Juan returned home and told his old man and mom the good news. He also told them that Art would be coming today to have a barbecue party in the open backyard for today's celebration. At the same time, he told them that he didn't want this news to go viral.
Naturally, his parents knew long ago how his thinking and behavior were, so they agreed readily. At the same time, they decided to postpone their ideas of boasting to their relatives and neighbors about their son finally getting a job.
Juan didn't have a house or a plot of land to build his own house. He wasn't independent and still had to live with his family, even at this age, which he found awful. Others already had an income, while he still had to leech and listen to the elderly every day.
He really wanted to immediately escape from this prison called home and live his life the way he wanted. And the life that he wants is a peaceful and quiet life, with some loudness occasionally appearing before him and lighting up the silent night.
Because of poverty, their house only has one floor, and it has a roof made of galvanized iron sheet with holes filled with gum and cellophane as cover. Every day, at noon, the house would be baking hot, making it not suitable to stay in to take a nap.
That's why, almost every day, no one stayed at the house. Instead, his parents will always be with the neighbors, watching movies, gossiping, or boasting about the children they were raising. As for Juan, since there is a small store built in front of the house,
He would always stay there as the storekeeper as well as the stay-at-home man. But from tomorrow on, that will change. Juan immediately took off his clothes and put them on the dryer before changing into his casual clothes.
A pale brown shirt with some tatters on the side and back clearly caused by some rats or pest eating. A pale gray short that clearly shows how old it was. Stepping out of the house, he wore his slippers before returning inside to the poor-looking kitchen.
He took out the barbecue screen and match for lighting a fire. Then he left the house and went around it. Their backyard was facing the small mango forest not far away. The setting sun's remaining orange-yellow light pierced through the eaves, giving him a mystical feeling about the place.
"Juan! What are you doing?" Suddenly, a young man's call came from the second floor of the house of his neighbor. His name is Draw, another buddy who grows up with him. Because of the poor financial situation he was in.
He didn't continue his studies after graduating senior high school to help his family financially. The only reason Juan could continue his studies at the university was due to the help of his parents, partially and mostly because of the scholarship from the municipal government, for which he was thankful.
"Draw! Come, we will be having some barbecue tonight. You can call your parents and siblings too." Juan shouted back as he invited him to join the fun. Although Juan hated crowd parties, it was because there might be unknown people coming with them that he hated those kinds of occasions.
However, calling his neighbors in isn't a bad thing. Draw's eyes lit up when he heard there was going to be a free dinner to have. He hurriedly said before coming down, "Wait for me! I just hope you have enough to fill my belly!"
Juan laughed, "Of course!" While he shouted that back, Art arrived with sauces and five kilograms of pork's meat. "How much is it? It's my celebration. I should pay."
Art shook his head as he took a basin beside him and put all the pork there. "There's no need; it's your celebration. So this is my gift for you. Not to mention, I'm the one who suggested the barbeque."
Juan shook his head and said, "At least, let me pay for the half. I don't want my conscience to keep bugging me all day."
"Alright, that is acceptable." Art nodded. It's not good to force things out. After all, he knew Juan all along, and he hated to receive too much kindness without the ability to give something back. It would eat his mind all day.
After paying half the cost, Draw finally arrived with his three siblings and his parents. Juan's mother and father also just arrived as they helped make the fire and arrange the screens above.
Art's parents also arrive, helping them cook the rice and make sauce for the barbecue. Draw's siblings help clean the meat before marinating it with some condiments and sauce.
When all the preparations were done, the only bulb lighting the backyard finally shone its light on the slowly darkening surroundings. Juan saw that they didn't have enough light on the eating table, so he took out the flashlight at home that can light up for five hours, something bright like that of the motorcycle's front bulb.
Everyone immediately smiled, seeing the surroundings become much brighter amidst the night. Soon, the first piece of meat was put on the screen and started making a sizzling noise as well as emitting a mouth-watering aroma, causing them to unconsciously gulp a mouthful of saliva.
Juan, Draw, and Art were no exception. Even the siblings of the latter two on the other side were staring intently at the meat. Since barbecuing took a lot of time, they started talking about the past and recent news from the city or their other classmates, who knew where they were now.
The parents naturally won't disturb them as they form their own group to chit-chat about topics. Even the news of Juan finally having a job can't escape the nature of the parents boasting. However, their neighbors were only surprised and looked at them with envy.
Although Juan felt uncomfortable knowing that he wanted it to be kept to only them and even gave them reminders to avoid spreading the news, The neighbor was asking what the occasion was, and after some inner decision, they still slipped it out of their mouths.
