SNL 2020

Engagement Gift

Qing came home to find me having wine while reading a poetry book in the middle of the afternoon.

Qing: (looking around) Is my sister here?

Me: (turning a page of my book) No. Why are you asking that?

Qing: Because it's the middle of the afternoon and you are already drinking. You only do that when my sister is visiting. You two love to drink together.

Me: Well, she is not here and I have a valid reason to drink.

Qing: And that reason would be...?

Me: Because I am stressed to my gill and this is the only way I know how to relax in a short span of time.

Qing: (blinking rapidly) Oooookay...I'll just uhm...get some water...

Qing put down his bag on the floor before coming over to kiss my cheek.

Qing: Glad to come home to you, Love...and ah...we will talk after I had some water.

Me: (waving my hand) Sure sure...and while you are in the kitchen, let your eyes roam around and maybe you will find a clue on why I am drinking wine in the middle of the afternoon.

Qing: (sighing) Okay.

Qing walked to the kitchen and I started counting for him to comeback.

Me: (softly muttering to myself) Seven...eight...nine...

Qing: (from the kitchen) What the hell?!

I smiled as I wait for my fiancé to storm back into the living room to ask me questions I know he will ask.

Qing: (standing before me with a glass of water in his hand) What the hell, Love? You bought a new fridge?

(Wait?! What?!)

Me: (looking up at him) Correction, it's a wine cooler or as I was informed, a wine fridge.

Qing: Yeah...food or wine fridge, cooler or not, I don't care! That's a fridge! You bought it?

Me: (going back to my reading) Nope. It's an engagement gift. From your Uncle and Auntie.

Qing: Wait? What?!

Me: Uhuh...someone, probably your parents, informed Uncle and Auntie Wang about our engagement. Next thing I knew, Auntie is marching here, looking around and then leaving. Only to come back with people and a wine fridge. Joy!

Qing winced. Maybe because even if I exclaimed the word "joy", he couldn't find it on my face or tone. It's because I am not joyful about any of that. Not happy at all.

Qing: You should have called me.

Me: Yeah, call Qing while he is working...that never crossed my mind. (glaring at him) Of course I wanted to call you! But I restrained myself because one, you are working and two, I was dealing with your Aunt...who by the way, I think hates me again!

I am feeling incensed that I closed the poetry book I was reading because all the relaxed feeling I managed to acquire from reading has now flown out of the window.

Qing: (sighing as he rubbed a hand on his nape) Tell me every detail of what happened.

Me: It started when I got a call, Auntie telling me that she is on her way here. I asked if she will have lunch with me but then she said no, she just wants to see me. So she came here, inspected my ring, look around the condo and then left again. I had lunch, feeling like everything is normal...until your Aunt came back with people and a wine fridge with her.