CHAPTER

twenty-one

DESPITE THE SAD occasion, my heart couldn’t help but give a leap of joy when I spied Josh at my door. He looked dashing in his dark clothes, a fitted dress shirt with trim slacks.

He leaned forward and pecked me on the cheek. “It’s so nice to see you, but I wish it was for a happier reason.”

I nodded and reached up to fix his bangs, which had swished out of place when he’d kissed me. At my touch, his lips curved up into a gentle smile. I longed to rest my palm against his cheek, to make his smile deepen and his dimple appear. But I’d have to save that for another day. It wouldn’t do to be late to the service.

I grabbed the foil-covered treats that I’d laid out on Ma’s special jade platter. “Ready to go now.”

Josh raised his eyebrows. “Was this supposed to be a potluck-style gathering?”

“No, but my sister was in charge of the snacks, so I offered to help her.” Besides, Ma always said it was tradition to offer something sweet at funerals to counteract the bitterness of death.

“How thoughtful,” Josh said.

From the living room, I heard an internal groan from Marshmallow. “You call ditching us ‘thoughtful’?”

He knew I couldn’t take pets to a funeral, so I said goodbye and exited. I made sure to close the door firmly on his griping.

Josh and I spent the drive catching up on each other’s lives. Though I made sure to stay away from the extra snooping I’d been doing, I did share my worries about Ma and Dad.

“What a shame,” Josh said. “I know what might cheer them up. I’ll make them some furikake snack mix. When will the next Family Game Night be?”

We had a wonderful tradition in the Lee household of playing card and board games as an excuse to eat snacks. The winner also got to claim a jar of loose change as the prize. “It’s been indefinitely postponed.”

Josh put his hand on my lap and patted it comfortingly.

As we drove down the cozy residential street, I checked the addresses until I found the right one. “Looks like we made it.”

Amy’s ranch home was painted in a pale blue-green shade except for the shiny red door. “Wah, so lucky,” Ma would’ve said of the fortuitous color. The same brilliant shade used for lucky lai see envelopes.

Josh and I wobbled down a pathway strewn with dried beans before reaching the front entrance. It made for difficult walking. Thankfully, I didn’t drop the platter I was holding.

Located at the center of her door where a knocker might have been expected was a giant horseshoe instead. I couldn’t bang on that, so I searched for a doorbell. We had to ring it twice before Amy answered.

She looked hassled upon seeing us. “Is it time already? You’re the first ones to arrive,” she said. “And I’m still doing some last-minute cleaning.”

I introduced Josh to her and asked, “Er, what are you holding?”

It didn’t look like any typical duster I’d ever seen. If anything, it appeared to be a cylindrical bundle of weeds.

She hid the bunch behind her back and invited us inside. “Please go straight through that patio door and out to the yard with the food. I’ll join you in a sec.”

In the backyard, I saw a cloth-draped rectangular table. There was already an array of drinks on its surface, ranging from a large water cooler to a glass pitcher of orange juice with sliced strawberries floating around in it. An open bottle of champagne hid behind the juice.

I noticed a half-filled flute of orange liquid on the table as I placed my jade platter down. A smidgeon of magenta lipstick colored the rim of the glass.

Amy bustled out from the house and saw me staring at the drink. “Mimosas help me feel at ease,” she said. “So, what snack did you bring?”

“Honey twists. They’re sort of dessert-ish.”

She clapped her hands in delight. “I can’t wait to try them. And thank heavens you brought the food instead of Jessie. She always undercooks everything she makes.”

Before we could talk further, the doorbell chimed. We headed back inside, and Amy opened the front door.

Principal Lewis stood on the stoop in somber clothing. An obsidian black tie completed his depressive look. He introduced himself to Josh, and they shook hands. Then he gave Amy and me a tiny head nod.

I moved toward the principal to chat with him, but he had already angled his back toward me. He started speaking to Josh in a loud voice. After my boyfriend shared his profession, Principal Lewis leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

Meanwhile, Amy tugged on my sleeve. “Can you make sure I have everything set up properly?”

