Martin Kyung headed to the abandoned house where Louis was being held captive. Jennifer trailed him from afar without being noticed. She stood by the window outside to see what was going on from inside.
" Sir, you're back! He hasn't eaten anything today either". The man reported back to Martin.
Martin approached the boy and handed him the bento box. He stared at it in utter confusion.
" You said you wanted homemade cuisine last time, didn't you?"
…
" I got you what you asked for. Now, eat up!" He spoke.
Louis opened the bento box and sensing the fragrance and aroma, he recognized the characteristics of what composed his mother's homemade cooking. He took the first bite and silent tears started flowing from his jaws to his cheeks. Martin looked at him with ecstasy.
" Thank you! Thank you so much!" He thanked him tearfully.
…
" I thought I would never get to have my mom's cooking again, but you made it happen, so thank you! I'll never forget this favor". He uttered tearfully.
Martin heads out of the room without a word. Seeing that he was coming, Jennifer hid. Fortunately, he didn't see her as he left the abandoned house.
( Why does he look so disturbed? This guy is getting weirder and weirder by the minute).
At the Esperanza Restaurant, Mrs. Jennifer was in the kitchen wondering whether her son had eaten the bento box or not. She wasn't focusing on her cooking at all as her focus was elsewhere. Lucas came to her, startling her and bringing back her focus to her cooking.
" Mrs. Evangelina, why were you spaced out earlier? What were you thinking about so intensely?" He asked.
" I was thinking about Louis. I was wondering whether he had eaten the bento box I had sent out to him and if he liked it or not. Did he recognize my cooking? Does he know it came from me, from his mother? What expression did he make as he had the first bite? Was it good or not? There are so many questions popping through my head that I'm unable to focus on anything else". She admitted.
" Jennifer will be back soon and give you the answers to all the questions you have. You shouldn't stress because of that because stressing won't do you any good". Lucas spoke.
" Exactly!" Lucas reacted to the voice and turned around to see Jennifer at the entrance of the kitchen.
" Jennifer, you're back?" He uttered.
" Yes, I'm back! Didn't I say I wouldn't take long? I kept my promise". I entered the kitchen and joined Mrs. Evangelina and Lucas.
" How did it go? There weren't any mishaps, right?" She asked.
Jennifer made her report to Mrs. Evangelina. She told him how she met Martin and made him believe the bento box was a delivery to a customer and also how she followed him to the abandoned house. Mrs. Evangelina was delighted when Jennifer told her that Louis had enjoyed and recognized her cooking at the first bite.
" Did that answer all of your questions?" I asked.
" Yes! Yes, it did! Thank you for delivering the bento box to him. Thank you so much, Jennifer!" She hugged me tearfully.
" You don't need to thank me, Mrs. Evangelina! Anyone else at my place would have certainly done the same thing". I whispered.
She let go of me and said: " No, they wouldn't! They wouldn't have done what you did for us".
Sarah came into the kitchen and saw her mother tearfully crying and ran to her.
" What's wrong, Mom? Why are you crying?" She asked.
" Nothing's wrong". She answered.
" But, you're crying". She uttered, unable to believe her mother's words.
" These tears are tears of joy. Jennifer just told me how Louis liked the bento I had sent out to him and how he even recognized my cooking at the first bite". She narrated the event to her daughter.
" Thank you so much, Jennifer! You brought a smile on the lips of my mom which I haven't been able to do with just a simple action on your part. Thank you!" She thanked Jennifer as she smiled joyfully.
After my report, I helped out at the restaurant by tending to the customers' needs. Together, working as a team, we were done in no time. Two hours later, it was closing time. We closed the restaurant and headed home.
( Today has been a hectic day. A lot happened but thankfully, things went smoothly and that's all that matters).
I was in my room resting when I heard knocks on the door. I went to open the door and to my surprise, it was Lucas.
" Lucas, is there something you need?" I asked.
" Do you have a minute? There's something I have to discuss with you". He uttered.
" Yes! Wait for me in the living room and I'll be right there with you in a sec".
" Okay!" He went to the living room to wait for me.
( What does he want to talk about so late into the night?)
I joined him two minutes later and sat opposite him in the living room, waiting for him to speak his mind.
" Jennifer!"
" Huh?"
" It's about the plan we discussed together with Mrs. Evangelina and Sarah the other day". He spoke.
( The plan! Why is he bringing up the plan so suddenly?)
" What about it?"
" When are we going to execute it? The sooner, the better, don't you think?" He asked.
…
" Did you wake me up just to talk about this?"
" Yes!" He nodded.
" Couldn't we discuss it tomorrow? Was it necessary to have this discussion so late into the night?"
" We don't have time to talk these days. Between the restaurant and everything else, we barely have time to talk anymore. Sorry if I bothered you while you were resting!" He apologized.
" Were you lonely by any chance?" I asked him straightforwardly.
…
" Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
…
" Do you like my company? Do you enjoy conversing with me daily?"
" Yes! I like your company and also conversing with you daily and if you'd like to know the reason why, that's because we're friends. I see you as a friend and I hope the feeling is reciprocal". He answered.
" Yes, it is! Regarding the plan, let's wait a bit more before deciding when to execute it!"
" Why?" He asked.
" I can't tell you anything now but trust me on this. I promise to tell you everything soon".
" Okay!" He smiled joyfully.
The following morning, after having breakfast and getting ready for the restaurant, Mrs. Evangelina noticed that we were almost out of the majority of some ingredients.
" Jennifer, would you mind running an errand for me?" She asked.
" Of course not! What do you need?"
She gave me a list of ingredients she would require. The ingredients she requested were different types of spices.
" I'll take care of it, don't worry!"
" Thank you!" She thanked me as I headed out for the supermarket.
At the supermarket, after buying all the ingredients needed for Mrs. Evangelina, I turned back to leave, and then, I felt pressure on my hand.
I turned back to see who was the one holding my hand and saw—-------------
" Martin, it's you! What a coincidence?"