Abelle- A Chinese Romance

The Reception (Part 6)

I had called my mother and she said I could bring one guest with me. So who else do I choose? "Oh my god, I would love to come to your reception!" Liu gushes into the phone. I rolled my eyes and said in a sarcastic tone, "You're my friend Liu, why wouldn't I ask you to come? And it is my wedding reception!" Liu laughs and it irritates me. "So since I'm coming do I get to bring one guest?" I think about that one guest she's asking in my mind. "Sorry..you can't bring Shu. My mother says only one guest per person." Liu sighs. "That's too bad then. Shu wasn't the best-dressed when it comes to parties anyway. When shall we choose clothes together to wear at the reception?" I cough into the phone. "Liu, there's dress code. And my mother said I could only wear a red qipao since I'm the bride." "So it's a traditional theme?" I shake my head. "No no...you can wear something nice and formal. I'm just saying that I'm the only one wearing a qipao." Liu pauses for a minute then says, "I want to wear a qipao too. Is white okay?" "Fine wear  a white qipao then." "Boy do you sound grumpy. See you at the reception then, okay? Bye!" I hang up on her and slump in my seat further. I'm trying to take Liu's advice on Jack. So far these past hours, I haven't heard one call from him. Maybe he's still with Chelsie. No, I should just stop thinking about them period. Turns out last night, I told Liu all about Jack's past relationship and she sent me a whole box of old magazines 3 years ago with them on the cover! I should really listen more to media these days. Today is November 30. I only have two more days left till the reception. Only two more days.

"Should we invite the Chans?" I stare at my mother who has a pencil tapping on her list. I scowled. "If Jack is coming then so is James. They're cousins." Li Hua smiles at me. "I know that already Abelle, I meant Chan Teng. Our relationship together is still kind of icy." I moaned. "Oh my god mother....James is the son of Chan Teng...her son is going and so is his mother and sister!" Li Hua nods her head and writes their names down. Maybe I shouldn't have said Jina's name. Heck, she didn't invite me to her wedding reception so why should she come to mine? My mother laughs and lays her back down on the sun chair. We're sitting out on my balcony planning the guest list. Seems like everything in this engagement is left for us to deal with. "Oh I told your father about the reception." I froze and glared at her. "What did he say?" Mother smirks at me. "He's okay with it. He now knows you're going to marry Jack." He's fine with it? My dad would be livid if I married a "betrayer" meaning a Chan. "But is he aware that Jack is related--" "Yes he knows. The old man is fine with it Abelle, you don't have to worry anymore of what he thinks." That's not what I'm owrried about here. "So he's coming to the recpetion?" Li Hua looks down at her list and then nods her head. "Mmm hm." Great. If I reject Jack at the podium what will my father think?!?

I can see it already: my father chasing after me as I run away. Then he grabs me by my hair and swings me around shouting, "Some daughter you are!" I gasped seeing my imagination and quickly tied up my hair with a scrunchie. Mother looks up with raised eyebrows. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." I get up from my plastic chair and then walked back inside to my apartment. I have to do something. Tomorrow is going to be the last day, then it's over. I locked myself back into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I can't sleep very well anymore, my eyes have dark circles under! This will definetly ruin my complexion. I get some hand cream and smear a little underneath my eyes. Looks better now. Someone knocks on my door. "Abelle? Are you okay?" I sigh and throw open the door. It takes a few seconds for mother to show an expression. "You look so tired my dear! Must be all the wedding planning we're doing!" I nodded my head then yawned. "Do you mind if I sleep mother?" Li Hua touches my face tenderly. I see tears in her eyes. "Mother?" Li Hua sniffs. "My darling is growing so fast now. I'm just so...so overwhelmed. Soon you'll be married and be part of the Ting family, you'll accept their last name and have a child with their last name--" I hug my mother to make her stop talking about "me and Jack having a child." Li Hua pats my back and sniffs. "I love you Abelle. I want you to be happy in this marriage. Father is so proud of you." We walk back out into the living room. I slump myself down on the sofa and closed my eyes. I listened to the sound of my mother's hand holding the pen scribbling down names for the reception. Before I knew it, I fell fast asleep.