SNL 2020

Missed Dinner pt2

I watched as Qing valiantly controlled himself from calling my name again. Good for him, because if I hear him call my name again tonight, using that whiny guilty tone of his, I will really not be responsible for what I will do to him.

Instead I went back to the stove to start grilling the steak.

Me: (in a sweet tone) Pour the wine, Love.

Petty, I know...but I think Qing deserves it. We have a rule. If your phone rang and it's the fiancé calling, you have to take it after three rings. If you are busy and can't take a call, you turn off your phone. That's a signal to give a clue that you are busy. If you missed the call, you message or call back.

Qing left his phone on his car in his excitement to catch up with our batchmates from school. I'm not angry that he had dinner with them instead of me. Heck, I will probably do the same. I remember Gui and Nianzu from the dorm room next door, they are cool people.

But to not remember to call or message me that he won't be home for dinner, that's blatant disrespect to me and to our relationship. It's not like we are new. We are running towards our fifth year as a couple. By now, those golden rules we agreed upon during our first year together should have been ingrained in our heads already.

Fine! I am the usual offender of breaking the phone rules. I am. But I say sorry everytime, endure his lectures and suffer my just punishments.

Well, this is Qing's just punishment for worrying me. For giving me enough reason to think that he is angry at me for eating his vegetable and fruit cups the other day. For making me contemplate hunting him down by calling his friends one by one like I am some kind of paranoid wife left in the house to wait for him. For driving even though he chugged some beer.

Fuck him! I know I agreed that I will one day be a semi-househusband to him once we got married, Baba retired and we are shacking up in the museleom. But this is not part of our deal. There is no way in hell I will permit Qing to treat me like I'm supposed to just wait for him at home with dinner prepared.

That won't be me. Qing will call me if he will be late for dinner. He will message me to assure me he will drive safely back to me. He will take my call when his phone rings. He will respect me like that.

I heard Qing leaving the kitchen. If I will make a guess, I think he will charge his phone. The thing is, he should have done that, charge his phone, the moment he saw it died on his car before driving back home.

The slabs of marinated meat made an enticing sizzling sound as I seared them on the hot pan. I kept my eyes on them, keeping an eye on the time before turning them on the other side. Once they were perfectly seared, I turned off the stove, threw the pan with the steaks in the oven to cook them further.

While waiting for the steaks to cook, I fussed over the risotto to make sure it's still on the right thickness. From behind me, I heard Qing sighing, he is back on the kitchen.

Qing: I'm sorry. You were right. You called at least fifty eight times.

Me: Hmmmm...

Qing: Dayu ah, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I...don't know what happened. I just forgot my phone and...

Me: (turning to face him) I think we should let the meat rest before eating it. Maybe you should go wash and change first. You've been on that clothes for the whole day, already. Sweating through it. I don't want smelling barbecue smoke in my kitchen when I made steak.

Qing winced. He knows I love the smell of barbecue smoke. Heck, I love barbecue. Damn it! I should have gone with barbecue instead of steaks. But pan seared steaks sounds fancier to pair up with risottó than barbecue. Ugh!