“There is a place I would like to take you to. My home. To see my family. Well technically what’s left of it. Because mom is dead.”Darcy said, with only a mild hint of sorrow. “mom always would say, as a gentleman, he should have marriage in mind, when he asked a girl on a date. But that would depend on your willingness and intention. And by the way, I also have flats ready for marriage.”
I scratched my head and laughed. “Are you kidding me. I have only known you for a few months.”
“But I fell in love with you. I feel like I have known you for ages.”Darcy said sincerely.
His sincerity touched me.
“Darcy, I wouldn’t want to hurt you. But there is a friend I have to take care of, and I don’t know how long it’s going to take, it might be months, or years. I can also sleep with you first and then see how it goes hoping it leads to a relationship. But my mind is always with my friend. I am not sure if I can be committed.”
“That sounds like a sad situation. I know all the things to do when you are unhappy. I would cheer you up and wipe your tears.”
“Like how?”
“I would listen to you, feed you, and praise your looks.”
“That s too annoying . Your presence is too loud and I can't enjoy solitude and sorrow properly,” I said honestly, with no intention of hurting him.
“then I would sit aside and bring you all your favourite things.”
“what are my favourite things huh?”
“Food I bet.” Darcy blinked. “The best food, wagyu, sashimi, and fresh oysters. Until one day you would say, you want, just me, staying beside you.”
The thought of food moved me and distracted me from Bensimon’s plight.
“So today? We can take the tram to the peak?”
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The tram climbed the mountain slowly like a plane ready to depart.
“My mom is dead. She was never married to my father. My father have two other wives. One is in hospice facility now with dementia. The younger one is the one living at the house. We have a Chinese maid who worked all her life in the house, and she is old now. We have to hire a Filipino maid to take care of her.” Darcy explained.
Walking to the peak felt like a holiday in itself. There were tourists everywhere, and they spoke mainly English. Darcy’s house was located where we had to walk distance around the top of the peak. The hike was calm an easy. Darcy’s home was impressive in the sense that it was a house, and very few people lived in houses in Hong Kong. But in other sense, it didn’t leave much of an impression. It looked spacious, but the exterior was old, with a two floors building guarded by a tall gate, and a small garden by the side.
“My father’s first wife didn’t give him any son, but gave him three daughters. He got desperate. He met my mom who bored him a son. Later he met his now (second) wife, who always boosted that the childless version of her was more attractive. I grew up in a separate building in the house with my birth mother.”
Darcy moved to the open kitchen inside and began unpacking the foods he bought from the supermarket. “I will have to cook for tonight. You must be wondering why I know how to cook. My birth mother was always plagued by depression and I often cheered her up by trying to cook for her, and doing the chores around the house.”
I opened up a pack of chips. Darcy pondered what to cook for the night.
“I never had home food, never even a lunch box made from my mom because my mom doesn’t know how to cook. My classmates were always surprised, because my family owned a Three food rice Takeaway service. Sometimes my dad took me and mom to expensive restaurants, and I developed a very good taste for good food since he was small. So my idea of food was was all made up of michelin restaurants and fast food shops. I even had dim sum takeaway for lunch. I used to think dim sum was what all cantonese people eat for lunch.” Darcy said, looking into the fridge. “Want to see a afternoon tea set I made for my mothers on mother’s day?” He showed me his IG: it featured donut burger, hoisin duck sandwich, instant noodle pizza. chicken feet sushi with the rice sitting on top of the palm.
This reminded me of Bensimon’s cooking. The result was disastrous as he really had no gift for it. He made something like chocolate chicken wings, congee soup with whipped cream. It sounded like all the good things. He could not understand why it didn't work out as a dish.
“Maybe you could help me wash the rice.”
I took the tub from rice cooker rinsing out the rice. Darcy stood behind me and began to sing, “Woah, my love, my darling…!”
“The Ghost.” We said, synchronized.
“You know, I could sing you romantic songs at any time,”Darcy said.
“Too much movies for you.” I said. Trying to weasel out of his hug. “I am just looking to losing my virginity.” I said half-heartedly.
“That I couldn’t help with you, because my mom said children born out of wedlock are cursed with bad health, education, family. And I wouldn’t want that to happen”
Darcy got more focused on fixing the dinner.
“Dary! Dary!” an old granny appeared on the other side of the glass outside in the garden, giving me a surprise.
“It’s our ma jie, the old lady maid who worked for us for a long time.” Darcy said. “Por por, what ware you doing out here in the garden.”
“Accompany me to the garden, Dary. Look at the roses blossom. Your parents would be so proud. I took care of that garden for so many years.”
