Knew it! Iknewthat Derrick and the whole Go family was sketchy. This is the kind of chismis that’s healthy for the soul.
“But Beth does look happy, doesn’t she? It reminds me of Beth and Ton back then.”
“Grace, you can’t compare. That was first love and iba naman ang glow ng prom king and queen.”
Wait. My parents went to prom together?
… My parents were prom king and queen?
“Nika!”
My body knocks over a stool when Achi bursts into the kitchen. “What’s taking you so long?”
Auntie Baby comes over and bends to check my hiding spot. “Why are you crawling on the floor?”
“Uh…” I stand and smooth my dress. “I was looking for the orange juice.”
“You mean this one?” Auntie Grace points at the pitcher directly on the countertop.
“Ah, there it is!” I quickly grab the pitcher before this looks any more incriminating. Walking past Achi and my aunties, I push open the kitchen door. “Proud member of the juice committee. Tshia dim, tshia dim!”
Once I get through the difficult ordeal of serving people juice (and dodging Achi’s accusations that I was eavesdropping again), Auntie Grace tells everyone to settle down and get ready for Ma’s entrance.
Moments later, Ma emerges from the bedroom in the red dress her Marie-tres helped her pick out. I sometimes forget how utterly stunning my mom is—and her shoes accentuate her leg muscles even more. Ma has such toned legs that her calf muscles already pop when she’s wearing flats.
I shouldn’t be shocked that she was prom queen in a past life.
The music starts as Ma begins her grand entrance. Even if Seph always makes his weird smoldering face when he plays the guitar, I hate to admit that he isn’t totally out of tune. Auntie Baby is extra careful when she guides Ma backward down thesteps leading to our living room. I can practically hear Ma muttering a prayer under her breath.
“Why aren’t you Ma’s lucky lady?” I ask Achi.
“Auntie Baby knows more about these things.”
According to tradition, the woman who assists you in this ting hun entrance is supposed to be a “lucky” lady. Meaning: married, has kids, and ideally has parents who are still alive. So I guess with that criteria, Achi and I are zero for three.
And while Auntie Baby had the misfortune of having Seph for a son, she frequently mentions how “magical” her whole ting hun experience was with Uncle Francis.
Ma keeps walking until she reaches the center of the living room that has the prepared gift table covered with a red satin cloth. Auntie Baby spins my mom around three times and finally faces her in front of Dr. Derrick. While all this is happening, Dr. Derrick’s auntie keeps sneaking glances at me.
“Bo le so,” she mutters, very loudly so everyone within the vicinity can hear.
I expected better, to be honest. When Auntie Baby and Auntie Grace were gossiping about Dr. Derrick’s judgy family, I envisioned getting way more lethal comments from them than “She has no manners.” God, this family can’t even come up with good insults. The Gos are becoming an endless cycle of disappointment.
Although, I do wish she didn’t say it while I’m right next to Achi. It’s like having an annoying life-size angel on my shoulder when I only want to listen to the devil. All the comebacks I have in my head unfortunately have to go to waste.
I keep expecting Achi to lecture me about the dress or read off another superstition listed in Ma’s notebook that I’ve broken, but she remains completely quiet while Derrick’s parents go on with the gift ceremony. It’s only when Ma and Derrickexchange gold bangles and wear them on their wrists that she says something.
“Ma didn’t think this would happen,” I hear her say.
“What?” I scoff. “Her marrying our dentist?”
She shakes her head and pauses. “Feeling happy again.”
It takes all my willpower to hold back from screaming that this is not Ma’s happily ever after. Believe me—I really, really tried to be mature, be the kind of daughter Ma wants me to be. When Dr. Derrick proposed to Ma, her first question to Achi and me was, “Are you okay with this?”
What was I supposed to do? Say no when she and my sister were jumping for joy?
The tea ceremony begins with Dr. Derrick carrying the tray of teacups. Ma pours the tea and serves a cup to each of Dr. Derrick’s parents. Auntie Baby mentioned that this action symbolizes Ma communicating that she sees them as her parents too. Serving tea translates to:Now I call you Mom and Dad.
