Ignorance

Chapter 5

Amor's relationship with her family has never been estranged, and she's never held anything against them. Except maybe for what they are saying to her at this moment, making Amor question thoroughly why she's even been so kind to respond to her family's wishes.

"Amor, anak, sige na," her mother, Chayong, pleads.

Amor transfers the phone from one hand to the other, preoccupied with typing up reports for the distribution to satellite and independent retailers. She honestly doesn't have time for this, but her mother barely calls, and she owes her.

"Ma, busy po ako ngayon," she bites out as a gently as she could.

"Sige tawag na lang ako ulit mamaya."

"Ma, hindi po ganun," Amor says with a humoring laugh. "As in, busy po ako ngayon sa trabaho. Pati si David, mage-exam week na. Nasa Manila rin po yung mga boss namin galing sa States, so ang daming kailangan asikasuhin para sa kanila."

"Hindi naman nakakaabala si Mark ah!"

Mark is... well, who is Mark? Mark is Chayong's best friend's son. He's lived in Los Angeles all his life, and reaped the benefits of being a second generation Filipino-American. But then now, Amor's mother is saying that Mark needs a place to stay in the Manila. By a "place to stay," Chayong means that she already volunteered Amor's home to him.

So besides having Claudia whipping everybody in to shape for the Buenavistas' sake, David's exams coming up, a stack of paper work to get through, Amor has to accommodate obnoxious Mark into her home. Great.

Amor rubs her face raw, and thuds her head against the table in frustration. "Ma, ilagay niyo na lang sarili niyo sa pusisyon ko, please," she begs. "Ang hirap hirap ng kailangan kong gampanan dito. Tapos si Mark pa! Ayaw nga ako ni Mark e!"

"Importante pa ba yun? Kailangan lang niya ng may matutulugan!" Chayong begs back. Amor so wants to yank out all her hair off. "Sige na, anak. Minsan lang ako magbilin."

And that does it. Her own mother pulls out the utang na loob card, and Amor simply can't refuse. She sighs, knowing she'll regret this later on.

"Okay, Ma."

"Okay? Okay na talaga? Sabihan ko na si Mark ah!"

"Kelan siya ulit darating?"

Chayong is silent.

"Mama, kelan siya darating?" Amor urges, the wheels in her mind churning out the worst case scnarious. Please don't say tonight.

"Mamayang gabi."

Amor groans into the phone, throwing her head back exasperatedly. "Mamayang gabi? Grabe naman, Ma! Maghahanda pa'ko ng hapunan, aayusin ko pa yung kwarto ni David para sa kanya—bakit hindi niyo nasabi sa'kin nang mas maaga?"

"Eeeh," her mother whines. "Alam ko naman kasi na kung sinabi ko mas maaga, mas lalo kang aayaw! Pero kung malapit na yung dating ni Mark, di ka na makakatanggi!"

"Ma naman e!" Amor whines back. "Ako rin ba yung susundo sa kanya sa airport?"

"Ha? Hindi na! Alam na yan ni Mark! Taxi na lang siya."

Amor scratches the back of her head, evidently frustrated. Shutting her eyes, and counting from ten backwards, simply isn't doing it. "Sige na, Ma," she prompts. "Usap na lang tayo ulit sa susunod. Dami rin pong trabaho."