We left the foyer and entered the nearby living room, separated from the entryway by a low wall. Amy had lined up three rows of mismatched chairs. They faced a small wooden podium. She’d also commandeered a sound system for the occasion.

“Wow. Must have taken some time to organize all this,” I said.

“It sure did.” She smoothed her long black skirt and said, “The last to-do on my list is to check the sound system. Go and say something into the mic.”

I crept over to the podium. “What do you call a frozen dog?” I waited a beat. “A pupsicle.”

I could recognize the rumble of a laugh that floated my way, and I felt a sense of wonder at bringing Josh happiness. Too bad nobody else appreciated my punny sense of humor.

The men soon came over to the sectioned-off room. Principal Lewis must have unburdened himself to Josh because he flashed me a quick smile.

Now that I’d made certain the sound system worked, I stepped away from the podium to sit down in the last row. Sitting in the back made sense since I hadn’t been that close to Helen.

Everyone else who’d been invited seemed to follow the same clock. They arrived at Amy’s house in a huge mass. Alice wore a sensible black dress with kitten heels. Marina arrived with red-rimmed eyes and carried a large box with her. The two sat down in the front row.

Jessie showed up with a very made-up face wearing a poof of a dress while Brandon swept in with a dark T-shirt and jeans. Donna crept inside wearing a homespun dress accessorized with an antique cameo necklace. The janitor had on his typical down jacket, though he’d taken off his baseball cap in deference and displayed a mop of white hair.

Finally, Helen’s father arrived, looking stiff in his collared shirt and pressed slacks.

As soon as she noticed Scott in the room, Amy stepped up to the microphone. “Let us begin.”

Though she hadn’t printed out a physical pamphlet, Amy seemed to have prepared a strict schedule. She first called Marina up to the podium.

Helen’s roommate carried over the box she’d been holding and shuffled to the front. She placed it down and pulled out a phonograph. I didn’t think I’d ever seen one of those machines in person. Marina must have borrowed it from the antique store.

After she set it up, she brought out an album. She took a deep breath and said, “This was one of Helen’s favorite songs. I think it summarizes how I feel about her, too.”

She slipped the record onto the phonograph, put the needle onto the vinyl, and let the music play. Then she stepped to the side.

Familiar strains of music began to play. When Nat King Cole’s liquid voice filled the room, the song was undeniably “Unforgettable.” From where she stood, Marina hummed the melody.

I glanced at the others around me. I’d selected a seat on the far end of the row and had a view of the handful of spectators. People whispered the words, bobbed their heads, or cast their eyes down, deep in reverie.

Josh, sitting beside me, distracted me from my observations by squeezing my hand. I looked over at him, and he gazed at me with a soft smile playing on his lips. To be fair, it was kind of a romantic song for a memorial service. My heart fluttered at his touch.

Then the song finished, and a screech sounded from the phonograph. Marina wiped away a tear, stepped forward, and stopped the player. She unplugged it and retrieved the machine.

After she sat down, Amy popped up from her seat. She opened the floor to any speakers who wanted to share a tribute. Josh and I remained seated, but I darted a glance at Alice.

She caught my look and gave me a quick head shake. Though she could command a class of rowdy kindergarteners with ease, she disliked speaking in front of adults. Principal Lewis, who sat beside her, started brushing invisible lint off his suit jacket. The other teachers looked away from Amy. Richard the janitor fidgeted in his seat. I mean, who had really known Helen well enough to speak?

After a long stretch of silence, Brandon volunteered and walked over to the podium. He held the microphone in his hands like he was about to kiss it. “I just want to say that Helen . . . Well, she was my soul mate.”

I heard a few awws. I wasn’t sure if people were moved by his sugary turn of phrase or his sweet looks. Josh snaked his arm around my shoulder, and I patted his knee in reassurance.

