Part 2
The large group of people slowly began to move towards what seemed to be the dinning room.
The floors and walls were still marble and a long wooden table was at the center of the room. Silverware and crystal glasses lined the table and the plates had a distinctly Chinese pattern on it. Everything was either silver, white or blue.
Deb led Carter to a chair somewhere in the middle of the table and motioned for him to sit down.
Carer noted that her Grandfather was seated at the head of the table. Deb's Father was on his right side and her Mother on his left.
The other end of the table was empty, fully set with silverware, cutlery and place cards.
John wondered who was supposed to sit there, but didn't ask as the whole room was silent. You could hear a pin drop as Deb's Grandfather looked around the room. His eyes seemed to be seaching. For what, Carter had no idea. 'At least the guy wasn't in a coma' thought Carter to himself as only his eyes were moving back and forth. He tried to imagine what Dave would do in a situation like this as he has so desperately wanted to come.
Deb side-glanced at Carter as her Ganfather's death-like stare had almost reached him and caught him grinning slightly. Looking straight ahead she very gently nudged him. When that didn't work, she decided to take a risk and dug her nails hard into his thigh, still looking straight ahead.
Carter felt something sharp dig into his leg and immediately turned his head to see Deb silently point to her Grandfather. John took the hint and stooped his day-dream just in time to feel her Grandfathers eyes on him.
After that moment has pasted and her Grandfather had gone through the whole room, he clapped his hands three times and a line of waiters, strangely all English appeared. Each carried a plate covered with a silver dome. A further two claps and they laid down the plate, still covered with the dome and removed the plate that was already there. With another and final clap, the waiters who reminded Carter of the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who was always 'late' removed the dome to reveal a bowl, also blue that had some sought of soup that John had never seen before, that had what seemed to be tiny prawns floating on the top.
Deb's Grandfather began to talk to her father and that seemed to give the ticket for everyone to start talking too.
The man on Carter's left started a boring conversation of stocks and shareholders. John being used to this kind of talk from his Grandparents dinner parties was able to banter around with the subject. Deb on the other hand chose to stay silent and listened in on the conversation, surprised that John knew so much about the subjects chosen.
"Jing-mei, you haven't really introduced your date to us." said who Carter remembered to be as her oldest and 'least favorite' brother as Deb had put it.
"Lei, this is John Carter, he works at County."
"John, this in my eldest brother, Lei."
"Nice to meet you." greeted Carter politely.
"Like wise. So, are you the guy who screwed her?" he asked casually.
"Uh..."
"Lei!"
At this moment, the whole room went back to being a deathly-silent. All eyes were focused on John, Deb and Lei. Deb's eyes were looking down at the beached-white table cloth.
"Jing-mei." said her Grand father.
He paused for a second before continuing on in Chinese. Fast, rapid and in no way Carter would understand.
Deb suddenly looked up, eyes glistening with tears, ready to fall.
Her Grandfather had finished his bantering and before her tears spilled onto her cheeks, she walked out of the room in a halfwalk-half run.
"Was it something I said?" asked Lei looking round the table stupidly as if he didn't say hat he had just said,
Carter stood up and followed her before the room of guests continued their talk of stocks, shares and other 'boring' things as if nothing had happened.
"Deb?" whispered Carter softly as he entered a small court yard.
He couldn't hear anything.
Suddenly, a soft sob could be heard from what seemed to be the darkest part of the garden.
"Deb?" he whispered, walking towards what seemed to be a tree.
"John what are you doing here?" asked Deb quickly rubbing her eyes with a soggy tissue.
"Came to find you. Are you Ok?"
"Yeah, fine." she answered a bit too quickly.
Carter gave her a 'look'.
"Well... My brother brought up my least favorite subject."
"And will your Grandfather be mad or something?"
"No." Answered Deb, calmly.
"No?"
"Well, he's more likely to stick his head in the sand."
"Oh! Like an ostrich."
