The Cake Case

Maybe I had the mood for it because of the music.

Until school started, I haven’t listened to my MP3 player for so long that every song made me appreciate the other reality in my head, where I can still feel like magic can happen even when the rest of the world might not think so. I feel like I’m in my own story, where everything I want to can happen in just the right way.

Even the embarrassing ones.

So after I dropped off the raffle tickets in SM, I stopped in front of Ilustrado, a little café by the side. I wondered if there was anything snackish I could get, just for kicks.

Found a toffee cake.

Also learned that those yummy yema cupcakes I loved and got only from Lucena were made from toffee.

So I sat alone, listening to my music, and I let myself imagine as I ate my first bite.

A shadow crossed my cake, and I saw a tall, well-built man in black sit in front of me. I don’t know whether to frown, smile or scream, so I stare.

He smiled, like he knew me.

I saw his hair, his silver earrings, and his clear silver eyes. I wondered why I was making a weird face.

He laughed, and I didn’t blame him, because heck, I knew I looked funny. I blushed though.

I nervously took off my earphones after I remembered they were still on, and tried to say hi. I didn’t have anything else to say but “hwaaaaw…” because the more I looked, the more I thought I should know who this guy was.

The more I looked, I also started feeling like an idiot because I couldn’t decide whether I should remember him because he was familiar or because I couldn’t comprehend how someone as gorgeous as he was would remain buried so deeply in my memory. Stupid memory.

But he looked like he remembered me. He didn’t even seem mad at me for not remembering, or staring, for that matter. There were empty tables around, so at least I knew he wasn’t looking for a seat. I don’t know.

He asked for cake, if it was all right.

I said sure. I was getting sick of sweet toffee.

He gets my fork, and takes a part I’d already dug into.

I think I made another weird face.

Then he says the weirdest thing.

“You’re just like her.”

If I thought I was confused, whatever clarity I must have had shattered like cheap glass. I had to ask, “who?” And here I thought he really knew me or something.

He looked at me like he really did, though, and the way he looked at me now made me feel like I was missing something very important. Important enough to genuinely frustrate me.

I couldn’t stop him when he stood, since I didn’t know anything new since the moment he sat, but he went over to my side of the table, took my hand in his pale one, and touched it to his lips. I wanted to melt, half to get away and half because the sensation sent me tingling.

“Thank you.” He said. “It was very sweet.”

I first thought of the cake, but he looked behind him, smiled, and right before I decided I was being conned out of my cake he added, “It was worth everything you put me through.”

And he left me, baffled and blushing uncontrollably, until again I blurted out, “Who?”

He paused. “You already know.”

“Really?”

He laughed, deep and rich. “Very well.”

I stared at his tall figure until it disappeared down the escalator, then stared at my cake. I think time stopped.

I remembered his eyes, and pinched myself. It couldn’t be.

But I looked at my cake, and yes. It was where it was when he left it.

I’d bet he’s laughing again now, because man, did I feel silly.

Thought I’d feel scared after that encounter, but I paid for my cake, went down that escalator, and found no trace of him.

I wondered if he flew away somewhere.