Michelle's POV

"Dear, can we go na ba? Cause I need to buy something to cook."

Sometimes, hindi ko maintindihan if Brix is just bingi or mahina ang voice ko. Like, ayan... he is just staring at his notebook for about fifteen minutes na.

"Brix. Are you even listening to me?" I asked habang nakapamewang.

"Hon, magbigay ka ng rhyme ng excuses."

Ahh, he is writing a song pala kaya hindi ako pinapansin.

"Bitches," I replied habang inaayos ang hair ko na nagulo ng kaunti. And I saw him slowly looked at me like I lost my damned mind.

"What? They are rhymes. Like 'Hey dude, don't make excuses. I have a gang called bitches.' "

"Gusto mo akong ma-bash?" tanong niya sa akin habang hawak ang ulo.

"Hey, it's cool. Rappers used that word... a lot."

"Hindi ako rapper. At ang sensitive ng mga tao ngayon even to lyrics."

"Yeah, I know. You are hotter than a rapper. Can we go now? I will try to go to palengke on our way to Country Club."

"Wearing that?" tanong niya while pointing my shoes.

What's wrong with my Louboutin? 

"Do I need to make palit? Prada na lang ba ang isuot kong shoes?"

Natawa ng bahagya si Brix. "Mukha kang model tapos pupunta ka ng palengke ng ganyan ang ayos mo. Ano ang suot mong dress? Dior?"

"No. Don't be silly. It's Armani." I replied na lalo niyang ikinatawa.

"What's wrong with you?" Naiinis na tanong ko.

"Sa grocery na lang tayo pumunta. Baka madulas ka pa sa palengke." Sagot niya.

"Ang bilin ni Rose, sa market tayo pumunta. She gave me a listahan and a map where I can buy that rib eye she cooked last week."

"Okay. Mukha na naman akong driver nito."

I am hoping he is joking. Napipikon kasi ako minsan kapag nilalait niya ang sarili niya. I love who he is. His tattoos, his messy hair, his loud music. I love my husband and sometimes, people are pakialamero. And I hate when they are making chismis on why he chose me. Like, hello, am I not lovable ba? Bakit ang status namin ang pinapansin ninyo, inaano ba kayo? Hindi nga issue sa amin, naging issue sa inyo. Kayo pa ang namroblema? May ambag ba kayo sa buhay ko? Did I ask for your opinion?

"Hey, bakit nakasimagot ka?" tanong ni Brix sa akin habang nagmamaneho siya. Yes, we don't have a driver. As much as I like to have sometimes. My husband wanted to have a simple life. But sumuko siya when all of his clothes either lose its colour because of chlorine or his whites became pink or blue when I washed all of his clothes in one wash. Or... I burned it while trying to iron it. Hindi lang iisang beses gumulong sa tawa si Rose dahil umiiyak akong tumatawag sa kanya. I didn't know that washing clothes are complicated. So we have a labandera and plantsadora.

"I hate it when you joked around about you being mukhang driver." I replied na ikinatawa niya.

"It's just a joke, Mitch." He replied. "And besides, ano naman ang magagawa ko kung mukha ka talagang model kahit kurtina pa ang isuot mo?"

"I don't wear a curtain. That was a scarf, dear. And it's Hermes."

"That's the point. You can wear a fucking scarf as a dress and it will look good on you. Natakot nga lang ako noon at baka matanggal ang mga pinagbubuhol mo. My point is, hindi ka dapat napipikon sa mga ganoong biro." He said.

"Okay." I murmured. "But just to be clear, I still don't like it."

Brix holds my hand nang nasa palengke na kami. Naiilang ako because of their stare. Why they are staring at us? Don't they know it's rude to stare? Huminto si Brix sa tapat ng isang stall. A man with a huge knife.

"Anong ang sa inyo?" he asked us. Why does he have to intimidate me with his knife?

"Beef," I replied. Brix phone started to make ingay and he saw Ryker's number.

"Hon, sagutin ko lang. Baka hinampas na naman ng tray ang isa na ito at kailangan na naman naming puntahan sa hospital."

"Go, I will be fine here," I replied to him.

"Oh, kupal, problema mo?" tanong ni Brix sa kausap. But because of the noise around, lumayo muna siya ng kaunti sa akin para magkaintindihan sila ni Ryker.

"Ilang kilo? Anong klase?" tanong ng tindero.

"Hmm... ten kilos. For steak."

"Ahh okay. Ninipisan ba?"

Napaisip ako. "Half an inch would be fine," I replied.