"Yes John, like an ostrich." said Deb, half sniffling, half laughing.
"Here, I think you need this." said Carter, offering his hanky.
"John, you are the only guy that I have ever met that carries round a hanky. Thankyou." she said, taking the white cloth and blowing her nose on it. A loud honking noise sounded out.
The pair laughed.
"Come on, you will have to face them sooner or later."
"I prefer the latter."
"But which is better?"
"Yeah, I guess. How do I look?" asked Deb, smoothing out her hair.
If Carter was to tell the truth, it would be horrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dried tears on her cheeks.
"Beautiful."
"John..."
"Ok, ok, not too bad - You can always 'fix up' in the bathroom. I'll wait.."
"Thanks." said Deb as the two left the court yard
By the time Carter and Deb re-joined the party of guests, the group was surrounding her Grandfather. The two slipped into the back and stayed there as he handed out gifts. Carter wondered who would get the large wooden box that sat beside the aging man.
It was made out of a deep-red wood and had beautiful flowers carved into it's sides. It seemed like it was an instrument, but Carter couldn't tell what exactly it was.
"Lei-Hong Chen." Called out Deb's Grandfather. Lei stepped out of the front of the group to receive a red envelope and a key.
"To many years of happiness, my oldest."
"Sie, sie."
Then Lei took his gifts and went back to his wife who was grinning with anticipation. It was then Carter realized that the red envelope was full of money.
"Jing-mei Chen."
Deb stepped out of the back and walked in front of her Grandfather.
Her head was low and she didn't look into up. He lifted her chin to look into his eyes.
"To my youngest and only granddaughter, I hope you haven't lost your touch."
and with that, he gave her a red-envelope and opened the mysterious box.
Carter recognized the instrument immediately. It was a huge rectangular-like prism with guitar-like strings stretched across. He had seen one being played at one of those Chinese new year festivals that his Grandmother had covinced him to go to.
"Sei, sei." Deb said, and turned away to walk back to her place.
Her mother walked out and gently pushed Deb towards the box, softly encouraging her to play.
Deb's Uncles and Aunts also seemed to want her to play and Carter found himself calling out.
"Come on Jing-mei, please?"
Deb heard Carter's voice in the crowd and shot him a killer look.
She sat on the small stool beside the instrument and the room quieted down.
Slowly, She began to gently pluck the strings at different intervals. A beautiful sound filled the room and moments later a voice followed.
Deb was singing.
"You'll have to take the stairs, the elevators are being repaired. Fourth floor, third door on the right." directed Deb as the movers began the treck to her apartment.
"You didn't tell me you can sing - let alone play!" said Carter as they began to follow the movers up he stairs.
"There are a lot of things that I haven't told you. Besides, it was nothing."
"Nothing? You've got be kidding. I can't whistle for peanuts let alone sing!"
"I don't want to hear you sing, John."
"Why not?"
"Because you just told me that you couldn't. Just put in near the window." said Deb, directing the movers as to where to place the instrument.
"Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow before work instead of taking the EL?"
"Sure, thanks. Sei, sei."
"Does that mean thankyou?" asked Carter as the movers left.
"Yes, it does."
"So, uh..." whispered Deb.
"Ahh...." for once Deb. was at a loss for words. 'Just Kiss him'
She leaned forward, wanting to give him a pack on the cheek, but suddenly ended up kissing him on the lips.
'What am I doing?' Carter's mind screamed at him.
'You're doin' the right thing, Buddy!' yelled back his Heart.
Before she knew it, the kiss had ended.
It seemed to have gone for a long time but for Deb, it didn't seem like long enough.
"Good night john." whispered Deb, retreating back into her apartment.
"See you tomorrow at 7:00"
"Yeah, see you..."
"Bye." said John.
Deb closed the door.
"Bye." she closed her eyes and imagined what had just happened over and over again for a few minuets.
Suddenly, her eye's popped open.
'What will I say to him tomorrow?'
