The dormitory simply consisted of one big bedroom, which apparently had been remodeled from its original structure of two rooms, and a kitchenette.
Girls were divided into two groups: One, chatting loud in the bedroom while listening to radio music; another, cooking something in the kitchenette to fill their empty stomachs. At a short glance, there seemed to be more than ten girls in all.
Some of the girls gave me short, quick looks, but no one tried to talk to me. Their eyes were showing tints of their sympathies to me, as well as some sorts of compassions, perhaps because, I guessed, they remembered very well how tired they themselves had been after their first night works.
Although I had no appetite, I momentarily looked into the kitchenette. Seemingly, I was aware that I also needed proper amount of food, in addition to sufficient sleep, to be healthy enough for my daughters to depend on me.
-----
“Do you want to dine with us, Ate (elder sister) Trina?" Somebody intimately talked to me over my shoulders when I was about to put my bag down on the floor at a corner of the bedroom.
Being surprised with the unexpected voice, I turned about.
Widening her amiable, lovely eyes, Melba was smiling at me.
“Tonight’s special is pansit Canton. How about at three pesos a plate, 'Ate'?"said Melba. I supposed she might have seen me looking into the kitchenette.
“Ah, Melba... I’m not mistaken with your name, am I?" I asked her, being somewhat puzzled with the fact she had talked to me so intimately though we had not exchanged any word at the saloon.
“No, you’re not, 'Ate'." On her part, she did not appear to be surprised to know that I already knew her name.
“Good. ..Then, that means, Melba, I’m allowed to eat a plate of that delicious noodle, doesn’t it?"
“Of course." Melba returned me a big nod.
To get three pesos out of it, I stretched my hand to the purse I had just put into the bag.
Melba stopped me, extending her both hands toward me, and said. “But, maybe, you better wait so that you won’t regret later on having paid for it, for tonight’s group of girls including myself are infamous for their bad cooking. She burst out into laughter. “Well, actually, that’s not true, 'Ate' Trina. To tell you the truth, it’s our tradition here at the dormitory that the first-night-girls are to be served a free meal."
“Wow." I smiled back at her. “How nice it is!"
“The plate will be served pretty soon." Showing me a broad grin, Melba went back to the kitchenette, perhaps to add my name to their applicant list for the noodle.
-----
A few minutes later, Melba and I were sitting on one of the wooden beds, side by side.
I noticed for the first time that there were two girls already asleep inconspicuously in the dimness by a wall, sharing one bed. Their customers might have offered them some of the saloon’s standing dishes, I guessed.
“Thank you, Melba, for... remembering me." I said in a low voice. “Honestly speaking, I was kind of afraid I might spend my first night here all alone because I had no chance to talk closely with any girl at the saloon, although I was introduced to them all for formality.
“That wouldn’t have happened, 'Ate' Trina, even if I hadn’t remembered you, because all the girls here..." Melba lowered her voice, giggled, and went on. “Maybe, almost all. ..Anyway, we try to be kind one another. Besides, the reason I remembered you was..," her face was very serious now, “that you were at Mr. Takano’s table tonight... Well, to be accurate, last night. And I couldn’t keep myself from casting my eyes upon you."
Without knowing where our chat was heading, I said. “Takano-san was my first customer, and turned out to be the last, too. ..I had only one customer last night."
“The first night at Sakura..." Melba’s eyes were firmly set at my face.
“Yes. But..." I was somewhat bewildered. “But, in fact, it’s my third time here. The first one was, well, a long, long time ago." Then, avoiding Melba’s stare, I thought, ‘Perhaps, that’s when you still were a cute high school freshman (12 years old) or sophomore somewhere in this country.'
Pressing my hand onto the stomach, I hurriedly added. “Oh, I’m starving to death." That was a lie for me to earn some more time to figure out how to talk with the unexpectedly amiable young woman.
-----
Melba did not respond to my exaggerated starvation, however. Instead, she said very seriously, “I was watching you, 'Ate', all the time, to be true."
“Oh yes?" The bewilderedness was much deeper now. “I wasn’t aware of that. But, why?"
“Because... You looked so beautiful, 'Ate' Trina." Having said so, she offered me a wide smile.
“Why! No joke, please, Melba." I did not come up with any other words.
“That wasn’t a joke, 'Ate'."
I responded her, forcing myself a smile. “If so, I must express another thanks to you, this time for your best try to be loud in my praise."
Despite the playful tone in my voice, I was scared by her hard stare, in fact. I was feeling it frightful that I could not foresee what the young woman might tell me next.
“I’m serious, 'Ate'," insisted Melba.
“All right, Melba. I’ll accept your praise as it was said, with all my appreciation."
-----
Melba did not back away. “May I ask you how old you are, 'Ate'?" Her eyes were glittering, perhaps, by her strong curiosity on me.
“Sure, you may. ..I’m twenty-four years old." I answered her uneasily, not understanding why she wanted to know such a matter.
“Do you know how old Mr. Takano is?"
That was totally unexpected a question. “How old he is... I didn’t ask him any question like that, so..."
“He is thirty-six years old." Melba suddenly slid down from the bed and went to the kitchenette, leaving me at a total loss.
