Episode 0-6 Aftermath (7)
Saturday
I wake up early as usual and see Ken going out of the room. All the people besides the two of us are still sleeping as I knock the room where the girls are and no one is hearing it so better not to disturb since they were drunker last night while Ken woke up by the loud snoring by the trio.
"I'll make breakfast before I go to do my morning routine, what do you want?"
"You're still doing that even you're still in therapy? Man, you're that damn tough huh. I'll help you then so it can be done faster."
"Well, the therapy is tiring than exercise I do every morning. If you're helping then let's prep now so we can early before 7 am.
Just like what he said, It so damn faster because we prep the ingredients half the usual time I do this alone. Scrambled eggs, Sautéed corned beef; Chicken salad, and Garlic Rice enough for 8 people. First, we don't have rice left last night so we improvise it by cooking rice at the rice cooker then sauté many chopped garlic in olive oil until golden brown to put in newly cooked rice then mix it.
The second was the scrambled eggs and corned beef, it's a simple scramble 3 egg mix with a pinch of salt in butter in the pan and fold it like a French omelet in a pan then put it at the plate, as I do it four more times to make 5 omelets While I put enough butter in the same pan again to put some garlic and sweat the shallots before the garlic to have a golden color. I open 4 cans of corned beef and dump it to the pan, mixing then simmering in low heat until it dries up evaporating the liquids in the corned beef.
Lastly, Ken handles the Chicken salad which I have on the fridge. Seasoned chicken strips I make last Sunday, lettuce, cucumber cut into small strips together with carrots, and put his favorite he found in my fridge; crabsticks. He mixes it up with sesame mayo mix I bought some time ago in the international section at the supermarket and its fucking good though, never doubt Japan made mayonnaise. He volunteered to do the garlic and oil onto rice when the rice is cooked.
When the rice cooker rings that it is cooked then he picks up the rice pan out of the rice cooker then mixes the garlic and the olive oil gradually -where the garlic is cooked. The instant Garlic rice, it's lazy but so easy.
We are the first ones to eat while I tell Ken that wake them up later since they are drunk last night so we are quietly eating and munch up some of the salad Ken did, he put the right amount of dressing in the salad that's why I like the salad the most in the meal.
I did my routine at 6:44 am, when I was jogging I see Tito Emman and surprised because I'm late this morning. Usually, I train on or before 5 am while Tito Emman starts in 7 so we rarely meet in the morning.
"Maribelle slept in your home last night, I'll assume that she goes drunk again," Tito said surely to his thoughts as we are in the outdoor center of the Lavida where all the court is located and also some open spaces to do some exercises
"Yeah, my friends and colleagues at work came last night and she still sleeping soundly right now," I said as I'm almost to my sit-ups.
"That's what she said to me when she calls me yesterday, she was so happy to see Charice that day though."
"Well, your daughter is busy these past weeks. She will only have to start her vacation today because of the embezzlement related to the real estate."
"Yeah, she was affected because her clients are worried at that time. Oh, I forgot, sorry for the other day."
"It's oka-, wait what are you being sorry for?" I said to him as if he did something wrong, even though I don't remember anything.
"About the Baltazar guy." When he said it, I remember it now.
"Nah, it's okay. At least I got to ate Tita Maribeth's roast beef."
"You're Goddamn right about that. Still can't top that." He said agreeing to what I said.
"Did Maribelle said to you that I spend Christmas Eve with your family?" I ask him with caution.
"Ah! She said that to me. So it will be sure there will be roast beef but she will be the one who cooks it as a surprise for you."
"Whoa! Really, and you said that to me right now? You spoiled the surprise!" I'm laughing right now; Tito Emman is such a killjoy.
"*Laughs* well, I'm happy that she will cook because Belle is rarely cooking at home once she starts working at the company so it's my fault on this one, I slip my tongue on that one." As he scratch on the back of his head.
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8:40 as I look in my watch when I go to my house and so the kitchen clean while Ken is sitting at the kitchen stool both feet up in the kitchen marble table watching on his phone.
"Hey, where are the others?" I ask him
"They slept after we ate and cleaned up the dishes and tables, they're still groggy especially Maribelle."
"Oh well that her anyway, just stay here until the night. Do you have some clothes when you got here last night?"
"Yes, of course, we have 2 cases of beer so they pack clothes before going here. Maybe at noon, they will take a shower since they slept right after."
"I will call my dad using my computer after I take a bath, you want to meet him."
"Tito JD? Sure, it's been a while he met him. The last time I saw him was not that good." He said to me, what I thought about that is the quarrel between my Mom that Maribelle saw during my coma. Jon Dominique is his first name so that's why Ken called him JD
"You saw that too with Maribelle?"
"Yeah." He dismissingly said to me that he didn't want to remember.
"Okay, I'll take a bath then we both call my dad."
"I'll turn on your pc and browse there. What time will you call Tito JD?"
"10."
"Noted."
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I saw the encryption application that my dad made and install it before I make the call him at 9:50 am at the time I saw on my PC.
The Encrypted call was made automatically only to Dad. "Hello 'nak."
"Hi, Dad." At the same time as "Hello Tito." Of Ken said.
"Whoa Ken, you're at Jon's home too." Dad
"Yea, we had an overnight here. Some are in the rooms, sleeping as we are talking now." Ken
"Should be okay to Ken listen to our discussion?"
