12 Get Me the Sweetest Gossip

"I have an announcement to make: I'm joining a cooking competition!" excitedly announced by Beauty to her grandparents while eating lunch.

"Really? When and where will it be held?" asked Grand Mommy.

"On July 19, in Cebu City."

"Oh, you still have almost two months to prepare," Grand Daddy said the obvious.

"Yup, so I still have more time to spend with the both of you. At most, I'll go back home with Mom and Dad later, maybe 3 weeks before the competition."

"That will be nice! You can practice here for a while then." Grand Mommy was elated to hear Beauty wished to stay with them longer.

"Have you seen the rules and the things you need to do?" Grand Daddy was a person who was more concerned on the details for a particular event.

"Uhum, I already got them. I checked their website online. I need to go to the Mayor to get a recommendation letter. Can I ask for your great assistance, Grand Daddy?"

Grand Daddy stood up and bowed to both women, with his right hand on his chest and his left hand at his back, "I'll be at your service, my young lady, and thank you for a delicious dinner, my dear Lady Amelia."

The two members of his audience laughed at his gesture. Grand Daddy left the table with a satisfied smile, patting his full belly and cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.

"I think the reason you fell in love with Grand Daddy was due to his humorous side."

"That's what I like about him the most. He really knows how to make me laugh. Okay, about this contest ..."

The two women continued talking about the said contest.

. . . . . .

In Cebu City, inside an office of a small-time newspaper company, two men were talking about the previous event at Camotes Island that hit the headlines.

"I want you to go to Camotes and get the details of that total united food banquet presentation—whatsoever you call it—and get it as soon as possible. Take note of the one who was leading it. Also, I caught wind on some hot gossip that happened a day before, but it was suppressed and hidden from the public. Oh, I gotta thank that sexy thing for telling me."

"Take some good pictures. Make sure no one from the community will suspect you. Just get the sweetest gossip juice for me. If you can do that, then I'll take you in permanently." An old man behind a desk told a young chap with glasses.

"OK, boss, but where will I get my expenses?" asked the young man.

"Don't you receive an allowance from your parents?"

"I did before, but they won't give me anymore ... after almost two years of no salary from you."

"You punk, how can I give you your pay when your scoop is always behind others'. We can't just print stale news."

"... But I really don't have money, boss ..."

The unsatisfied old man interrupted the other, "Fine, here. That should be enough for fares and for a two-day stay in a small room there. For your food, just ask some islanders for that. There are a lot of good people there. And don't' come back to me again if you can't get anything good!"

The young man left the office quickly, carrying his backpack and a camera, after being shouted by the other.

"I think I should really stop trying to get in this lousy company. Mama has been unhappy with me these days ... well, this job was supposed to be just for experience anyway. I'll finish this small assignment and just help Papa with his small restaurant after.

"Maybe, I'll just become a cook like that lady, ah ... what was her name? Pretty? Lovely? Cutie? I'm sure her name was a synonym of these words. Never mind, I heard she got a lot of profit with that food stall of hers. I can follow her ideas and implement them at Papa's later on."

He left the city, anticipating an easy job in his hands.

. . . . .

In the mayor's office in Camotes Island ...

"Thank you very much, Sir Mayor, for this letter of recommendation. This is really helpful for my granddaughter." Grand Daddy was shaking hands with the mayor.

"No, no, I'm the one who should be thankful to your granddaughter. She did a splendid job during that week. Most of all, that last two days with us in the headlines made our small island popular right away. Thanks to her, we now have a lot of tourists every day."

The mayor was unashamedly praising Beauty, knowing his own relative was one of the hotel owners that planned the sabotage but was foiled on time. If it wasn't for Clyde's rapid decision and intervention, Beauty would be experiencing more setbacks.

"Young lady, thank you, and I hope you win that competition. Win for our Camotes Island's pride."

He was rapidly shaking Beauty's hand that she felt her arm might fall off of her shoulders anytime.

They thanked him back and left the skimpy mayor who was wearing a flamboyant shirt as if he was in Hawaii. A big grin was all over his face while waving at them. When they totally left his office, he wiped his forehead full of sweat and breathed deeply as if a heavy burden was taken off of his shoulders.

When the two came to find him, he thought they would file a case against his relatives. If that happened, then he would be called a conspirator. On that night, he only let three policemen roam the whole area so that the sabotage would be successful. Thankfully, it was not as he thought. They had another purpose for meeting him. He just did not know that someone was carefully watching Beauty, becoming her protector and benefactor. Even Beauty had no idea at all with what transpired behind the scenes.

. . . . .

A young man wearing eyeglasses stepped down from the ferry with a backpack. This guy was the aspiring newspaper reporter who was sent here to dig out what took place on the island. The issue was suppressed, and the silence led to the astounding outcome that made headlines in national and international papers.

Though Beauty did not claim it, everyone knew she was the person who led the people to such achievement and to this much attention. She was also the target of this amiable-looking guy.