Chapter 26
“TITA Caroline, do you know how to cook?”
From Benjamin’s flexing arm muscles, Caroline turned her gaze to Anastacia. She wasn’t sure of what she said because she was too busy fantasizing about Benjamin’s strong arms wrapped around her.
“Huh?” she asked with a bit of confusion.
Anastacia chuckled. “You lost yourself to dad, aren’t you?”
“Huh?” Caroline asked again, but this time with surprise. Is she that obvious? She gazed down at the table and find something that could shift her attention.
“Dad became a great cook when mom died,” Anastacia said. “But, before we can hardly eat his dishes,” she added and laughed.
Benjamin groaned. He turned around and looked at them. “That’s why I tried hard to learn your mom’s dishes, right? I almost couldn’t sleep every night just to perfect her adobo.”
“Really? Wow! How long before you finally perfect the adobo formula?” Caroline curiously asked.
His forehead slightly frowned as he thinks before he answers. “Almost a month?”
Caroline gasped. “For real?”
“Can you imagine what we eat within that month, Tita Caroline?” Anastacia asked, suppressing a smile.
“Anastacia, she doesn’t need to know. Those were part of the past. Today is what important.” Benjamin shyly smiled at her. “I’m sorry if you have to hear those scary stories from our past, Caroline.”
She laughed. “I love horror stories, you know.”
Benjamin groaned in protest that made Anastacia laughed.
“So, Tita Caroline, do you know how to cook?” Anastacia asked suddenly.
Caroline doesn’t know what to answer because she only knew how to cook the best instant noodles of all time. She looked away from Anastacia and tried her best to think of an escape topic. “Oh, by the way, where’s Antonette?”
Anastacia narrowed her eyes to her. “She’s busy with her books upstairs,” she answered and leaned on the table. “Tita Caroline?”
She looked at Benjamin, who was also waiting for her to answer. His lips formed a suppressed grin. Caroline heaved a sigh. “I don’t know how to cook.”
Anastacia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I was so busy with my work that I haven’t had time to learn cooking. Even Hyacinth doesn’t know how to cook.”
Caroline can feel that Benjamin was staring at her. She felt so ashamed of herself. How could she want to be Benjamin’s wife when she doesn’t even know how to cook the rice? Or, also make a perfect sunny-side up?
“It’s okay, Caroline. I can teach you how to cook,” he said in a voice that sounded like a lover’s kiss.
Caroline’s heart started to beat in a particular rhythm that brought peace in her soul and mind. How could a simple person like Benjamin, with no billions of savings, or multi-million properties, and not even a former member of the Bachelor’s Club, make her feel giddy and helplessly in love?
His handsome face smiled at her, a genuine smile that she didn’t see in him when they first met again in Pampanga. As Caroline looked at his smiling face, she realized that something has changed in him. His face was brighter now, compared before that his eyes were always shadowed by sadness. Caroline can tell that Benjamin was becoming a better version of himself now.
And how about her?
*
“Have you tried the best adobo in town?” Benjamin asked Caroline when she joined him in the kitchen after he offered to teach him how to cook.
Caroline chuckled. “I don’t remember the last time that I ate adobo,” she said shyly. “It’s embarrassing, I felt like a foreigner in my own country.”
“It’s alright,” he said as he prepared the onions and garlic. “Can you mince them?”
Her eyes slightly widened when he pushed towards her the chopping board and kitchen knife. “Uh, how? I mean, in what shapes?”
“Was it your first time to hold a kitchen knife?” he asked softly.
Her daughter Anastacia giggled. “Your question sounded like you’re comforting her, dad. Are you afraid that Tita Caroline might get offended?”
Benjamin scowled at his bubbly daughter. “Anastacia, why don’t you go upstairs and help your sister arranged her books on the shelves?”
“Is that a good idea?” she asked that made him shook his head. “I wanted to witness this moment—”
“Anastacia…” Benjamin warned her daughter, who just pouted her lips in dismay. “Please? I just want Caroline to feel comfortable while I’m teaching her.”
Anastacia pursed her lips. “Okay. I’ll be back later.”
As soon Anastacia left the kitchen, Benjamin picked up the onions and sliced it into two. He gave the other half to Caroline and told her to remove the outer skin. After that, he minced the garlic.
“Now, we’re going to sauté onions and garlic in the pan. Can you put some oil, Caroline?”
Caroline picked up the bottle of olive oil, but she hesitated to pour it in the pan. “Uh, how much amount of oil?”
Benjamin smiled. “Just a little. About four drops.”
Caroline’s hand trembled while she slowly pours the oil. Because she was tensed, she transferred too much amount of cooking oil in the pan. “Sorry…” she murmured. But, after just a moment, she stomped her foot and groaned in frustration. “Ah, I’m hopeless!”
“Hey, it’s okay. We can remove the excess oil,” Benjamin said and used a spoon to take out the excess oil. “See? Problem solved.”
Caroline bit her lower lip and gave him an apologetic look. “It makes me feel I’m stupid.”
He stepped closer to her and brushed his arm against hers. “It was really fine, Caroline,” he assured her. “You’ll learn soon.”
“I hope I wasn’t that busy so that I have more time to learn that skill,” she said with a creased eyebrow. “I will enroll in an online cooking class—”
“Why would you choose the online class if I can teach you here personally?” he said matter-of-factly that made Caroline looked up at her.
Benjamin couldn’t help but be flustered by the way she looks at him. It was as if she said something that could change the world.
“Yeah, right,” she whispered and instantly looked away.
Caroline’s abrupt reaction brought curiosity to him. And, he doesn’t like how it felt inside her chest.
Benjamin silently scolded himself for over-thinking. “You must be spoiled to your parents? They always cook for you,” he said instead to clear the awkward atmosphere.
Caroline remained silent. Benjamin thought that maybe she didn’t hear what he said. He tried to think of another question, but as he was about to speak, Caroline looked at him.
“I’m an abandoned child,” she said and smiled. A smile that did not reach her eyes.
Benjamin fell silent, he didn’t expect what she has said. And, for the nth time, she surprised him again.
***