"Doesn't matter since this encrypted call anyway, let's start?" Dad
---- -----
"I don't want to make this a long conversation; the capsule that I will send to you is different from the ones you find in the market."
"Did you tweak something or such in the one you made?" Ken
"I did something there to make it powerful and sync in the brain. First, I notice that they didn't make something in the headgear of the capsule which they didn't make the pain receptors included in the synchronization. Second I make it more powerful and you will notice it when you play any capsule games you found."
"Well, the first one is the reason why they didn't include it because it will put a strain on the player but the second one is got me intrigued. What did you do to make it powerful?"
"Let me take this analogy. The computer has a graphics card to play some games right? I did make like that which is called 'Graphics Block' which is connected to the graphics component to the capsule it will not be detected and include the brain scanner in the headgear to have perfect sync when you dive so you can't feel the difference."
"Wow, Tito. You did it conveniently but I'm still confused why it is a military issue if you include only 2 functions that can buy individually at the market?" Ken
"What you buy in the market is only unlocks 25 percent of the synchronization and the graphics component are monopolized by the companies so you can't put any custom made one UNLESS if you know where is the detection component in the capsule, I connect it the 3 of them and tada! Custom - made but legal hehe."
"Oh my God, that is so you Tito." Ken laughs and I facepalm to my forehead. Yeah anybody can't do that if you're the one closely related to making the capsule which is him.
"When will you send the capsule so I can anticipate it."
"Umm, I already sent it when you call me during lunch. It will be there on Tuesday, Merry Christmas I guess." When he said that, Ken and I just laugh it off. Dad thinks that I buy a gaming capsule so he forcefully sends his capsule he made so I don't have a choice but to use it, THAT IS SO HIM to the point it is laughable. He is such a stubborn old man.
"Jon will use it when he downloads GAIA in the capsule." Ken looks at my dad laughing but stops when he realizes "Why is it Tuesday? Based on my experience it should be on Friday because of customs and such."
"I call someone with a high position in the US air force to send it to the Philippines immediately, it should be faster than Tuesday since it will connect to the Philippine Air Force and deliver it to you."
"HAHAHA!! I swear Customs will be mad at you again, Jon." Ken
"Yeah, I can see that." I and customs have a love-hate relationship ever since when Dad came to the US. He sends some things can't be checked by customs that's why some of them suspiciously wary of me because if it's illegal drugs or some shit. Let's say this is a common occurrence.
"Oh well thank you, Dad, I appreciate the thought but at what cost?"
"Nah. It's just customs, let the army handle that one." This will be the second one since the last one he did which is he send my CPU, there was the Department of customs employee is watching from afar for days from the Village because he can't enter when I tell them I don't know him. Before they enter the Lavida, the guards call me when someone is coming by name so it's a sad day for the employee, I pity him though.
"You know what Tito, you always made my day happier on things you do." Ken knows because I told everything that happens when my dad sends something to me and it is skipping its jurisdiction by the DOC.
"Thank you, Ken." He plainly said to Ken.
"Well it's getting late there, you're early at work right?"
"Yeah, it's almost 11 pm here." Dad
"Wait, I forgot. What brand of gaming capsule to buy?"
"WHAT! You're still buying!?"He said to me annoyed with what I said.
"Well, Maribelle will buy a gaming capsule." Ken giggly said to my Dad, I glare at him and punch him in the shoulder. "Ouch!"
"Oh! Who's Maribelle? Is she the only princess of the Montemayor Family? You've got to be kidding me right? The one I saw in the hospital?"
"You're correct Tito." Ken
"She will buy a gaming capsule because she got intrigued in the GAIA game which they will release the ALPHA by next weekend."
My Dad's eyes widened of what I said "Oh come on! You will date with her on diving into the game, you should've ---- *sighs* we need to talk about this next time. I need to sleep, I will not forget this, and we need to talk about how you date huh. Just buy the Tri-Gon one, sige bye." He disappointedly said and ends the call.
I glare at Ken who is biting his whole lower lip containing himself not to laugh but his big cheeks evident that he stops too much air in his mouth so punch him a few times that made his laugh out loud in the living room.
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They woke up and took a bath already when they all go out of the rooms and started hugging me one by one. I don't know why they did it; it feels the care between the hugs they give to me.
"Hey, what time we will go to the mall to buy capsule?" Maribelle asks me.
"I already bought you one online so don't worry about it, it's the best one out there."
That's when I hear a lot of silent wheezing around me and sees Maribelle's death glare at me then snobs me after and exhales.
They spend their early lunch by eating the foods we ate last night here at my house and leave while Maribelle is snubbing me. Then I take my bicycle out and said "What did I do again?"
She still snobs me as I ride her home saying sorry to her along the way.
When I drop her off, I bid goodbye to her. "See you tomorrow I guess?" and ignores me going to the front door in her home
"Oh! Miss Maribelle snobs you today, what happened?" Mang Toñya, the maid asks me then tell her what happened earlier and she laughs
"Haha! You slowpoke sir, why did you that?"
"It's more convenient that way so I did it."
I said that to her, she widened her eyes at me and discovers something that she shouldn't say. "You're right about that but –"She didn't complete on what she will say and follow with "Well, give her a day or two. She will be okay, goodbye sir!" she dismissingly said to me
I'm confused about what she said but I just ignored it I go home preparing myself to leave to go to therapy.