Deb jumped up from her crouched position on the floor next to the door and bumped her head on the door handle.
"Oww! Stupid piece of metal." said Deb to the handle before running to her phone and using the speed dial to ring up Abby.
"Abby, Abby, you'll never guess what happened!" said Deb excitedly into the phone.
Carter tiredly walked up the stairs to his apartment. He had finally got himself a place of his own and after spending a year at Gamma's, it was like owning your own castle.
He stooped at the base of the second last flight of steps before his floor. 'What the fuck...' Thought Carter as he began to climb the flight.
A soft and tuneless tune floated up the steps and as Carter rounded the last few steps, the human being making the racket was sitting on the floor, two large duffel bags filled to the brim and a harmonica in his hands.
"Dave..."
"Carter my man! Thought you'd never come."
"What are you doing here?"
"Got evicted. May I ?"
"Uh uh, no no no, no way hozay."
"Come on, man, where am I supposed to go? If I hide out at the hospital the ER's Bitch will kill me!" pleaded Dave following Carter to his apartment.
"Yeah, well, you can sue me. Get in."
"So you, you mean I can stay?"
"Yes, Dave, you can stay." said Carter opening his door and letting Dave in.
"You would really do that for me?" asked Dave, a few tears dropping from the corner of his eye.
"Man you are the best Buddy a man's ever had!" said Dave, wiping away the tear as he hugged Carter.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. You owe me big time sonny."
"Cool apartment Carter - where's my room?" asked Dave, obviously not listening.
Carter rolled his eyes as he locked his apartment door.
'Why in the hell did I him stay?' sighed Carter as he walked to the room where Dave had decided to call 'His'.
"By the way, Carter.."
"What is it now Dave."
"How did ya date go?"
"Dave."
"What?"
"Not now, Dave. Tomorrow."
"But it is tomorrow. It's 1:30 already!"
"Dave!"
"Ok, ok, I'll shut up."
"Carter..."
"Dave - will you can it?"
"Carter, I'm hungry..."
The large group of people slowly began to move towards what seemed to be the dinning room.
The floors and walls were still marble and a long wooden table was at the center of the room. Silverware and crystal glasses lined the table and the plates had a distinctly Chinese pattern on it. Everything was either silver, white or blue.
Deb led Carter to a chair somewhere in the middle of the table and motioned for him to sit down.
Carer noted that her Grandfather was seated at the head of the table. Deb's Father was on his right side and her Mother on his left.
The other end of the table was empty, fully set with silverware, cutlery and place cards.
John wondered who was supposed to sit there, but didn't ask as the whole room was silent. You could hear a pin drop as Deb's Grandfather looked around the room. His eyes seemed to be seaching. For what, Carter had no idea. 'At least the guy wasn't in a coma' thought Carter to himself as only his eyes were moving back and forth. He tried to imagine what Dave would do in a situation like this as he has so desperately wanted to come.
Deb side-glanced at Carter as her Ganfather's death-like stare had almost reached him and caught him grinning slightly. Looking straight ahead she very gently nudged him. When that didn't work, she decided to take a risk and dug her nails hard into his thigh, still looking straight ahead.
Carter felt something sharp dig into his leg and immediately turned his head to see Deb silently point to her Grandfather. John took the hint and stooped his day-dream just in time to feel her Grandfathers eyes on him.
After that moment has pasted and her Grandfather had gone through the whole room, he clapped his hands three times and a line of waiters, strangely all English appeared. Each carried a plate covered with a silver dome. A further two claps and they laid down the plate, still covered with the dome and removed the plate that was already there. With another and final clap, the waiters who reminded Carter of the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who was always 'late' removed the dome to reveal a bowl, also blue that had some sought of soup that John had never seen before, that had what seemed to be tiny prawns floating on the top.
Deb's Grandfather began to talk to her father and that seemed to give the ticket for everyone to start talking too.