Brandon continued, “When I first saw Helen at the beach, I ended up jumping into the waves to save her . . . graded papers. And that’s when we knew we were meant to be—”

Helen’s father let out a huge cough that sounded almost like a snort. He covered his mouth with his fist and coughed some more.

Brandon gave a pointed look at Scott. “But we were like Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed until the very tragic end.” He hung his head, and Amy managed to get him away from the podium by taking him by the elbow and leading him back to his seat.

Even before Brandon sat back down, Scott sprang up and marched over to the podium. He snatched the microphone in a death grip. “Let me tell you something. Helen was the best surprise of my life, a blessing of a baby girl.” His voice shook. “And sure, I didn’t realize it as a young ambitious businessman, but I amended my ways recently. I strove to protect her, like any loving father would do.” He paused and glared at Brandon.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. Josh must have also felt the chill because he pulled me closer to his side.

Scott continued railing. “And just when I had a second chance to make things better, she was taken from me.” He shook his fist at the ceiling before clambering back to his chair.

Amy pushed her way up to the podium. “That’s all the time we have for speeches. Now, let’s calm our energy and observe a moment of silence for Helen.”

A deep hush crept over the room. After the short silence, the impasse between Brandon and Scott seemed to have subsided.

Besides, Amy then invited us all to the backyard to grab a bite to eat. That would definitely create a better mood over the whole event.

I’d walked only a few steps toward the patio when somebody stumbled into me. I caught Richard before he fell.

“Sorry,” he said, giving me a sheepish grin.

Without his baseball cap, I had an unobscured view of his face. He had a broad forehead, eyes of cloudy blue, and thin lips. “No worries,” I said.

I turned to locate my boyfriend and saw that Principal Lewis had cornered him again. “I’d appreciate getting your business card,” the principal said to Josh.

Richard looked left, right, up, and down. “Where are the refreshments?” he asked me.

“I’ll take you there,” I said.

He clung on to my arm like a leech as I led the way outside. I passed by Alice and her teacher associates, several munching away on my honey twists.

Jessie took a moment to twirl before the ladies in her taffeta dress and show off the sequined bodice. “I wore this same gown to prom when I was crowned queen. And, of course, it still fits.”

At the food area, I helped Richard pick up an empty plate. I saw Scott and Brandon glaring at each other across the same long table. If Helen and Brandon had gotten married, I wondered what kind of crazy father and son-in-law disaster would have resulted.

Richard took his time getting his snack. He asked me about the ingredients in the honey twists and how the wonton wrappers ended up getting so intertwined.

Finally, Scott strutted off and disappeared inside the house, and I didn’t have to endure the angry vibes between him and Brandon. When he reappeared outside, he held a large bag in his hands. In a booming voice, he said, “I appreciate everyone attending this service in memory of my daughter. Can someone help clear a space on this table?”

Like usual, Alice volunteered first and reorganized the snacks and drinks.

“Here’s a little parting gift to thank you all,” Scott said, laying out a spread of beautiful shawls in a wide array of colors.

Brandon retreated from the display and Josh opted out, but Principal Lewis quickly selected a gray shawl. We ladies took our time, fawning over the luscious fabrics. Alice selected a dark purple, her favorite shade, while the other teachers picked muted colors. I opted for lucky red (Ma would’ve been proud).

Everyone said their goodbyes, and I escorted Richard to the front door. I also managed to pry Josh away from Principal Lewis, who seemed intent on getting a few last words in with my boyfriend.

After Josh and I buckled into the car, I said, “What were you and the principal talking about for so long?”

“He needed some legal advice.” Josh started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Too bad we chatted so long I didn’t get a chance to try one of your amazing-looking honey twists.”

“Oh no.” I clapped my hand to my forehead. “Ma’s gorgeous jade platter. I need to get it back.”

Josh reparked, and I sprinted to Amy’s house. I had to repeatedly ring the bell before she opened up. And when she did, Amy held a bunch of smoldering sticks in her hand.