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I know that look all too well. It can only mean one thing after all.
“That’s… I can’t —” Leo’s unable to find the words as I watch his body react positively to the flavors swirling in his mouth. He swallows, hungry for more. “I’m absolutely speechless. You said this was a common dish here?”
“Welcome to the Philippines,” I tell him around my own big bite.
I think he’s a bit too overwhelmed at the food he’s experiencing as he keeps eating happily. It’s charming. Every single day I spend with my boss, his iron-fist demeanor slowly unravels, and I’m just seeing a nice and simple man beyond all the wealth and authority. I’m happy to get to know Leo this way, and I’m not sure when this will end, but I’ll just enjoy it right now.
But I think he’s forgotten about his end of the deal. At least I’ll have something over him for now. I’ll learn about his personal projects eventually. For now, I’m just happy he’s enjoying the food of my people.
I grimace when I remember a crucial detail about this morning that I left out.
“By the way, I told my parents that we’re engaged.”
“What?” Leo sputters, stunned.
I just shrug and take another bite.
Chapter 18
Leo
“So, you’re telling me there’s a duckling inside of this thing?” I ask, flabbergasted at what Isa just told me. The sun is shining brightly above us, and while it makes the entire island vibrant and full of life, I’m sweating more than I would prefer. The white lightweight shirt I bought from a nearby local clothes store is now sticking to me, but I’m more concerned about the still-warm cooked duck egg in my hand.
“Yep. It’s calledbalut, and I can’t let you leave the Philippines without trying it,” Isa replies, and there’s a sly look on her face that tells me that this is more fun for her than it is for me. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you what’s inside it, though.”
“You think?” I’m admittedly a bit put off. She’s actually serious when she says there’s an actual duckling inside the egg, and I’m meant toeatit? Look, I’m all for adventure, but I can’t shake the image of the chick even though I haven’t seen it. We’re walking down the same sandy path from last night. On our right are the breathtaking waters of the Philippines. It’s way too hot to take a dip as it’s the middle of the afternoon, so we opted to take a walk around the island. Isa, however, was very adamant for me to try thisbalutout, so I guess there’s no escaping this.
“How do you eat it?” I inquire, trying to not let my imagination get the best of me.
Isa brings up her ownbalut, seemingly delighted with what’s happening right now. “Simple. You can just crack the hollow part, then you’ll drink the soup directly from the egg. Then, you can eat the yolk first then the chick, or you can do both at the same time. Dealer’s choice,” she explains. Afterwards, she does exactly what she said, and proceeds to eat thebalutwithout any fuss. I can’t quite look at her directly, worried about seeing the chick, and I’m lucky enough to not have gotten a glimpse of it. Isa’s face shifts to satisfaction when she eventually finishes the Filipino delicacy, looking like she’s done this a lot of times before. “That takes me back,” she states as she disposes of the shell in a nearby trash can. We continue to walk down the sandy path.
I stare at the egg in my hand, positive that my low-key horror is showing. I can’t hide it.
This is new to me, and it’s going to take a lot of guts to eat the guts of a duck.
I crack open the hollow part of thebalutwith Isa watching me intently. “I can do this, I can do this,” I chant to myself over and over as I feel my feet starting to bounce up and down like a boxer, trying to drown the thoughts of the duck chick out of my head. It’s just a Filipino delicacy, and the food I’ve experienced so far has been amazing, and I trust Isa.
“You’re being beaten right now by children playing in the streets all over the country. They love this little snack,” Isa taunts, eyes remaining glued to me in anticipation.
Gulping one last time, I chug the soup inside thebalut, wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible. However, I’m pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is. The richness of the yolk is present in the liquid, and there’s a teasing saltiness to it that I can understand would make anyone come back for more. I proceed to open the delicacy even more, just like Isa did, revealing the boiled, disfigured yolk inside, and that too tastes even more wonderful. As I consume it, however, I am now faced with the chick.
“Oh, I see it,” I comment, voice dropping as I try not to hurl.
“Don’t let it go to waste! You can do it, you can do it!” Isa cheers adorably. I’ve never seen her so energetic, and it’s kind of infectious and encouraging. “Hold your breath, I heard it helps!”
I do exactly as she says, and I even close my eyes as I just go for it and eat the rest. I can’t help but squint in slight disgust as I feel the texture of the chick against my tongue, but once I fully consume it, I have to admit that it does taste good. I definitely understand why it’s a delicacy, and also why it’s a requirement for foreigners like me to experience it.
“That was… a lot.” I start to slowly breathe in and out, processing that I’ve successfully eatenbalut. “Did I do it? Did I do the thing?” I still ask, however, kind of still processing this whole thing.
Isa pats me on the back, a satisfied smile on her sun-kissed face.
“You did it, Leo! I can now let you go back to the United States.” She laughs as we keep walking.
“You say that like you’re not coming with me. But I think we’re committed to the plan, especially since you told your parents.” I glance at Isa from the side of my eye.“ Thanks for the heads up, by the way,” I add, fueling it with a little sarcasm. Isa blushes at my comment, but she also rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. I already said I’m sorry. Besides, what would your life be without your assistant, am I right?” Isa dismisses my concerns. I’m happy she’s a bit more willing to discuss our dynamic after the other night. We still haven’t talked about what happened.
“You still owe me a story, by the way,” she says, veering the conversation toward safer territory for her.
