Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

T hat day did not go as planned.

I wish I said no but given all that had happened, I was keen to make amends to Liana.

The morning started off fine, with only a small argument before we all went on our respective tasks.

“Be happy I’m not sending you to QC,” Gian said as I whined about being asked to go to the warehouse grocery in Alabang to get the ingredients for Liana’s party desserts and giveaways tomorrow. We met up at the Mcdo branch outside our village, where he handed out the tasks to people who were in on the plan and lived with us in the South. One group was to arrange the venue while Gian was going to the caterers and the outreach office.

“Make sure you get everything on this list and if anything’s not there, you go to ATC and get it there instead.”

I frowned at the list he handed me and then looked wistfully at the person who was assigned to do this with me. Cholo was peeking at the list, unaware I was leering at him.

“These should all be in there,” he said and I heard a clanking of keys as he took them out of his pocket. “Do we need to get anything for the food things?”

“No, that’s taken care of. Tonight, go to my place, dinner is on me as payment for your trouble. Liana will be there so do NOT spoil anything or you will be dealt with.”

Gian left after that ominous warning. I sighed and dramatically looked at my sausage platter order.

“Don’t worry, there’s lots of time,” Cholo said, taking a bite from his sausage mcmuffin sandwich.

“Grabe effort ni Gian,” I commented. “I’m impressed. Liana’s always loved working on the kids events. She knows all of their names by heart. So Gian planned her party as a kids’ outreach. Genius!”

Cholo gave me a weird look.

“Selos ka?”

“Why would I be jealous? I ship them. It’s just cute how people can love like that.”

“Does it baffle your cynic mind and stone cold heart?”

“How dare you. I have emotions,” I said, making a face as I finished the last few spoonfuls of sinangag on my platter.

He just downed the rest of his oversugared coffee before shaking his head at me and reading the rest of the list.

The traffic was heavy as it was a Friday but we were lucky enough to get a parking space close to the entrance. Cholo was efficient with the items, knowing where each product was and exclaiming here and there as he realised how much cheaper it was here compared to his regular grocery store. He also had to keep me at bay as I regularly lost focus when seeing cool and delicious-looking stuff—like those giant bags of seaweed-flavored Turtle Chips—and promised me we could get calzones after the task.

Only for him to end up losing focus twenty minutes later when he found a little girl crying near the freezers, clutching a Totoro doll.

“Hey, hey,” he said, abandoning the shopping cart. I watched as he gently brought himself down to the child’s eye level. “Where are your parents?”

I blinked, feeling my insides turn into mush. The little girl softened up as he calmed her down and we were on the way to the customer service counter the next minute, with him holding the kid’s hand. I followed them, mesmerized as I pushed the shopping cart along.

What are all these tingly, foreign things in my abdominal cavity? I asked myself, unable to stop watching Cholo in his element. Even my heart was beating extra fast.

Agh, crap. Are those my ovaries tingling?

I kept quiet and paid for the haul as Cholo led the kid to the customer service area. The kid’s parents appeared within the next minute, looking hassled and worried, and I had finished paying when Cholo found me again.

We found a couple of seats near the corner and got calzones as promised.

“It’s awesome, what you did back there,” I said, breaking the silence.

“She reminded me of Risa. I did what I hoped a stranger would do if Risa got lost in the grocery,” he said. “Thanks for paying, by the way. Sorry I got distracted.”

“Understandable.”

“You ever want or plan to have kids in the future?”

I raised an eyebrow and considered that seriously for a moment before deciding to troll him instead.

“Why? Aanakan mo ako?”

Cholo laughed out loud and nearly spit out his food.

“Hey, just making conversation. I’m curious on where you stand on this matter.”

“Regular lunchtime subject?” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Hmm. Jokes aside, probably not. I’d be a terrible mother. Trauma and stone cold heart and all that.”

He nodded, looking thoughtful.

“Valid.”

“You’d make a good dad, though,” I offered.

“I’m starting to think it’s you who wants a child with me,” he said.

My usual reaction would be a shocked yelp, a small shove, and a number of expletives but my system betrayed me yet again by blushing instead.

I could feel the heat in my ears. At a loss for words, I took a large gulp of Pepsi instead.

“Hala, namula na siya!” Cholo said, pointing at me.

“Do you want a Pepsi bath?” I snarled to stop him teasing me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find the last two things on the list in Alabang Town Center and going around the stores to find a suitable present for Liana. I felt awkward and weird about the whole thing as I did not usually get anything for her but Cholo guilted me enough that I ended up buying a hardbound set of her favorite book series. We bickered in the car all the way back to our village and made it just in time at Gian’s house.

“Ang tagaaal!” Gian greeted as he opened the door. “Did you two sneak a date in when I clearly told you we’re pressed for time?”

“His fault,” I immediately said, pushing through the door with four grocery bags on my hands. “I told him we needed to hurry but he found all the excuses to make me spend more time with him. Tsk.”

“Sus! You’re one to talk after asking me if I wanted to father your children?—”

We heard yelps and funny noises and realized we were not alone. Aside from Gian, there were other people in the next room who heard every word.

“What?”

“Cholo and Vinnie?”

“Please explain?”

We laughed it off and talked over each other trying to explain to the group that it was clearly a joke, my warm ears be damned. Some stood up to help me and Cholo with the bags, all smiles, except for Liana who was staring at me with a blank expression.

