章節 11: Days Ahead and Reunion Dinner (Final)
Hours had been passed until we have done strolling around in between Chinatowns in the place where I lived.
As an urban youngster, I never thought that things are really cheap in Chinatown compared to anywhere. And at the same time, I'm learning Chinese too. At initial, I didn't know much about it. Yes, I know how to write and at least speak it in the proper way of speak. But, it was no longer a matter of a thing as my mom had told me at this time. Where it was a day before we will start the Reunion Dinner.
I have seen it myself. Now my house decoration were all in red as if that we were about to have a massive party. In the right wall of my point of view near the television, I can see it. The fu paper couplets that my mom had chosen. And the ceiling was a dragon decoration that was hung and work by me alongside the four lanterns that I picked a few days ago to add the intense sense of the Dragon.
Then, I'm walking to the outside and seeing something that was much more epic than what I had ever imagined.
The supermassive sized pineapple that turned out to be a seriously implemented joke last few days ago when my mom was asking me to trade it away instead as she smirked back then and stated,
"Why not we are using the biggest pineapple decoration that we had ever seen back then?"
And Boom! It was almost as big as half of my house's outer door's roof to tile height.
It was huge enough that it was somehow attracted the kids outside. And they asked me,
"Koko... Angpao..."
Well... They were asking me for a red packet. But it was obvious enough that I won't give. Since I'm not even married yet.
As the sun goes down. I'm seeing many people who walk on the left and the right. And I'm here taking some sips of the cigar as enjoyment that the hellish day of the tradition is finally ended. Now... It's the time...
"Wandi!!" My mother called me enthusiastically. Then, I moved my cigar as a sign that I'm on smoking right now.
As I'm smoking for every single of the sips from the searing cigar. I murmured to myself as I looked at the skies,
"Time goes fast huh?"
I reminisced myself for the day when I was graduated for the first time. Doing the hellish experience as a software developer yet, the career that had made me becoming the true man.
Now I'm looking back in which, my mother and my sister were preparing the foods as I murmured,
"Ah... Reunion..."
"Sorry... Is this Wa... gh!!"
"Ah sorry sorry!"
I was throwing the smoke remains by accident to the food delivery service that I ordered earlier. I felt apologetic with it which led me to say,
"Call the medic right away. This man needs help!"
"It's fine, young man." The middle-aged man who had cleaned the cigar remains from his face smiled at me and he handed over the foods covered in a white plastic bag and the white box. Thus, I handed over the money. But...
I did it intentionally. It was my fault to throw the cigar remains by accident to someone. So that's why I'm bringing a hundred thousand rupiahs from my pocket to him. And left straightaway as he said,
"Wait a minute!"
"Just take it. It's fine!"
"No no!! I have to return the charge. It was too much."
"Save it, uncle. I don't need it." I replied to him. And he had words that made me felt speechless. It was his statement that he said,
"It's fine. Your smile and willingness to apologize is a sign of empathy already. Be careful with your cigars in the future. To be honest, my son was not as nice as you when it comes to empathy. But... You are the one that soothed my heart as this is my first food order ever for this whole day. yet, you have an intention to help. That alone is more than enough, young lad. You will need more money la.."
Prok!
"It's fine, uncle. I'm in rush. Thank you for the order!" I replied to him promptly as my mom had just called me again to take my package in. And I closed the door promptly as I smiled to him, and bowed slightly as a sign of respect which was replied by him as well.
I decided to walk to the dining room quickly as my mom asked,
"What had happened on the outside, I thought that you forgot to bring the money."
"I spilled the cigar by accident to someone, mom..." I replied to her honestly. And she was frightened which led her to say...
"YOU HAVE TO APOLOGIZE WITH HIM!"
"It's fine, mom." I patted my mother's left shoulder as insurance that I had apologized to him. To be honest, it was always being my mother's teaching that I have to be nice to everyone. Even if someone said that you are dumping too much information, sounds like was about to find the attention and so on. It's all fine. Let them say as if like that. Cause that they didn't know who you are actually. So do with my mom who was understand once I patted her left chest which means. "I have done it, mom. Don't worry about it."
Thus, she smiled and then. She opened the box that I had ordered. Which was a bunch of vegetables which was well aligned in a yin and yang formation. with the honey and the peanut that had been crushed, placed on the right side of that yin-yang-shaped platter. Then, I asked my mother,
"Is this Yusheng* that you had mentioned last afternoon?"
She nodded and then, she replied to me.
"You had worked hard this time, Wandi. Find a good sitting place for you to sit. Besides, Don't forget to drink some drinks that I have prepared for you."
Well.. I'm sitting in the chair where my mom had placed the blue-colored mug which was mine. And as I'm sitting on the chair. I can see it.
It was my favorite jasmine tea that she had prepared with. Then... Someone is coming out as I'm about to sit calmly.
It was my dad, he was wearing the red batik as a sign of hype in the Chinese new year, Thus. He sat in the left of my position as I'm sitting on that round table. Then, he talked to me,
"Have you rest properly today?"
"Hmm... I think so... But yeah, I'm still fit as usual." I replied to him which led him to say as he patted my head,
"You need to eat more and rest more. So you can have yourself to had the better working stamina."
"Thanks, dad..."
And then, my sister yelled to us in a hype. And we did it.
Each of us was grabbing the chopstick. And the party started!
Surplus year-after-year
Fortune will smile on you
May all your wishes come true.
Enjoy good health.
A bright and lively spirit.
Enter broadly wealth's source.
And we kept spamming the wishing words for the whole five minutes streak! And the table itself had gone into a full mess with the remains of the Yunsheng. I was about to eat them. Since it was a waste.
As I pulled my chopstick to the dropped fish. My mom commented on me,
"Ignore that. Let's eat the foods in the steamboat!"
"Nah. We must not waste any foods anyway." I replied to her as I chomped the fish filet right away.
Then, we started to eat and enjoy the reunion dinner. Talking about what we had achieved. And at the end...
Happy New Year, everyone.
We may unable to meet in a full extended family. But...
"Far from the eyes, close in the heart."
I love you, all of my families outside, and my readers.
The End
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*Yusheng (Yeshang): Raw salad that was used in the reunion dinner to spam as many blessing words as we can. Legend said that if we managed to pull the Yusheng higher, then we will have the blessing comes into the real faster.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票