(Now this story is magically differerent. I don’t know if you’ll like it since its unrealistic, but who knows once in a blue moon. Enjoy! Two friends, were on a date; walking towards a mall at around nine p.m. These two friends were Jerr and Nyca…Jerr and Nyca were both blaming each other for what happened: “If you had taken that turn we would have come here sooner! Look! This mall is closing!!” Nyca was having a really hard time walking with her four-inch heels. “Well, it’s because of you! You talk while I drive! So I’m distracted with the right way and your irritating voice!” Jerr was also getting tired by waiting for her to catch up and then walk ahead of her again.
“Aha! And so it’s my fault?!”
“Yes! Yours!”
“Hay naku!” (A frustrated expression in filipino)
“Hay naku rin!” (Ditto)
Nyca was worried that her pink dress outfit would get flustered from all the walking. It had flowers on it, and she even had a feathery scarf around her neck. Jerr was just wearing a brown checkered polo and black slacks. He looked at her and said: “We will NEVER go to the parlor before a date, again!”
“I just wanted my hair to be curly this evening. What’s wrong with that? Nobody’s gonna look at you anyway!”
“How do you know?”
“You said it yourself just a second ago! There are no more people in the mall!”
“Don’t you shout at me Jerr Adams! Or I’ll tell all our friends you molested me in the movies.”
“Yeah like that’ll happen.”
“Humph!”
Just as they walked in at the entrance of the mall they finally stopped fighting, because they couldn’t say a word. For what they were paying attention to were lights going off, and stores closing…
Then Jerr said:
“Okay, let’s just both take a deep breath, (hum, ahh!) relax and go on this normal date we planned.” Nyca looked at him with a face of disbelief.
The two walk medium-apart from each other. Like they were only brothers and sisters. As they walked, they noticed they were going along a line of simultaneously closing stores, one after the other after the other.
“Hay. (Nyca stops walking) What are we going to do now?”
“To find a place to eat what else?”
“Well where, all the stores are closing.”
Jerr also stops walking. “Hey, ‘he gives out his hand for her to come with him, saying’ we’ll find one, don’t’ worry…”
Nyca doubted, but she still followed him. She walked ahead of him, (taking his hand.) Jerr just smiles, and shrugs his shoulders.
They go down, (down, down) the stairs, (the escalators had been shut down already.) And they see at the bottom floor a white-lighted little corner; a restaurant was still open. Jerr and Nyca were surprised to see “The Restaurant in the Wall.” They didn’t think one could still be open. “Ang galing meron pa nga, pano mo nalaman to?” Said Nyca. (Even though Jerr was just as surprised as she was.) “Ahh, sabi ko na nga ba e. Galing ko talaga.” Nyca rolls her eyes. “…”
They went p*ss the tables and chairs, which they kept on bumping into (“U!” “Ow!”) until they reached the place.
The place smelled nice, the smell of food that was spicy and hot but strangely European!
There was a French-looking man at the counter, probably the chef and everyone else.
“Ello.” The cheerful man said.
“Hello.” The wide-eyed couple answered.
The two had never before seen a guy like this in real life. It was like he was from a movie! He was tall, fat at the lower portion, his moustache seemed to come from his nose, and they raised up to his ears like they had gel or something. He had a chef’s hat on, and a chef’s outfit. And his eyes were slanted expressing a weird delight.
“What would you like ‘said the chef’ that is the menu.” He pointed upwards.
The menu dangled from lines, thin ropes made of black wire.
“Ei, the food looks cheap.” Said Jerr.
“Yes they are.” Answered the chef.
“Why do you want to save money on me?”
Jerr actually thought of considering the idea.
“Ummmm.”
Then the chef spoke, “Mind me, but a lady on a date has the right to be served right. Remember that.”
(Both Jerr and Nyca were surprised, the statue they saw a mile away had a soul.) Nyca liked what he said. “I will, thank you.” Said Nyca.
Jerr got a little bit embarr*ssed and said. “Okaaay…We’ll be having two specials. Can’t pronounce it, so I’ll just say two specials. (He pointed which one.) I think it has a subtitle saying, tartar and meat sauce.” (He squinted to see the tiny letters.)
