"Gabe, do you still know some Japanese from school?" I asked.
"A bit not a lot, why?"
"My grandparents want to meet you" I said.
"Your... grandparents?!"
"Uh yeah? Did you think I didn't have any? But yeah my grandfather only knows how to speak Japanese and my grandmother can speak English and can understand it almost perfectly, she's usually his translator" I said.
"Uh Lui you've never talked about them, ever, how was I suppose to know they were still in your life?"
"Because my grandfather is everywhere?... He won the international blader's cup for a consecutive decade... He also fought in World War Two and my grandmother was a war nurse, they met while my grandfather was hurt and she was tending his wounds and he fell in love with her" I said.
"Is that why you wanted to keep winning the international blader's cup?"
"Yes because we made a bet, if I consecutively won more than him he'd gift me my great great great... great? -it's four greats I think- grandmothers comb before I got married, but if I didn't -which I didn't- I have to wait till marriage"
"What is this comb?" He asked.
"Oh, it's a family heirloom that when you get married you're gifted it as a way of saying 'your not a kid anymore but you will still always be our baby' and it's a reminder to always love and honor your partner or something like that. You wear it in your hair when you walk down the aisle... it's suppose to go to a girl either in the family or you marry a girl but considering 1. I'm gay 2. I'm a boy and only kid 3. My mom isn't having anymore kids and 4. I was obsessed with it when I was a kid still love it it's so pretty, so they bend the rules cuz they wanted each generation to have it"
"Oh wow, so does your mom have it?" He asked.
"Yeah, she only wears it on special fancy occasions though so we're not gonna see it till we get married" I said.
"I see... when are we meeting your grandparents?"
"What day works for you? Any day works for me"
"Any day works for me too"
"In three days? I have to consider what I have to teach you first"
"What do you need to teach me?"
"Just brushing up on some Japanese so my grandmother doesn't have to translate to much, get you prepared for any question they could throw at you, and proper traditional Japanese etiquette because my grandparents are old school"
"How old school?"
"Like they live in a traditional Japanese house... and wear kimonos... and there gonna want us to wear Kimonos too, they were literally asking for your size on the phone the other day, so they could get you one"
"Oh... I haven't worn a kimono in so long..."
"Yeah so we gotta get you in shape before then not physically but mentally" I said.
"ok"
"Actually I should call and see when they want us to come"
"Yes, call"
I picked up my phone and dial my grandmothers number.
(Chat this is all from google I never claimed that I know Japanese so if this is wrong I'm sorry 😞)
"Ohayōgozaimasu o bāchan" I said.
Translation: good morning, grandmother
"Ah, Lui, watashi no mago, Ogenkidesuka?" She asked me.
Translation: ah, Lui, my grandson, how are you doing?
"Watashi wa umaku yatte imasu, anata wa dōdesu ka?"
Translation: I'm doing great, how about you?
"Watashi wa genkidesu, geibu no chōshi wa dōdesu ka?"
Translation: I'm good, how's Gabe doing?
"Kare wa yoi hitodakedo, kimitachi futari ni au no ga sukoshi kowai nda" I said.
Translation: He's good, just a bit scared to meet you two
"Shinpaishinaide, echiketto ni tsuite sutoresu o kanjinai yō ni kare ni tsutaete kudasai. Watashitachiha kihon-tekina koto o ki ni shite iru dakedesu, soshite watashitachi wa kare ga anata no yō ni echiketto ni narete sodatta wakede wanai koto o shitte imasu" She said.
Translation: tell him not to worry and to not stress over the etiquettes, we just care about the basics and we know he didn't grow up with it like you did
"Ā, nan'nichi ni kite hoshīdesu ka?" I asked.
Translation: oh! and what day would you like us to come over?
"Doyōbi wa īdesu yo"
Translation: Saturday is good
"Wakarimashita, sayōnara, soredewa mata aimashō, aishiteimasu" I said.
Translation: ok, bye, see you then, I love you
"Sayōnara, watashi mo anata o aishiteimasu" she said.
Translation: bye, I love you too
Then we hung up.
"She said Saturday is a good day so we have two days to get you ready" I said.
"Oh... ok" He said worried.
"She also said not to worry about etiquettes to much just the basics"
"Ok, I'll do my best" He said.
I cupped his cheeks and kissed him.
"I know you will, babe"