“Liana needs the vanilla essence,” Gian told me pointedly. “Can you help her with the sugar cookies, please, Vinnie?”

People left us alone, which was annoying. It was awkward. I was too nervous to say anything while Liana’s stony expression remained. I tried helping with the cookies but she had to take the bowl back as I was overmixing it.

“Sorry,” I said. “I know nothing about baking.”

She let out a huge sigh and set the bowl on the counter.

“Not to be rude, Vinnie, but what are you doing here?”

I blinked. It was a bit out of character for Liana but maybe this was me getting a taste of my own medicine and I thought I deserved it.

“Gian asked for help with the outreach for the kids,” I explained.

“Since when do you go to kids-related things? Is this part of your deal with your marketing prof?”

“No. I just wanted to help. Or at least try.”

She answered me with a look that clearly said she didn’t want me there.

“Look, the club kids’ events are kind of my thing. Can you…let me have this? Just this year?”

I blinked.

“I know what time of the year it is. But can you not spoil it for me this time? I’m graduating soon and this outreach coincides with my birthday. I just want a quiet one with my friends, please, if that’s okay?”

I felt lightheaded after that statement. She was calm. Polite, even. But there was so much weight with her words.

I should have just left it there but as usual, my mouth beat my brain to the punch.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry,” I said. “I know I was rude to your friend and I’ve been mean to you all our lives but I can promise you this is not me carrying out an evil plan to spoil the outreach for you.”

She sighed again. “Can you blame me, though? It’s what you do .”

Each word was like a knife to the heart. That did sound like stuff I would do. I was that person—one who didn’t care who I hurt just to make a point—and I always got away with it. The fact that she never had a proper birthday celebration before this was my doing. Deep down I knew that and it was why I made an effort to help Gian with this.

But that didn’t matter now. Her anger was valid.

“No, I really can’t,” I replied. “Well, my task was mainly the groceries, anyway. I’m free to go. I’ll see you at home tomorrow.”

I gave her a small, defeated smile and did as I was asked.

Cholo would not hear a word of me telling him I was going home alone and I just went along when he offered to drive so we would not cause any more of a scene.

“You’re planning to leave me there? Seriously? You know how OP I would be in that group? They’re all under Finance and Pub— huy! Ba’t ka umiiyak?”

It was dark so he did not notice until then that the waterworks had been flowing. I shook my head and just cried it out. Cholo understood, as always, and just drove off.

I did not even know where we were going. He just played music in the background and did not talk. He eventually stopped driving and I realized we were in front of his house.

Cholo faced me and put a hand on my shoulder.

“How are you feeling? Do you need a few more minutes?”

I shook my head no and followed him out of the car. He offered me the sofa and said he would be back.

I sat down, getting annoyed with the hiccups. Cholo came back a few minutes later with two cans of soda.

“Sorry, I had to clean up the litter boxes so it won’t be so smelly. And don’t worry, I washed my hands. You can drink straight from the can.”

I smiled in thanks and Cholo sat beside me on the sofa.

“I’m getting spoiled na, ha,” I told him. He looked at me and opened his mouth and then got distracted by something behind me.

A ball of orange fur made its way towards us. It passed me with one look and went straight for Cholo’s lap, spinning once and contentedly lying there for a nap.

“Oh, hi, Potato,” Cholo said, stroking her fur and looking up at me. “I think she heard you say spoiled and thought we were calling her.”

Cholo laughed, making little baby noises at it.

“She looks nothing like a Potato,” I said.

The cat meowed sleepily without opening its eyes.

“Thank you raw. Haha! I think she likes you.”

“What? She’s literally ignoring me.”

“A good sign. Usually, she fights people. Anyway, you want to tell me what happened?”

I avoided his eyes, wondering how to even start.

“Why did you bring me to your house?”

“Sorry, I didn’t know what to do so I just brought you home. Malls or McDo weren’t an option, since people were around and the last thing a sad person needs is judgy onlookers.”

I caught his eye as he said that and then fixed my gaze on the cat.

“Can I pet her?”

“Of course,” Cholo said.

I reached out and tried to mimic how Cholo did it and Potato purred happily. She opened her eyes, stood up, and walked over to my lap.

“See?” Cholo said, looking satisfied as Potato did the spinning thing again and laid herself on me, her head poking my hand as though asking for more pats. “She does like you.”

I smiled at Potato as she slept again.

“Liana asked me not to spoil her birthday this year.”

“Oof,” Cholo said, sitting closer to me and joining the Potato cuddle-fest.

“I had it coming, didn’t I?” I asked him, my eyes welling up again as I caught his eye.

“Hey, listen,” Cholo said and I noticed how close he was. I could feel his warmth, and having him in my space made me feel so safe. “Her anger is valid, but when this all cools down, it might be worth communicating your good intentions.”

“Squeeze it in with two decades’ worth of apologies I owe her?” I tried to joke, as the distance between us—or the lack thereof—was short-circuiting my nervous system.

“Yes. Or no. I can’t think straight, I’m hungry,” he said, standing up and looking flustered for some reason. “I’m cooking. Stay there with Potato.”

“I’ll help.”

“Fine. But try not to burn down my house.”