SNL 2020

Reconciliation

Zhu gege and I were on a delicate mission that could potentially have cost us our lives and...

(For fuck's sake...)

Oh, alright...no need to sound like your Baba who is tired of my bullshits nowadays. Really, the poor guy. He has a slight cold and I told him he should really take his vitamins regularly. If you just saw the way he looked at me before rolling his eyes and turning away...

It's a look that says, "I am not in the mood to listen to you, a person who always forgets to take his vitamins. I'll be damned to hell and back before I give you that satisfaction..."

So...

He is grumpy. Qing is the personification of that word. Grumpy. He is grumpy with colds. Double hell.

The good news is, I am not sick. Yet. I'll probably get sick because that's how the rule was written. Thou who shall celebrate a birthday must get sick a week or so before that...

That's a rule. I promise. I didn't made that although if you think I made that up, I'll understand your viewpoints.

Anyways, I'll probably gets sick because I smooched your Baba even though he is already sniffing. We already passed the cold virus between us through mouth to mouth and frankly, I have no regrets.

Anyways again, back to the business at hand. Zhu gege and I were on a mission to get Mama and Auntie to talk to each other. I know...we are crazy like that. But what can we do? We cannot get on as one family if the top women in this family are not talking to each other. So, we bravely set up a meal with the two of them and they both turned betrayed looks at us.

Auntie: (sneering tone) I should have known that you will pull a stunt like this when you invited me to dinner out of nowhere.

Wang Zhu: (sighing) Don't make it sound like I only ask you out on a date with me when I have an ulterior agenda. I take you out on dates regularly. (begging look on his handsome eyes) Mama...can we just sit down and talk, please?

Me: (guiding Mama to her chair) He has a point, Mama. Why don't we sit first and talk? Huh?

I sat next to Mama who demurely settled on her chair, like the queen that she is, opposite of where Auntie is sitting. Auntie, also a queen, sat down quiet and looked ahead with stony expression on her face. Zhu gege and I discreetly winced at each other. This feels like us entering a lion's den and there are two furious and ready to attack lionesses with us. And because they are lionesses, they are playing it cool and acting all haughty.

No...make that because they are rich and well educated lionesses, they know when to make a move to kill their prey.

The preys in this scenario are, of course, Zhu gege and I.

Wang Zhu: (opening the menu) So what should we order? The pea soup and lamb in this place are excellent. Pau and I had eaten here several times already and the experience has always been pleasant.

Me: Oh. This is my first time here. I am not that quite enamored of French cuisine. It's something Qing is curing me of. I think I am bound to not like one cuisine. I sure love my Italian, Chinese, Indian and Japanese foods.

Wang Zhu: French cuisine is great. You will love the food here. Pau was not keen on it too but he learned to love it eventually.

Mama: (to Zhu gege) Are you sure he learned to love it or he learned to accomodate your taste? (to me) Don't ever let Qing force you to do or try anything you don't want. We don't want anyone assuming he is dominating you and making choices for you.

Zhu gege and I gaped at her in shock while Auntie snorted.

Auntie: Who is assuming something now? (to Zhu gege) Is this why you want me to have this dinner with her? So she'll have an opportunity to assume that you are dominating your boyfriend, right in front of my face?