Chapter Seven
Zhi sat on Chrissy and Lydia’s couch with Chrissy in his arms. He had yet to tell Chrissy about dinner with his parents and just about five days had gone by. It was Thursday night and Chrissy and Lydia had invented some kind of gathering where all three couples would watch the wedding of Jolene and Danny. The wedding was quite boring so Zhi spent the entire time inhaling Chrissy’s scent and sending her smiles that said he enjoyed being with her. The video had been playing for about thirty minutes and the reception just began.
“Well, Ahmet isn’t in this. I think we had an argument or what ever and I had a different date to this.” Lydia said moving around on the couch. She was sprawled out laying down her head on Ahmet’s lap.
“Good thing I wasn’t in this. Looks boring!” He said running a hand through Lydia’s hair.
“Oh shut up. Oh! Here comes my speech raise the volume Chrissy!” Lydia said pointing at the T.V.
Chrissy raised the volume using the remote and Zhi watched as Danny whispered something into Jolene’s ear that made her giggle. Jolene patted her husband’s knee and watched. Jolene and Danny sat in the third couch sitting close together but not exactly cuddling. Danny had a protective hand on Jolene’s plump stomach and Jolene sat leaned into him.
Zhi wondered how it was like before him. Certainly now it was perfect that Lydia and Chrissy had three couches that surrounded the T.V. but what about when he wasn’t here? Did that mean that this entire time Chrissy sat alone in the middle couch? Well she certainly wasn’t sitting alone now. Zhi squeezed her a bit pulling her closer and she looked up at him. She smiled and turned back to the T.V.
“We’ve been through so much together. THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH TOGETHER!” Lydia said in the video giggling. “What I’m getting too is that Jolene and Danny have been through so much with me, my family, and their families. IF they weren’t meant to be this day wouldn’t have happened. Lord knows only true love could make it through these years of knowing me! Well let me end this with Jo” Lydia looked at Jolene in her astonishing white and turquoise bridal gown. “Danny, You guys have been planning marriage since I was thirteen and even before you guys met. It’s an honor to be one of the maids of honor and be at this wedding and finally see you guys come together as husband and wife the way it was meant to be.”
The sound of Jolene sniffling and blowing her nose ripped everybody’s attention away from the screen and focused on Jolene. “What?? Guys this is just so touching. This is my wedding! I’m pregnant... I’m aloud to cry!”
Lydia laughed and said “Maybe we should change our plans. Jolene has cried four times and we have only gotten through Chrissy and I speeches.”
Chrissy sat up pulling away from Zhi and Zhi felt a sudden need to gather her up and bring her back to him. Of course he wouldn’t.
“Well, We really don’t have much to watch. We could just sit and talk.” Chrissy said turning off the T.V.
Everybody stared at each other no one blinking. There was silence in the room for two minutes till Zhi decided why not tell Chrissy now. He hated the silence. “So C would you like to go to dinner with my family?”
Chrissy’s eyes went wide and she pointed at herself. “You want me to go to dinner at your family’s house with you? Really?”
Zhi nodded his head and continued “I was thinking about tomorrow. Friday night dinner with my parents. I’ve actually been thinking about this since Sunday just couldn’t find the time to ask you.” His cheeks were hot and red as everybody stared at him. Jolene burned holes into his face with her glare and Lydia seemed more excited then Chrissy. Chrissy looked shocked. “If you don’t want to it’s really fine.”
“No! I want to!” Chrissy said jumping with excitement in protest but remaining in her seat.
“Ok, Friday then” Zhi said smiling.
“So this is getting pretty serious huh?” Danny said pointing to the two.
“Yeah, usually save the inviting parents to meet stuff till it last longer then a month. That way your parents can’t scare the person away.” Jolene added.
“Well NO ONE is scaring me away from this Asian man.” Chrissy said leaning toward him and kissing his lips. Zhi smiled out at the watching eyes in the room.
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Chrissy sighed as she looked in the mirror at her reflection. Friday night five thirty and Z would be here any moment now. Her outfit was perfectly constructed and approved by Lydia. Her hair was looking simple but elegant and her make up and jewelry was simple but it got to the point. She saw everything as the best as she could do and she was settled. She ran a hand down her shirt flattening it against her skinny frame.
The doorbell rang and Chrissy grabbed her purse. She turned out her room lights and by the time she appeared in the living room near the doorway Lydia was already making conversation with Zhi. Chrissy waved at him and kissed his lips when she finaly reached him. She pulled him out the door and waved at Lydia. “Have fun kids!” Lydia said in a some what mother’s voice laughing. The door closed and locked behind them and Chrissy walked with Zhi down the steps.
With in ten minutes they were in his car and pulling away. Chrissy wasn’t sure she was ready for the parents. Zhi hadn’t much talked about his family so she didn’t know much about them. This scared her. She didn’t know if a crowd of ten people would come to the door or possibly just one other sibling. She knew he wasn’t an only child but that was all.
“Zhi I think you should tell me a bit about your family.” Chrissy said turning to him nervous showing in her tone.
Zhi sighed and made a turn. “Well I have two other sisters. One is named Meiling and the other is Shan. Shan is a bit younger then I and Meiling is the youngest. I was born in china while they were born in America. My parents have been married for years. My dad is probably the quietest in the family and my sister is the squeal while my mother is the disciplinarian.”
