A Very Aromatic Birthday

Though this maybe already late, I can't resist not to share what happened on my happiest birthday yet. JM Reyes in Manila.

August 16, 2008, a Saturday. A day like no other in my history. It was a gregarious, tiring, but all the while fun day.

Mum cooked up Italian-style spaghetti and pickled chicken the night before to satisfy the "anacondic" cravings of my neighborhood barkada. I told mum repeatedly on the days leading to my birthday that I want her to cook Italian spaghetti since I'm already sick and tired of the very sweet, almost ketchup-like, Filipino spaghetti.

On the big day, I was no longer barely legal. The reality that I'm already a grown adult has finally seeped-in. I'm not getting any younger and the childish boo-hoo days are gone. I woke up at around 10 am, preparing for a meet-up and party set-up by a hobby group where I'm one of the longest members, joining them a few months after the group was founded.

The meeting was set in a classroom on a small technology school on Timog corner Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City. There were only 8 of us who were there but I tell you, it was the most numerous we ever had. Perhaps our hobby of collecting diecast metal airplane models aren't that popular yet in RP. It was also the first time a foreign hobbyist joined us. Nassir from Pakistan was with his son and brought a box of donuts for all of us to munch. Model airplanes were raffled at the end of the party and I got a very sexy TWA Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation; the real Queen of the Skies.

However, while on the final stages of the party, a friend of mine texted me that he'll have a night shift at the cafe from 8pm to 1am on that very night. Jed and I have been planning to meet at the cafe where he works but his very erratic schedule made it impossible at first. Finally, he has a fixed schedule and I won't let this chance slip out of my hands. I held a tight grip on this chance and replied to him quickly that yes, I'm coming and we shall meet tonight. I thought everything was going to plan. I'll just spend a few hours in a nearby mall before meeting Jed at the cafe. But a logistic nightmare emerged as soon as the party has ended. I have to bring tons of food first home before heading to the likewise, relatively nearby cafe. And so with tons of food at hand, I quickly head back home at 6pm. As soon as arriving at home, I just placed the food on the table and hastily headed back to Quezon City. It was already past 7pm when I arrived at Shangri-La Mall where I bought a cheeseburger meal first to convert my PHP500 bill to smaller bills. At 7:40pm, I started waiting for the MRT at the platform. It took 15 minutes before a train arrived. The long waiting intervals is a sickness of the MRT eversince immense overcapacity became a problem.

Inside, it was like being in a Japanese subway train. It was a lot worse than a can of sardines. Breathable air finally circulated the train when the throng of people alighted at Cubao Station. I arrived at Quezon Avenue station at around 8:25pm. At last, I saw the cafe down at the street below. As I was walking towards the cafe, I had butterflies in the stomach. Mixed feelings of excitement and tension wobbled in my tummy as I neared the cafe.

Upon arriving, I thought the cafe has its own entrance but I found out that I have to enter the adjacent McDonald's to get into the cafe. I finally had a glimpse of him, busy preparing coffee. I had to wipe off all my sweat first before I enter the cafe. I quietly walked in to the counter and Jed recognized me instantly and gave me a warm and welcoming smile, as if we've already known each other for a long time. I sat on a table beside the window, right next to the counter and the newspapers. That table would come to be my favorite spot and sit there everytime I visit him at the cafe. We talked immediately as soon as I was seated. He wants to treat me coffee as promised but I wasn't sure what to order. He recommended me the blended drinks and told him I want a mocca frappe. I just ordered a medium one and it was so sweet of him to upgrade it to a large one. I sipped it all out up to the very last drop. His frappe tasted better than Starbucks'. The right blend of bittersweetness and creaminess made the difference. Kudos!

For the next six hours, we had a merry chit-chat and the bonding experience overwhelmed me. There wasn't much customers on that night and I think to myself, fate laid down a very good path for us to meet and bond. It was raining heavily outside and that even added to the relaxing, cozy mood inside. Throughout that time, I keenly observed him on how he do his work. He was on a one-man show that night and he did everything, from the cash register, to the coffeemaker, to mopping the floor, cleaning the tables, serving coffee, cleaning the kitchenware, replacing the supplies, to name a few. That was further aggravated by having a few gaffes like a missing customer, a cold drink that won't get out of the blender, a leaking ceiling, and a small burn blister after accidentally bumping his arm on the steamer. I found out later on that all of his co-baristas also have small burn blisters as well from the steamer. Sort of like an initiation rite (Congratulations! You're now a real barista!).

I was supposed to be staying for only about an hour or so since I just want to visit him. So I said to myself, I'll leave at 9. 9pm has passed so I extended my stay for another two hours. But after 11, I decided to stay with him throughout the night until he closes down the cafe. It was so heartwarming to hear that his shift on that night wasn't boring because of me. He played songs of Morning Musume even the mono sound of the speakers. He was told by his boss to close down at 12 midnight, an hour earlier than usual and from then we had the cafe all by ourselves. We continued on talking and laughing even as he is busy writing down inventories and arranging the pastries. Last minute duties, logged-out his time card, and we even shared his free meal.

When he was finally done, we had our picture taken at the counter and I gave him a bottle of ramune and a sushi mold. Simple, yet meaningful tokens of goodwill. I thought he knew that it was my birthday that night that's why he treated me some coffee. He was surprised to know that my birthday has just passed. I put my arm over his shoulders and patted his back and told that it was okay. What counts to me is that we've finally met and I'm so glad to know that I gave him a cup of joy on an otherwise boring night. We stepped out of the cafe and parted ways at 2:40am. Though what happened was just simple, it was the happiest birthday I ever had. I really enjoyed the night and time simply wasn't in my vocabulary. (Written by JM Reyes, Manila)