Mrs.Robinson and I got to the hotel's clubhouse just fine. After walking on the grass under the sun, being inside an air conditioned establishment is bliss.
I ordered lemonade while Mrs.Robinson asked for a glass of mimosa. We sat on a table and exchanged stories. Like I told Qing and the others, my English is decent. I can communicate just fine. And besides, even if my English is worse...it'll be nothing compared to Mrs.Robinson's Mandarin.
Which is almost non-existent.
Mrs.Robinson: I only ever learned useful phrases. My daughter is better than me at Mandarin.
Me: (smiling) You seem proud of her.
Mrs.Robinson: Oh yes. She is smart, beautiful, compassionate. Very kind. And adventurous. Like I said, she wants to have a PHD at studying life at the Antartic.
Me: Is she a climate advocate?
Mrs.Robinson: Are you?
I nodded.
Mrs.Robinson: Oh you two will go famously together. She loves nature and she believes that we need to do something drastic to slow down climate change.
Me: True! I mean, we have to do something about it. We only have one Earth and we have to take care of it for the future generations to come.
Mrs.Robinson: You sounded just like her. I think the world will be in great hands because people who cares like you and her exist.
Me: Yeah...well...
Mrs.Robinson: You and Qing do seem very close.
Me: (nodding) We are. We've known each other for over a decade now. Since the first day in university.
Mrs.Robinson: Do you know his family and their business as well?
Me: (slightly frowning) Not as well as members if their family...but I do have some idea about them and their business.
Mrs.Robinson: Can you tell me what you know? To be honest, this deal is important to our company and I want to know we are going through with it with good people.
Me: (smiling) Oh, you don't have to worry about that. The Wangs are good people.
I proceeded to tell her about some of the history of the Wang business and its importance to the family. I talked about Baba and Mama...how wonderful they are. I told Mrs.Robinson about how Baba and Uncle do their best to keep the business going and floating even though there are hardships on the way.
But even though I am disclosing some information on Mrs.Robinson, I was still careful about spilling it all. Besides, what do I know about the biggest secret in the family business. I barely know business. All I can tell Mrs.Robinson was how wonderful Qing's family are and their ethics and beliefs in business.
After having drinks and light snacks, Mrs.Robinson and I left the restaurant and found a small painting exhibit at one of the hotel's function rooms. The entrance fee is reasonable enough so I paid for the both of us to see the arts being displayed inside.
I am quite into arts these past few weeks. Since getting the contemporary red butterfly painting as a birthday gift from Qing's parents, I have been browsing magazines and books about different types of arts. From painting to pottery to jewel making. Even calligraphy and mural works. I am lightly reading on them all.
The exhibit we entered into showcase a collective exhibitions of photographs about life. It featured photos of different people, animals, plants and other living creatures in their natural habitats and everyday motion.
Mrs.Robinson is into photoggraphy so I listened as she tried to explain to me about the different techniques the photographers did to achieve the different photos we are seeing. From lightning to zoom to editing the photos. Making it black and white or in intense colors. There are many layers of technique in photography that to be honest, I had no idea until then.
There are interesting photos in the exhibitions. Mrs.Robinson said she might come back there to meet some of the photographers and artists involved in the exhibit.
After that we finally met with the other again. Mr.Robinson and Mr.Todd, Mrs.Robinson's brother, thanked me for helping Mrs.Robinson find her bracelet.
I asked them who won the golf game. Mr.Todd and Pau won. I am happy for Pau because he will get free gift vouchers from the golf club that he can use to buy things at the shops there as his prize for winning.
Pau: I saw a jacket in one of the shops that I like. I think I will use the vouchers I won to buy it.
Me: For a beginner, you are great.
Pau: (chuckling) Who said I am a beginner?
Wang Zhu: You are not a beginner?
Pau: (shaking his head) (laughing) No. I used to work as a caddy at one of these fancy golf clubs before I entered college. I think I lasted for eight months there. I learned to play golf while working there. I was quite good too that there were new members of the club who asked me to teach them how to play golf.
Qing: Wow. I feel swindled now. He is a pro. He even taught people to golf.
Pau grinned at us. I am proud of him.
That day ended well and I soon forgot all about it. But then days later, Baba called me to ask what I want as a reward for brokering a deal between the Wang company and the Robinson's.
Me: (totally confuse) I brokered a deal? No, I didn't.
Qing: (confuse as well) Baba, Dayu was not with us when we talked business to Mr.Robinson and Mr.Todd.
Baba: Well, we apparently wasted our time. Mr.Robinson has apprehension on giving us a deal while Mr.Todd was satisfied with what we laid at the table. The swing vote was Mrs.Robinson who liked Dayu so much, she changed her mind on matching her daughter to either you or Zhu. She said she liked her daughter to meet Dayu.
Me: (surprised) She liked me? Really?
