooki's bike. So that's that.
"Hello, Archer. Uhm, Archer, right?" she carefully asked with squinted eyes when she got back.
Oh. She wasn't sure of my name?
Kinailangan ko pang pigilan ang labi kong ngumisi. Maybe if I fixed her bike, she'd remember my name and have it correct the next time around.
"Uhm, about the breaks. Ang hirap pisilin ng break lever, it's kind of hard for my weak hands," she explained. May humarang na buhok sa mata niya kaya't hinipan niya 'yon para gumilid.
"Don't worry. I'll fix it, just not now. I need to go back to the office."
"Sure! Sure! Absolutely. Okay lang," she assured, rather meekly, as if she felt sorry for all the trouble. "Nandito lang naman ako every day."
"Okay, Snooki."
"Okay, Archer," she answered sheepishly, but also in a way how one would reply in a language that only two people could understand.
Her cheeks blushed in pink, and her eyes batted rapidly it was amusing to my eyes. Kaya napangiti talaga ako.
I was one to think that if I didn't look for something, it would one day turn up by itself. That's why I never wasted time looking for the other pair of my socks, just like I never looked for my other half either.
Yet here I am.
"Archer, you already met Snooki? Your Auntie told me about it. Do you think you two can get along?"
"Yeah, I'm fixing the bike that you gave her," I tried to answer casually.
I couldn't meet Uncle's eyes because of his teasing smile.
Darn it! There was nothing, but he and Auntie were making me feel like there was a chance that, well, there was actually something.
"Kaya hindi ka umunlad sa pag-ibig, e." He clicked his tongue disappointedly. "Palagi kaming matatanda ang kasama mo. Look at you spending your night with me, your old Uncle!"
"Why? You're fun," I kidded but he shook his head.
"All I'm saying is that you should be out there. The night's young, like you. Go out, drink, get wasted! Consume your age! I know you aren't in a rush, but soon you'll realize you won't get lost hours back. You know? So, there's no reason for you to be here."
"Uh, yeah, there is? I need your tools?"
I already told Uncle that I needed it before coming, but it seemed he needed a refresh because he was so invested in preaching me about love.
But was he credible enough to talk?
"Sa haba ng sinabi ko—" Nagbuntonghininga siya. I grinned broadly. "Ito ang isang halimbawang gugustuhin mong ibalik ang nasayang na oras. Iba ka talagang bata ka."
"Yeah?" I laughed. "You know I hate making haste decisions. Let's say that I'm saving up for my future family before anything else, how's that? I'll give mom and dad ten grandkids."
Uncle laughed the same way my dad did, heartily, that when I was younger, I used to weigh it if I should be offended by it or not.
"Itanong mo muna kay Snooki kung gusto ng sampu!"
"Uncle, what the heck?" Kumunot ang noo ko. Kahit wala rito si Snooki, hiyang-hiya ako. My heart raced at the thought. "It might get awkward if she learns that you and Auntie are inching us together."
"What if Snooki likes you?"
"That's impossible." Tumawa ako. Medyo naawa sa sarili. "She doesn't know me that much yet."
"Archer, ang tanong ko ay paano kung gusto ka niya, hindi paano kung mahal na. Iba yata ang iniisip mo?"
"Uncle, 'wag niyo ho akong hulihin—"
"Aba't may mahuhuli nga!" Creases formed on his temples when his eyes squinted from laughing very amusedly.
Tiredness weighted my eyelids that I looked at Uncle lazily and laughed with a brief shake of my head. I grabbed his bag of tools, ready to take off. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna get this and go."
"A'ryt. You get that girl, as well!"
"Bye, Uncle!"
"And have ten kids."
"Yeah, no, I'm really outta here."