The familiar smell of home cooked breakfast and roasted coffee soon greeted RJ's hungry stomach when he went down to the dining room 30 minutes later.
Kuya Wally and Kuya Jose were already seated at the table when he got there, two of the most loyal staff at the Faulkerson Foundation, the charity institution that his parents established when they were still alive and where he's one of the consultants right now. They are also his constant companions to his trips to far flung areas of the country.
"Oy RJ! Huwag kang mahiya, tuloy ka. Kain, tayo. Ituring mong parang bahay mo 'to." Vintage Kuya Jose never fails to amuse him sa mga banat niya.
Na parati namang sinasakyan ni Kuya Wally. "Ano ka ba Jose! Bahay kaya nila 'to!"
"Bahay niya eh mas madalas pa tayong mapadpad dito. Kung di nga tayo nakita nung mga aso nila kagabi, baka nakagat na yan. Biruin mo, hindi na yata siya kilala!" RJ can only shake his head, habang tuloy lang ang biruan ng dalawa.
"Good morning mga kuyas. Kuya Jose, ang aga-aga ng banat mo. Good morning manang! Sila ate po?"
"Hinatid lang po sa gate si Kuya. Ayan na po yata ang mag-ina, naririnig ko na."
Soon, a bundle of girl in pink came bouncing in the room and jumped to hug RJ. "Tito RJ! I missed you!"
"Hey! How's my little princess? I missed you too! Wait, who are you today? Let me guess, Cinderella?" giving the little girl a big hug. He can't believe how she has grown taller in the five months that he's been away.
"No, I'm not Cinderella!" Okay! RJ got confused. She's clearly playing a character with her costume, but who?
Playing innocent, "Wait, let me see....Queen Elsa?" A question which got him an emphatic shake of her head.
"Ate tulong! Meron bang bagong Disney princess na di ko kilala?"
"I'm Chef Elize, silly - the Chef princess! Don't you recognize my outfit? Lola bought this for me. Isn't it pretty?" her chatter went on as she twirl and dance around the room.
Only then did RJ noticed the chef headdress or whatever you call it that goes with the apron over the princess-like dress that she's wearing.
"Chef Elize?" the question is written on RJ's face while he looked at his ate who just signaled him to wait while she went out to the kitchen.
Sabi na nga ba at hindi makakatiis si Kuya Jose . "Yung pamangkin mo RJ ha, turuan mo mag-Tagalog yan bago duguin ilong namin ni Wally!"
"Uy Jose, ano yang kulay pula diyan sa champorado mo? Tumulo yata galing sa ilong mo! hahahahaha, joke lang!"
Biglang napatingin si Jose sa champorado niya, "Loko-loko ka Wally!"
"Ikaw nagsabing duduguin ilong mo eh. Pero huwag ka mag-alala, Jose, may baon tayong English. Ako kakausap sa kanya. Hey Anna! Who is Chef Elize?"
"Oh, she's the chef princess. Lola and I always watch her on TV."
Rafaela, or Raffy to her family, RJ's ate and his female version in looks, came back to the dining room carrying freshly baked bread. "Bago kayo malito, hindi yan princess sa Disney Channel. Cooking show yan bago mag Eat Bulaga. Si Chef Elize ay partner ni Ryzza Mae Dizon and she always dress like a princess during the show but still acts as a Chef."
A collective "aaahhh" came out of the three guys, followed by "Ano daw? Sino daw?" while RJ approached his sister for a quick hug.
"So Ate, you watch local shows now?" he asked
"Alam mo bunso, ang snob mo! Parang hindi ka nakapanood ng Eat Bulaga dati. Bakit ko ba ine-explain sa inyo eh puro bundok lang ang alam n'yo? Teka muna, kumusta naman ang magaling kong kapatid na madalang pa sa patak ng ulan kung magpakita? At ang haba ng buhok mo uy, tapos may balbas ka na din! Buti nakilala ka ni Anna? Pagupit ka mamaya ha! But seriously, welcome back bunso!"
"Ano ka ba, ate? 5 buwan ako nawala, what do you expect? HIndi pa mahaba yan, ayan mga barbero ko o!"
"Akala ko nga hindi mo na alam daan pauwi eh. So, until when are you going to stay with us this time?"
"Almost two weeks, but don't worry. The next trip will be the last Mangyan community that we will visit then I'm done with my research. We'll be back for good next time, so I can work on my dissertation"
"Wala na Wally, pinapauwi na tayo ni RJ, minimura na tayo eh! Pati siya, nag-English na! Wag ka namang ganyan brad! Hello! May damdamin din kami! Sinimulan ng pamangkin mo, ngayon tatapusin mo!" you don't want to see Kuya Jose get 'emotional'.
"Ay sorry kuya Jose, pinapaliwanag ko lang kay ate na huli na yung pupuntahan nating mangyan community next week. Magtatagal na tayo sa susunod na pag-uwi natin dahil halos tapos na ang project."
It was Kuya Wally who answered. "Huwag mong pansinin itong si Jose, alam mo naman ganyan yan pag nakakarinig ng nag-eenglish. Pero tama siya, kailangan na rin naming umuwi pagkakain para naman makita kami ng pamilya namin. Kita na lang tayo ulit dito sa Linggo."
"Sige Kuya Wally, ako na ang bahalang makipag-coordinate sa office para sa mga dadalhin natin next week."
Watching their exchange, his sister just had to comment "Alam mo kuya Jose, puwedeng-puwede kayo sa Eat Bulaga, ang galing n'yong komedyante!"
"Ay naku Raffy, hayaan mo pag pinatalsik n'yo kami sa Foundation, mag-aaply kami doon kahit floor director lang. Itong si Wally, puwedeng extra 'to. Malay mo nga ma-discover kami. Itong gandang lalaki ko ba naman magiging choosy pa sila?" grinning in an exaggerated way to show his dimples, which elicited a giggle from Raffy.
Shaking his head at their antics, RJ felt Anna tugging at his shirt so he had to squat to talk to her.
"What is it princess?"
"What is di-sert-ta-syun? Chef Elize cooks delicious desserts, are they the same?"
"No princess, they are different, It's something I need to do for my schooling. Why don't we eat breakfast first in the patio while watching the rain then you tell me more about this Chef Elize of yours? Sige kuya Wally, kuya Jose, ingat kayo pauwi ha? Text text na lang."
"You are a big boy and you still go to school like me?" Anna asked innocently.
"Hahaha! Yes! Tito RJ still go to school like my princess" RJ was laughing as he led his niece to the door going to the porch overlooking the garden.
"Manang pakidala na lang po breakfast namin sa labas. Pakisabi din kay Lola to join us. Salamat po!"
Excited over the thought of his tito RJ watching her favorite show with her, Anna excitedly continued talking while they walk...
"Promise, you'll watch Chef Elize with me and Lola today? She's very pretty! I know you will like her. Then you can be her prince because Lola says she lives here in the Philippines. Maybe we can find where she lives. Do you think she lives in a castle?" and her chatter went on.
RJ wonders what his lola has been telling the girl. But he has to give it to the child, she sounds so serious.
"Promise princess, I will watch with you. Pinky swear!" He solemnly promised his niece with their pinky-swear sign. "But I don't know if I can be her prince, because she might have one already."
As odds would have it......
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He ended up sleeping on the couch even before the show started, which meant he didn't get to see Chef Elize.... which also means that he earned the ire of a 5 year old kid in Chef Elize's costume. Lagot!