"Sige. Baka gusto mo pang dagdagan ng litid? Masarap sa bistek 'yon." Tanong ng tinder sa akin.

"No, thank you. But I need bulalo."

"Ilang kilo?" tanong nito.

Oh gosh, ilang kilo? Will ten kilos will be enough? Parang kaunti.

"Make it twenty kilos of bulalo." Wala kasing quantity ang listahan ni Rose.

After fifteen minutes or so, I was surprised to see how wrong I was not to call Rose and asked if how many kilos does she needs for her bulalo.

"Mukhang papatayin mo sila sa cholesterol sa dami ng binili mo." Comment ni Brix.

Jesus, pwede bang isauli ang ibang kilo ng bulalo?

"Hmm, ang dami pala." Natatawang sagot ko.

"Miss, bayad mo."

Wala sa sarili na nilabas ko ang wallet ko at inabutan ng card.

"Cash lang." mukhang na-offend ang tindero. Naiintimidate ako sa hawak niyang knife na hinahasa. Like, do you really need to do that while talking to me?

"Hon, do you have cash?"

"Magkano?" tanong ni Brix habang inaayos ang mga plastic bags na hindi ko alam kung paano ilalagas sa trunk ng kotse. Sinabi ni Manong ang presyo ang Brix literally dropped the plastic bags.

"Sorry, I thought twenty kilos are enough. Looks like it's too much."

Naiiling si Brix na bumunot ng wallet. Mabuti na lang at may cash siya.

Tawa nang tawa ang mga kaibigan namin ng binababa ni Brix ang mga plastic mula sa trunk ng kotse.

"Buong baka ba ang binili ninyo?" tumatawang tanong ni Raiden.

"I didn't know, okay." Naiinis na sagot ko. Kanina sa kotse, kulang na lang hikain si Brix sa kakatawa.

"At least, I bought steak."

Nagdadabog akong pumasok sa loob ng bahay nila Tita Yumi. The boys are following me while laughing their asses. Rose looked troubled when she looks at me while Star, Joanna, and Dominique are trying not to laugh.

"What?" I asked them trying not to burst into cry. May mali na naman.

"Mitch, nasaan ang rib eye?" tanong ni Rose.

"Red plastic bag." I pointed out the plastic bag in front of her.

Nagtawanan na sila Star, Joanna at Dominique. "What's wrong?"

Itinaas ni Rose ang isang piraso ng beef. And my blood drains from my face.

"That's the thinnest cut of beef I have ever seen," I said.

"At pang bistek ang nabili mo hindi pang steak." Rose replied.

The room erupted into laughter.

"What?" nagmamadali akong lumapit sa kanila. Hihinga-hinga si Rose habang tawa nang tawa.

"I said steak, not bistek. And I even told him half of inch thick." I shouted.

Oh Lord, half-inch nga naman ang lapad ng ginawa ni Manong. It looks like a strip of beef.

Lumapit si Brix sa akin na tawa nang tawa. He hugged me and whispered.

"That's cute."

"Let's go back to palengke. I will make saksak Manong with his knife." Naiiyak na sagot ko sa kanya.

"Hay Mitch. My life would be dull without you, hon."

Naiiyak ako sa sobrang kahihiyan. Letcheng Manong 'yon.

"That's okay, pwede namang gawing bistek iyang binili mo." Brix murmured to me.

"Mitch, bumili ka ba ng kalamansi?" tanong ni Rose.

"Yeah, I bought ten kilos. And I thought it would be enough," I replied while drying my tears. Natawa na naman sila.

"Ima-marinade mo ba si Brix, bakit ang dami mong binili?" tumatawang tanong ni Lego.

"Hindi ninyo nilagyan ng quantity ang listahan ninyo, huh. Don't judge me."

"Mabuti na lang at may kalamansi. Change plan, kanin tayo ngayon, tigilan ninyo ang pasta. Walang rib eye." Star said while she puts back their herbs on cupboard.

"Nakabili na kami ng wine," bungad ni Sir Blaze pagpasok ng bahay. Kasunod niya si Kenshin at may hawak na crate ng wine.

"Change plan. Bili kang softdrinks." Tumatawang sagot ni Brix. Natatawa na rin ako.

"Softdrinks sa steak?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Sir.

"Bistek ang nabili." Sagot ni Rose at itinaas ang lecheng baka na kasing nipis ng sibuyas. Napatingin sa akin si Sir Blaze na mukhang disappointed na umiiling.

"Don't judge me." I said to him habang tawa na naman sila nang tawa.