SNL 2020

A Good Daughter in Law pt2

Me: Did you ask her what she said to me?

Qing: We did. But she won't tell.

Me: Then why do you expect me to tell?

Qing: Fine, don't tell me. Write it on your diary instead and let me read it.

Me: If I write it on my journal, I'll put a password to secure it.

Qing: Tell me!

Me: I can't. I won't. It's not mine to say.

Qing: What do you want? Tell me what I can do for you to tell me what happened to my sister there for her to cry like that.

Me: Like how?

Qing: Like she was exhausted and hurt.

Yikes.

Me: Well, this conversation is moot because it's not my place to say. All I can say is, you better be nice to your sister or I will kick your butt. She has suffered an ordeal and for her to cry, you know it's bad.

Qing: Yes. Exactly, I know it's bad that's why I am pissed.

Me: Well stop being pissed because you didn't know the whole thing. I have rights to be pissed because I know.

Qing: So tell me what happened so I can be properly pissed.

Me: No. Hey, I need to go. We are being called again. Stop being such a grouch and just be nice to your sister and brother in law.

Qing: Whatever.

He could be a brat too. Anyways, when my shooting was done, I went to the mansion instead of going home to the condo. Baba decided that the whole family should wrap their arms around JiJi, Gege and JR. They are ours so we have to be there for them in times of their needs.

JiJi hugged me. She is not crying anymore but her tears sure come quickly on her eyes. But she doesn't looked like the whole world is her burden anymore.

JiJi: Hubby promised me that I could just pop into the hospital every other day to check things there and I didn't have to sleep there again. He employed another private nurse, this time for his mother.

Me: What about their other daughter in law? What did she said when Gege gathered them on a meeting?

JiJi: (sighing) She said, she thinks she is pregnant again. That's why she was being careful about traveling to and from the hospital.

Me: Do you believe her?

JiJi: (shrugging) I don't care. She's pregnant or not, doesn't matter to me. I am focusing on my husband and son. Leaving JR to Mama and Baba for more than one week is enough. Argh! It almost drove me insane.

Me: Speaking of things driving someone insane...Qing has been hounding me about what your mother in law said that broke the whole dam. I have been evading and avoiding him but you know your brother, giving up is not on his motto.

JiJi: (smiling) I'll talk to him so he'll stop hounding you.

Me: Did she even say sorry?

I am of course talking about the mother in law.

JiJi: (sighing) I don't need it. And she won't do it anyway. Her pride and all. I'll just try to be understanding. It must be hard for her to watch her husband on that hospital bed. I know it'll be hard for me if it's my hubby lying there.

She is so...empathetic.

Me: How is Gege?

JiJi: Tired too. He is tired too. We are both tired. (eyes misting again) I feel so sorry for my husband. I wish I could do more for him.

Me: (taking her hand) Don't be ridiculous, you have done enough. You have done more than enough. It's not like you are abandoning them. You are still the one the hospital will call once things got chaotic there. You'll still be on top of those medical papers. Organizing those for Gege's family.

JiJi: (sighing) You know, when I got married, I promised myself that I will work hard to get the love of my husband's family. I will be a wonderful daughter in law. I will treat my husband right and I'll show his family that marrying me is the best thing their son will ever do. But I realized I didn't prepare for this. Looking after my parents in law and their medical affairs. It was hard.

Me: (patting her hand) You did well. You did...

JiJi: (smiling) Thank you, Dayu ah. I think, that thing I planned, to make my husband's family fall for me, you did it already. Our family adores you. All of us.

Me: (chuckling) I must say, Auntie was a mountain that was hard to conquer.

JiJi: (chuckling) She was.

I gave JiJi one more hug before I let her go to her husband and son. I still believe Gege's family found gold when Gege married her.

Mama came to my side to hug me. I hugged her tight as well.

Mama: (leaning out to touch my cheek) Thank you for being a good friend to JiJi. We are so happy that she has someone she can call in the middle of the night to make her feel better.

Me: She is the best. I wish I could do more for her.

Mama: You are already doing it. For her and for this family. (hugging me again) Thank goodness Qing has that moment of pure intelligence to take you home to us. You are one of the reason why I couldn't fully disown that boy.

Me: (chuckling) He is trying, Mama. He is trying to be a better son and brother. I promise you.

Mama: And I love him so much for that.

Qing and I said our goodbyes and drove to the condo. I am dead tired from work and all of these happenings. Qing, bless him, grabbed some lotion and massaged my arms and legs.

Me: (closing my eyes as I enjoy that massage) I love you. Don't ever leave me. I'm begging you.

Qing: (laughing) You always say that when I am massaging you.

Me: Then always do it so I'll always beg you never to leave me.

Qing: You say that now but you complained to my sister about me pestering you for details of your talk with her.

Me: Yup.

Qing: (chuckling) Fine. Keep it to the two of you. I don't care anymore. I'll just keep a good eye on her.

Me: (sighing, close to sleep) Be nice to her. We should be nice to her. Other people are nasty.

Qing: Isn't that the weirdest thing in the world? Other people having no qualms hurting the person you think is the most precious in this whole world. The one you treat like a rare gem, others treat like thrash. Some people's gold are other people's garbage.

Me: It's a wonder. That's why we always have to be kind. We don't know it, the person we are hurting has someone in their lives who cherish them preciously.

Qing moved to cuddle me. I pressed my face on his collarbone.

Qing: (yawning) Never let other people treat you like thrash, Dayu ah. You mean the world to me...that's your value.

Me: Okay. Same to you.

Life is weird eh. But also life is good. Especially when you have a wonderful family to wrap their arms around in your time of needs.