Chapter 25: Between a cake and a Valentine Grinch.

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Translations:

Da kai men = Open the door
Ni yao shen me? = What do you want?
Er bai wu = Idiot


There was a loud thumping coming from the other side of my door and I don’t think I really have to open it to see who it was.


“Go to sleep, Maxine. It’s past your bedtime,” I yelled out, but that didn’t stop her and the banging only grew louder. Lucky for me, my parents had to leave the minute the party was over to catch an early flight to Brisbane. So no one, except for the household helpers, could hear her throwing a little wobbly.


“Da kai men,” she demanded. “I can do this all night, Kuya. I won’t leave until you open up.” As much as I wanted to sleep through winter, bothering people is my sister’s forte so there’s an undeniable legitimacy to her statement.


I crawled out of my bed under duress and unbolted the lock on my doorknob. “Ni yao shen me?” I grunted half-groggily while rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand.


“Er bai wu,” she cursed and pushed me aside to let herself in. “Didn’t I tell you not to do anything stupid?”


“You’re the boss of me,” I countered blandly. “And that’s not what you said. You specifically told me not to do anything to ruin the celebration. And as far as I’m concerned, I was able to meet the requirements.”


“Oh, that’s just very mature of you,” she ridiculed and squinted her already-narrow eyes trying her best to give me the dagger look but it was a hopeless attempt.


I sighed and ran my hands through my hair in exasperation. “Do we really have to settle this in the wee small hours, Veronica? Perchance in the morning, when it’s more suitable.”


“Yeah, suitable for you to run away from me,” she snapped and moved toward my bedside table to grab hold of my car key. “So don’t even dare because I’m taking this with me.” But I seriously don’t care right now because I badly want to get some sleep, and I just remembered that I have a spare key in somewhere in my bag.




“Good morning, sweetheart,” Dad greeted, beaming undauntedly. The moment I stepped inside the kitchen, the smell of cappuccino was unmistakable. This could only mean one thing, he already knew about last night, thanks to my brothers’ blabbermouth nature.


My dad is a very transparent person. You can effortlessly read his mood, or intents, just by looking at him… or through the type of coffee he’s making. As a matter of fact, coffees, just like flowers, also have their respective meanings. And since our family makes a coffee for a living, we should be on familiar terms with the industry.


Latte or macchiato, depending on the humidity of the weather, are made on ordinary days. Caffe mocha for exultant and lighthearted days where we’re allowed to have fun with what to put on top: whipped cream, dusting of either cinnamon or cocoa powder, chocolate syrup and even marshmallows. Espresso con pana or café Americano on get-up-and-go days, especially when we have to stay up late because of school works and we badly need caffeine to stay awake the whole night. A kick of the local kapeng barako when someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed and is having a bad hair day.


And on a time like today, cappuccinos are used for the purpose of a pick-me-upper beverage after a huge downer, which how he exactly perceives the impact of the event of last night. But on my opinion, a mug of strong, steaming kapeng barako is what I really ought to have.


“Here you go.” He placed a beige-colored cup — the one I gave him last Father’s Day which had a funny caricature of him holding a ‘To Dada with Love’ placard — in front of me when I sat on one of the kitchen barstools. There was a beautiful latte art of a butterfly on top of my cappuccino, which means resurgence in the usual course.


“Thanks, Dada, but I know what you’re trying to do. And it’s not going to work,” I told him while nestling the warm cup between my hands.


He stared at me pensively through his sliding specs, making an effort to appear clueless. “I have no idea what you’re referring to, pumpkin.”


“Oooh-kay,” I groaned, dragging the vowels across my tongue — still unconvinced — and rolled my eyes. “But I won’t pretend that I’m oblivious to whatever hidden agenda you have in mind,” I said between slurps.


“Although I do need you help on something,” he admitted while he untied the strings of his black Mañalac Coffee Brewery apron.


“With what, Dad?” I asked as he crossed the kitchen counters and sat next to me.


“On the 14th,” he said matter-of-factly sounding as if he just reminded me of my name.




I was lounging by myself in one of the campus benches inside the College of Architecture quad when the ever-annoying Carina suddenly plopped down into the space beside me. “Don’t you just love the weather?” Carrie sighed and stretched her hands upward.


“What are you doing here, Carrie? You’re supposed to be at school,” I said to her without looking up from the Contemporary Architecture book that I’m reading.


“I am at school, just not my school,” she replied cheerily and nonchalantly began munching on my sandwich.


I slapped my forehead with my palm and grunted. “Darn, you’re hopeless.”


She put her arm around me and pulled me closer to her, thinking that she’d be able to coat me with the same happy pill. “Come on, Chi, love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, you should be excited!” There’s only three paradigms of life events that makes Carrie this ecstatic: Christmas, Hearts’ Day, and her birthday, because she gets to receive presents for the most part.


“Valentine’s a nightmare,” I retorted icily. If Wade’s birthday didn’t happen to fall on Saint Valentine’s Day, I’d probably just look right through the occasion.


