Remembering Ice Abueva

Kabanata V

Daryll was just absent-mindedly staring at her food; she didn't know that her friend kept calling her name until Lyra taped the table to get her attention. She almost jumped out of her seat because of that. She looked at the latter with questioning stares.

"What?" her friend asked with rising brows. "I've been calling you, pero mukhang yung isip mo nasa ibang bagay. Kwento ako ng kwento wala naman palang nakikinig." irap nito saka sumubo ng cake.

Napakamot siya ng noo, she doesn't know that she's been absentminded. She just... napabugtong hininga siya at alam niyang hindi iyon nakaligatas sa paningin ng kababata. She just gave the latter an apologetic smile. She felt bad for her friend. It was their monthly date, but she couldn't even focus on Lyra dahil yung isip niya ay nasa ibang bagay.

"Why? You look troubled," Lyra says, obviously worried for her friend. She and Daryll rarely had time to hang out because of their professions, and now they had the time to do that. Daryll seemed so out of focus.

"Does it have to do with your mom? Pinipilit ka pa rin ba niya kay Hendrix? I told you kasi before that don't entertain your mom's playing cupid with you and Hendrix. I'm not trying to sound like bad friends to you, but I really don't like how your mom keeps setting you up with that guy. You obviously don't like Hendrix at alam naman ng lahat yon, so bakit ka parin ba pinipilit ng mommy mo sa kuwago na yon."

Napangiwi siya sa pinagsasaabi ni Lyra. She felt sorry for Hendrix. Mabait naman yung tao, he is also an understanding person; dahil sa tuwing seneset up siya ng mom nya, Hendrix always finds excuses for her, para lang di siya maging uncomfortable, and she is always thankful for that. Honestly, Dayrll was okay with him, if only in terms of an ideal person. Hendrix has all the qualities a woman is looking for in a man. Hindi niya lang talaga magets why Lyra seems so offended at the guy, and when she asked her, the latter would only scoff and always blabber words that did not seem to make a point, so kaya minsan napagasasabihan niya na ang kaibigan kasi sobra kung tarayan na ni Lyra, siya na yung nahihiya para dito.

"Lyra please, your words. Don't call him names. Mabait yung tao oh," she said, but soon just kept her mouth shut when she saw how Lyra raised her brow.

"Don't tell me you are catching feelings for him, na? Sinasabi ko sayo Dayrll, Don't let him fool you." She just sighed and shook her head. She would never really change Lyra's mind when it came to Hendrix. Hindi nalang siya nagsalita at sumimsim nalang ng kape. Wala din naman kasi siyang mapapala because, just like Santi, Lyra's mouth was tight when it came to things that were related to past events connected to her. Minsan unfair na nga yung tingin niya, pero sinusubukan na lang niyang intindihin gaya ng lagi niya ginagawa.

"Nga pala, I heard you make new friends," Lyra suddenly asked. She gazed up at the latter, and Lyra's prominent smirk was enough for her to say that the latter was teasing her. "A bird told me, you met her at the cafe where you became regular just recently. Was it because of the girl kaya don ka na nagkakape kahit it was a 30-minute drive away from your condo?"