| |
THE MAIN ENTREES CAME out, and people oohed and aahed at the food. Winston had ordered a feast to celebrate: curry crab, mango chicken, garlic kangkong vegetables. He indulged in the curry’s spiciness tempered by rich coconut milk, along with a battle between sweet and savory spices of the other dishes.
In between eating, he turned his attention to Kristy’s brothers to make small talk. After all, he hoped to be a close-knit family starting tomorrow. One of them worked in the computer industry (hardware), so they talked about processing speed and microchips. The other one did banking but talked only of his “genius” toddler son—how the boy could stack blocks into a pyramid and knew basic words in three different languages.
Finally, the dessert came. Individual servings of bo bo cha cha were put out in front of each place setting. Winston looked at the coconut milk dessert brimming with delicious ingredients like sweet potatoes, taro, and tapioca jellies.
Everyone decided to dig in. Winston saw a flurry of hands grabbing bowls. Shiny spoons flashed in the air. He was also about to follow suit when Kristy placed her hand over his. Her grasp prevented him from grabbing a spoon. “The gifts,” she whispered.
Oh, right. They’d gotten presents for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. He was supposed to shower the bridal party with appreciation according to some wedding planning website Kristy had pored over.
Winston cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming tonight. Kristy and I are grateful to have close family and friends supporting us. As a token of our gratitude, we bought gifts for—”
Loud music blared down the table. It was a heart-stopping rendition of “Eye of the Tiger.” Winston saw Orchid fish the phone out from her purse and listen.
“Yes, I’m Mrs. Chan,” she yelled into the receiver.
Winston threw his hands in the air and gave up talking. Kristy patted his shoulder and handed out wrapped presents to her bridesmaids. She had decided on refined gifts for the ladies. The women received amethyst bracelets, which matched the color of their dresses.
Kristy motioned to Winston for him to hand out his picks to the men. Inspired by his inner geek, he’d selected joystick-shaped cufflinks. As he passed out his gifts to the proper recipients, he noticed Orchid with the phone to her ear, frozen.
When she finally moved, Orchid collapsed in her chair. She pushed away her finished plate and sunk her head in her arms. Then she wept.
Viv leaned over her mother. “What’s the matter?”
“Ming,” Orchid replied. “He’s dead.”