Magical Tea

New Year's Resolution

The next day, both Mina and Maya were busy with their preparations for New Year's Eve. Mina invited her cousins and members of their family as well as Maya and her family for a house warming party in the afternoon of December 31. Good thing Dominic and Maya with the help of their daughters were able to finish their own preparations for the occasion before three o'clock in the afternoon. They arrived at Mina's house bearing gifts of a bottle of expensive champagne and a basketful of fruits.

Mina's family swarmed the house, curious most likely of her handsome son. Min Ki stood out among his cousins being so tall already at the age of fifteen, dressed like a K-pop idol. But when Maya arrived Min Ki instantly came over to them and introduced himself to Dominic and Maya's daughters who found the boy very friendly.

A few minutes later, Min Ki invited the girls to the gazebo at the garden and got engrossed in playing Mobile Legends. Maya's daughters got along so well with him, they were laughing hard at his jokes and facial expressions as they played along.

Maya found them being like that when she brought them food from the party on a trolley. She caught her middle child saying in an amazed voice, "doesn't he sound just like Papa?"

Maya's youngest child concurred, saying, "looking at him, he somewhat looked like Papa when he was at his age. Remember that picture in an album Mama had?"

"Hmm, he does look like Papa and even has his quirky character," Maya's eldest agreed. "If his last name was Do, it would have been a ramble of Papa's first name. Do Min Ki, Dominic!" She further deduced.

"Well, I might have been your dad if I was born earlier. But you never know, you could be my daughters if I travel back in time to meet your mom when she was still young," Min Ki replied seriously.

Oh, my goodness! Stop saying things like that, Min Ki. The girls might relay that to their papa later, Maya's mind complained.

The girls laughed hard at that, thinking of it as a joke. Maya intercepted any more conversation and plied them with food, giving Min Ki a warning glance.

"Mama, if you meet Min Ki at the age of fifteen, do you think you will fall in love with him?" Maya's youngest child asked.

"Why ponder on something that is not likely to happen," Maya replied evasively. She saw Min Ki's face fall when he heard that. But to play along with the kid's line of conversation, she looked Min Ki over, from head to toe, in an exaggerated manner, making her daughters laugh all the more. Min Ki puffed his chest up and preened, giving her a wink.

"Well, I am always partial to guys with the Korean look, so I will probably admire him, but fall in love at the age of fifteen or sixteen? Not likely," Maya concluded.

"Huh? So what age will you find it proper to have a serious relationship?" Min Ki inquired, beginning to reconsider his plan of time travel.

"I had accepted Dominic's suit when I was twenty-three and got married with him nine months later. We, at least, had stable jobs then and although we started a family at a time when we just had meagre incomes we could handle responsibilities well already," Maya revealed.

"Does that mean I still have to wait for eight more years before I could travel back in time to meet you?" Min Ki was horrified.

The girls laughed hard at him, not knowing Min Ki was very much serious about it. Maya kicked his feet under the table. Min Ki whined.

Maya then left them to help Mina with the guests. Dominic was just fine, drinking champagne with Mina's male cousins while they chat about the pandemic and how the government is handling the situation. Maya found them all talking about the topic intelligently and avoiding getting into any heated debate about the differences of their opinions at times. Thankfully, Dominic was never one to attract too much attention to himself, so, he just quietly listened and drank his liquor.

Maya walked around the group and refilled servings of food to go along with their drinks. She also mingled with the group of women gathered around Mina.

Maya happened to hear one of the wives of Mina's cousin asking if Min Ki was already in a relationship. Mina gushed, saying, her son was still a bit young to think about that despite his manly appearance.

"Oh, but boys that age are already curious about love and girls. With the current status of technology, everything is possible. You never know he already has a digital girlfriend," the woman insisted.

"Well, that could be possible, but Min Ki is a responsible child. He will never embark on something thoughtlessly," Mina asserted.

Maya decided to intercede, sensing Mina's distress. Min Ki's vanishing act a few days ago was still too fresh in his mother's mind to keep her cool about the possibility of Min Ki meeting someone he was romantically involved with.

"Ladies, do you need refills of your drinks or food? I would be happy to bring them to you," Maya asked, in the lull after Mina's statement. The other women asked for refills of their wine, and Mina took that chance to leave the group and check the pantry for more bottles of wine. Maya followed her a few minutes later.

Maya caught Mina taking deep breaths inside the pantry, grumbling softly. "Those nosy old cougars. If I did not know, they have their dirty eyes on my son and look at him like some tasty snack they want to gobble up."

Maya raised her eyebrows at that. Did Mina saw me looking at Min Ki like that? Does that mean, every time Mina teases me about Min Ki, she actually found the thought repulsive?

Mina finally noticed Maya standing at the door and waved the other woman in. "Come, give me some true company for a while. I can't seem to relax with those nosy women."

"You really think they look at Min Ki like that," Maya prodded.

"Oh, you heard that?" Mina looked self-conscious for a moment, but immediately got back to business, saying, "well, aren't they too obvious? They are so interested about his love life."

"But what about if it was me looking at your child like that?" Maya asked Mina point-blank.

"Well, at least, I am sure Min Ki likes you, too. I did see him looking at you differently since the first day you two met," Mina replied honestly.

Maya was shocked to hear that. "Gosh, beshy! We better stop talking about this," Maya avoided uncomfortably.

"Beshy, be honest with me. You also noticed how clingy Min Ki is with you, right? Do you think, you are his puppy love?" Mina persisted.

"Let's say that is the case. Would you allow your son to have such kind of feelings towards a woman more than thrice his age?" Maya inquired.

"If it's you, I will not mind. I'd fall in love with you myself if I am into the same sex," Mina brazenly declared.

Maya felt hot all of a sudden. She did not know whether to laugh or scowl at her best friend. "Oh, my goodness! Let's better change topic. How about our New Year's resolution?"