CHAPTER 18: THE ART OF BEING A WOMAN
THE GIRL WHO CAN’T DATE
By Eleventh
CHAPTER 18: THE ART OF BEING A WOMAN
“Act like a woman, they say. Be a woman, they say. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that I don’t know how to. Nobody told me. Nobody taught me.” – Ira P.
2017 JOURNAL
Sunday morning was beautiful.
Everyone woke up to the aroma of coffee. Orion was quick to get up, went out of his room, and sniffed with his nose.
“Mmmm… am I smelling this right?”
Eros met him at the stairs. He was as curious as to his brother.
“Is Ira cooking again?”
“Maybe? But... this unusually smells good.”
“Are you badmouthing me?”
The boys jumped when they saw Ira following them from behind with her dreadful stares. She was descending the stairs like a ghost, not making any sound at all.
“Gosh, Ira! You’re gonna be the death of me. Can you not walk from behind us like you’re some kind of a serial killer?” Eros remarked.
“Did you just wake up?” Orion wondered.
“Obviously, yes!”
“If you just woke up, then…”
When they reached the kitchen, pancakes, waffles, hotdogs, spam, and perfect sunny-side-ups were on the table. Empty cups were arranged beside each plate ready to be filled with a hot drink of their choice. Milk, coffee, chocolate powder, and sugar were also prepared and organized in a container.
For the first time, the Pardillas were about to have a hearty breakfast.
“… who prepared all this?” Orion finished his words in a whisper.
Ares was on the table calmly reading the newspaper while sipping a cup of coffee. Next to him was Usher, enjoying his food.
“Good morning!” Seah greeted, wiping her hands with a clean towel. “I cooked in your kitchen. I hope you guys don’t mind.”
Eros sat across Ares and grabbed a plate, still mesmerized by the beautiful breakfast.
“Everything looks edible.” He whispered.
“What?” Seah stared at Eros amused.
“I mean, we don’t mind. Thank you for the breakfast, Seah!” Eros smiled.
Orion grabbed a plate too as he sat beside Eros. “Yeah! I don’t mind too! Ira’s the one who always prepares our breakfast here.”
But Ira wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. Her eyes were fixed on the table.
[This feels like home.] she thought.
Since their mother passed away and her father was too busy at the bakery, Ira tried her best to take care of her brothers by preparing them breakfast. It’s a morning routine that she finds personal and a task that she takes ownership of, but she knew well that she can’t do something as beautiful as this.
“Ow. I hope you don’t mind that I cooked in your kitchen, Ira.” Cautious, Seah turned to Ira with an apologetic face.
“It’s okay, Seah. I don’t… mind. It’s not my kitchen. It’s everyone’s kitchen. Besides, I’m not really the cook of the family. It’s Pops.”
“Everything looks and tastes good, Seah. Look at Usher! He’s enjoying his meal too.” Eros complimented.
Seah pressed her lips and clasped her hands, feeling appreciated. Then, she muttered, “Thank you!”
“And I won’t mind if you do this every morning,” Orion added gobbling on some pancakes.
“Well, enjoy it as much as you can because we’ll move out as soon as our house is finished,” Ares said.
“Hngggg!” Orion grumbled. “Can’t you just stay? I’ll surely miss this kind of breakfast because Ira won’t be able to make this. I mean, she’s just terrible! Eggs are the only food she can cook well. Sheez!”
Ares stopped reading and stared at Orion who was mindless about what he just said. Eros flinched too but he didn’t say a word to reprimand his brother. But he checked on Ira instead.
Ira stayed silent. It was a miracle that she didn’t retaliate. Instead, she took a seat and quietly brewed herself a cup of coffee. However, her silence was off. Her aura was awkward which Seah couldn’t help but notice.
“Erm… isn’t it too exaggerated to say that she can only cook an egg?”
Nobody answered. Taking the silence as a yes, Seah bit her tongue and did not ask further questions.
It wasn’t an exaggeration. Ira couldn’t cook at all. The last time she tried to fry a fish, it was all burnt that they ate almost nothing. When she tried to make soup, it tasted like an ocean. When she tried to cook veggies, it tasted so weird that they had to order pizza for dinner. Since then, Ira stopped trying.
“Have you eaten already, Seah? Why don't you join us?” Ira thought it would be polite to ask Seah to eat with them, but Seah declined.
“Thank you, Ira but I’m on a diet. I already had milk and banana for breakfast. Anyway, excuse me. I have to go and work out.”
Ira glanced at Seah’s fit and sexy body as she walks out of the kitchen and subtly looked at her flab. Looking at how fluffy her tummy is, she grimaced. She never felt so insecure with her body.
“Want me to put food on your plate?” Eros offered, noticing that Ira didn’t overturn her plate.
Ira quickly shook her head. “NO! I’m not eating anything.”
The boys stared at her with startled faces. Ira is a big eater and she never skips breakfast except when she wakes up late for school. Food is her most favorite thing in the world.
“Are you sick?” Ares asked.
“No.”
“Then, why are you skipping breakfast?” Eros wondered.
“Starting today, I’m on a diet.”
“Pft! Scam!” Orion declared while chewing on some hotdogs.
Eros nodded in agreement, while Ares weaved a sigh and went back to reading.
“Pessimists!” Ira hissed.
An hour later, Ira went back to the kitchen and searched for food, grumbling how hungry she was. Her brothers watching her from the balcony with crossed arms altogether mumbled.
