I'm Guilty, My Beauty

Her heart ached to see the photo of her grandfather on her father"s side. Before the opening was scheduled, he died. This place was his before and been pa.s.sed down to her Aunt, then it was gifted to her for the misunderstood "marriage".

Beauty"s restaurant was located in Makati. This location and building was a blessing to her.

After their team won the beach party cooking, of which the crushed banana in their dishes made their food accentuated and unique, and caused their win, they had a week-long of rest before the semi-finals schedule. Somehow, she had to fly back to Cebu City when her mother called informing that her grandfather was hospitalized.

Both she and Clarence went straight to the hospital after arriving.

"What room was it?" asked Clarence.

"Room 506." They took the elevator all the way to the 5th floor. They went into the room and saw her Grand Daddy sitting peacefully on a sofa and there was another old man sleeping on the hospital bed with a dextrose attached on his arm thru an IV injection.

"Grand Daddy!" called Beauty.

"Why are you both here?"

"Mama said you"re hospitalized."

"Oh, it wasn"t me. It"s your other grandfather, your father"s father."

Beauty looked at the old man on the bed. She hadn"t seen this man for years that she hardly recognized him. The last time she saw him was when she was still ten years old. He left the country and migrated to New Zealand and lived with his daughter"s family.

"When did grandpa Jose came back? I wasn"t informed about this."

"You were busy and he told us that we didn"t need to bother you. He went to Camotes for a vacation and he almost fell on a deep ravine while helping me visit families giving out relief goods after the last storm."

"So he was already here after I left the island. But why was he sent here just now? That last storm was months ago." Both of them sat beside Grand Daddy.

"This is his second time being admitted. He had a slipped disc but he wouldn"t stay still so it got worst."

"Aye, old man already still won"t rest at home."

The old man heard her remarks as an insult. He retorted, "If you make us rest then we will get old faster and probably become senile."

"You"re already old, still in denial. Like what GrandMommy called you "old man in denial".

"I"m not that old, I could still wait to see my great-grandchildren. Right, Clarence boy?" He winked at the young man beside him.

"Sure, Grand Dad. I even insist for you to be there when we have your first great-grandchild." Both men raised their right hands and slapped palms like old buddies.

Beauty was dumbfounded. Why were these two excited for her to give birth even before being pregnant or getting engaged?

"Bad influence Grand Daddy or probably the other way around, hmm, probably," she thought.

Suddenly, there was movement from the other old man on the bed. Grandfather Jose woke up and saw the two visitors. He squinted his eyes and stared hard at Beauty.

"Beauty? Is that you?" Then his gaze went to the man beside her. "You might be Clarence, her fiance, right?"

Beauty was doubly dumbfounded. First, giving birth to a great-grandchild then now being engaged. Where did they get this absurd news?

All of a sudden, the door opened. Beauty"s mother came in with another woman. This woman probably her own father"s biological sister, her Aunt, with the perfect likeness of their faces. She looked like the girl version of him. She heard his father had a twin sister but never met her, not even once. Surely this woman could be her.

"Oh, visitors? Or… are you Beauty? Oh dear, nice meeting you, my wonderful niece." She greeted her cheek to cheek. Then she glanced at Clarence and excitedly said, "You must be Beauty"s husband, Clarence. Nice meeting you too."

Beauty smacked her forehead in frustration. She was totally astonished by the way things getting out of hand. From giving birth and having a fiance, then she was now married before getting engaged.

Seeing her embarra.s.sment and awkwardness to reply, Clarence came to the rescue. "Auntie, she"s still my girlfriend. But I will officially propose soon." He said it with a big grin.

"Oh, sorry, I just a.s.sumed carelessly. Better do so, young man, for I already prepared I thought my late wedding gift. Anyway, whether you"ll get married or not, Beauty," she held the young girl"s hand, "I"ve heard you won a cooking compet.i.tion. So I"ll be giving you the old restaurant that your grandfather gave me before we moved to New Zealand."

"Really?"

"Yes, it"s in Makati. I think that place is a good location for your first restaurant. The building is quite old, so it needs renovation. It might take a while for the renovation to be finished but it"s yours after the transfer papers are done."

Beauty was so elated. She pulled her Aunt into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, Aunt."

"Thank your grandfather there, it was actually his idea for our wedding gift."

Beauty hurried to the old man"s bedside and embraced him. "Thank you, grandpa."

Her grandpa pulled her back, stared on her face again, and said, "You"re Beauty? Did I hear right? You"re expecting a child, my first great-grandchild? If it"s a boy name him after me." Old man Jose said nonchalantly.

Beauty, "..."

. . . . .

Back to the present.

Beauty smiled as she remembered that funny misunderstandings and a tear fell from her eye.

"Why are you crying?"

"I just remembered grandpa Jose."

Clarence patted her back and wiped the tear with his hand.

"Clarence, I don"t want anyone to ruin this place or the opening today. I won"t let my grandfather"s gift to be destroyed by anyone, not even Cathy." She firmly stated.

"I"m with you. I have your back," a.s.sured Clarence.

Beauty was touched. She cried all the more after she heard those words.

"Why are you crying again?" asked Clarence who was troubled more to see her cry.

"Nothing, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Clarence walked slowly as they almost reached the swing door separating the offices from the dining hall.