Rhian's POV:
I couldn't sleep, partly because I have been thinking of Glai, David and our marriage. How wrong it was to have a crush on a lipstick lesbian and how wrong it was to pursue because David. David will be furious if he found out that I am cultivating these feelings for Glaiza. Sa kabilang banda naisip kong ano bang paki ko kung malaman nya? Because Glai is a better person than he was. I laid in bed, listening to music when I received a message from Glaiza.
Glaiza: Hey, are you up?
Me: Yeah.. Couldn't sleep.
Glaiza: Can I ask you out on a road trip?
Me: Nasan ka na ba?
Glaiza: In front of your house. Look.
I rose from bed at sumilip ako sa bintana and true enough there she was, standing at naka-sandal sa pinto ng kanyang pick-up truck. She smiled at me and waived at me.
Glaiza: So, will you come with me to the North?
Me: I've never been to the North, save for Baguio.
Glaiza: Sasama ka ba?
Me: Sure. Let me just get dressed. I'm wearing nighties right now.
Glaiza: Great. I'll wait for you.
I got dressed in my tank top and shorts, I put on a pull over hoodie from Boston University. Boston University had the color Red and Black or Red and Gray Hoodies. Mine was Red and Black with a print in front that says Boston University and a cartoon of Rhett the Boston Terrier our University's Mascot. I tied my hair up in a bun, I got my phone, power bank and my purse before I went out. I got the keys to my house off the counter near the front door. Pag-bukas ko ng gate, nakita ko sa tapat ng gate ko si Glaiza, she smelled like alcohol. I looked at the time on my phone and determined it was 12:30 A.M. She shouldn't be driving anymore than she had coming back here. I took her by the hand at pinapasok siya sa loob. She wreaks of alcohol and couldn't even stand on her own anymore. She's insane to drive back here. I brought her to my room and made her lay down on the bed. Agad kong tinawag si Rachel mula sa kwarto ko sa taas.
"Rachel!!! Tulong!" I screamed out loud.
Maya-maya lang, Rachel came into view together with her husband Andrew.
"Ate Rhian?" Rachel asked me.
"Paki-gawan nga ako ng Instant Noodles please, pati na din ng mainit na Gatas at isang basong malamig na tubig."
Glai tried to stand up and said.
"Hey, we're going on a road trip." She said and she was so out of it.
"No, you're not going anywhere. You're staying there." I said to her a little firmly.
"Pero sabi mo sasama ka diba?" Glai asked me curiously.
"Not like this Glai. Now, please sit back and behave." I said to her.
Glai sat back on the bed, her head was down, I got up from the bed to get her some clothes to change into. Once I turned back to give her a shirt and shorts, she was sitting on the bed and sobbing. Impit lang ang pag-iyak nito, she was silently heaving.
"Hey, why are you crying?" I asked her.
She wouldn't answer me, she buried her head down.
"Hey... What's wrong?" I asked her as I lifted her chin up.
I wiped the tears that fell from her eyes, she smiled weakly at me.
"R-Rhian, I have something to tell you." She said.
"Ano ba yun? C'mon you can tell me." I said to her as I smiled softly at her.
"L-look. I-I know that you're married. B-but I love you Rhian, I have loved you since the first time I read your Diary. Since I knew you and Denise Limjoco are the same person. I love you Rhian Denise R. Howell." She said breathlessly.
"Whoa! Whoa! Hold your horses Glaiza. You're drunk. We'll talk about this tomorrow." I told her.
Maya-maya lang Rachel walked in with a Glass of Hot Milk and a bowl of hot noodle soup.
"Eto na po Ate." Rachel said.
"Thank you, paki-lagay na lang sa side table." I called out Rachel.
Glai was still sobbing as she sat beside me. I waited for her to calm down. Nang tumigil na ito sa pag-iyak, hinarap ko na ito, hawak ko ang bowl ng instant noodles. Susubuan ko sana ito when she stopped me and said.
"Ako na." She said to me.
"Okay. Be careful, mainit yan." I said to her.
