Road Trip Day 36:
Destination: Bacolod City

Alice Flonne's POV:

"Ready...start!"

At Azmina's signal, we immediately start cooking our dishes...our dishes for today: Lexi will cook her cheesy...scrumptious...lasagna...so delis-hey! Snap out of it! For me...I will cook beef pares. If this dish helped me in reuniting with my mom and my older brothers, Jake and Kyle, this dish hopefully would finally secure my victory in this cooking rivalry!

"Hello! Can I have some two orders of fried chicken, please?"

"Hmm! Smells delish! Oh! Can I have three orders of beef pares, please?"

"Five orders of burger and fries, please?"

"I will order...three orders of beef pares. Can you make it a bit faster, please?"

The orders keep on coming for hours and hours...but despite of this...even we get exhausted by successive rounds of grilling, sauteing and tossing...it seems that we don't care who will gonna win today...it's just we are having fun with our passion for our talent of cooking.

"Two orders of our delicious beef pares, please?"

"Three orders of your chicken, burgers and fries, please?"

"Can I order beef pares to go, please?"

"Five orders of beef pares for our family, please?"

Ooh! I'm gaining my lead from Lexi! I just need to work hard...and carefully...so I can maintain and expand that lead. I told him earlier in this food trip...my homemade cooking taste better than fast food cooking and there's nothing he could do about it!

"Sluurp!!! That's one big satisfying dish." Our last customer just finished his meal. "Thanks for the meal. Keep it up!"

"Thank you! Come again!" Lexi and I greeted the last customers as he walks away from the food truck...before we smiled at each other...and ourselves a hug.

"We did it, Lexi! We did it! Hehehe!" We jumped together for joy as I giggle at him.

"Yeah...we finally did our best, Flonne. Congratulations!" Lexi replies back to me with a smile.

And just as we let go...Danica, Claire, Frederico and Dr. Gutierrez comes over to the food truck after their conversations between each other...just in time for Azmina to reveal the results...

"Okay, let's see..." Azmina glances through the logbook to analyze the number of orders that we have received. "Alright...the final winner of the cooking rivalry is...Alice Flonne Molina!"

"Yaaaaay!!!! I win! I win!" I jumped for joy once more as I learned the results while everybody else applauded me.

"Congrats, Alice!"

"Hehehe! Thank you, guys!" I replied to the numerous greetings from Azmina, Claire, Danica, Frederico and Dr. Gutierrez.

Then...I looked back at Lexi...also clapping at me...in the midst of defeat. Hehehe! I approached him to listen to his side...

"Well...congrats, Flonne. You have proven yourself. I guess I won't cooking some fast food recipes anytime soon, just like we promised."

"Hmm...you know what, Lexi? Just scratch that. Just carry on what you wanted to do." I smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "I should be the one who will fulfill my promise...from now on, I won't hate fast food anymore. I will just control myself from eating too much...since I love my homemade cooking very much."

"Yeah, right." Lexi then tickles me.

"HEHEHE!!! SWE-SWEETIE, STOP THA-THAT!!! HEHEHE!!! IT TI-TICKLES! HEHEHE!!!"

Everyone is smiling at us...enjoying our little fun time between me and Lexi. Well...even this food trip is over, a bright future is still waiting for all of us...since these friends of mine is now part of my family...

"Oh, Alice!" Then a call cuts off the tickles.

"Hmm? What is it, Azmina?" Then, I saw Azmina holding a phone and talking to somebody.

"My father wants to talk to you..." Then she hands over her phone to me so I could respond to his call.

"Hello, Mr. Diamla?"

"Yes. Hello, Alice." Azmina's father replies. "I just wanted to talk to you to bring my sincere gratitude for saving me days earlier back in Davao. You're such a brave little fighter for me, my daughter and your friends. You even make new friends for Azmina. Well...maybe it's time to tell you something..."

"Hmm? What about it, Mr. Diamla?" I am curious about what Azmina's father is about to tell me.

"When I was at the hospital with Azmina...I was planning to do this...Alice, I will sell off my investments in my restaurant chain and I will give it to you starting today. If you worry about management and profit, Azmina will be on the case...I believe that this is the best thing I would give to you in gratitude. I hope that you will like it."

As I listen to his offer, my eyes literally widens in disbelief...and then, tears of joy fell from my eyes...I really can't believe this...I didn't expect my kindness...and my passion for cooking...will return back to me a thousandfold.

"My...I really can't reject this...this is so much for me." I smiled in so much gratitude. "Thank you, good sir. I'll promise...I won't let you down."

I handed back the phone to Azmina, who is smiling at me as she knows about what I was talking about with her father.

"Hmm? What's the problem, sweetie?" Lexi approached me and wipes my tears. "Why are you crying while smiling?"

"Lexi! This is so great! I was given a great gift from Azmina's father!"

Then I whispered to him about the restaurant chain that I will about to receive...

"That's indeed great!" Lexi then hugs me. Your mother will be so happy about this. Remember...take good care of it, okay? You'be earned it."

"I will, sweetie!"

Then Lexi invited me and Azmina to go out of the food truck and gathers together with my friends and make ourselves into a group hug.

"Thank you...thank you so much, guys. Thanks for fulfilling my lifelong dream. I will never...ever forget this."

And after all is said and done...we joined hands together and glances at the beautiful sky...as the glorious sun goes down...fulfilling this life changing...food trip...that I will never forget for the rest of my life...

"Alice, even this food trip ended, don't forget us, okay?" Claire reminded me. "If you have problems, don't hesitate to ask...and if your husband hurts you, don't worry, I'm gonna smack him quickly."

"Ehehehe...thanks, Claire." I laughed at her promise. "Don't worry, Lexi will never hurt me."

"Alice, thanks for bringing me to your crew." Danica tells me next. "I have so much many memories with all of you. I will treasure it forever. But don't forget about me, please?"

"Of course, Danica! Hehehe!" I replied with a giggle. "In fact, I'm looking forward for a matchup with your own fast food skills. Your performance in Davao makes me curious about you."

"Sure thing, Alice. It will be an honor to face a excelled cook like you."

"Ehehehe...Danica, you're making me blush." I giggled while my face blushed a bit.

I looked upon the sky once more...take a deep breath...and smiled. Suddenly, I began to speak something...as if somebody is listening to me up above the sky...

"It was a life-changing experience...I wish that this would never end..."