The man on Carter's left started a boring conversation of stocks and shareholders. John being used to this kind of talk from his Grandparents dinner parties was able to banter around with the subject. Deb on the other hand chose to stay silent and listened in on the conversation, surprised that John knew so much about the subjects chosen.
"Jing-mei, you haven't really introduced your date to us." said who Carter remembered to be as her oldest and 'least favorite' brother as Deb had put it.
"Lei, this is John Carter, he works at County."
"John, this in my eldest brother, Lei."
"Nice to meet you." greeted Carter politely.
"Like wise. So, are you the guy who screwed her?" he asked casually.
"Uh..."
"Lei!"
At this moment, the whole room went back to being a deathly-silent. All eyes were focused on John, Deb and Lei. Deb's eyes were looking down at the beached-white table cloth.
"Jing-mei." said her Grand father.
He paused for a second before continuing on in Chinese. Fast, rapid and in no way Carter would understand.
Deb suddenly looked up, eyes glistening with tears, ready to fall.
Her Grandfather had finished his bantering and before her tears spilled onto her cheeks, she walked out of the room in a halfwalk-half run.
"Was it something I said?" asked Lei looking round the table stupidly as if he didn't say hat he had just said,
Carter stood up and followed her before the room of guests continued their talk of stocks, shares and other 'boring' things as if nothing had happened.
"Deb?" whispered Carter softly as he entered a small court yard.
He couldn't hear anything.
Suddenly, a soft sob could be heard from what seemed to be the darkest part of the garden.
"Deb?" he whispered, walking towards what seemed to be a tree.
"John what are you doing here?" asked Deb quickly rubbing her eyes with a soggy tissue.
"Came to find you. Are you Ok?"
"Yeah, fine." she answered a bit too quickly.
Carter gave her a 'look'.
"Well... My brother brought up my least favorite subject."
"And will your Grandfather be mad or something?"
"No." Answered Deb, calmly.
"No?"
"Well, he's more likely to stick his head in the sand."
"Oh! Like an ostrich."
"Yes John, like an ostrich." said Deb, half sniffling, half laughing.
"Here, I think you need this." said Carter, offering his hanky.
"John, you are the only guy that I have ever met that carries round a hanky. Thankyou." she said, taking the white cloth and blowing her nose on it. A loud honking noise sounded out.
The pair laughed.
"Come on, you will have to face them sooner or later."
"I prefer the latter."
"But which is better?"
"Yeah, I guess. How do I look?" asked Deb, smoothing out her hair.
If Carter was to tell the truth, it would be horrible. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dried tears on her cheeks.
"Beautiful."
"John..."
"Ok, ok, not too bad - You can always 'fix up' in the bathroom. I'll wait.."
"Thanks." said Deb as the two left the court yard
By the time Carter and Deb re-joined the party of guests, the group was surrounding her Grandfather. The two slipped into the back and stayed there as he handed out gifts. Carter wondered who would get the large wooden box that sat beside the aging man.
It was made out of a deep-red wood and had beautiful flowers carved into it's sides. It seemed like it was an instrument, but Carter couldn't tell what exactly it was.
"Lei-Hong Chen." Called out Deb's Grandfather. Lei stepped out of the front of the group to receive a red envelope and a key.
"To many years of happiness, my oldest."
"Sie, sie."
Then Lei took his gifts and went back to his wife who was grinning with anticipation. It was then Carter realized that the red envelope was full of money.
"Jing-mei Chen."
Deb stepped out of the back and walked in front of her Grandfather.
Her head was low and she didn't look into up. He lifted her chin to look into his eyes.
"To my youngest and only granddaughter, I hope you haven't lost your touch."
and with that, he gave her a red-envelope and opened the mysterious box.
Carter recognized the instrument immediately. It was a huge rectangular-like prism with guitar-like strings stretched across. He had seen one being played at one of those Chinese new year festivals that his Grandmother had covinced him to go to.
"Sei, sei." Deb said, and turned away to walk back to her place.
