He/Heroine And My Villainess

HE/HEROINE AND MY VILLAINESS

(TRACE OF YOUTH)

"Aiyo, Aloit, even if other people judge you. Don't mind them. At least you made yourself turn into a better person while they made themselves turn to nothing," the elder woman mentions, making other middle-aged women agree to her words.

"Yes, that's so true,"

"Yeah, give yourself worth and love. Don't let others' judgment be your future."

"Aigo, Aloit, look at what you did to our elders. You turned them into a philosopher," Elaine mentions, making them all laugh while some only giggled.

"I know what you all mean, thank you for your concern, but I think Vendia here is enough to learn how to do your all special and traditional delicacy," Sir Aloit reply with a genuine smile. 

"Ey yo," the middle-aged woman discourages respond.

"Are you sure, uncle?" Yerre asks for assurance as she went over to Elaine's side. Then gets the things that she will use for making Kakanin. 

"Yes, I'm sure. I'd be outside," Sir Aloit reply then went outside without listening to Yerre respond. 

"I..." Yerre blurt out concern as she saw Sir Aloit goes out wearing a sad expression. 

"Aiyo, he always does that when we invite him for our training," the elders mention making Yerre look at them with wonder. 

"What do you mean?" Yerre asks to clarify their words. 

"Aigo, Aloit always rejects me when I invite him for our livelihood training," Elaine mentions. 

"Yes, mother even creates a trick to make Sir Aloit come to our livelihood training, but it didn't work. He still got an escape," Xiane also mentions, which made Yerre curious, worried, and eager to know the reason.

"Did he mention the reason?" Yerre asks. 

"No, we didn't have time to ask him why because he walks out fast without receiving our reply to his words," Xiane answers, while she continues forming the traditional dessert that their village innovates for long years, without looking at Yerre. 

"Yes, same as what he did earlier. He walks out." May joined in their conversation as she stops what she's doing and looks at Yerre with an honest expression. 

"I see," Yerre responds, hanging her head down as her mind drifts off from thinking of the reason Sir Aloit doesn't want to learn the Nipa village delicacy. 

'Is it because he's afraid to be criticized? No, that can't be. The reason is minor to have a sad expression,' Yerre ask to her thought, concern. 

"Then what is it?" Yerre blurts out without thinking, making Elaine gaze at her with a confused expression. 

"What is it?" Elaine asks.

"Uh, nothing. Is nothing how to start this? What are the first steps?" Yerre asks as she pretends to be all right. But her reply seemed weird to Elaine's perspective. For Yerre voice seemed in haste and struggling, but Elaine shoved her concerned thought away as she looks at Yerre, observing her eyes to see the deep emotions that Yerre's been wearing, but she ended up not seeing anything absorb on it. So let go of her concerned thoughts and proceed on answering Yerre.

"Oh, sorry. Here let me show first. You watch and observe, okay?" Elaine responds as then proceeds with her demonstration on how to make kakanin perfectly and deliciously. 

In Nipa village, there are three kinds of rice desserts. They called the first one, Sapin-Sapin, or glutinous rice and coconut, which is the first kakanin that Yerre tasted at the harvest celebration.

They made the ingredient from rice flour, coconut milk, white sugar, water, and natural fruit color. After they have done preparing and cooking, they then sprinkled it with toasted desiccated coconut flakes.

The second rice dessert is named Bibingka. It has such ingredients that are soaked glutinous rice, water, eggs, and coconut milk. The Nipa people always create this when the Christmas season or new year is buzzing in the air. They cook this dish inside the clay pots lined with leaves that come from the banana tree.

The third and last rice dessert that Nipa village has is named Calamay, which means sugar. This dessert is not hand-carry because this dish is a sticky sweet delicacy.

The Nipa people put it inside the wooden cup or wooden Tupperware.

The ingredients are ground glutinous rice, coconut milk, brown sugar, and you can put any flavor you want a base in fruits, or Yerre learns the three delicacies because she wants to make it for Alda when she goes back home from their trip.

