APRIL 23, 2023・SUNDAY・8:58
JR wakes up.
The sun is already shining outside his window, streaks of light beaming throughout his room.
Groggily, he shifts and reaches down for his phone on the floor. He opens it and checks for any messages or notifications but there are none.
He puts the phone on his chest and stares at the tiny moisture droplets sliding through the jalousies of the window.
With a little yawn, he pushes himself up and sits on the edge of the bed. After a few arm and leg stretches, he slips on his house slippers and walks towards the door.
***
From the hallway, he could already smell and hear someone cooking at the kitchen. He passes by one of the boarders, struggling to carry his two plastic bags of freshly-laundered clothes into his room. He arrives at the kitchen and sees that it's Gelo cooking up something.
Gelo notices him coming and gives him a huge grin. "Good morning!"
"Morning," he replies as he makes his way to the sink. He sets his uncooked cup noodles aside on the counter as he washes his hands.
"Ayaw sa na lutoa imohang noodles. Tilawi na lang sa ni akong giluto," Gelo suggests.
"SAVE YOUR NOODLES FOR LATER. YOU CAN TASTE THESE."
JR turns off the faucet and wipes his hands on his shorts. "Unsa diay na?"
"WHAT'S THAT?"
"Nagpractice ko'g luto ug cordon bleu para sa among activity ugma." He puts two large deep-fried rolls on the plate. "Filipino version na siya kay gi-deep fried. Ang original ana kay gina-bake man yata. Try daw. Ay...Wait lang." He grabs a spoon and a fork on the cabinet next to him and puts it on the plate. "Kana, i-try daw." He hands it to JR. "Naa na'y sauce sa table kung gusto ka."
"I'M PRACTICING CORDON BLEU FOR OUR ACTIVITY TOMORROW."
"THIS ONE'S THE FILIPINO VERSION BECAUSE IT'S DEEP FRIED. USUALLY YOU BAKE IT. GIVE IT A TRY. OH...WAIT A SEC."
"OKAY, GO."
"THE SAUCE IS ALREADY ON THE TABLE IF YOU WANT IT."
"Salamat," JR says, a bit surprised. Before he could forget, he grabs his cup noodle and takes his seat at the table. He finds a bowl with the sauce Gelo's already made. "Mao ni ang sauce?" he asks, gesturing towards it, just to be sure.
"THANKS."
"IS THIS THE SAUCE?"
Gelo nods, still stirring the other ones he's cooking.
JR takes a spoonful of sauce and dabs it onto the slab of chicken cordon bleu. He takes a huge chunk off it with his fork.
It's still smoking.
He blows on it and takes a bit. He chews quietly for a while as Gelo watches in anticipation. JR nods. "Lami," he says, his mouth still munching on it.
"TASTES GOOD."
"Sure?"
He nods again. "Oo. Lami. Nice," he says with both thumbs up.
"YEAH. IT'S NICE."
Gelo sighs in relief as he lowers the heat on the stove.
"Unsa diay imohang kurso, Gelo? Murag wala tika napangutana."
"WHAT WAS YOUR COURSE AGAIN, GELO? I DON'T THINK I'VE ASKED YOU BEFORE."
Gelo smiles, pleasantly surprised. "HRM."
"Ahh."
"OH."
Gelo turns around and checks the rolls of cordon bleu floating in boiling oil. "Ay, JR. Tama diay gahapon gipangita diay kang Ante Edna. Ana ko nilakaw ka."
"BY THE WAY, JR. YESTERDAY, ANTE EDNA WAS LOOKING FOR YOU. I TOLD HER YOU WERE OUT."
"Aw." JR exhales and shakes his head. "Maningil na guro to siya ug renta. Nakabayad na ka?"
"OH."
"IT'S PROBABLY FOR RENT. YOU ALREADY PAID?"
"Oo. Last week pa."
"YEAH. LAST WEEK."
"Ahh, okay," he says sounding a bit deflated. He puts down the utensils for a moment and opens his phone. He goes to his conversations and starts typing up a message to his father.
PA, GOOD MORNING. IT'S ALREADY THE END OF THE MONTH, I NEED THE MONEY FOR THE BOARDING HOUSE RENT. REMINDING YOU IN CASE YOU FORGOT
He bites his lip and presses send.
"Okay lang ka, JR?" Gelo asks.
"YOU OKAY, JR?"
"Oo." He musters up a little smile as he looks up at him. "Gi-text lang nako si papa. Na delay ra to siya ug hatag kay wala pa iyahang sweldo."
"YEAH."
"I WAS JUST TEXTING PAPA. HE'S JUST A BIT DELAYED WITH THE PAYMENT BECAUSE HIS SALARY HASN'T COME IN YET."
"Ahh. Okay." Gelo pulls a chair and sits in front of the stove. "Okay ra man to si Ante Edna. Musabot man to pag-delay ka makabayad panagsa."
"ANTE EDNA'S CHILL ANYWAY. SHE EXCUSES DELAYS IN PAYMENT SOMETIMES."
JR just nods and resumes eating the cordon bleu. "Lami," he says again with a mouth full of rice.
"DELICIOUS."