"Wow, new car." He shook hands with his cousin who is his Aunt's son who doesn't like me. I
was just behind Navi and Navi's Mom sat next to me and put her arms around me and was
smiling.
"My son, Navi is really big. It's not like before when I was with him in the office every time he
came home from school." I also put my arm around Tita and we walked inside their house,
because all their guests were outside.
Tita walked with me to the kitchen and I smiled and pinned my hair, fixed my apron. The
chicken wings and the ingredients for the lasagna were brought out. "Aunt, I'm going to cook
you lasagna and chicken wings. So you won't be sad." I winked at it and Tita laughed, handing
over the wine that was in their pantry.
I also took a wine glass and Tita sat on the high stool and watched me prepare and drink wine as
well. "That is one of the reasons why I love you son, Navi will never go hungry with you. You
know how to cook and Navi loves to eat pasta and chicken." Tita took a sip from the glass of
wine and played with the glass in her hand.
"Mama is always busy, we don't have a maid either so I learned to cook for myself, Navi is the
first person who tasted my cooking. He said that my carbonara is delicious so I like cooking even
more." I heated up the frying of bacon and Aunt looked at my bruised hand.
"You don't talk much about your parents." I looked at Aunt and I took a sip from the glass of
wine. Add olive oil to the pan and wait for it to heat up.
"My parents are not in love with each other. Papa just got Mama pregnant. But Papa's real
girlfriend is Mama's sister. Aunt Amelie, and their relationship is not that well, so Papa is busy
with work while Mama, I don't know where she went wherever she wanted." I put the bacon in
the pan and the fire is low.
I chopped other ingredients and ground meat that I took out earlier. Soaked chicken wings. "I
never see my parents falling in love, because usually Mama and Papa fight each other. After that,
Mama would come to my room, slap me and hurt me. I can't ask for help. I don't want Mama to
be embarrassed and find out someone else has been hurting me since then, that's why I've been
away from Mama ever since," I explained and I cam clearly see that Tita is worried at me now.
"I told you, you can stay at home. I just don't want your Mama and I to have issues, that is also
the reason why I want both of you to get married soon. Because son, I know that you are going
through something and you are not just telling me." Tita stood next to me and poured my wine
glass which was now empty.
"Really aunty, when I finish my college and then I want Navi to propose on her own, not just
someone else pushing her. I'm afraid I'll be like Mama and Papa." I turned off the stove and
leaned against the counter and sipped at the wine glass.
"I love Navi, but I can't say if she is the same for me. She will see many others, and I don't want
to stop her from what she wants."
Every night, I keep thinking about this thing, because it's true that nothing is permanent in this
world, and if I'm still here until the end it's good, but I can't see myself staying in a relationship
with only one person the one who loves.
"That's impossible hija, Navi loves you very much. And I know and know my son. No matter
what his Aunt tries to do with Margaret, he says no. So don't worry. You're the only one Navi
loves. " Tita smiled and her face showed that she was going to tell me the truth. I already know
that, but what about next time. Am I still, I have confidence in Navi and me, but at the time there
was nothing.
"Aunt really, go ahead." Aunt kissed me and toasted me, turned off the pasta I was softening and
drained the water from the boiled pasta. Tita watches me every step I take.
Tita was about to say something when we turned to the entrance of the kitchen, with Navi's Aunt
Margaret in a red dress and posture. I pulled back and Navi's Mama patted my back, left me there
and kissed Margaret.
"Lorina, accompany Margaret there first, because she's embarrassed to give the gift to Navi."
Navi's Aunt looked at me and now raised her eyebrows at me. "Alright, you'll be there first. I'll
dress Navi first and that kid hasn't changed his clothes yet."
They finally left and Navi's Aunt was left by my side, looking at the prepared ingredients on the
counter. I recoiled when he looked at the pasta.
"Your pasta is over cooked, when you put it in the oven it is too soft. Your bacon is also over
toasted, it will be bitter when you make toppings for the lasagna, no one will eat what you
cooked like that and it is bitter." He also looked at the sauce I was going to use and raised his
eyebrows.
"That sauce is not a pure tomato. I know my Navi. He doesn't like that kind of sauce. He won't
eat that, if he eats it, he's only forced." I stepped back and tipped the wine glass.
"The one you broke, I gave that gift to Lorina. It's from France, so you're just going to break it?"
I just turned away so I couldn't see his face, I was crying and anytime I would fall to tears from
what I was hearing.