“Oh, don’t be such a Grinch.” My also-annoying brother suddenly came into picture and snatched the bagel from Carrie’s hands and scrafed the rest up.


Carrie nudged me on the side with her elbow. “PMS-ing is not acceptable if you want to get a date in time for Valentine’s Day.”


I angrily snapped my book close and glared at the two of them. “Is there an occasion today that I am not aware of? Is today ‘Let us pester Wendy Day’ by any chance?” I said condescendingly.


“No, but that’s actually a good idea,” Kuya Wesley mocked. “Anyway, we badly need you at home right now. Carrie and I just can’t settle on anything with the details.”


“But you and Carrie don’t agree on anything at all,” I pointed out.


Carrie rolled her eyes and groaned. “That’s because your brother here has no idea when it comes to modern-day designs. Wooden panels, Wesley, seriously? We’re planning to soundproof a room, not make a kitchen.”


“Fine, I’ll ditch my class just so we can finish this thing in time for Wade’s birthday,” I griped. “But someone’s gotta distract the birthday boy, or he might find out about our plan.”


“Consider it done,” Kuya assured me.




Quote
Translations:

Ba ta gei wo = Give it to me
Mei mei = Little sister
Bu shi = No


I was feeling under the weather when I woke up thanks a lot to my sister’s crabbiness last night. But I just wished I had classes on Fridays instead so I could easily get out of the house and skirt from having another altercation with Maxine.


I was searching for my spare keys inside my messenger bag when I heard my bedroom door creak open.“Looking for this?” I turned around and saw my sister swaying my spare keys between her fingers with a victorious grin on her face. “I do know how to think ahead, Kuya.”


“Ba ta gei wo, mei mei,” I said to her, holding out my hand.


“Bu shi,” she refused childishly. “I will only give this back under one condition.”


The instant my sister stated her condition, my fingers immediately clenched up like a claw, shaking with anger and an evil desire to choke her. “You are such an agonizing brat, Veronica!”


Her grin just grew wider, almost showing her 32 set of teeth, which reminds me a lot of that Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. “Oh, you’re going to thank me for this in the long run, Kuya. You so are.”




Carrie titled her head to one side and peered at me. “You mean to tell me that you’re still not in speaking terms with Gerard?”


I was skimming through the available color schemes the interior designer Mom hired had prepared. “We should stick to classic hues. What do you think of dark blue and beige?”


“I think you and Gerard should straighten out whatever the hell is going on between you two,” she countered, realizing that I was taking a sidestep from the actual conversation in line, then flicked her lighter and lit a Dunhill stick. For the chance of provoking me more, she even blew a smoke straight to my face and smiled mischievously.


I waved my hand in front my face to dispel the disgusting odor of burnt tobacco leaves. “My mother is going to kill you when she sees you smoking within the premises of our home,” I managed to say whilst coughing.


“Your brother smokes here all the time. And for pete’s sake, will you stop avoiding the conversation?” she retorted. “Ano ba kasing pumasok sa kamoteng kukute mo to dance with that goof? If I were Gerard, I’d probably get jealous too.”


“It was just a dance, what the hell is wrong with that? Besides, why would he even get jealous? He’s not even my boyfriend!”


“Trust me on this one, Chi. You’d probably be jealous yourself if it was him dancing with Pamela.”


“Oh, zip it, Cars, or I will smack you straight in the head,” I tartly warned her. But I couldn’t shrug off the feeling that she might be right if the situation did turn the other way around that night.


“For the spirit of Valentine’s Day, you should be willing to forget everything that had happened in the party and resolve your differences. Kiss and make up, and I mean that literally,” she ragged and winked at me.


“Ha-ha, very funny,” I scoffed. “I don’t need a man to get what I want out of life if that’s your point. Also, I don’t think Saint Valentine’s feast day should be used as an excuse for people to bury the hatchet.”


She raised a skeptical eyebrow and snorted. “I swear to Zeus and to all of the gods and goddesses in Mount Olympus, I will be the first one to rub it in your face when one of Cupid’s arrows hits you.”




“Okay, you can remove your blindfold now,” I told Wade when Dad and Kuya Wesley nodded their approval.


“HAPPY  BIRTHDAY, WADE!” Dad, Mom, Kuya Wesley, Carrie, Wade’s band mates, and I happily shouted in unison.


“Hope you’ll like the new addition to our house, Timots.” Everyone moved aside so Wade could fully take a look at the room that we’ve finally completed to renovate after two weeks of rush, hard work; and managed to keep it hush-hush all the way through.


Ever since their band was formed, which was three years ago, my little brother has been trying to convince Mom to convert one of the guest rooms as a music room, and now his wish was finally granted.


Mom wanted to keep the designs au courant, nothing but the best for her favorite child of course. The textured walls were in shades of taupe and cream, accentuated with navy blue silhouette patterns of different musical symbols. The charcoal black wool carpet floor is a custom-made product from New Zealand and is hypoallergenic, since Wade has had mild asthma most of his life.


