ALL DAYS, ALL NIGHTS

IKALAWANG KABANATA

AMARA woke up so early in the morning. It's not because she wanted to but because of what Daire did to her last night. He gave her a box full of plastic cockroaches. And Amara thought it was her fault for believing that Daire would give her something special.

Oo nga naman. Kailan ba nagbigay sa kanya ng something special si Daire maliban noong nagtampo siya para sa white sneakers nang magbakasyon ito sa Australia. Hindi niya na-realize na hindi pa rin pala nagbabago ang kanyang kaibigan kahit kailan.

"Nang makita ko iyan sa mall, ikaw agad ang naalala ko."

So mukha pala siyang ipis? Kasi naalala siya nito noong makita nito ang laruan sa mall.

"Hah! Buwisit na lalaki!" aniya at padabog na isinalpak sa oven toaster ang kanyang tinapay. Umagang-umaga hindi pa rin niya makalimutan ang ginawa nito. She was very excited while holding that red box and expecting it was something very beautiful. Tama lang pala sana ang hinala niya kaya lang ay mas nangibabaw ang pusong-babae niya na nag-aasam makatanggap ng regalo kahit man lang sana mula sa kaibigan lang.

"Oo nga naman! Parang hindi mo pa kilala ang lintik na 'yon?!" Magmukha na siyang tanga pero ano'ng oras na siyang nakatulog dahil sa inis. Nang tumunog ang toaster ay mabilis niyang kinuha ang tinapay at nagsalin ng kape sa kanyang cup mula sa coffee maker. Not her usual morning dahil lagi siyang nasa bahay ni Daire kumakain. She's cooking the food every morning, bring it on Daire's house and eat with him.

Amara's mother died five years ago because of breast cancer. After two years, her father remarried and settled in US. Sa ilang beses na pamimilit nito sa kanya ay mas pinanindigan ni Amara na magstay sa Philippines kung saan siya lumaki at kung saan nailibing ang kanyang ina.

She doesn't have any problem with her father's remarriage. Kung saan ito masaya ay masaya na rin siya. But honestly, a part of her is hurt up until now thinking about how her father remarried and chose to live in the US when he can stay here with his new wife which she's okay with from the very start.

Kaya naman Amara is so thankful to have Daire in her life. When nobody is there to be with her, there's Daire, sticking right next to her.

Daire's parents' were divorced when they were eighteen. Hindi nagkakasundo ang mga ito sa mga bagay-bagay na nauwi sa hiwalayan. That made Daire continue being a womanizer. Seduce women to take them into his bed for one night and ignore them the other day.

Amara doesn't like Daire doing it, but to have seen how he suffered from having a happy family and woke up one day, and found out it was already broken made her understand his life and feelings. Kung paano'ng nandiyan si Daire sa tabi niya kapag kailangan niya ito ay gano'n din siya sa kaibigan. She can be his shoulder to lean on when the time comes that he'll fall in love with someone.

Right after sipping the last portion of her coffee, napatingin siya sa labas ng bintana kung saan makikita ang sasakyan ng kaibigan. Tumayo siya roon at hinawi ang mga kurtina. Palagian kung maglinis ng sasakyan si Daire. Iyon din ay kung hindi ito nakatulog sa kama ng mga babae.

When she looked outside her window, there's Daire, topless and cleaning his car. It's already 6:30 in the morning at gising na ang kaibigan. Gulo-gulo pa ang buhok nito at halatang kababangon lang. She was studying his look when Daire suddenly looked at her direction. Muntik nang mabitawan ni Amara ang hawak na tasa ng kape na wala ng laman.

Daire smiled and she turned her back to ignore him. Is it an immature act for a 27 year-old woman? Mukhang hindi naman. Lalo na kung masama ang loob.

Inilagay niya sa sink ang kanyang tasa maging ang plate na nilagyan niya ng toasted bread kanina.