Chrissy smiled and nodded her head. Just then they pulled up to a house and at the front porch was a young looking girl. She looked at them and smiled. Chrissy guessed it was Meiling but she wouldn’t truly know until she got out of the car. Chrissy took a deep breath and clicked open her seat belt. She opened the door and stepped out.
Zhi came around the car and grabbed her hand. It was then Chrissy actually paid attention to his outfit. Zhi wore loose jeans and a polo shirt. His scent was seductive and his face was clear and clean. Around his neck he wore a manly gold chain. His shoes matched his shirt perfectly and she couldn’t help but noticed he walked with an ease.
They reached the porch and the gril extended her hand. Chrissy shook it and the girl said “I’m Meiling. I’m Zhi’s youngest sister. Come in I can’t wait to show you off to the family.” The girl smiled and Chrissy saw a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. Chrissy ignored the natural worry and nervousness that arose in her body and followed the girl who had ripped her from Zhi. Behind her Zhi closed the door and locked it. Within minutes Chrissy was in the living room looking at an old asian man watching the news.
“”This is my father” Meiling said not even introducing Chrissy before moving on. Meiling pulled her into the dining room where an older looking version of Meiling was setting up the dinner plates. “This is my sister Shan.” Chrissy smiled and began to personally introduce herself but was cut off by meiling calling for her mother.
“Meiling child what?” Her mother said appearing through the swinging door that separated the dinning room and the kitchen. The asian woman looked out at Chrissy with judging eyes. “Mother this is Chrissy. She is Zhi’s girl friend.” Meiling smiled at her mother and her mother shook her head in disapproval. Chrissy was confused and just then Zhi stepped to her side and held her hand.
“Hello mother” zhi said waving at his sister. His sister paid no attention o what was going on as she continued to set up the dinning table. While Meiling on the other hand watched the situation her eyes full of amusement.
“Hi Zhi, this is a nice girlfriend you have here. I hope she is hungry I made food enough for all of us and no less. Dinner will be served in exactly two minutes.” With those words his mother scurried into the kitchen.
Zhi squeezed Chrissy’s hand and pulled her out of her confused worried stage. She looked up at him to see his comforting eyes that said he sympathized for her and hoped she would be ok. Chrissy smiled and squeezed his hand back telling him that everything was ok. She loved their silent conversation.
Two minutes zoomed by and before she knew it Chrissy was sitting at the table across from Zhi one of his sisters beside her. His mother at the head of the table to her right and his father at the head of the table to her left. Next to Zhi was Shan. Shan seemed mature and seemed to be the only one aside from his father who didn’t send her death glares or look at her like she was in for a horrible night.
“So Chrissy what do you do?” Shan asked putting a piece of food into her mouth and chewing it her mouth closed her posture straight.
Chrissy finished her food and swallowed. “Well I work in a hair salon. I’m sort of a co-manager but I also do the hands on work.”
His father nodded his head while his mother said “So what are your plans with my son?”
Chrissy swallowed hard and looked to Zhi for an answer. “My plans?” she asked fear in her voice for the response she would get from the seemingly angry mother.
“Yes, what do you plan to do with my son? Do you want to marry him? You aren’t Chinese you know that right?” His mother said her words stabbing Chrissy.
Chrissy tried to take her tone soft and amusing maybe the mother would calm down. “Well yeah I know I’m not Chinese.” Chrissy smiled and pointed to her eyes. Meiling giggled and shook her head while his mother gasped.
“What are you trying to say about my people? Our eyes are not what make us Chinese! Our culture and where we come from make up who and why we are who we are! I will not let some American girl come in here and take that away from us!” his mother lashed out.
“Mom don-“ zhi was cut off by his mother. “NO! Don’t you dare tell me what t do. I did not bring you to this country for you to loose view of your culture. You should not marry or even date an American girl. Be like your cousins and marry a wonderful Asian girl. It’s tradition!”
Chrissy sat there confused as this woman destroyed and insulted everything she was. “I’m sorry I don’t mean to be rude but I can’t sit here and let you trash American’s like that. Especially since your daughters ARE American. I may not be Asian but I am and was raised exactly in the same surroundings as your own daughters!” Chrissy said to her, her tone serious.
There was a silent moment in the room where every one was stunned at the words that came out of Chrissy’s mouth. A minute of tension and silence passed until finally his mother spewed out “Get out of my house. Get out of my house and never return. Don’t date my son... Don’t even think of him.”
Chrissy’s mouth dropped at the words that came out of his mother’s mouth. Chrissy rose from the table waiting to hear objections but didn’t hear any. Slowly she walked out of the room wondering where it was that Zhi would come in. Chrissy walked to the door way and opened it. Still Zhi didn’t follow her. Tears forming in her eyes Chrissy Slammed the door and ran of the porch. She rounded the block and began her walk home.
She cried as she wondered why Zhi hadn’t followed her or stopped her. She was beyond disappointed and hated that she had lost him. Suddenly the empty feeling she felt before him reappeared and she felt incomplete. She had lost him just as fast as she had gained him and it hurt.
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