She smiled back at me and nodded. Hinigop na nya ang mainit na sabaw, I rose from where I was sitting and got into the bathroom. Hinubad ko na ang Hoodie na suot ko, I placed the hoodie over my shoulder and got a paracetamol in the medicine cabinet sa bathroom, got a spare toothbrush and towel ready for her by the sink and then I got out of the bathroom. Ipinatong ko ang hoodie ko sa couch sa kwarto. Tapos ay binuksan ko na ang airconditioning unit, dahil konti na lang ay papawisan na ako. Once I got back to the bed, Glai was silently eating her noodle soup. Naupo muli ako sa tabi nya, I watched as she silently finished her noodles. Once done, she gave me back the bowl. I handed her a glass of hot milk and a paracetamol, so she won't wake up with a banging head later. It was already 12:55 a.m. hindi ko na hahayaang magdrive si Glaiza pauwe dito na siya matutulog. She drank the medicine and the milk, pagtapos ay iniabot nya ang baso sakin.
"You should go and take a quick shower para mapreskohan ka sa pagtulog." I told her as I handed her a glass of water.
She drank a little water and gave me back the glass.
"Okay." She said as she stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom.
Siya namang pagkakataon ko para ibaba ang pinagkainan ni Glaiza sa kitchen. If I was being honest there was tension between us earlier, her admitting that she loves me may have spurred because she was so drunk and almost out of it. Maybe it was the Alcohol speaking. Kung ano man ang nangyari kay Glaiza, I should never take advantage kaya mas pinili kong wag muna i-address ang sitwasyon, dahil baka alak lang ang nagsasalita kanina. Baka hindi nya kayanin ang galit ni David o baka wala siya sa tamang pag-iisip kasi nga naka-inom.
Once I was done depositing the bowl and the Glass to the dirty kitchen, where Rachel was washing the pot she used to cook, bumalik na ako sa kwarto ko, I found Glai about to get out of the bathroom. Naabutan kong nagtotooth brush na ito. I watched as she carefully brushes her teeth. Each minute that passes by I become more and more enamored of her beauty, she was not facing me, but still she exudes beauty with the mere posture of her body. My mind berated me once again Rhian, ano bang pinagiisip mo dyan, umayos ka nga, may asawa ka tandaan mo. I sighed to myself at iniaayos ko na ang pwesto ko sa kama, I laid there while I wait for Glaiza to finish getting ready for bed. I stared at the ceiling lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice she was out of the bathroom and is now beside me, she laid still and silently allowing me to get lost in my own thoughts.
Not so long as it became awkward for us both, I eventually looked at her as she laid to my right side. I spoke to break the silence that engulfed us both.
"You should sleep now Glai." I said almost inaudible.
"I'm sorry Rhian." I heard her say softly, her face looked confused.
I almost wanted to kiss her plump lips but decided not to. I smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, her face on my neck, I can feel her breathing against my neck. Bagay na nagpatayo sa balahibo ko sa katawan. She hugs me in return and said.
"Thank you for letting me stay. Good night Rhian." She said.
"You're welcome. Good night Glaiza." I said to her.
I was left to my own reverie again, I can't recall the last time my heart fluttered for David or anyone else. I think I only agreed to marry David because of a pact we made back in highschool that should we meet again in the future and I am fortunate to live through my Leukemia we will be together then. I was left with no repercussions neither did I believe that David could become what he have become.
I fell asleep eventually and awakened at 7 a.m. Glaiza was still asleep, naka-pulupot ang mga bisig nya sa akin, effectively trapping me against the warmth of her body. She was shaking a little, probably because the room is cold. Just to make sure, sinalat ko ang noo ni Glai, hindi naman nilalagnat. Kaya pihado akong nilalamig na ito. I switched the airconditioning unit to fan mode, tapos inayos ko ang kumot at tumayo na ako upang dalhan si Glaiza ng breakfast in bed.
I rarely do the cooking around here, pero naisip ko since andito si Glaiza, ipapasample ko sa kanya ang breakfast na plano ko i-serve sa Cafe ko. I got down to the Kitchen right after I have freshened myself up and tied my hair up in a messy bun. I started with rice, I brought out my mortar and pestle to pound garlic in it, the garlic will be seasoned with salt to make a paste out of, tapos ay gagamitin ko ang garlic paste to fry the rice in. Tapos, next ko namang iluluto sa isang kawali ang two kinds of eggs, yung isa sunny side up with a runny yolk, yung isa perfectly scrambled eggs. Tapos ang beef 'tapagalog' na ako mismo ang nagtimpla. The marinade was garlic paste and onion powder, soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon or kalamansi. Just like how the Bistek Tagalog is made.
