Roadtrip Day 14:
Location: Naga City

Alice Flonne's POV:

So far...so good? Nah!

It's past ten in the evening and there's still nobody who have order in our food truck. Sitting at my wheelchair, I slumped my head at the preparation table in a fit of boredom. I guess my plan's not working after all.

"RINNNNG!!!!"

"EEEEK!!!" We're startled when a bell is rung from out of nowhere. But little did I know that something so going on...something's that is part of normal life.

"Kids, we have just entered curfew period. For those below 18 years old, who still outside of your houses, please go back inside...otherwise we have no choice but to take you to the barangay hall and call your parents..."

We looked around to know where the voice is coming from...and I saw a group of barangay tanod wearing green vests...one of them is holding megaphone, repeating the same notice. Then, the tanods noticed us, so they walked towards us.

"Excuse me, ladies. Are you 17 years old and below?"

"No, sirs." I simply replied.

"Let us see your identification papers..."

We quickly comply with what they said, we dig in into our wallets and give them our IDs to them to check validity...in my case, my driver's license...

"Okay then, thanks for the cooperation. Say, I'm curious...what do you sell here? Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Peter Michael Cabral, I work here as the barangay chairman. Nice to meet you all."

"Nice to meet you as well." Then I shook hands with Peter. "We're actually tourists travelling around the country selling our own cooking. We're trying to know whether homemade cooking is better than fastfood."

"I hear that, Flonne!!!" Lexi punned me.

"Huehehe!!!"

"I see...we may found some place to hangout at this late at night."

"What do you mean, Kuya Peter?" Claire joins the conversation.

"Well...we're the ones who patrols this barangay during curfew hours. We walk back and forth to see if there's minors still wondering this place. Man, this is pretty boring especially we need to be up until four on the morning."

But before everyone of us speak our side, Peter already make an idea.

"Okay, how about you help us to keep us up through the night?" Peter explains his idea. "Cook us some of the dishes that you sell here and I will go you something in return. Don't worry, though! I'm not gonna use our barangay's funds for it...it came from my own pocket. Hehehe!"

"Sure, you deserve it." I assured him. "We will cook the best dishes as we can for you...but, can you also help us which cooking is better?"

"FLONNE?!"

"Hehehe! Sure, why not!" Peter agrees with the terms despite Lexi's objection. "But first, we need to patrol around the barangay to ensure the safety of the citizens...see you later!"

"Okay, bye!" I waved my hand to them as they start their first round of patrol. That's when we make a huddle...

"Guys, just do whatever we do. Let's think of a perfect meal for Peter and his team." I analyzed the situation and make a plan. "They're considered as night owls, so they need energy to withstand the wee and drowsy hours of the morning...and I know that I have the only recipe to do it! Hehehe!"

"Hey! You're underestimating fastfood all night!" Lexi refutes. "It's time to prove to you that even my recipe doesn't change, fastfood solves everything!"

"Let's see...huehehe!"

Alright...I have been thinking all day for this...spicy makes people going, right? If that's the case, I have the perfect recipe for that, the Bicol Express! Whoa...wait a minute...it's a coincedence...we are in Bicol! Hehehe!

But wait...if I'm the one who gonna get the ingredients, that means I'm gonna turn my wheelchair around and get if from the refrigerator...which is at the other end of the truck. But...the space too tight to turn...nor move my wheelchair...sigh...huh?

"Here you go!" I just saw Lexi compassionately placed my ingredients in front of me. "Let's have a clean fight, okay?"

"Yep, I will!"

Yaay! Lexi bring me all the ingredients that I need! Let's see here...chilies...coconut milk...shrimp paste...pork...and some spices. Hehehe! Because I'm seating on a wheelchair, preparing and cooking my recipe may not be so hard after all! Hehehe!

Danica's POV

From afar...I noticed some light going towards us. Reassessing the situation, it was just Peter...along with the same Barangay tanods just finishing their first round of patrol in the area.

"Phew...nice work, guys!"

After praising his team for a job well done, Peter goes back to the food truck, where he had smell the conflicting...but both delicious smells...

"Ooh! The smell of your cookings...it makes me hungry!" Peter complimented the scents. "You know that I have just taken dinner an hour ago but right now...my stomach's growling now!"

"Hehehe! My bad!" Claire then gives something to delay his hunger. "Here...have some coffee to soothe your senses."

"Thanks!" As the barangay chairman is sipping to his cup of coffee...his eyes glanced to Alice, cooking her tonight's recipe...

"Milady, you're beautiful...you look like my younger sister who still studies in college. But...sorry if I'll ask you this but...what happened to you...why you are in a wheelchair?"

But Alice didn't answer the question...perhaps because either she is busy cooking the dish...or she has a mixed feelings of embarrassment...and sad nostalgia...

"Well, Peter...she's contracted a flu days ago that compromised her spinal cord...that's why her legs are numb and can't be moved." Her boyfriend Alex, who is also cooking at that time, answered the question for her. "Though, I'm helping her to walk again so that she can continue cooking her famous dishes. Well, she's the owner of this food truck, after all."

His statement makes Alice smile very brightly...like a smile of a carefree child...

"Hmm...I see. Let's see if there's anything that I could do to help this beautiful lady and the business she is owning right now..."

And Peter's promise makes Alice smile even more...that she didn't notice that her recipe is already done!

"Waaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Laughter filled the night as Alice panicked in turning off the heat and placing her dish to a plate, along with a steaming hot rice. Alex is also done cooking his classic cheeseburger.

Alex's POV:

Alright, it's decision time!

It's my never-changing cheeseburger recipe...

...versus Flonne's newest creation...the Bicol Express!

Peter start digging in...to both dishes! He take a bite of my burger...followed by a spoonful of Flonne's dish...and he did this all over again! How can I know whose dish is better if he buries the taste of one dish with another?

"Hmm! This is what I wanted!" Nevertheless, Peter comments. "Tangy, sweet but spicy...different tastes will make me keep going. I like it!"

"But...umm...Peter...can you distinguish which is the better food?" Danica asks the question that I wanted to know from him.

"Really? I thought this is my midnight snack...just kidding. It's hard to tell...the dishes that I have just tasted are both my favorite dishes. Let's see...the boy's cheeseburger has the complete chemistry between the cheese and the patties...I even liked it when the cheese melts into my mouth and blends with the meat. And as for the lady's...whoa! Did you just cooked Bicol Express?! That's great! I love it! At first, I feel the spicyness of the dish...it adds to every spoon of meat and rice...but then...I felt an sweet aftertaste...that's the best Bicol Express dish I've ever tasted...not to mention that a tourist like you mastered it already!"

A bright smile is painted along Alice's face...it seems that there might be already a winner for tonight's game. But then, Peter's barangay tanks returned to our truck...running and seems to need some help.

"Sir! Sir! It's an emergency!"