JAZMIN
Flashback continues…
AND THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S CUPCUPCAKE AND DESSERT WAR IS..." the emcee's voice echoed throughout the school gym as the fake drum rolls played.
My stomach is doing somersaults, but I'm confident I'll win this competition.
"Angel Bonnie Ramirez!" The crowd applauded my name, and I heard my name called and announced as a winner, but I'm still processing the situation; I'm so overwhelmed that I think I'm going to cry, a cry for victory and happiness.
"Miss Ramirez, please take the stage!" The emcee called me again, and this time I obeyed. "Requesting Mrs. Mendez to present the awards to our winner," he added.
The Senator's wife greeted me warmly and congratulated me. Then she handed me my cash prize and scholarship paperwork.
"Thank you, ma'am," I said sincerely, and she smiled. I'm overjoyed right now, and now that I've won this award, I desperately needed to see Mama. I'm curious how she'll react when she finds out about this. I can imagine her ecstasy right now. When I thought of her, my grin widened.
More pictures, a brief interview, and a chat with the Senator's wife later, and we're done.
~*~
At my small house...
"CONGRATULATIONS, BABY," Mama said for the nth time since I returned from the competition.
"Thank you, Ma. You know it's all for you," I hugged her as she sat beside me at our small table, Pearl and Ben on the other side.
We're here at my tiny house celebrating my victory; my teachers and classmates came but left because it was late, and my two best friends will sleep in my house even though their houses are only in the neighborhood; they live in a subdivision next to our slum area.
I already know we'll end up not sleeping again because we'll talk about many things as if we hadn't seen each other in a long time. This will be another long night.
"Thank you, baby. I'm so proud of you. I'm so lucky to have you. You're my angel." I smiled lovingly at my Mom and kissed her cheek.
"Aww. Sweet," Pearl said as she looked at us.
"Hey, that's enough; I'm starving," Ben interjected, not averting his gaze from the food in front of him.
He has the appearance of a lion about to devour his prey. He's ravenous. Ben's worms, I think they're fighting in his stomach right now. We hadn't eaten yet because we had to entertain the visitors first. Talk about Filipino hospitality.
Pearl slaps the back of his head.
"Ouch! What was that for?" he scowled at Pearl, rubbing the back of his neck. She had to have smacked him hard.
"What was that for?" she asked, repeating what he said. I notice she is raising her left brow. "They're having a mother-daughter moment in here, and you're ruining it with your big monster mouth; can't you wait?"
"I'm sorry. Okay? I'm hu—-" He couldn't finish what he was about to say when his stomach growled loudly. "Hear that? Hehe! Do you still need proof?" he asked, pointing to his stomach. He was blushing. He's the color of a tomato.
We were all laughing because of him. Haaa! This is the happiest day of my life!
We started eating. We're chatting while eating.
"Auntie, this is so good. No, not good. The best tinolang manok ever!" Ben exclaimed as he ate.
"Eww. Don't talk when your mouth is full, you beggar," Pearl said to him.
"I'm just complimenting Auntie Bella's cooking; why do you always have to be against me?"
They are always playing the "cat and mouse" game. They always argue and fight about almost everything, but they always manage to forgive each other in the end. I'm not sure why they became best friends if they constantly fought. But I suppose that's part of the appeal. They're fine. They're not taking it seriously or physically, just waging a verbal war.
I met Ben for the first time on the first day of my first year, and we hit it off right away. He comes from a middle-class family, and his father is the Chief of Police in our town, so he is not to be trifled with. And when I become his friend, I'm protected by his umbrella, if you know what I mean.
Pearl is a wealthy young lady whose parents forced her to attend Public High School due to her stubbornness. She's the obnoxious daughter of our town's Governor. She transferred in the middle of the school year, and no one wants to befriend her because she bitches everyone who comes near her.
Then, one day, I noticed her crying in the deserted classroom and approached her. Fortunately, she did not scream at me. Instead, she hugged me, and I comforted her. We became friends, and I introduced her to my best friend Ben, with whom I am still friends to this day. We discovered the honest Pearl, and she is a kind and sweet young lady.
Regarding appearance, all I can say is that we are more qualified to be models. I'm not bragging, but I only speak the truth. We're stunning not only on the outside but also on the inside. Teachers and students look up to us because we are attractive, talented students who excel academically.
Not that I'm pulling out chairs, but we nearly made the top three in our class. I'm first, followed by Ben and Pearl in second and third place, respectively. Yeah! But, what can I say? Even though they're wealthy, they always make me feel like we're on equal footing. They befriended me despite my poverty. I'm so fortunate to have them.
"Best?" Pearl inquired.
"Ah yeah?" I returned from my daydreaming.
"What's your plan?" she asks, not taking her gaze away from me.
"Plan? For what?" I asked as I went to get a brownie. Pearl has finished her meal, while Ben is still digging into his. His plate is heaped with food. He eats a lot!
"About the scholarship," I say, leaving the brownie that I was about to eat hanging in front of my mouth. I cleared my throat before responding.
"Uhm. I- I-" I had no idea it would be so difficult. Mama's hand rubbed my back. When I looked at her, she smiled and said, 'It'll be fine.'
"Mama and I talked about it a while ago. The Mendez's wanted me to finish my senior year at UST, and they also gave me a job at Frozen Treat as an assistant chocolatier, so... Uhm..." I hate to tell them this, but I hope they understand. My gaze is fixed on the table. I can't look them in the eyes.