The white leather sofa, purple coffee table, plush apple green floor cushions and random music album covers on the wall break the monotony of the minimalistic theme. But the main highlight of the room is the raised platform, where all the instruments and gadgets — the drum set, electric keyboard, the typical six-stringed electric guitar and electric bass guitar, mic stand, and amplifiers — take center stage.


“Whoa,” Wade breathed, the look of astonishment and delight was painted all over his face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he exclaimed over and over as he squeezed both of our parents.


“Why don’t you show us a little preview of what you boys will play tonight?” Mom suggested and the five of them were more than happy enough to compel.




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Color Label:
Sydney Flores
Ciara Escudero


Wendy, Wesley, and I passed through a small portico made out of red and white balloons when we entered the MAEC event hall. Various shapes and sizes of Cupid and heart Styrofoam cutouts and silver stars were hanging from the ceiling along with red heart-shaped lanterns. The entire place was just pulsating with red, pink, white, and silver things.


“This is nauseating,” Wendy muttered grumpily.


I patter consolingly on the shoulder. “Give Valentine’s Day another chance, Chi.” She’d always hated celebrating the occasion of V-Day even back in high school. She thinks it is, just like Christmas, merely another excuse for people to do special things for their significant others. That if they really want to show their sincerity, they shouldn’t wait for Valentine’s Day to make them feel special or any other occasion for that matter.


After we’d signed our names on the registration table, we were then ushered to our seats near the stage, while Wade and his band mates headed backstage to prepare for their front act.


“Not going to try your luck to hit on high school girls tonight, are you, Wes?” Sydney kidded when she and Ciara joined us at our table.


“Spare me, Syd,” Wesley grinned.


“Remember, karma strikes back worst on womanizers,” Ciara teased and we continued to make fun of him until it was finally curtain time.


“Katt Briones,” Wesley practically shouted when a striking, chinky-eyed girl walked up the stage and stood behind the podium.


“Another past fling, eh?” I ribbed, chuckling good-naturedly.


“How I wish,” he sighed.


“She’s the first and only girl who has ever dumped him,” Wendy filled in on his behalf. I also found out, based from Wendy’s story, that she’s a Business Econ Major from UP, an MAEC high school alumnus, and the youngest best selling author to date with her novel Worth A Second Look, which is a one of the best local literary work I’ve read by far. I’m not surprised that she saw the bigger picture and dumped someone dimwitted like Wesley. Serves him right. HA!


“Good evening, everyone,” she began with good cheer. “I’m Katt Briones, your emcee for tonight. On behalf of the event organization committee and the alumni association, I would to welcome everyone to the annual Mary Aston Edinburg College’s High School Fair.


I hope everyone here is ready to roll because we’ve prepared tons of surprises for tonight. Thus, I will not put it off any longer and to start off our fête, please put your hands together for one of the hottest bands, and boys, of today: ABSOLUTE ZERO!” Loud cheers and applauses came from the crowd when the boys finally came out on stage, clad in their all-white outfits.


“Oh, don’t they all look dashing tonight,” Wendy cooed, being the proud sister that she is. Even Maxine, who was staying near control booth on the left side of the stage, almost dropped the clipboard that she was holding when she noticed a sight to behold in the image of Wade. It looks like our birthday boy was finally able to swept his dream girl off her feet.


Everyone was singing along when the band started off with a rock rendition of Glory of Love and was followed by a ballad version of Wonderful Tonight. They were in the middle of playing their third song, Do The Panic, when Wesley suddenly got out of his seat and had managed to tow me along by the hand within a matter of seconds.


“We need your help,” Wesley and Gerard uttered at one fell swoop after Wesley had dragged me backstage.




“Where have you been? And where’s Kuya?” I asked Carrie as soon as she came back to our table.


“You missed the rest of the front act,” Ciara added. The three of us traded puzzled looks amongst each other when Carrie just smiled and held her tongue, which wasn’t very typical of her.


She was saved by the bell from an impending interrogation when Katt resumed with the programme. “Let’s us keep the ball rolling and moved on to second highlight of tonight’s event. I’m definitely sure that all the girls here would love what we’ve in store for you behind these long velvet drapes. So to further jazz the night up, let’s call on the 2008 Candy Cuties!”


And true enough, queuing up on stage are the most sought-after boys at present: Mike Shimamoto, Kevin Chan, Enz Tumlos, Miguel Ybanez, Chard Tionloc, and about twenty more! “Pinch me, I think I’m in heaven,” Sydney squealed.


We were still ogling and drooling over the boys on stage when Ciara suddenly pointed at the two guys standing beside JC de Vera. “Is that Wesley and…?”


“Gerard?!”















































Katt, as if reading my mind, declared through the microphone, “Ladies, I welcome you all to our Valentine’s Day Auction! Make a pitch for your favorite cuties on the auction block and get a chance to have them as your Valentine date!”


Holy friggin’ crap… FOR REAL?!


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