Plates

by Manny

Just as the waiter was going to serve my favorite, spicy chicken wings with thickly-cut potato chips, I caught myself glancing at the reflection that the immaculate plate had - it was me looking at me.

I was there for a like one, two seconds (until the sauce started flooding the plate)- yet here at the same time. It was like looking through a well and seeing someone else looking through the other end. I suddenly remembered that Looney Tunes episode where Bugs dug so deep into and through the earth, so deep that he eventually found himself in China. The earth is round. Even the plate says so.
"Hoy, bakit ka nakatunganga sa pagkain?"
I was? Gee, talk about being inside that well really deep.
"Hindi...may naisip lang ako..."
"Ah ganun ba...sige, let's eat na?"
"Sure"
I lit up a bit of a smile inside me as I saw my mom eat her all-veggie salad line-up. "Healthy food", according to her. Yet, when I last scanned the table, I saw two double-chocolate cakes for dessert and her usual pack of Malboro. Reds. Sometimes I wonder if she sees the note written at the side of those cigarette packs. It may shock her, hopefully.