Her mother walked out and gently pushed Deb towards the box, softly encouraging her to play.
Deb's Uncles and Aunts also seemed to want her to play and Carter found himself calling out.
"Come on Jing-mei, please?"
Deb heard Carter's voice in the crowd and shot him a killer look.
She sat on the small stool beside the instrument and the room quieted down.
Slowly, She began to gently pluck the strings at different intervals. A beautiful sound filled the room and moments later a voice followed.
Deb was singing.
"You'll have to take the stairs, the elevators are being repaired. Fourth floor, third door on the right." directed Deb as the movers began the treck to her apartment.
"You didn't tell me you can sing - let alone play!" said Carter as they began to follow the movers up he stairs.
"There are a lot of things that I haven't told you. Besides, it was nothing."
"Nothing? You've got be kidding. I can't whistle for peanuts let alone sing!"
"I don't want to hear you sing, John."
"Why not?"
"Because you just told me that you couldn't. Just put in near the window." said Deb, directing the movers as to where to place the instrument.
"Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow before work instead of taking the EL?"
"Sure, thanks. Sei, sei."
"Does that mean thankyou?" asked Carter as the movers left.
"Yes, it does."
"So, uh..." whispered Deb.
"Ahh...." for once Deb. was at a loss for words. 'Just Kiss him'
She leaned forward, wanting to give him a pack on the cheek, but suddenly ended up kissing him on the lips.
'What am I doing?' Carter's mind screamed at him.
'You're doin' the right thing, Buddy!' yelled back his Heart.
Before she knew it, the kiss had ended.
It seemed to have gone for a long time but for Deb, it didn't seem like long enough.
"Good night john." whispered Deb, retreating back into her apartment.
"See you tomorrow at 7:00"
"Yeah, see you..."
"Bye." said John.
Deb closed the door.
"Bye." she closed her eyes and imagined what had just happened over and over again for a few minuets.
Suddenly, her eye's popped open.
'What will I say to him tomorrow?'
Deb jumped up from her crouched position on the floor next to the door and bumped her head on the door handle.
"Oww! Stupid piece of metal." said Deb to the handle before running to her phone and using the speed dial to ring up Abby.
"Abby, Abby, you'll never guess what happened!" said Deb excitedly into the phone.
Carter tiredly walked up the stairs to his apartment. He had finally got himself a place of his own and after spending a year at Gamma's, it was like owning your own castle.
He stooped at the base of the second last flight of steps before his floor. 'What the fuck...' Thought Carter as he began to climb the flight.
A soft and tuneless tune floated up the steps and as Carter rounded the last few steps, the human being making the racket was sitting on the floor, two large duffel bags filled to the brim and a harmonica in his hands.
"Dave..."
"Carter my man! Thought you'd never come."
"What are you doing here?"
"Got evicted. May I ?"
"Uh uh, no no no, no way hozay."
"Come on, man, where am I supposed to go? If I hide out at the hospital the ER's Bitch will kill me!" pleaded Dave following Carter to his apartment.
"Yeah, well, you can sue me. Get in."
"So you, you mean I can stay?"
"Yes, Dave, you can stay." said Carter opening his door and letting Dave in.
"You would really do that for me?" asked Dave, a few tears dropping from the corner of his eye.
"Man you are the best Buddy a man's ever had!" said Dave, wiping away the tear as he hugged Carter.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. You owe me big time sonny."
"Cool apartment Carter - where's my room?" asked Dave, obviously not listening.
Carter rolled his eyes as he locked his apartment door.
'Why in the hell did I him stay?' sighed Carter as he walked to the room where Dave had decided to call 'His'.
"By the way, Carter.."
"What is it now Dave."
"How did ya date go?"
"Dave."
"What?"
"Not now, Dave. Tomorrow."
"But it is tomorrow. It's 1:30 already!"
"Dave!"
"Ok, ok, I'll shut up."
"Carter..."
"Dave - will you can it?"
"Carter, I'm hungry..."