Divisoria was still packed with people even though school started two weeks ago. And to top it off, it rained that afternoon. Kate wrapped her arms around me to shield herself from the bustling crowd. She wanted a cheap bag instead of those overpriced branded ones. It's not like Kate's stingy, but she's a smart shopper – if she can score something good for less, she'll go for it.
Once she found her dream bag, she wore it in front as an extra shield. I offered to buy her a jacket, but she got all huffy, saying I spend too much. So, I suggested we grab some grub instead. She wasn't into fast food, so I threw out options like wanton soup, beef or chicken mani, and siopao. She was down for that. I suggested we hop on a ride to Morayta and then head to Arrangque near Pinsec. Off we went, quickly catching a ride and reaching Pinsec in no time.
The weather was chilly, and both of us were drenched. It was a scene straight out of a movie – steamy siopao and simmering pancit blending into the misty air. We snagged a cozy two-seater. Kate faced outside, and I faced the chaos inside.
"What do you want? Wonton, Chicken, or Beef? And some Siopao?" I asked Kate.
"What's wanton?" she asked.
"It's ground pork with carrots, kinda like siomai."
"Alright, I'll have that."
"Regular or large?"
"Just regular, I can't finish the big one."
"Siopao – asado, bola-bola, or mixed?"
"Uh, mixed, regular size."
I flagged down the waitress.
"Miss, one regular wanton mami, one regular beef mami. And two regular siopaos, one asado and one mixed."
"Want a Sarsi or something else?"
"Sarsi's good," Kate said.
"Two Sarsis, please," I added to the order.
"How much is that?"
"Two regular mami, 50; two siopao, 26; and two Sarsi, 12... 88 total."
I handed over a 100 and got my change. They used this old punch machine for orders – super retro. They punched our card and removed it since we paid upfront. Shortly, our food arrived.
"Careful, it's hot… Blow on it first. Try it without soy sauce, calamansi, pepper, and hot sauce," I warned Kate.
"Hmmm, this is good! Flavorful even though the broth is clear."
"Try adding some salt and pepper… Just half a spoonful each. Here's some hot sauce, it's a bit sweet," I suggested.
She gave it a try.
"Hmmm, yeah, more flavorful. And this hot sauce isn't too spicy."
"Here's the asado sauce for your siopao."
I was amused watching Kate – it was like she was discovering this place for the first time. We didn't talk much, just enjoying the food.
"This place is nice… I've never been here before," Kate said, taking a deep breath and looking happy.
Then she made a face, biting her lip in discomfort. "It hurts," she mouthed.
"Take some mefenamic acid. Do you need to pee?"
"Y-yeah…" Kate replied.
"Miss, do you have a restroom? She needs to use it."
The waitress pointed to the restroom inside. Before heading there, Kate took her tablet. I held onto her new bag while she was away. And there I waited until she returned.