JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW
She turned around and looked at me.
"Are you okay? My Mom will be here soon; do you want to come with me?" At that moment, I saw her smile. Even though her teeth had chocolate in between them, she was confident enough to smile at me.
"I'm okay; my nanny will come here soon. She might be worried if she didn't see me here."
"Is that so? I'm Ash. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Jacob; you can call me Jacie; that's what my parents and friends called me." We shake hands and play on the seesaw.
Ash and I become friends, and the next few days turn into months. Every Friday I went to their house to play with her, and the next day she was the one who visited me at our house.
We became best friends until one day she suddenly knocked on my door with her parents. I see her hugging her favorite stuffed animal, a panda while looking sad.
My mom invited them to get in. They sat on the couch.
"I know Jacie and Ash were getting long, and it was hard for us to say it to you, Jacie, especially Ash. But we will move out next week and go to our new house in Manila." She got up while bowing down, and her head went on me.
"I will be leaving, but I want you to keep my Panda together with you. I promise and my parents promise me we will always be back here every vacation, Jacie." She hugged me as she gave me her panda.
"Auntie, can I come with you? Mommy, Daddy, I want to come with Ash; let's buy a new house beside them." I pleased my parents, and they looked into each other.
"But Jacob, my work is in here; I don't know if we could make it but don't worry, I will try my best. It's okay that we will be moved next to them."
Dad explained it to me. I look into Ash's eyes and hug her tight.
"I will come with you; don't leave me, best friend." I look into her parent's eyes.
"Please, Auntie and Uncle, let her stay. I don't want my best friend to move out."
But that was the last time I saw her. We only spoke a couple of times, but after that, we lost communication, and she left me behind in the Philippines, waiting for her to come back.
Back to reality: I didn't notice Lance waving his hand in my face.
"Are you okay?" I saw Ashlynn's face in front of me, and I just nodded without knowing what they were saying. I didn't notice that I followed her with my head.
"Bro, what happened to you?" Kai said, checking my forehead to see if it was hot.
"Nothing; something just came up when you mentioned Trevor to them."
"Oh, I thought you suddenly felt not okay, Ashlynn said, who looked worried.
"Sorry, something. I just remember the girl I used to hide from before."
"What is it?"
"I just remember that girl becoming my best friend, but she left me and went to the U.S. for a while. I didn't know where she was right now. But I know she will be fine. She was a strong and independent kid, I know."
"If that's so, then maybe she just forgot to come back or something came up?
"Well maybe, but until then, I was waiting for her to come back. She was still my best friend, and I was longing for us to meet again."
"She would be back soon for sure."
"I hope so."
I just looked down and got busy on my phone, so I will be busy and fly my thoughts around in my head now.
"I felt hungry, Ashlynn said to his brother.
"Let me cook for you." Kai presented himself to cook for us, but suddenly Raphael, Lance, and Jay presented themselves to cook.
I stood up and went to the kitchen.
"I'll cook for you guys." They were suddenly shocked that I would cook for them. It was the first time I cooked for them, but I usually cook in my condo.
"Is he okay? I heard Raphael say to Kai, and he just shrugged his shoulders. Before I start cooking, I first get all the ingredients in the refrigerator.
I looked for pasta, but it seems they didn't have stock. I will just make some pasta for the recipe I will cook.
I make a nest of flour on the table with five eggs in the middle. I scrape the flour into the egg quickly, then I knead the dough lightly floured until it gets smooth.
I roll the dough using my hand and sprinkle some flour before I roll the rolling pin into the dough, and when I am satisfied with the thickness, I cut the strips into strips to form pasta.
I start cooking the cream cheese pasta. I put water in the large pot and let it boil. Before I put some oil on and throw the pasta in the pot.
I first cooked the sauce for my pasta. I sauteed the garlic in olive oil until it was fragrant. When I get it fragrant, I add the cream cheese and pasta cooking water and stir it well.
I drain and add the pasta to the skillet. Toss until well combined, and serve it with extra parmesan cheese, black pepper, and a good drizzle of olive oil.
After I finish cooking the pasta.
"Do you guys want spicy chicken?
"Sure!" They answered in consort.
I marinate the chicken with a teaspoon of sesame oil, light soy sauce, ginger and garlic paste, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. And set it aside and start making the sauce mixture for the Korean spicy chicken of mine.
I get the Korean chili paste from the refrigerator and put it in the bowl. I add two tablespoons of Korean chili paste, three tablespoons of kitchen, two tablespoons of honey, and a tablespoon each of lemon juice and sesame oil. Before I add three tablespoons of water. And let it boil, and when I get the consistency that I want, I set it aside and get a large pot, and put oil in it.
I add one egg to the marinated chicken, mix well, coat the chicken with corn flour, and toss the excess flour out before frying.
I put back the sauce, lowered the heat, and added the chicken pieces, mixing well to combine the sauce. When the sauce finally gets absorbed by the chicken, I transfer it to the plate and sprinkle it on the toasted sesame I saw earlier in the refrigerator. I garnished it with chili flakes and sliced spring onions.
I get the pot from the rice cooker, put four cups of water in it, and rinse it before I wash it again and put in the right ratio of water. I measured it with my fingers. And put it in the rice cooker and let it cook.
Lastly, the Tres Leches cake for the dessert
I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I spray and flour a 10-inch cake pan with two-inch-high sides, line it with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper.
I mixed the one-and-a-half cups of all-purpose flour in a medium bowl and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using the electric mixer with the whisk attachment, I whip the egg whites until frothy. While the mixer is running, I gradually add the sugar and beat it to stiff peaks. Beat in the yolks one at a time, blending well after each addition. I add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the whole milk in two additions.
I pour the batter into the prepared pan, set it aside, and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about thirty minutes. The cake should cool slightly for about ten minutes, then invert onto a platter with one-inch-high sides.
Pierce the top of the cake all over with a thick skewer, and mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, one cup of heavy cream, and orange liqueur in a medium bowl. I poured the mixture over the cake while it was warm. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
I place the chicken, rice, and even the pasta on the table.
"Woah, have you done this all?"
I nodded at Kinch; they were all drooling and getting up to sit and get their plates and put some pasta and rice in the kitchen.
As they took a bite of the chicken, they even tried to take a bite of the pasta. Their eyes widen open, and they look into me. Kai and Raphael have shaken me since I was in the middle of them.
"Dude, why didn't you cook for us if I just knew I would crave your dish every day?" Raphael said.
"Then I won't cook."
"You should cook for them every day," Ashlynn said.