Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 79
Once the Sunday service was done, the couple left the church and found the car waiting for them. The sun was high. Karlos opened the car for Maya, and the two went in.
"I bought snacks, although I'm unsure if you will like them," Foster said to the two and passed a small plastic bag filled with rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves.
"Thank you, Foster."
The two ate the rice cakes, they were still steaming hot. Maya blew softly on hers before taking a small bite, it was sweet and chewy.
"Are we going to the mall now?"
"Yeah," Karlos confirmed.
Unlike their town, Evitac City naturally had malls. Their destination was the biggest one, Roman had written the address in the note. He said that it was a jewelry store.
"Aside from visiting the jewelry store, are there any plans?" Foster asked while driving.
"We're thinking of buying some gifts for the upcoming Children's Blessed Day. Perhaps we're also going to buy some groceries, particularly milk formula and diapers," Maya answered. Her gaze was out the window, looking at the scenery.
"Children's Blessed Day, huh..." Foster recalled.
Children's Blessed Day was a holiday for kids. It was set on December 25, just like Christmas on Earth. Students usually had a long rest around this time until the new year. People would give money or gifts to children. The holiday was celebrated all over the world and considered a national holiday in many countries.
"Do you have children, Mr. Foster?" Maya curiously asked.
"Nah, they're adults. They're too old to celebrate Children's Blessed Day. What I'm thinking about are my grandchildren." Foster lightly smiled, clearly picturing his grandkids in his mind.
"Now that I think about it, kids knocked on our gate whenever Children's Blessed Day arrived, although Wanda was the only one who gave money to them. She gave them one peso each." Foster chuckled as he recalled what happened last year. A few children from the neighborhood asked for money. But since there were no rich people in the villa, only Wanda gave money, which was one peso. The kids were disappointed because they thought the villa would give them at least five pesos.
By the way, five pesos was already big for kids. They could buy one donut with that amount.
"We can prepare some for the kids at that time," Maya offered, and Karlos had no problem with it. They were not going to give the kids a huge amount, just five pesos each.
"I'll wait for you in the parking lot."
Once the car reached the shopping mall, Maya looked at it with excitement. The massive structure, its glass walls that displayed items, the chatter of people, the aroma of restaurants, and the faint music from nearby stores, it was all overwhelming. She rarely had the chance to visit shopping malls. In the first place, she didn't have money to buy anything in such places. She was just about to graduate from college when she met Karlos. She decided to marry instead of looking for a job.
"Let's go," Karlos said, intertwining his fingers with Maya's, his thumb brushing her affectionately. The woman giggled and felt like they were back in their dating phase again.
Hand in hand, they went inside the mall, and Maya was mesmerized by everything. The cool air-conditioning brushed against her face as she gazed up at the gleaming lights and decorative displays. Many stores sold different kinds of expensive products.
Maya glanced at Karlos, her husband seemed not that shocked.
"Are the malls in Maynila better?"
"They're basically the same, although the malls there are bigger. This mall only has three floors, in Maynila, this is considered average," Karlos answered calmly as his eyes scanned the stores. He had been to many malls in both lifetimes, and he was not impressed anymore. For him, malls were just malls.
"I guess so."
The two walked to the escalator since the jewelry store that Roman talked about was on the third floor. While walking, Maya couldn't help but look at the stores that sold nice-looking clothes. Her eyes caught a white dress that made her steps pause.
"Do you want to buy it? We have some money anyway. Why don't you buy something nice for yourself?" Karlos realized that something caught Maya's interest. He smiled softly, watching her expression.
"Huh? I mean, no, I think we should prioritize our kids."
"What do you mean? I worked hard and earned money to make you happy. If you want something, just buy it. I can earn it anyway," Karlos smirked. For this trip, they set aside 50,000 pesos in cash in case they wanted to buy something. They rarely had the chance to visit the city.
"Well... Let's look at the price first." Maya was hesitant. Just by looking at the store, she knew it was a high-end luxury clothing store. Her heart raced slightly as she stepped toward the entrance.
They entered the clothing store and were greeted by a sales clerk. The clerk's professional smile didn't hide her curiosity as she scanned the couple from head to toe.
Maya awkwardly nodded while Karlos kept his composure. He walked with the confidence of someone used to this kind of environment. This kind of experience was not new to him.
The clerk could see the difference in their behaviors, the man seemed confident, while the woman appeared meek and unused to such places. It looked like a scene from a telenovela: a rich man and an ordinary woman... Yes, the clerk just wrote a story in her mind.
Maya looked at the dress displayed by the window. Her fingers brushed against the smooth fabric, admiring it.
"Miss, are you interested in that dress?"
"Can my wife wear it first? Do you have another one in stock that she can try?"
"Yes, sir." The clerk was a bit shocked when she found out they were married. She went to the back of the store to find the dress.
Maya curiously flipped the price tag and almost stumbled when she saw the price. Her face froze. Karlos held her by the waist to keep her balance.
"Are you okay?"
"B–Babe, I think we have to leave this store. This place is expensive! 3,500 pesos! That's almost a month's worth of food! We can buy four sacks of rice with that amount!" Maya was dumbfounded. Her voice went higher in disbelief as she gestured dramatically toward the tag.
Karlos chuckled. He found her flustered reaction endearing.
"You're cute when you're flustered."
"Karlos Alejandro, I'm not joking here." Her eyes narrowed, though a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"I know. You like the dress, so I'll buy it for you."
"Karlos." She glared at him. Her lips pursed in frustration, but her gaze softened slightly under his teasing smile.
"Maya, I don't take no for an answer." His affection made her heart skip a beat.
"... Hmph!" She scoffed, but her cheeks were blushing. She turned away to hide her smile, pretending to be annoyed.
The clerk arrived with the dress, and Maya didn't have a choice but to wear it. The staff guided her to the fitting room. She went to the changing room while her husband looked around. Karlos' eyes scanned the store displays, none of which particularly caught his attention until something small and thin near the counter did.
Karlos found something interesting.
When Maya was done, she showed the dress to Karlos. The curtain slid open, and there she was, wearing the white dress that seemed made for her. The soft fabric hugged her gently.
"What do you think?"
Karlos' eyes trembled, and his breath quickened. A teasing smile formed as he looked at her. He was lucky to marry a woman like her, Maya was heavenly gorgeous.
'Raw, next question.'
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