When the day met the night

When the day met the night (A novel) To Jessa Marie,Eloisa Marie,and Carmelita "When the moon fell in love with the sun all was golden in the sky.All was golden when the day met the night" -Panic! At the Disco Chapter 1: A setting sun It was an hour til twilight,golden rays of the setting sun filled the room.I looked at my wrist-watch,the time was 4:59 as i bent forward to kiss the sleeping woman on my lap. "Wake up, Elaine"I said softly.I kissed her again,this time in the forehead. She rubbed her eyes and opened them slowly. "Hey"she said kissing me back ."what time is it?" "About time for you to tell me you love me"I replied with a smirk. She slapped me gently and held my face with her hands. "I hate you!"she said as she giggled. "You just want me to kiss you,don't you?" "Do it if you dare"she replied I made her sit down,put my forehead against her's,let my nose touch her's and smiled.I looked her in the eyes and said"I love you,Elaine!more than my life!" .Then I closed my eyes to gently put my lips against her's. "I love you too"she replied,her eyes still closed"more than my life!" Then I woke up. If destiny has a wicked sense of humor then I am not amused.Its almost a year now since Elaine and I broke up,but I still hasn't grasp fully why we had to end that way yet. She said she wanted space. I said Id give her the moon and the stars too. She said she needed time. I said Id give her all my remaining days. She said she woke up one day to a realization that whatever she felt for me wasn't there anymore. We were like two lines in an equation; destined to meet at one point only to drift further and further away from each other with no chance of meeting again. We I brushed the thoughts away as I checked my phone for messages. "1 new message from Aunt Lala" I clicked the notif and read the message "Alec, are you sure you don't want us to pick you up at the airport?" She said "Yes Tita,I can manage" I typed and clicked reply. +++ It was past three in the afternoon when I arrived at my grandparents ' house in Valencia ,Negros Oriental.A chilly gust of wind greeted me as I stepped out of the cab I rode in. I was unloading my luggage when a familiar voice called me from behind. "Mijo!" I looked back and found Aunt Lala smiling at me,arms in the air waiting for me to hug her. I put my luggage down and gave her a hug. "How was your flight?"she asked "It's quicker than I imagined it to be,Tita" I replied with a smile. When I turned around to finish unloading my stuff ,I saw the reflection of the driver looking at us from the left side mirror.He had a look on his face that says "are you gonna take all day unloading?" though he never said a word and watched me until I finish. I paid him the price he asked and gave him a little extra and so he left with a smile. I turned to face the house after he left ,letting my gaze wander from left to right , consuming and appreciating the scenery-the trees ,the grass,the clear skies- I rarely see in Manila. "Come on,Mijo,let's get inside ,it's cold out here " Aunt Lala said. "It doesn't bother me anymore ,Tita, my heart's as cold as the weather here already" I replied in my mind as I followed her inside. +++ I was slapped with a realization the moment I stepped inside the house. Nothing is permanent! It was evident by changes that happened to this house since the last time I was here 5 years ago.The long oval table has now become a more rectangular one.The wooden stairs were now made of concrete. Even the tiles were new.Though It made the place more aesthetically appealing I can't help but be bothered by the fragility of the gap between having something and then destroying it only to build new ones. "Why can't something be permanent?" I questioned myself. After I unpacked my stuff in my room ,I found myself wandering by the garden at the back of the house and was surprised to see that they still had the hammock tied between two Mango trees there.I smiled as I walked towards it.I sat at it and made the hammock a swing.I did it ,til I got tired and laughed at how childish I was. When I finally caught my breath,I grabbed a pack of Marlboro gold from my pocket and lit a stick.I took a long drag at it and exhaled.The smoke scattered and played in the air blending with the golden sunrays from the almost setting sun and as fast as it formed the smoke quickly disappeared.I was lost in my thoughts again that when my Lolo opened the back door it startled me,he was asleep when I arrived so we haven't met yet. He walked slowly towards me with his foldable chair, put it down,and sat facing the direction of the setting sun. "He still does it then" I told myself Ever since I could recall,when we visit Lolo here,he would always watch the sun as it sets and as a kid I never really understood why.When I grew up I thought that it was normal for people his age to do such things and I've put it that way since.How long was he doing this? I don't know.But what I know is that everytime he does this he always has a smile on his face. "How are you ,Alexander?" He asked me There was a warm sense of familiarity in his voice.His voice was firm for someone his age "It's just Alec,Lo",I replied with a smile.He always does this ,calling me names from Alexander to even Alice but never Alec.Though if it was a joke or it was