Midday, the next day, as the Twilight journeys to Kaginhawaan, Cecilia tossed and turned on her bed, unable to sleep as she could not get over the fact that she was on a ship heading to the final resting place for the souls of the dead.
Cecilia kicked at the sheets and pillows, launching them all over her cabin. She then buried her face in her mattress to muffle her screams. "It's so boring in here!" She got out of bed and changed into a pair of blue jeans and a pink T-shirt with a waving Teddy bear printed on the back. She exits her cabin and traipses outside the gold deck.
She was met with smiles and greetings from the passengers who witnessed what she had done yesterday. "You did well," one of them said with a thumbs-up. "Great job, Miss Singer!" said another one with a smile.
Cecilia nodded and smiled awkwardly. She met several more people who congratulated her on how she helped to reunite the child and his mother. And as more passengers congratulated her, it added to her confidence. "Feels good to be praised. The only one to praise me nowadays is Pops. So, this is what it feels like when people appreciate you." Her shy and unsure steps soon became confident strides
Her cheerful demeanor disappeared when she felt a rumble in her tummy. "When did I last eat? So much happened yesterday, I forgot to take my meal." Rubbing her hungry tummy, Cecilia made a beeline straight to the galley, hoping to have a hearty meal.
Upon opening the door to the galley, Cecilia was met with rows upon rows of hot cooking areas, grills, and preparation counters. Every station is manned by chefs, cooks, and their assistants. Cecilia walked along the galley, her eyes were twinkling, and her mouth watered at all the delicacies and gourmets. "Ebi Tempura, Ramen, Teriyaki, Tonkatsu!" she said, pointing to a series of counters to her right. "Pizza, Pasta, Carbonara. Hmmmm! Shepard's pie." She savored the aroma of the food lining the counter on her left.
"What are you doing here?" someone asked from behind Cecilia. The startled Cecilia quickly ducked behind the counter, her face covered by her arms and hands.
"I'm sorry! I don't mean to snoop around, I'm just hungry…Please don't hurt me!" She continued to hide behind the counter, though everyone could still see her.
"Get up, Miss Bermudez, you look ridiculous." The voice belonged to a woman who was standing behind Cecilia.
Cecilia lifted her head to look. "Chief Murillo?" She awkwardly stood up and dusted herself. "So sorry, I was hungry, so I dropped by for a bite?"
Murillo pouted and gestured with her hand, "Follow me." They walked through the galley until they reached three distinct rows of food tables. "This one is vegan-only delicacies, the next one is fish and seafood, and the last one is for meats. Tell me which one you would want, and you could have as many as your stomach could carry."
"Veggies and seafood are always on the menu at home. I want to try some meat this time." Cecilia expressed, rubbing her hands together, unable to decide which ones to choose from. "Do you have any recommendations?"
Murillo let out an exasperated sigh and a roll of the eyes. She then walked over to the counter until she arrived at a section filled with silver trays with various cooked and prepared meat dishes. "This is Wagyu beef; it is so tender it melts in your mouth." She then points to a pile of juicy steaks. "These are steaks made from Kobe beef; you'll find the taste exquisite and the meat tender beyond words." Murillo turned to see what Cecilia was going to choose, only to be surprised that she was already stuffing her face with all the steak and barbecue she could get her hands on.
Cecilia stopped eating and she glanced at Murillo, "Gyu were taying tometing?" Her words were barely understandable because of all the food that was puffing her cheeks. The Chief shook her head. "Eat as much as you want, then leave," Murillo told Cecilia, before walking away to tend to her duties in the galley.
Cecilia waved goodbye at Murillo while holding a lamb kebab, "Genk du!" her mouth still filled with food. After the Chief left, she continued to eat for another fifteen minutes. After stuffing herself, her tummy size was comparable to that of a 3-month pregnant woman.
She staggered out of the galley and onto the gold deck. "I ate too much…Urp!" She covered her mouth with a curled fist. "I think I'm about to throw up…Urk!" Cecilia fought the urge to throw up, thinking it would be a waste of tasty beef if she emptied her stomach with one big belch.
"I need to sweat this big tummy." She looked around her till she saw Chief Bustamante doing his daily inspection. "Chief! Oh, Chief!" She called to the chief officer, jumping as she waved to him. "Urk! Now I know why my mom always says no jumping after eating."
Bustamante approached Cecilia, seeing that she was having trouble walking. "Are you okay, Miss Bermudez?" She nodded after a big belch, which made Bustamante lean back a bit and fan the air around them with his hands. "What can I do for you?"
Cecilia held a finger up, a signal for Bustamante to wait as she tried to keep her meal in her stomach. Once she was able to keep her meal. She spoke, "I ate too much, maybe you can give me something to do? So, I could work my stomach back to normal."
Bustamante crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, thinking about whether there were any tasks he could give the human. "Most of the light tasks are taken care of, hmmm. Martinez is in cargo bay one. Why don't you help him with the inventory? All you need to do is walk and check if the remaining supplies match the manifest."
Cecilia's eyes light up in glee, "That's perfect, sir, I would be able to walk this tummy away without being too tired. Okay, I'll do it!" she declared enthusiastically.
Bustamante nodded and smiled, "Go straight down here and you..."
Before he could continue, Cecilia finished his sentence, much to his surprise. "I will see Hallway E, go there, and go down the stairs; the cargo bay is just directly in front of the stairs."
The chief officer exhibited an expression of surprise at her knowledge of the ship's layout. "Have you been in cargo bay one before?"
Cecilia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... maybe?" She waved at the chief officer and ran towards the cargo bay, leaving Bustamante with a puzzled expression.