The Death of Dreams (Frankiana)

Chapter 17

Diana's POV

Umuwi kami sa apartment nya at tinulungan niya akong magluto ng pancit lomi. Gusto niya daw kasing kumain nun for dinner at sakto din para dun ang sangkap na meron kami.

"Ano ba ang sa tingin mo ang wala sa luto mo at meron sa luto ng daddy mo na hinahanap ng mga tao?." Tanong niya sakin.

"Yung secret ingredient? Naku,kung alam ko lang talaga Franki sana hindi na nalugi yung negosyo namin. Trust me, I tried my very best to copy his works pero palaging may kakaiba. I tried any ingredient possible to fit the taste pero hindi ko talaga ma kuha eh. Basta I remember how it taste, di ko lang alam how to cook it and make it taste like how daddy made it."

"Baka naman you're not paying enough attention. Do you watch him when he's cooking?."

"Yes. From the beginning to the end. And I don't see anything unusual with it."

"Ano siguro yun no?."

FLASHBACK

I'm 15. Daddy is teaching me to cook chicken afritada. That's actually his favorite, and one of our best selling dishes.

"Daddy, why is it that your dish taste different when someone else cooks it even if they have followed your exact instructions?."

"Do you know Socrates?."

"Is that the philosopher guy you've been telling me about?."

"Yes, that guy. You see, he's considered as the wisest man."

"Why? Does he know all the answers? Does he also knew what's your secret ingredient?."

"No. But he only knew one thing."

"What is it?."

"Socrates knew that he knows nothing."

"What do you mean?. You just told me that he's the wisest man dad, that doesn't make any sense."

"It's because wisdom for Socrates was not knowing lots of facts, or knowing how to do something. It meant understanding the true nature of our existence, including the limits of what we can know."

"I don't understand it dad. What does it have to do with your dish tasting different from others?."

"I won't tell you. You have to figure that out by yourself. And if you still haven't figure it out, it's okay. People have limits. And remember this, you wouldn't know the answer for your own question if you think that you know a lot."

EOFB

"And until now Franki, I still haven't figured out the answer. What he said was so deep that my tiny lil' brain couldn't comprehend."

Napaisip siya.

"What if there's no real answer for your question?. WHAT IF, your question itself is wrong?. What if there's no real secret ingredient Diana?."

"There is Franki, I know that there is because it's different. It's special."

"That's it! You KNOW. That's what your father is trying to say."

"Ano bang ibig mong sabihin?."

"That you think you know that there is something, where in fact you're just believing that there is when it's not really there. Your brain is tricking you. What if it's not the food that is special? What if you love the food because the one who cooked it is special to you?."

"I don't think that's it Franki. Dad has plenty of costumers too, how would you explain that?."

"Maybe they just loved your dad."

"No Franki, can we please just focus on the food? Lumalayo ka na sa topic eh."

"Pano ba naman kasi? Your dad's wisdom is too much to take in. We're not geniuses you know. Ano ba kasi yang secret ingredient na yan?. How does it taste like ba?."

"To be honest, I don't know. Basta when you eat it, may kakaibang factor."

"So ang hinahanap mo pala isn't taste but a feeling." I thought about what she said for a while. Oo nga no?. What if it's not the taste?. If it is feeling, what is it? Does it involve other senses?. Then what is it?.

KINABUKASAN

We had to go to educational places to brainstorm and form some ideas for the upcoming competition in New Zealand.

We went to some libraries and universities to find more studies about human anatomy and senses. Then lastly, we went back to the museum since I thought that this could give me an additional inspiration since we have to talk about art too when it comes to cooking.

And unexpectedly, we bumped into someone familiar. It's that supernatural researcher, as far as I could remember her name is Mae.

"Oh wow, I didn't expect to see both of you again here. By the way Diana, I saw you in that cooking show in TV. Congratulations. How are you?." Sabi nito.

"Thank you. Well, we're doing good."

"Are you here to look at that painting again?. The Peacemaker?."

"Uhm kind of. She said she needs a bit of inspiration. Ikaw, what are you doing here?." Tanong ni Franki dito.

"Actually, I have new found facts about it. Nagbabasakali lang din na tanggapin ng museum for future explanations and stories about it." Kwento niya.

"Really? You really are devoted to your job ha. Keep it up. And also, we'd like to hear your new discoveries too. Malay natin baka magamit ko pa for my cooking."

"That would be great. Anyway, I have to pass this pa eh. Sige girls, see you both later. Baka mapag-usapan na natin ang mga natuklasan ko." Paalam na nito.

The Peacemaker. Hmm. That's really interesting.

Saglit lang naman si Mae, kaya nagkita kami ulit. Pumunta kami sa isang malapit na coffee shop to talk about certain things.

"So why is it called The Peacemaker?."

"Diana in the painting represents a woman of peace, she wears white that symbolizes purity and peace. At yung background niya na red indicates war. War caused and invented by men. Women are considered as peacemakers because women are more concerned about people. They are mothers. They grow up with children. They are in the homes carrying the burden of the home and family. And according to the painter Mr. Frank Russell here in his journal that, Men needed women than guns to stop a war." Paliwanag niya.

"Wait, where did you get that?." Tanong ni Franki.

"I found out that this is donated kasama nung painting at ididispose na sana ng management ng museum kasi masyado na itong luma at halos di na mabasa, gagastos pa sila ng malaking halaga to restore it kaya hiningi ko nalang kaysa itapon. Marami akong nalaman about sa history ng Philippines dahil dito na magagamit ko for my research."

"How about yung sa top layer ng painting? Bakit baril ang nandun?."

"Good question. I figured that out too. What sir Frank Russell is really trying to say is how men think. They think that guns which represents violence could also end violence, but as time goes by people are realizing that women is the solution of that problem. Not women in a  literal sense but women's strongest ability that a man wouldn't even try to possess."

"What is it?." Franki asked.

"Women's ability to show vulnerability. Men doesn't want to be perceived as weak and helpless, that's why some of them think that it's better to compete than to feel like you're not strong enough to be called a real man. And that's what creates wars, men craving for power."