Just Friends

1

"Mali," my mother said in her stern tone.

I had just arrived in Hong Kong less than 45 minutes ago and my mother was talking to me like I had ditched my SAT prep class in seventh grade. 

"Yes." I said half-heartedly trying to balance my purse on top of the tiny carry on luggage I had brought to save money for this trip. If my mother hadn't guilted tripped me into coming back for Chinese New Year celebrations I would be at home wrapped up in my favorite $15 fuzzy blanket from Target I got on Black Friday and watching reruns of my favorite Korean dramas with a large glass of rosè in hand. 

"Be on time." She said in her clipped tone. "I want you to be here an hour before to help me and Jasmine set the table." 

Jasmine was my family's helper since I was 5. In Hong Kong, it was as natural as the wind in Chicago to have domestic help. Jasmine had traveled with us everywhere we had moved, making me unprepared for adulting. I didn't even know what a Tide Pod was until my college roommate taught me. Imagine being 18 and finding out that your clothes don't magically smell like lavender and reappear in your drawers after a couple of days!

"But I'm the guest!" I whine while getting in line for the red island cab line.

"Are you not part of this family?" She said impatiently. She was more impatient than usual, which must have meant the cherry blossom decorations she special ordered a month ago were already wilting. You could never be sure where those street vendors who claimed to be florists in Kowloon ordered their stock from. Or it could be some other first world crisis she could of avoided with not having this party.

"I'll be there," I said rolling my eyes. It was useless arguing with her. 

"Make sure you look nice. We will be taking pictures of the Post. You know Lee Kum Kee will be here too?" My mother said her voice changing to her proud socialite host voice. 

Yes, my mother was considered a socialite after the 20 years of building back up her reputation. She was the daughter of a real estate tycoon but ran away to America to marry my father, a poor ABC, American Born Chinese, that shook the asian socialite gossip world for years. Now she was known as the Mrs. Expat in her circle making her sound exotic to the old money Tai Tai's and the idol to the new money Tai Tai's. Tai Tai's were like the housewives of Beverly Hills but richer,  classier and far more gossipy. 

Note how I said only a far more gossipy. 

When we moved to Hong Kong because of my father's job promotion when I was five, my mother went from being the all American Chinese American mother to working to be a top socialite in Hong Kong. And of course, with her persistence and not so subtle name dropping, she got what she wanted.

"I always look nice. Plus I didn't bring that much to change into," I said glancing down at my beloved beat up Gucci carry on luggage. 

I heard her sigh on the other side of the phone. The sigh of anxiousness and disappointment. 

"Well just find something in Jessica's closet." She said referring to my best friend who I was staying with for this trip. I refused to stay with my parents and being under my mother's wrath if I came home at 3 am from clubbing. Jessica was also one of the most fashionable girls I knew, and because of my profession I knew many. 

"Yes I'm sure she will have something," I said giving my luggage to the cab driver to load in the trunk. "Hey I'll text you later I just got into a cab." 

"Why do you young people always have to text?" She grumbled as my cue to hang up. 

I gave the driver the address of Jessica's apartment. I stared out into the city that I called home. The cab driver's Cantonese opera songs murmured in the background and the scent of nicotine lingered in the air. As many places I've lived in the world, Hong Kong was home to me. It was something to do with the buzz and movement of different people. The cultures melting into one another and the marvelous food always bringing me back. Not to mention the amazing shopping and balance between high end and the infamous replicates sold on the road of Lady's market. 

Even though New York City was where I wanted to be, I was home and I couldn't complain. 

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Hope you have enjoyed to this first chapter! Please let me know in the comments what you think so far! Have a great day! :)