Yerre can't help but engraved an excited smile when she thought of Alda tasting this new delicacy she learns from the Nipa people.

'I wonder what kind of expression Alda would wear,' Yerre thought as her heartbeat from excitement and admiration. Then a surprising question pops into her mind like a swirling emotion.

"Is this what they called love? But what kind of love?" Yerre blurts out again without thinking, unaware that Elaine is still beside her, demonstrating the first kakanin she would make for the first time. 

"Vendia? Why are you uttering words that are out of our session? Are you okay?" Elaine consults her full of concern, which made Yerre react in haste.

"Uh-no! I mean. I'm sorry, I got distracted for a minute because of something," Yerre reply as she struggled to collect her response in one sentence. 

"Oh, is all right. Is normal to think of the person we love, sometimes," Elaine mentions with a grinned smile, making Yerre turned in abrupt with wide and surprised eyes. 

"Yo-you heard what I said?" Yerre asks in a panic. 

"Aiya, we all did," the elders joined in as some of them giggled, making Yerre turned and gaze at them, blushing while feeling uncomfortable.

"Aigo, adolescent love," the elders utter with a gentle expression.

"Don't be shy. We all experience that also," Elaine mentions to make Yerre feel unembarrassed.

"Yes, my mother is right. Look, you see this first kakanin we are making?" May replied with a question showing the Sapin-Sapin to Yerre. 

"Yes," Yerre answer, feeling at ease now. 

"This first kakanin we are making is the symbol of love and courtesy to our village," May mentions, making Yerre shocked.

"Yes, see this? It has three colors, right? And each color has different flavors and tastes," Xiane joined in. 

"This first purple color stands for dignity, while the yellow one stands for happiness or spring love. The last one, which is white, aims for pure intention and pure love," Elaine explains.

"Yes, these three Kakanins of ours all have meanings," the elders elaborate.

"Yes, because we believe that some people who are in love could not express their feelings through words and actions because some are afraid to be disappointed and hurt. So they put this on food with a color pattern, but some put it through flowers and accessories,"

"Yes, because even if the person they loved and admired doesn't know their feelings. At least they give their love to them, with a hope that someday. The person whom they want to spend their life forever will notice them," Some elder mentions, which made Yerre think back to where Alda and her celebrated Valentine's day to the place Yerre mother always visit every time Valentine's day comes.

"Yerre here." Alda lends a well-designed box to Yerre.

"A gift? Why are you giving me a gift, again? Is this expensive? If it is, please, put it back to where you purchase it and retrieve your money. Alda, save money don't spend suc-"

"But I want to. I want to spoil you, and I want to give everything to you. So please don't stop me from doing such a thing," Alda haste respond, cutting through Yerre words making Yerre shocked for a minute, then relaxed as she replies. 

"Why you want to spoil me so much. You made me feel uncomfortable. You know my heartfelt guilty when you spend your parent's money on such unneeded things. Your parents work hard for that money, consider a single thought about their hard work. Don't do it again, do you understand?" Yerre responds, nagging at her best friend, Alda. 

"Aigo, you don't have to worry. I didn't use my parent's money. I use my earnings from a part-time job in online tutoring to purchase that gift I give to you," Alda reply, with a sincere smile.

"What?" Yerre asks, still surprised. 

"Aish, accept it already. If you reject it, then..." Alda hangs her sentence with a bitter smile for a minute. Then change it to a bright smile, which made Yerre felt sorry upon scolding her best friend a minute ago. 

"Did you sleep late every day again?" Yerre asks, full of concern, which made Alda gaze at her for a second with a nervous expression while scratching the left side of her neck, feeling unease. 

'Haaa, she sleeps late again,' Yerre thought already knows because whenever Alda felt uncomfortable and doesn't want to talk out the truth. Alda subconsciously scratches the left side of her neck. Yerre sighs and accepts Alda's gift with a grateful smile, then replies. 

To be continued.