CHAPTER 1: IRA’S JOURNALS
THE GIRL WHO CAN’T DATE
By Eleventh
CHAPTER 1: IRA’S JOURNALS
PRESENT (YEAR 2038)
“Raine! Are you ready?”
Ira barged into her daughter’s room and was quite surprised to see Raine still in pajamas, while she looked classy in her black body con outfit with a long slit on the side. She had worn make-up too. Raine can tell that she’s all set to go.
Arms rested on her waist, she looked at her with a raised eyebrow and pouted lips.
Raine knew that look.
That means she has to explain.
“Uhm… Mom, can I skip the reunion this year?”
Ira dropped her eyebrow and pursed her lips.
Please, say yes! I really don’t want to attend the reunion. Raine prayed.
“I have a lot to finish for school, and…”
“Okay.”
“I still have to study, and… wait, what?”
She turned around and reached for the door and said, “Make sure you finish all your school works. Don’t open the door to any strangers. There’s food in the fridge. You can warm it in the oven. Aaand... DON'T DRIVE THE CAR! Gotta go! Take care, honey!”
"Take care too," Raine whispered when the door shut before her.
And just like that, Ira allowed her daughter to stay at home and went to the reunion alone. It was pretty unusual and Raine can’t help but be surprised that her mom agreed without arguing.
"Shut up!!! That just didn't happen, right?" Raine exclaimed. She checked the door one more time and watch her mom went away. "Wow! It did happen! This is history."
But Raine lied.
She already finished her assignments and there was no test to study for. The real reason why she doesn’t like going to the reunion is meeting her relatives. It’s dreadful for her to hear them say how she neither looked like her mother or father.
Raine sat on her bed and stared at the portrait on the side table. It’s the only family picture she had. She was a year old and her father carried her while her mother was beside them smiling. She had no memory of him because he died when he was 15 months old.
Her relatives were right. She doesn’t resemble any of her parents, making her question her identity. Both of her parents have round, upturned eyes while hers were almond.
Rrrrngg!
“Uncle Usher!!!” Raine was delighted to hear her uncle’s voice from the other line. “Do you have what I ask?”
“Yes, I have it! I’m in the downtown city right now. Can we meet at Blugré Café?”
“Yesss! Give me 15 minutes to wash and I’ll be right there in a jiffy!”
She immediately dropped the phone call to wash her face and get dressed. After fitting into her white trousers and denim shorts, she grabbed her keys and ran down the stairs.
As soon as she got out of the house, she took the covers and stared at the old yellow Vios.
“Ugh! Don’t look at me like that, Bumblebee. I know I’m not allowed to drive on my own yet but this is an emergency… sort of!”
It was only about five months ago that she had her student license. Even when she knows that she isn’t supposed to drive the vehicle without the presence of someone with a professional driver's license, still she hopped into Bumblebee and drove downtown.
She met Usher at Blugré Café. Her 24-year old Uncle wore a bright yellow cashmere sweater that made him easy to spot on.
“Hey!” Raine waved her hand.
Usher was surprised by Raine’s outfit. He clicked his tongue and put his finger on his lips thinking.
“Hmmm… let me guess! You’re not attending the reunion, aren’t you?” Raine beamed as she excitingly nodded her head. “Ira let you?”
“Yep!” Raine grabbed a chair and sat on it. Usher followed while listening to his niece's story. “Isn’t that unexpected? I really thought she would say no and argue with me like she always does.”
“You know what, Raine! You might not look like your mother physically, but swear to God, you’re attitude is so like Ira.”
Raine, reading the menu, crinkled her eyebrows in disbelief.
“What? Are you sure about that? Are you saying that Mom was kind of rebellious, stubborn, opinionated, always wants her way, pushes her principles, and uhm, boyish?”
“Yes! Except for being rebellious though.”
She finds it hard to believe that her mother was somewhat like her. Ira is a teacher and a Department Head and Raine sees her as a disciplined, classy woman.
“Anyway, did you find anything at your house that belongs to Mom?”
Usher grabbed the small box lying on the floor and placed it on the table.
“These are your mother’s journals. I didn’t know she was keeping one not until you told me to clean up her room and find anything worth keeping.”
Raine’s eyes sparkled as she holds the box with much excitement.
“OMG! This is treasure! Thank you so much, Uncle Usher! I can truly count on you!”
“What are you gonna do with that, if I may ask?” Usher asked suspiciously.
Raine laughed awkwardly. “N-nothing! I just wanna look into something.”
Usher peered through Raine. “Does Ira know?”
Raine bit her lower lip and gently shook her head.
“Mmm… I smell trouble. The fact that Ira never told us about her notebooks, meaning she never intended to let anyone know what’s in them. Well, that’s how diaries are supposed to be. They keep our secrets and stories we never tell. And looking through her notebooks is invading her privacy, Raine!”
Usher sounded serious about the matter. If there’s one thing he would never do, it’s crossing the line that Ira set between her and the rest of the people in the world.
“Look! There won’t be any trouble if you won’t tell anyone about this. I know this isn’t a good idea but I have questions, Uncle! And I need answers.”
“Then ask your mom, Raine!”
“She will never tell me. I’m sure of it!”
Usher cupped his face and groaned. He is worried. Ira will be furious if she discovered that her notebooks are gone in her room and much angrier if she learned that her daughter has them.
“Okay! Fine! Let’s keep this our secret. Once you’re done reading her journals, let me know ASAP so I can return them where she hid them in the first place, before she remembers them and starts looking for them. Okay?”
“Got it, Uncle! I’ll return them in a week!”
“Finish or not finish, return them in a week!”
“Okay! Deal!”
As soon as the conversation was over, Usher headed to the reunion while Raine went home instantly, thrilled to get her hands on her mother’s journals.
She reached home, carefully parked the car, headed straight to her room, and locked the door just in case. She grabbed the scissors from the drawer and aggressively cut the tapes around the box. The notebooks seemed to glow in Raine’s eyes as if they were jewels.
The notebooks were all leather-cased and personalized. Each notebook is labeled with a year written at the side of the notebook. And her mother’s name is engraved on the front cover - Ira Micole Pardilla.
“Alright! It’s time to reveal my mother’s secrets!”