“Tartar and meat sauce? What’s that?”
“I don’t know but they look expensive. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Very well.” Said the chef. And off he went to the back to prepare.
“God knows what he’s doing there with the meal.” Jerr thought.
“This place is great isn’t it?”
Jerr and Nyca already sat by the counter earlier. Nyca circled on her stool looking around herself. The place looked like a subway diner, it had white tiles, and a clear stainless counter. With yellow lamps hanging about.
“Isn’t that right Jerr?”
Jerr almost got caught leaning on the counter with one arm, and his chin on his hand staring at her.
“Uh, yes,”
“?..”
“But the guy is weird.”
“Huh? That’s not true. What do you mean?”
“He seems, too friendly.
“Well, maybe he’s just lonely, ever thought of that?”
“Why?”
“Well, maybe because he’s all alone!”
“You think so?” Said Jerr sarcastically.
“Uhum!” Said Nyca with full confidence.
The chef had returned and the food was ready. And he placed the food before them.
“Good thing he didn’t do a dance and toss it in the air.” Whispered Jerr to Nyca. Nyca elbows him. Nyca smiled at the chef afraid he might’ve heard. But he didn’t, and so while eating, Nyca talked to him just to make sure.
After awhile…
“Really?” Nyca asked.
“Yes, I have lived here my whole life, and yet my accent is French notice?”
“(Can that really happen? HARD to believe!!!)” Jer thought.
“Hehe, very much!” Said Nyca copying his accent.
Finally Jerr looked at Nyca signing her for them to leave.
:Uhm, me and my friend have to go. The food was great-PABLO.”
“(Pablo? Isn’t that Spanish?)”
“Oh-kay, Olevou!… Oh! But wait!”
“The two stopped and looked back as if they for got something.
“You say you two are friends only? But I thought you were-.”
“Together? No, not yet.”
Nyca pinches Jerr at the side.
“Ow.”
And Pablo smiled, nodded and waved goodbye.
“Have a pleasant evening for the rest of the night!”
Jerr and Nyca turned around and went their way.
Jerr whispered, “I told you he was weird.”
“Ok, you win.”
As they moved farther from the white-lighted little resto, it’s light turned off, and another light turned on. It came from above and it illuminated a spiral staircase. Jerr and Nyca didn’t know if this was the way they came down before but they went up anyway.
Nyca appreciated the little but very sweet accomplishment he had done for the date, she thought that in the beginning it would be a total disaster. But he managed to make it. Make it “charmingly acceptable.” (Now that’s a compliment for your boyfriend).
“That was nice.” Thanks Jerr.”
“You’re welcome…where do you wanna go now?”
“Let’s look for some more places to go to.”
“Okay.”
And the two went.
But they go (and go and go). They couldn’t find one that was still open. It was already dim now, and while the usual lights of the mall were turned off, the nice yellow dim lights had been turned on.
“So this is what this place looks like when it’s closing.” Said Jerr.
There was scarcely any person left. They could run around like crazy without being seen by anybody.
After a long time of searching, Jerr scratched the back of his head and said, “I don’t think that there is still one that’s-“
But Nyca cut him off again from finishing his sentence. For she saw another “one” like the one before. A lighted little shop… “Wait, look.”
The two approached the little red shop. It was glowing red, like it had an aura. The counter lady, who was standing behind the counter, could be seen at the entrance. She bowed to them as they entered. The counter-lady was Chinese, as all the other things in the little shop were. The shops had Chinese items that were antiques, made of wood, gold, and jade, almost everything else was in red or in red-silk. There were figures of animals from the Chinese Zodiac and cunning little items that could be used at home or in a bedroom.
Then Nyca saw something that really caught her attention; that took her eyes from the others. While Jerr was busy looking at something else, Nyca saw a music box, a beautifully decorated piece that reminded her of something from her childhood. (For Nyca herself was half-Chinese). The music box was made of old wood, it looked like it had been handed down from generation to generation, and it had golden tracings of nightingales, on a tree singing. It had a crescent moon and a well-painted mountain in the background as well.
When Nyca opened it, it played the sweetest lullaby melody that she had ever heard. “Like a love story that had gone amiss” Nyca thought. “How sad” she said as she closed the music box. (It touched her so deeply that she simple wanted it.)