I love making up fusion pinoy dishes such as my tapagalog, once everything is done, I plated each one of the items in a plate, nagtimpla na din ako ng kape ni Glaiza, three teaspoons of cream and two teaspoons of sugar. Namemorize ko na ito, the first day she started to work for me, siya ang nagtimpla ng kape nya. I watched as she carefully put in sugar and cream.
Inilagay ko na sa isang tray ang dalawang plato, dalawang mug ng coffee, spoon and fork. Tapos umakyat na ako sa taas bitbit ang tray ng breakfast na inihanda ko, weekends are the rare times I get to enjoy a Filipino breakfast most times kasi healthy ang breakfast ko, a lot of greens, eggs, vegetables and lean proteins such as salmon and tuna.
As soon as I was up in my room, I placed the tray of breakfast in the balcony, ipinatong ko sa ibabaw ng table before I went to my bed at ginising na si Glai.
"Glaiza, wake up. It's time for breakfast." I said to her.
Glaiza stirred in bed and let out the cutest groan ever. I chuckled lightly at the sight of her stretching and then abruptly sitting up the bed, she wipes the sleep off her eyes. Nagtataka ito kung bakit siya nasa isang foreign na kwarto, I smiled to ease her worry and spoke to her.
"You went here last night, you were so drunk and out of it." I explained to her.
"I-I did?" She asked me.
"Uhuh, you did. C'mon rise and shine sleepy head." I said before finally going out to the balcony.
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." I heard her say.
She went to the bathroom first, I heard her footsteps. I busied myself by removing the plates of breakfast I had prepared and laid it out on the table. Once done, I heard her flush the toilet. She appeared on the balcony after a few more seconds, her shoulder length hair was now tamed, not as wild as when she first woke up kanina. She smiled.
"Hey, breakfast na tayo." I said smiling back at her.
Her eyes were wide with surprise at what she has seen on the plate, heaps of scrambled eggs, sunny side up egg, tapagalog and fried garlic rice. She smiled at me and said.
"Wow, favorite ko ang tapa." She said smiling.
"This is one of the breakfast items I plan to serve at La Belle Sognare." I said to her.
"Wow, just wow. Teka, ano nga palang meaning ng La Belle Sognare?" She asked me.
I smiled almost to myself and told her what it meant finally.
"The Beautiful Dream, that's what it means. It's italian for The Beautiful Dream." I said to her.
"Witty and beautiful talaga." She said smiling at me.
"Aga mang-bola talaga, maupo ka na dito at kumain. Daming bola." I said to her.
She sat beside me and got ready to pray. Something I have noticed her doing for herself on days we shared breakfast, this time though she said.
"Join me in praying." She said.
I granted her the time to pray, it was weird because although I was a devout Church of England member growing up, I have never prayed over my meals, Mom and Dad didn't pray over their meals. You see the church of England is an Anglican and a mix of Protestant. Our faith varies, I live my life the best way I could, I do good when ever it is possible. Meanwhile, Glaiza was a Christian. They rely heavily on the teachings of the bible, never celebrated any Religious holidays except for Christmas. She led the prayer and said.
"Thank you Lord Jesus for the food we are about to partake, please bless the food and the woman who cooked the food, guide us Lord in everything we do. This we ask in your name. Amen."
"Tara kain na tayo." She said as she got her spoon and fork.
Nauna nang sumubo si Glaiza, her eyes widened in surprise sa lasa ng tapagalog ko.
"Wow! Sobrang sarap ng tapa mo, parang Bistek Tagalog pero hindi. Ang kulit ng lasa." She said as she got some more tapa in her mouth.
"Do you honestly like it? O baka naman sinasabi mo lang kasi mahal mo ko." I said to her.
Her face visibly turned pale, medyo maputi ito pero hindi mestiza gaya ko.
"A-alam mo na ang sikreto ko?" She asked me.
Her face looked paler and worried at this revelation.
A/N:
This chapter is dedicated to Vi_AndreA, sorry if it took long to publish and sorry that your first wish wasn't granted as of yet, I'm preparing for an emotional next chapter. 🤣😂✌️
Eto na nga tayo, may pag-amin na si Glai. 🙄😒 Ano kayang mangyayari next chapter? Darating ba bigla si David o magroroad trip muna sila? 😂🤣✌️ Abangan!
Spread light and love always!
- Sky