Regret

Kapitulo treinta y cuatro

Irene's POV

Cooking is supposed to be relaxing, right? I mean, everyone says it can be therapeutic and stuff. So I thought, why not teach Ely how to cook? It's about time she learned, right? Hindi naman pwedeng forever ang iba ang magpapakain sa kanya, di ba?

So here we are in the kitchen, ready to tackle the basics. And I mean basics. How to crack eggs—simple, classic, beginner-friendly. Or so I thought.

"Okay, Ely," I said, giving her the most encouraging smile I could muster. "Let's start with something super easy. Scrambled eggs! You just crack the egg, separate the yolk from the white, whisk, and boom! Pasta is served."

"Got it, Ms. No problem," she said with so much confidence that I actually thought, Okay, maybe this won't be so bad after all. Maybe she really could handle it.

She grabbed the egg and prepared to crack it, her brows furrowed in concentration. I watched, ready to offer guidance if needed, pero guess what happened?

She cracked the egg—success! But then, instead of separating the yolk and putting it in the bowl, Ely dumped the yolk right into the trash bin.

"WHAT?! HAHAHAHA!" I couldn't help it. I bursted out laughing, the sound echoing in our kitchen.

"Ely! The yolk goes into the bowl, not the trash! Yung shell ang tinatapon, not the egg!"

Ely just stared at me, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe the egg yolk was now chilling in the trash bin instead of her bowl. "Ms! What the heck just happened?!"

I had to grip the counter for support because I was laughing so hard. "Ely, ano ba 'to! Sablay agad!" I said, wiping tears from my eyes. "Sige, try again. Practice makes perfect!"

"Pero bakit ganon? I thought I had it! Gosh, paano ko magagawa 'to? Hindi ako marunong mag-luto! It's a disaster," she groaned, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Kaya nga practice, anak! Don't worry, you'll get better. Kung kaya ng iba, kaya mo rin." I gave her another egg, hoping this one would survive the ordeal.

She took a deep breath and cracked it again, this time making sure the shell landed in the trash and the yolk in the bowl. "Oh my gosh, success!" Ely beamed, like she just won a gold medal.

"Congratulations, Ely! One egg down, a thousand more to go," I teased, still giggling from earlier.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Okay, next step?"

"Next, whisk it! Huwag mo nang isipin ang science behind it. Just beat it until it's all mixed up," I instructed.

"Okay," Ely said, grabbing the whisk, but instead of gently mixing the egg, she whisked it like it owed her money, splattering egg whites everywhere.

I gasped, trying not to laugh again. "Hey, anak! Ely, kalma lang! Hindi yan marathon whisking contest. Gentle lang. Look, parang ganito." I showed her the proper way to whisk, my voice still shaking from holding back my laughter.

She sheepishly handed me the whisk. "Sorry, Ms. I got carried away."

I gave her a playful glare. "Carried away? Ely, mukha ka nang naglilinis ng banyo sa dami ng egg splatters mo!"

We both laughed, and I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my chest. Despite all the sabaw moments, this was fun. I love these little moments with her. It's not often na magkakaroon kami ng bonding time like this.

After the whisking fiasco, we finally got to the actual cooking. I guided Ely as she poured the eggs into the pan. "Just keep stirring it gently. Don't let it stick to the bottom," I reminded her.