Nyca took the music box and showed it to Jerr who was glancing at an artistic nude painting of Chinese girls. She looked at him with puppy eyes. Jerr rolled his eyes and took out his wallet. Just as they were at the counter to purchase the thing, Jerr asked, “Miss how much is this music box?”
The Chinese lady didn’t answer his question, or at least he thought she didn’t, for the lady spoke to them in Chinese. Saying something about, “the music box being a magical music box, making the two people, lovers, for a brief minute and dancing to its seductive tune. If the music box was to be kept safe while playing, then the two will be together forever. But if not…’ she looked at them with a warning ‘the music box was to be destroyed before the dance was over, so will they…”
The two didn’t know why but they understood her as she spoke. It was the weirdest thing for them. It was like knowing a different language, but not knowing how to speak it… The lady also included that it was free. That part was English. (“FH-RREE!”)
As the two went out the store, the Chinese lady yelled, “Wait!” The two looked back. The Chinese lady looked at them, as if she knew something special about them and just smiled.
“No, it’s nothing. Have a pleasant evening for the rest of the night.” At that the Chinese lady disappeared and the shops light went off.
The two looked at each other.
“That was weirder.” Jerr said.
“Totally.” Replied Nyca.
The two then flopped on a nearby bench. Luckily they found one, in the middle of nowhere.
Jerr leaned back with his arms on top of the bench and looked around to see if there were still any people. Nyca leaned forward looking on the ground with one of her hands in her hair, while the other under her tummy.
“This date wasn’t so bad.” Said Jerr.
(Nyca gets up) “No it wasn’t.”
“…But it’s still not complete.”
“?”
After a few minutes, Nyca was standing in the middle of the spacious fourth floor of the mall, looking around to see if anyone was looking.
“Jerr-”
“Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna see.”
Jerr put the music box down at a distance and opened it. It played… Jerr excitedly goes to Nyca, but when he puts his hands around her waist he gulps because he’s nervous. Nyca puts her arms around her neck…and when the two were ready, “they swayed…”
Side to side, left to right. Jerr who thought he knew everything, didn’t really know how to dance. But Nyca who was a total klutz to Jerr guided him. As soon as he got it, he felt good about himself.
“Good, you got it.” Said Nyca.
“Hehe, thanks to you.”
Nyca lays her head on him. And closes her eyes.
Jerr thought of asking her a question. “…Did you really have a good time this evening? This night?”
“Uhum…” Was her whole answer.
“That’s nice.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah.”
“…I wonder, what our friends will say when we tell them that we actually had a good time?”
“They probably won’t believe us. That’s how they are.”
“That’s how we are, in the start we fight, but in the end we’re okay. Our fighting is the only thing they see in us I guess..” Nyca turns her head to the other side. “Sigh, just ignore them.”
“…I’m don’t feel forced to fullfil this dare thing anyway. I mean this date. Our date.”
Nyca looked at him. “I know,’ she said, ‘I feel the same as well.” She lays her head on him again.
“Nyca?”
“Uhm?” (It was like she was about to fall asleep.)
“Would you like to-?”
(Nyca wakes up) “Be what?” Nyca asked wondering.
“Be…you know.”
“?”
(Jerr was now getting sweaty..) We get along, and well, I was just wondering…”
“Yes?”
“…I like you, and I’m guessing from right now that you like-”
“Yes?!”
“Nyca, will you be my girl-“
“Scuze me? But you’re not allowed to be here anymore. We’re closed.” It was a security guard.
The two quickly let each other go. They were startled and embarr*ssed for them to be seen.
“What are you two still doing here?” The security guard walked forward…
J+N: “Wait!!!”
“CCRRRUUSSSH!” It was too late the music box was stepped on and destroyed by the security guard…forever. Nyca and Jerr look at each other…
The two walk out of the mall, medium-apart from each other. Like they were only brothers and sisters. They believed in the Chinese lady, they believed in the old-chef Pablo, they believed in this whole night for only a moment, and in that moment their belief was gone…
(As the two get inside the car) “I KNEW libis would be better!!!” Said Nyca.
Jerr: “Haaayyy…”
THE eND