Pearl drew my hands from the table. "It's fine, best; we understand, right, Ben?"
"Yeah, Bonnie. It's only two towns away, so we can easily visit you there; we'll visit you on weekends if that's okay with you?" I nodded. They're still not looking at me.
My heart is aching right now at the prospect of leaving them and starting over at another school without them, but what can I do?
This is for a greener pasture. It's the first step toward realizing my dream of becoming the most extraordinary chocolatier in the world. It's Mama's dream, but it's also mine. I want her to be proud of me and show my father, who abandoned us, how my mother raised a successful person all by herself.
"Hey, look up. Come on," Pearl said hoarsely. When I looked up, I noticed her sad smile. She's crying. Ben and I, too.
"It's for your future, best," Ben said forcefully, laughing. I smiled and nodded to him, as I had done to Pearl.
"I promise it'll be fine," Pearl said, quickly wiping away her tears.
"Group hug!" Ben exclaimed in a baby voice. We laugh at his cuteness.
"All right, kids, who want to eat Leche Flan?" Mama said, breaking the dramatic atmosphere. She knows how to make us feel better. She is aware that the three of us are madly in love with her flan. It's the best flan in the world.
"I!" we all yell at the same time.
"Leche Flan with chocolate toppings, coming up!" she exclaimed as she entered the kitchen.
We squealed with delight. Mama is the greatest!
End of flashback…
JAZMIN "I MISSEDyou, Ma," I said to myself. I buried my face in my knees and sobbed silently. I don't want to bother them with my sobbing right now. I don't want them to see me like this. After a long bath, I went out to the bathroom and put on my white nightgown. I went to my bed and lay down. I sighed a heavy sigh. I'm exhausted physically, but my mind refuses to shut down. I'm thinking about Averi again. I've always wondered how she managed to keep her slender and beautiful figure over the years. She grew into a stunning woman. I can't stop staring at her sexy toned legs, revealed in her working skirt a while ago. Her s
JAZMIN I WOKEup at one-thirty in the afternoon. I slept too long, but it felt great. I'm not sure when was the last time I slept that long. It's perfect to be back home. I went for a shower, and after that, I wore my ripped jean short shorts and a white V-neck shirt, then my slippers. I have no plans of going out today. I still needed to rest. And I'm hungry, so I need to eat first. Although I can make this easy by just calling the maids, even if we are rich, I'm not taking advantage of anything that I have right now. Though at work, if I start in the Angel Food Industry, which I'm sure it's pretty soon, I'll take advantage of my position as the owner's daughter for them to respect me. "Good morning, Señorita," the maid
JAZMIN Flashback starts… "KIDS,dinner's ready!" Mama called from the dining area. We rushed to the dining room. Yes. WE. Who else is with me? No other than my two BFFs. They are having dinner with us. We are here at our new house. Yep, new house. I rented a new house owned by Pearl's aunt. It's bigger and more presentable. Her aunt abandoned the house because she married a Korean, so her husband wanted her to move with him; that's why she left the house vacant. Pearl has their house nearby, and Ben rents an apartment nearby. But actually, they're crashing here every
JAZMIN Flashback continues… THEDAYSat school get even better because Ezra and I have the same classes together! I keep on reciting to myself that I'm not gay and I only admire her. My 'admiration' got more profound when I learned that she's the President of the student council and the volleyball team captain. I don't know how she managed her time, but she's doing great. Wow! And I saw how the students adored her. They respect her as their leader; I mean, they love her. Even Noah agreed that she is a great and friendly person. Her boyfrie
JAZMINFlashback continues…I DON'Tknow what to wear to the dinner, but thankfully, Pearl is my super best friend because she did all the work and helped me with the dress. I'm happy I have a friend like her. She's my fashion designer. All thanks to her!I'm nervous about what to wear. I want The Mendez to be impressed, but I want Ezra to be impressed with what I will wear deep inside."And finish," Pearl said, finishing my makeup. She just put on light makeup; she knows I'm not a fan of it. "I'm pretty sure they'll look at you in awe," she said, looking at me up and down.
JAZMINFlashback continues…I SILENTLYopened the girl's bathroom and heard someone crying. Someone is trying to suppress her crying, but I can still hear it. I saw Ezra looking at the mirror while tears flowed down her face. She was sad and hurt. But why is she still beautiful when she's crying? Unlike me, I look terrible when I'm crying.When she noticed someone standing behind her and saw me through the mirror, she immediately washed her face in the sink and dried it up with her handkerchief. Her eyes are still puffy and red."Hey, what's wrong?" I ask with a concerned look. I just stood there, and we were staring at ea
JAZMINFlashback continues…THEPASTmonths were like heaven for me. The happiness that Ez was giving me is priceless. I'm finding myself falling hard for her every day.Today is my birthday, and I told her that Mama wanted to meet her officially. I told Mama and my BFFs about us, and they are very supportive of our relationship. Their reason? They had never seen me happy like this before. And I could say that I am.Of course, we hide it from anyone in school and be casual with one another if we are t
JAZMINFlashback continues…THEDINNERwas great. Mama, Pearl, Ben, and Ezra get along well. They like Ez because she's a genuinely wonderful person."Hmm, Miss Ramirez, can I take Bonnie to dinner this coming Saturday night?" Aww, she asked for my mother's approval first before mine. I appreciate it. I didn't know about the dinner until now.Mama just smiled. Pearl and Ben are just staring silently. "Of course, dear, but only if it's okay with Bonnie." What a wonderful parent! I love Mama!