Somebody was going to pick me up at 11am on Monday to take me to the celebration venue. I woke up at 9am and heard Cherry moving about outside, and the voice of her son. I thought they were going to leave at 7am. I guess she decided to hitch the 11am ride with me. I was hoping to do it over the phone. When I told her I didn't feel comfortable going, at first she said it was 'fine', although I thought she said it a bit too quickly. I didn't know what to say after that, but, unhappy with the clipped conversation, I followed her into the laundry room and apologized again. I tried to explain myself in a way that wouldn't offend her, but the impression I gave was that I was only too shy to go. She tried to change my mind one last time before giving up.
The car picked them up at quarter to twelve, with Cherry showing no signs of any hard feelings. Relieved, I got ready to go to the library. Then Hentji called me on my mobile, but the person on the other line was Beth, a pregnant member I met the day before. She had been extremely nice to me, so declining her was the toughest challenge of all.
"Sabi ni Ka-Hentji hindi ka raw pupunta?" she demanded.
"Ahh... eh... nahihiya po ako eh..."
"Wag ka nang mahiya! Sige na, pumunta ka na. Minsan lang mangyayari ang ganito sa buhay natin!"
"Ahh... um... nakaalis na po ata sila eh..."
"Ah hindi pa nakakalayo yun, may sinundo pa sa kuwan. Sige pababalikin ko. Pumunta ka na, ha?"
"Um... ano... hindi pa po ako nakahanda?"
"Magbihis ka na! Sige na, pababalikin ko na, ha? Ano?"
"Ah... ahaha... sa susunod nalang ho siguro... sorry po..."
"Ah ganun ba? Ah... ok... sige..."
"Sige ho... salamat ho..."
I sense that I do not have the tiniest power of persuasion at all.
While having breakfast, Cherry went out to hang the laundry, leaving Gabriel, her four year old son, to me.
"Ate Roselle, want apple?" Gabriel asked sweetly. He pointed to a slice of the apple he was eating.
"No, thank you," I said gently and smiled at him over my bowl of cereal.
"Ate Roselle, want owange?" he pointed to an orange in the fruit bowl.
"No, thank you," I said as I had another spoonful.
"Ate Roselle, want this?" he pointed to a packet of biscuits he had been eating before the apple.
"No, thank you," I answered without looking at him. My eyes were by then glued to the TV where a black man in an afro and an orange tight suit was inviting us to dance with some alien-like mascots.
Gabriel disappeared into the kitchen and produced an orange juice jug. "Ate Roselle, want juice?"
"No, thank you, Gabriel," I said for the last time, with a forced smile.
His mother came in just then carrying an empty laundry basket.
"Mama!" Gabriel exclaimed as he ran to Cherry.
"Oh, naubos mo na apple mo, anak?"
The child turned away and said, "No, thank you."
"Anong no thank you???!"
Quickly, I gathered my dirty dishes and went into the kitchen, out of sight.