because of his age and he can't remember well didn't really matter to me. "Alex....Alexei.....it's the same" he replied back laughing. I laughed back. "You haven't answered my question"His tone was mixture between seriousness and concern this time. The truth is I don't really know what I am feeling right now.I am lost,I am in pain,angry even.So I settled with the answer that would make him feel better. "I'm good,Lo"I lied,finishing my cigarette and stubbing it out. He gave me a quizzical look "Mijo,I lived long enough to know when a man is lying or not"he said as he looked at me. "Its a woman ain't it?" He added He was right.It was a woman.But not just any other woman, it was Elaine,the woman I was hell bent set to marrying.The woman I would ask "how high?" when she asks me to jump.The woman that filled me with warmth that when she left I don't know how to handle the cold anymore.She was Elaine,the woman who made me so used to having someone by my side that when she left I have no idea how to be alone anymore. "Why would you say that,lo?" I asked him, forcing a laugh. "A woman is always the reason why a grown man like you visits their grand parents even if it's not a holiday,"he said with a smirk. "Can't it be that I just missed you?" I replied teasing him. "Your mom told me what happened over the phone, Alexis" he rebutted. "It's Alec,Lo" I replied We both laughed.The sun is almost gone by now , crickets are already singing and fireflies are starting to dance under the mango trees.The breeze is cold and the moon could almost be seen.We talked for a little bit more after that ,mostly catching up and when the moon was already on her throne we finally went inside. Chapter 2: Lukewarm coffee and memories I woke up to the sweet and strong aroma of coffee the following day.I checked my phone for messages and saw my mother's name on my notifs.I read her message and gave her a reply before I got out of bed. I went straight to the kitchen and found that everyone was there except for me. "Coffee?" my cousin Drei asked,raising his cup as a gesture of invitation. "I won't say no to that" I replied. I grabbed a cup and opened the container that has powdered coffee on it.I scooped a teaspoon and put it on my cup then added creamer and filled it with hot water but only halfway.I stirred it then added cold water to fill the cup.I grabbed myself a seat and joined them at the table. "Coffee should be enjoyed while it's hot,Mijo"my Lolo said as he grabbed a piece of pan de sal from a paper bag at the table. "Im just used to having coffee this way,Lo" I replied with a smile. This was the truth.This was how I enjoyed coffee the past 4 years.This was how Elaine makes me coffee. "and don't we wait for the coffee get a little bit colder before we could actually enjoy it,Lo?" I added as I grabbed myself a piece of pan de sal. That was what Elaine used to say to me when I told her the same thing my Grandpa told me. "f**k!"I cursed to myself.This vacation was supposed to make me stop from remembering her. I took a sip of my coffee and enjoyed it's taste on my mouth before swallowing it. "So what are you're plans today,Mijo?"Aunt Lala asked. "I don't know ,Tita" I replied. "Maybe I'd walk to the river later " I added. I never really want to do anything.Since she left I lost the will to do anything.I just wanted to be in my room and sleep all day and smoke some ciggy everytime I wake up.But I wanted the distraction,I wanted an escape and I don't really know the city much so the river was my only choice.I always took a trip to the nearby river everytime I was here in the past. "The river....well it kind of died two or three years ago,Lec" my tita replied in a sympathetic tone,as if she knew I'd be disappointed and sad. "Nothing is permanent" the thought passed my mind again. "Why? Died? What do you mean? What happened?" I instinctively asked. "El niño happened,Mijo." she answered. "The rise of the temperature slowly evaporated the water from the river until it eventually was sucked dry." I stared blankly at my coffee cup on the table. What am I supposed to do now? "Oh,I know" my Tita exclaimed ,her face lit with excitement like a caveman that just discovered fire. "Drei would be going out with a friend later,why not tag along?" she suggested Drei's face reddened. "Ma!" he exclaimed. "What?" his mother replied. "I'm going on a date." He replied back with a look on his face that says 'are you even thinking,ma!' "So what!" Aunt Lala rebutted. "I'm not making Alec my third wheel his first day here" Drei replied. "And I'm sure he doesn't want that too.Tell her Alec" he replied as he looked at me. Drei and I were not as close as any other cousins -maybe because I grew up in Manila and he grew up here- but we're good and he was right.I don't really wanna go third-wheeling. "Yes tita,I'd stay here instead " I replied. "Are you sure?"Tita asked me. "Yes Tita!"I said "Thank you,bro" Drei mouthed. I just smiled. I finished my coffee last and the only ones left at the table were me and Grandpa. "Ali,you could help me clean the storage room if you don't have anything to do later" Grandpa said as he was putting his mug on the sink. I agreed to help him firstly because he was right about me not having anything to do and second because I wanted to keep my mind occupied so I won't think of Elaine.