Juan was silent and only smiled as he thanked his uncles and aunts for their enthusiastic praise of his achievements. He sighed, knowing that the news would soon spread. He should have known the lips of his parents weren't to be trusted since he was young.
It's okay, though, as this is the only time he would do this to make them happy. Let them bask in the joy of success while their son works hard and thinks of tomorrow. Art and Draw knew Juan was thinking, so they just patted him at the side and talked about who's lady is going to be married from their high school class this year.
"Now that you said it, I did hear some news about one of your crushes. Did you already hear about Mylyn's wedding?" Draw said it calmly out of the blue; he made sure to lower his tone so that only Art and Juan would hear it.
Art's eyes immediately seem to have remembered something: "Right, I did hear that. Apparently, she got a boyfriend, who is her co-employee at her workplace, this year and soon got engaged. The wedding seems to be next week. I wonder if she would send us invitations." His eyes darted at Juan to see his reaction.
Draw was also paying close attention to Juan. After all, it was the only lady among his crushes that Juan had the courage to confess but unfortunately got busted instead. Looking at their eyes, clearly waiting for his reaction, Juan chuckled as he shook his head.
"What? Come on, don't bring my shameful, dark history in front of me right now. Remembering those things I've done in the past just to impress that kind of love makes me want to hide in a hole and not come out." Juan calmly spoke, his eyes on the embers of the fire.
Draw and Art looked at each other and said, "You still love her?" The former said it softly. Art patted Juan's shoulder in comfort at Juan's silent confirmation.
Indeed, Juan still loves her. Well, men's love never disappeared, even with time. If they found a new one, that means it was greater than the past suppression of the lower ones.
A while later, Juan changed the topic to that of the other successful stunt in the circus in the city this week. He didn't want to delve too much into love and women this time. Focusing on his goals would make him happy, while thinking about family would just make his heart heavy because of responsibilities.
So why not throw that notion away and think positively? "I'm free this weekend; how about we go to the circus and have fun?" Juan thought about it and decided to call his classmates, who were also free, to have fun that day.
Draw nodded and said, "I'm free too. Should we call on the others?" Art agreed, saying, "We should; it will be too lonely if it's only the three of us always." "I planned to call them, too. Let's contact the ones in the city then." Juan thought and said.
"Doesn't it matter about gender?" Art asked softly. Juan nodded. "It will be good if there are ladies too. That way, it will be more fun." Draw suddenly thought of something as he said, "What about their lovers? Will they also be invited?"
Juan and Art looked at each other before the latter said after some thought. "It's alright, I think." As their talks continue to lengthen, the night is covered by light pollution in the sky that prevents them from seeing too many stars above.
They received a cue at the side that the barbecue was ready to be eaten. "Careful, it's hot, everyone." Juan smiled seeing everyone stare as they picked their own cooked meat to eat. He picked up a plate and a spoon before filling them with still-hot rice from the big pot.
Draw and the others also followed suit, while Juan took three pieces of meat and dipped them in the sauce made by the parents before sitting back on the ground where he had sat a while ago. Soon, Art and Draw also came with a plate full of rice and still sizzling meat, plus sauce on the side.
They looked at each other and smiled. It was a happy occasion today. And Juan didn't let them return home without burping once or twice. However, because of the work tomorrow, Juan, Draw, and Art return home to rest for the day.
The parents, seeing that time still hasn't made them want to sleep, continue their chitchat and laughter. Unfortunately, the young ones playing on the sidelines were not on that list. They were sent back to sleep early as they still have school tomorrow to attend to.
Poor children; they can only return home unwillingly to sleep early. Even if they grumbled as they walked, they could do nothing under the menacing gaze of their mother and father. The parents looked at one another before they chuckled.
Such is the life of a parent; they can only find joy in gossiping or bullying their own children.
The next day arrived, and Juan was woken up by his smartphone's alarm clock. He opened his sleepy eyes forcefully; the drowsiness was overwhelming him. Although he really wanted to continue sleeping like always. Starting today, that behavior won't be good.
4 AM.
Juan stood away from the bed with his phone before using the smartphone's LED light on the walls. With a click, the bulb lit up to illuminate his surroundings. Opening the window beside him, he saw that the surroundings were still dark and quiet.
Only the light bulb on the side shone to illuminate the path leading out towards the road. Juan softly closed the window and locked it before leaving his room. After switching the light on in the kitchen, he started cooking for breakfast.