Mama: Why be surprise? Who wouldn't like you? You are lovable, my boy.
Me: Yeah but...all we talked about are photos and her daughter...
Baba: Well, Mrs.Robinson said she liked your honesty about things you know and you don't know. She liked that you were careful when talking about business...
Me: I didn't talk about any business. I don't know anything about the business for me to yap about it.
Mama: Exactly. And Mrs.Robinson liked that. You are honest, as well as circumspect. You don't brag about things you don't know and you are very straightforward about things you want to learn. She was impressed by your hospitality and manners.
Qing: Dayu has manners? He never showed it to me. All he showed me are attitudes and his OCD. (turning to me) Show me some manners.
I showed him my fist.
Me: You want this manner?
Qing: (wrapping a hand at my fist) Who could guess you can be circumspect?
Me: (feeling proud) I told you, I know what I am doing most of the time. It might seem like I don't know much stuffs, especially on business side of things, but I do know how to treat people right.
Mama: (smiling at me) Mrs.Robinson thinks you have a potential to be a good ambassador of goodwill.
Qing: (coughing) Ambassador of Goodwill? My Dayu? (pointing at me) Him?
Baba: (sighing) Why are you surprise, really? Dayu has always been a good host. A diplomatic one.
Qing: He is barely civilized to my friends.
Me: Your friends are different. Some of them don't deserve my goodwill.
Qing: (sighing) And so, Mrs.Robinson wants to introduce Dayu to her daughter? I hope you dissuaded her of that idea.
Mama: I did. I told her Dayu is spoken for. And that he belongs to our family.
Me: (wincing) I hope you didn't phrase it like that.
Mama: (frowning a bit) No, I think I phrased it like that. I said you are a son to me and you belong to our family and that you are already spoken for. And also that I wish her daughter well but firmly making sure to say that you are not meant for her.
Baba and I sighed together. Qing nodded in approval.
Qing: Great job, Mama.
Mama: (feeling proud) I did a great job, right? I think so too.
Baba: You sound a tad possessive of Dayu, Honey.
Mama: Of course, I am. He is ours. You think I will let anyone take Dayu from our son? No way.
Qing: That is right. No way will anyone take Dayu from me. From us...
Me: I am sitting here. Right here...
Qing: Why? You want someone else to take you?
Me: No. No one can take me. Because I belong to me. I have me. I don't belong to anyone else but myself.
Qing and Mama stared at me. I winced inwardly. This mother and son tandem will be the death of me.
Me: ...and Mama. I belong to Mama. (smiling at Mama) I belong to you, right? You won't give me away, right? (holding my hand out to her)
Mama: (properly mollified as she took my hand) Of course, you are mine. Your Mama and I already agreed that you belong to the both of us. We love you so much.
Great. Both mothers. Wonderful.
Me: (smiling) I love that. I love to belong to you and Mama. Forget about my Baba and (looking at Qing's father) and Baba. Forget about Qing as well. Who needs them?
Mama: Nobody. You only need us. We will take good care of you. Your Mama and I already agreed on that.
Qing: (clearing his throat) Why does that sound like a threat? (smirking at me) That sounded like a threat to you too, right?
I threatened Qing with my eyes. I am already dealing with two possessive women, I cannot deal with his craziness as well.
Anyways, the deal was agreed upon. I apprently brokered the whole thing. Hah! Who said I don't know how to conduct a business deal? I know how to do it. I am good at it.
Qing: (bland tone) Don't let it get into your head. You still have no idea what stock dividend is.
Me: Is that a flavor of donuts? Because if so, I would like to have a stock dividend please.
Mama and Baba laughed at my joke. Baba asked again what I would like as a reward for brokering that deal.
Me: I don't know. Can I think about it?
Baba: (nodding) Sure.
Me: (an idea struck on my head) What rewards do Qing and Zhu gege get when they brokered deals?
Baba: Oh...money mostly. Or watches. Expensive ties and sign pens. Stuffs like that.
Me: A car? What about a car?
Mama: Do you want a car? Can you drive?
Qing: No. He can't. And he won't get a car as a reward.
Me: Why not?
Qing: Because it will be wasted on you, Love. Unless you will give it to Baba. But I doubt that Baba will take a car from us.
Yes, my father will refuse that car.
Me: I think I need time to think about this.
Mama: Take your time. The reward will wait for you.
Me: Okay. (turning to Qing) (nudging his shoulder with mine) (smiling smugly) Who is the business genius now? Huh? Huh?
Qing: (moaning miserably) Goodness, you will be insufferable because of this, right? It was just the beginner's luck, Dayu ah.
Me: No. It's because I'm a business genius. Right, Baba...Mama?
Mama: (chuckling) You are a genius, Dayu ah.
Baba just laughed.
And Qing is right. I will be insufferable about this. I will goad him to call me a business genius now.
He he.