Impressing the Clients

58

Paula's POV

My mom and my dad were immigrants here in Canada. They had to borrow money from friends just to move away from the Vietnam and start a whole new life here.

And just like they hoped, everything went well when they moved here. They got good paying jobs and they had me. We were in our perfect little bubble.

Mom had difficulty bearing another child so all their attention and love was poured on me, spoiled little Paula.

I remembered back in primary and middle school whenever my classmates bullied me for being a fat Asian girl, I would come home and cry. And mom would always make me my favorite Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, it was her specialty and for dessert my dad would buy me a cotton candy at a park nearby. I felt perfectly content, happy and safe.

Every year on my birthday, I didn't bother to host a party. My parents insisted, but I never liked the idea of letting other people my age come to our house and ruin my perfect bubble. Not even the closest friends I got at school. I wished every year on my birthday, to be like this always. Just the three of us, happy and content.

One afternoon, I was already in 6th grade, our exams just finished and I just got home from school and saw that my parents were not home yet. I was used to it, they were both hardworking employees. My dad left a note for me,

"I knew you did your best at your exams, pumpkin. And no matter how the results are, we're proud of you. Pick up your cotton candy reward at the park. Already paid for it. Love you!"

Always so thoughtful. I held the note against my heart and smiled. How did I ever got so lucky with my parents? I wondered.

I put the note in my pocket and walked out to the park, got my cotton candy and went home. I opened the TV and waited for them as I ate my reward. Dinner time came and none of them arrived home. Usually if they were this late, they'd call and order me a pizza or some chicken. Strange.

I waited and I waited and I waited.

Nobody came.

————

I woke up from the couch, rays of sun peeked through the front window, the TV was still on from last night, clothes from yesterday were still on me. They haven't gotten home yet.

I dialed my mom's office number and nobody answered by her office. She has a room for herself so that meant she's out of office right now. I dialed my dad's office, nobody answered as well.

I phoned my dad's best friend, Uncle Hugo. I told him they hadn't come home since yesterday and they hadn't call me once.

Worried, he told me that he'll come pick me up and drop me at his house while he go around town to look for them. "I'm sure they'll be fine, my little pumpkin," he assured me and I trusted him completely. I knew my parents were fine because he said so.

I grew up with him being in our house a lot. He's part of our little family. He loved setting up the barbecue and inflatable pool at our backyard during weekends. He stayed over some nights at our guest room when he and dad had a lot of drinks. He even brought multiple board games for me and him to play.

He came to pick me up and asked me, "pumpkin, what were the last thing they told you? That they'll be out late?" His eyes were on the road.

"No, uncle. They didn't tell me they'd be late but even if they did, isn't that too late now? It's already morning and they haven't come," I answered him sadly.

"I'll drop you off my home, you can watch anything you like on the TV and let me find them for you, okay?" His hand cupped my exposed knee, to which I didn't bother. My parents were always touchy and mushy, to me it was just a normal touch of endearment.