Rice was rinsed three times before the water got cleared for the pot to be ready to bathe in flame. In the kitchen, there is a square-like kiln thing with no lid. Inside was a three-legged metal stand called 'sug-angan' in his country for supporting a cooking vessel.
After starting a fire using a match and firewood he got from the forest in front of the backyard, he checked the pot's position and the blaze of the fire. Seeing that it was good and not too fierce for a heat, he stepped on the sink and cleaned the three chicken eggs from the tray before cleaning them.
Tomatoes were also cleaned and sliced into pieces before being put into a bowl. Another two eggs were cleaned aside from the initial two that were to be boiled. These two were then cracked open above the bowl with the tomatoes. The egg yolk and white poured down.
Throwing the empty cracked shells into the bin, Juan took a pork chop from the side and opened up the jar with salt. Scooping some salt he felt was right for pork, he mixed it with the eggs and tomatoes in the bowl.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Naturally, that won't be enough. He took out some seasoning from the side and took some out to mix in the bowl. There's also the spring onion, chopped into pieces before mixing.
After that, he prepared an empty pot and filled it with three cups of water. Putting it aside, he walked out of the house, and at the side of the backyard was a garden. Eggplants, carrots, potatoes, peanuts, Moringa oleifera, Chinese cabbages, as well as some tomatoes.
Juan took them from their respective plants before leaving the place. He looked up at the sky, and it was still dark. However, the dark sky seems to have changed, albeit not too noticeably. "The sky is lighting up. I need to hurry."
Juan returned to the house and locked it before walking back to the kitchen. The pot cooking the rice was already letting out bubbling sounds when he arrived. Juan immediately opened the lid and saw that the water had already receded greatly.
Each grain of rice was cooked somewhat fat and glistening with some sparkle because of moisture. He immediately lifted it up and put it in another 'sug-angan' where there's no fire; instead, what's below are only embers.
Closing it with the lid, he turned to the side and took out another pot, which he filled with three cups of water before putting the three eggs inside to be boiled. Lifting it up, he put it on top of the 'sug-angan," where the fire was still strong.
Putting some firewood on it, Juan cleaned up the vegetables he got from the garden. There are some ginger and onion springs at the side, along with some scallions. Before chopping them all into their right sizes.
That work took some time, so when he returned, his attention was on the pot with the eggs in it. The water had already been boiling for a while. Seeing this, he immediately put the lemongrass already prepared yesterday night into the boiling water with the chopped onion springs and sliced ginseng.
Closing the lid, he waited for a while before opening it again. The boiling water in the pot has already turned into a soup-smelling aroma. Juan extracted the already-boiled eggs from it and put them in a bowl with cool water. Next, he poured all the sliced vegetables on the side into the pot before closing the lid.
Juan then peeled the boiled eggs at the side before putting them on small plates at the table behind him. He looked at the time on his smartphone—4:39 AM. When he was done, he immediately added all the remaining seasonings to the pot of vegetable soup to taste.
When the soup was ready enough, he took it off from the 'sug-angan" and put it to the side before putting on the pan instead. The pan heated up, so he poured some cooking oil around it with a spatula in hand. He spread it around on the pan to be heated.
Soon, he poured all the eggs mixed with tomatoes and green onions onto the hot oil as a sizzling and aromatizing fragrance assailed his nostrils, making him subconsciously gulp. He smiled gently before flipping the egg to the other side.
A while later, on the table. There's a plate of rice, a bowl of vegetable soup, a plate of boiled eggs, and a plate of pizza-looking scrambled eggs with potatoes and green onions. "Thank you, Lord, for the food." He naturally didn't forget to thank for the food given to him by the mighty creator before eating.
Just the first bite, and he had already started sweating. It even beat him when he was cooking in front of the hot fire, where he only felt somewhat moist, but that's all. Juan took a sip of the soup before scooping some rice into his mouth. Mmm.
The sweet and salty taste that attacked his taste buds was making him moan in pleasure at how delicious it was. "As expected of me, my cooking has already reach that level without much condiments huh." Juan smiled satisfied.
All the hard work is worth it in his heart after enjoying the fruits of his labor. Juan enjoyed his meal before cleaning up. Naturally, he left each portion for his parents before covering them with a food cover for them to eat later when they woke up.
He rested for a bit after a bit of cleaning and checked the time—5:20 AM. Opening the window is not far away. He can see that the surroundings were already brightening up, while the sky was much lighter, although still lacking an ounce of yellow sunlight. "Good morning, people."