Zarinda's Announcement Part 3

"And, don't worry, Alan, you should be all recovered by Groundhog Day," Zarinda reassured the almost 16-year-old inventor. "that's when the wedding will be taking place."

"Oh," Stanley said. "that's two days before Henry's twentieth birthday."

"Oh, how could I forget something I've known since I was a kid?" Suzie asked, having forgotten Henry's birthday being on February 4th, she had even forgotten to buy a gift for Henry.

"Don't worry, Suzie, I'll take you shopping for Henry on the third of February." Stanley said kindly, hugging his two year younger sister firmly but gently.

"Thank you, Stanley," Suzie said. "Mom was right when she was alive, you do give the best hugs on the planet! I needed that."

"Any time, Suzie." Stanley said, letting go of his sister's shoulders.

Elizabeth came up from the restaurant kitchen with seven plates of fruit filled pancakes with cinnamon whipped cream upon them, each stack was filled with a different kind of fruit.

"Breakfast is ready, everyone, but I'm halfway finished with serving up the plates, and, since Henry had to go to work earlier this morning, I will be busy making his favorite dish for lunch since he will be home by that time."

"Henry will love that," Tom commented. "after all, he loves his orange chicken & brown rice!"

But now, Elizabeth was in a bigger bind, "But, what should I serve on the side, mixed vegetables with a hint of ginger or mashed potatoes & gravy?" she asked.

"I would go with *achoo*," Alan recommended. "the mixed vegetables with a hint of ginger if I were you."

"Good idea, Alan," Elizabeth said. "and I would get some more rest in order to combat that cold or flu if I were you."

Alan saw Elizabeth go back down to the restaurant's kitchen for seven more fruit filled pancake plates, "But what about my blueberry filled pancakes?" he called after her with a sharp sneeze.

"Don't worry, Alan," Nancy offered kindly. "I'll bring your breakfast up to you in bed since you are doing so poorly."

Alan just then wheezed before he coughed, "Thank you, Nancy." he said.

"Any time, Alan." Nancy said.

Alan raced back up to his bedroom just as Elizabeth returned from the basement restaurant's kitchen with seven more fruit filled pancake plates.

After breakfast was served in the dining room of the Chan mansion, Elizabeth rang a tiny bell like the one she asked Hannah to give to Alan if he needed anything at all while he was sick in bed.

"Breakfast time! Everybody to the dining room," Elizabeth called. "come on everybody! Breakfast! Breakfast!"

Charlie, Rosa, Stanley, Suzie, Anne, Tom, Flip, Nancy, Mimi, Scooter, Zarinda, Ali, and Baba all entered the dining room and were seated, ready to enjoy a home cooked breakfast.

Sometime during breakfast with the Chan family while Elizabeth was making Henry's favorite meal for lunch, the telephone rang in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Elizabeth asked the caller on the other end of the line.

"Is my daughter, Zarinda there?" a man's voice asked Elizabeth on the other end of the line.

"Yes, she is having breakfast with Mr. Chan and his family," Elizabeth reported. "may I please ask who's calling?"

"My name is Diego Álvarez," the caller said to Elizabeth. "and I am the father of Zarinda Álvarez, may I speak to her, it is about her wedding."

"Yes... yes, of course, Mr. Álvarez." Elizabeth said, putting the caller on hold temporarily.

Elizabeth then went out into the dining room.

"Is there something wrong, Elizabeth?" Rosa asked curiously.

"There is a man on the phone asking for Miss Zarinda, Ma'am." Elizabeth answered Rosa.

"Oh! That must be my father in Spain, that's where I was born & raised," Zarinda explained. "please forgive me while I take this call."

Zarinda went into the Chan estate's kitchen to use the kitchen telephone.

"Groovy," Suzie exclaimed. "I didn't know that Zarinda was from Spain?"

The Chan children who were at the dining room table could hear Zarinda conversing in Spanish with her father, so they couldn't quite understand what Zarinda was actually saying.

A few minutes after getting off the telephone with her father, Zarinda ran back into the dining room in tears.

"Zarinda," Charlie asked kindly. "what's the matter?"

"Oh, it's terrible, Mr. Chan," Zarinda sobbed. "just terrible!"

Suzie stood up, "What's so terrible, Zarinda?" she asked.

"Suzie," Rosa scolded. "children should be seen and not heard!"

"Oh, it's quite all right, Mrs. Chan," Zarinda sobbed bitterly. "I just found out that my mother and father couldn't make it to my wedding to give me away... because they had to go to my great-grandfather's funeral in Spain!"

"Wham, bam, Zarinda," Stanley commented. "are you in a jam!"

"You can say that again, Stanley." Zarinda sobbed.

"Would you like another hug?" Stanley offered Zarinda.

"I would love that, Stanley," Zarinda sobbed bitterly. "gracias."

"De nada." Stanley said back to Zarinda in Spanish.

While Stanley hugged Zarinda, Anne & Suzie were amazed that Stanley knew Spanish when he could hardly speak a word of Chinese.

"I don't believe it, Stanley," Suzie said in shock. "how do you of this entire family know how to speak Spanish?"