“Scam it is!”
Seconds later, the boys noticed something different in their house and rushed down to examine. They all halted when they saw the big transformation that took place in the living room.
“Are we in the right house?” Eros gasped.
“I was about to ask the same thing,” Orion replied.
Their living room had a makeover. The furniture was rearranged. The curtains were changed. The chairs and tables were wiped. The floor was squeaky clean. And the house smells fresh.
“What time did your wife wake up that she was able to cook and clean and finish everything so early?” Eros whispered Ares.
“No idea. I didn’t know she was… this clean,” Ares mumbled in wonder.
“Wow! Ares, you’re sure lucky to have a perfect wife like Seah.”
“Right!” Eros agreed, putting his arm on Orion’s shoulders.
Ira then got out of the kitchen with a toast in her mouth and stood next to her brothers to check what they were looking at. She almost dropped her toast when she gasped in amazement.
“Wow! The house is clean!”
“You know what Ira. If you wanna get a man, you should be at least like Seah – cooks well, cleans well, and not to mention sweet, caring, and kind! That’s how a woman should be. Look at you! You behave more like a man, dress like a man, punch like a man, and even eat like a man. Do you know that?” Orion remarked.
“I don’t and I don’t care. Why don’t you pay attention to yourself, Rion! Look at you! You behave more like a woman, talk like a woman, and even do a skincare routine like a woman. Do you know that? Ugh! I bet you don’t!” Ira finally retaliated and went to her room feeling pissed off at her brother.
She stared at her toast and threw it in the bin next to her dresser. Then she sat at the foot of her bed and thought.
[Am I not a woman just because I cannot cook well? Or clean well? Or just because I can’t dress up? Or wear make-up? Or just because I’m rough and tough? What is a woman? How to be a woman?]
Then she lied on her bed and closed her eyes.
[Maybe if Mom was alive…”
Rrrrnnnnggg…
Suddenly, her phone rang and Maggie’s caller ID popped on her screen.
“Mag?” At the salon? Like right now? Ow! Okay. I’ll meet you up at the mall. See you!”
AT THE MALL
After receiving Maggie’s phone call, Ira immediately left to meet her friend.
“Is it a woman kind of thing or something to visit the salon on Sunday?” Ira asked as she gluttonously munched on her shawarma.
“What are you mumbling about? I’m only going to the salon today because the coupons are expiring. It’d be a waste not to use it. Didn’t I explain that over the phone?” Maggie answered, reading the coupons in her hands.
“Ow! Right!”
Maggie noticed how Ira gobbled her shawarma and felt a little frustrated how her friend looked so messy. She grabbed her handkerchief from her handbag and gruffly wiped her mouth.
“Can you eat slowly? No one’s chasing you! And look how messy you are. You eat like a grade school student. You’re 25, Ira! Please bear that in mind.”
Ira gently swallowed her food and looked at Maggie with serene eyes.
“Thank you, Maggie!” Ira muttered like a child.
“For what?”
“For taking care of me…”
“Well, that's because you don't know how to take care of yourself. Do you even have an idea that sometimes watching over you is like watching over a kid?” Maggie grumbled.
Ira chuckled but she was pleased. She secretly smiled while Maggie was reading the inclusions of the coupons. While reading, Maggie’s face brightened. “Oh wow! These coupons are good for two. Why don’t you take the other one, Ira? We’ll get a 50% discount on their manicure and pedicure and a free massage.”
“Yeah, sure!”
Maggie froze and slowly looked at Ira with bulging eyes.
“Are you for real?”
“Yeah. Why?” Ira asked throwing her trash in a nearby bin.
“Becaaaause, hellooo? THIS isn’t your thing. It’s a miracle that you said yes!”
Ira rolled her eyes and pulled Maggie inside Splendor.
“Well, I’m just curious. Besides, you’re paying for everything.”
“Oh, my gawd! Girl, I don’t mind!”
Maggie excitedly talked to the attendant and showed her the coupons. They were lucky walk-ins because the salon usually has booked appointments. The ladies had their fingers and toenails cleaned and done. After the manicure and pedicure, they were led into a small room filled with relaxing aroma and soothing music to have their free massage.
“Tell me the truth, Ira! Are you finally dating?” Maggie asked while both of them were having a backrub.
“No. That won't ever happen, Mag.” Ira mumbled as she answers with her eyes closed.
“Why did you say yes to this? I mean, I thought you don’t like this kind of stuff.”
“Just curious.”
Ira sounds so sleepy. The massage was so good that she felt so relaxed and wanted to sleep. But she doesn’t want to doze off. She just wants to keep talking.
“Maggie…” she mumbled again with her eyes closed.
“Yeah?”
“Why do women spend money on make-up, clothes, shoes, and salons? Isn’t this a form of vanity? I mean, can’t we all just live in simplicity?”
Maggie stared at her friend whose eyes were closed.
“It’s not vanity or narcissism. It’s self-love. We wear make-up not to look beautiful because even without it, we are still beautiful. We wear make-up to give emphasis to the beauty that we already have. And spending money on new shoes, pretty clothes, trendy hairstyles just to look good is not for anyone. We owe it to ourselves because the very first person who should appreciate us must be ourselves.”
Ira did not respond.
She may look like she’s sleeping but she was listening and she was thinking.
[When was the last time I appreciated myself?]
She wondered.