Darcy took my hand and showed me the way to the garden.
The weather out there was slightly chilly.
Ma jie saw me and winked. “Your girlfriend, Dary! You are a big boy now!” She looked a bit stiff and her voice was shaky.
“Bauhinia, like that flower too.”
“Yes very pretty girl, like a flower. Come pick some flowers.” Ma jie laughed and handed me a winter rose she hand picked. “Dary, you and your father always had such luck with women.”
“Oh no, I am nothing compared to dad, he ‘s much more of a women magnet than I am.” Darcy took the flower from me and went inside to arrange the flowers on the table.
“Speaking of the ghost, and here comes the ghost!” Ma jie cried. The door swung open and in came an incredibly stylish elderly couple. They looked like they came out from a fashion magazine.
“Dada! Mama!” Darcy welcomed them. “Food is almost ready. This is Bauhinia. Let me show you the girl I spoke with you about.”
“Uncle, Auntie, nice to meet you,” I said politely.
“Your future bride. Of course.” Old uncle came to me and gave me a hearty hand shake. He looked bright and nimble. “Can you believe I am almost 80? I still look like I can kill a tiger and swim with sharks.”
“Your father ‘s mind is as bright as a meteor. Today he spotted accounting mistakes from receipts in the shops that even young Chou missed.” Auntie said, “Darcy you wouldn’t need any help with the dinner?”
“Oh I am fine. Just get comfortable.”
Darcy’s cooking came out much better than I expected. He cooked pork rice by putting marinated pork with rice in a rice cooker and cooked it so the juice from the pork would seep into the rice. It looked incredibly juicy and I could not tell it was made from simple equipment. Darcy began to arrange the food on the plates. He had a thing about arranging the dishes so they looked like they came out from a french restaurant. He placed a a lump of circular rice with a perfect cube of pork and spring onions on top, and decorated it with a stylish spread of japanese teriyaki sauce and french honey mustard beside it. He got some Soda and Oolong tea from the fridge, and made soda oolong tea with rose petals.
“The Chan family men really know how to pick women. So you must be a very special woman. Bauhinia.” Auntie said, her eyes shining brightly as she looked my way.
“I am just an average girl,” I said humbly.
“Bauhinia is doing part time too other than studies at a milk tea shop.” Darcy added.
Auntie, Uncle, Ma Jie all began to sit around the marble table in the dining room.
Auntie’s beautiful jade earrings shone under the lamp. She had a smart look that suited her so well. She wore a dark silk top.
“Do you watch any romantic Tv drama, Bauhinia,” she asked.
“Some local drama.” I said.
“I love those. Such a good way to chill. I think Darcy’s dad should keep me company to watch those. But he doesn’t get into them. What you think, honey?” Auntie said, squeezing Uncle’s hand.
“Of course I would like to watch those with you, those drama are such a soulful show, and the suspense from women in-fighting and causing drama to get a guy, and their efforts in objectifying themselves make it a deep and painfully realistic show.” Uncle said it flatly as if mocking her but also placating her at the same time. He said it smilingly.
Darcy chuckled as if he understood the joke. I was puzzled.
“Do you think the diamond necklace looks good on me?” Auntie said. “It’s a new purchase from your father for our anniversary.”
“It’s going to be honor for me to pay the credit bill this month, and of course it would be a beautiful addition to your existing jewellery collection, the existence of which arose from needless desires for stones that shine, and not from any real need.” Uncle said while keeping a straight face. Darcy laughed out loud, I frowned and smiled.
“It makes my neck look slim. That’s why I need it. ”
“You know what, you are right. Because your emotional intensity towards making new purchase. I believe you are right.” Uncle said. Ma jie ate quietly.
“Dad has a way of communicating with mom.” Darcy said, as if placing subtitles on the movie in front of us.
“I can see where you take it from.” I said with a sigh.
“I am no where as good.” Darcy said. “I still have so much to learn.”
“Do you think it looked beautiful on me!” Auntie said.
“God yes, I loved it way more than your old style which is also beautiful, although you have just gotten more beautiful. Such beauty is blinding me and distracting me from taking my dinner!” Uncle said, as he finished up on his dinner, with the pork rice, and scooped the sauce over the rice.
Uncle looked our way, “look she’s happy, so I am happy. Good men should keep their women happy.” He didn’t look tired at all, despite the effect of food in our stomach causing drowsiness began to set in.
“Bauhinia, you know, if Darcy learned even 1 tenth of what I have to teach him. He would make you a very happy woman.” Uncle said, winking at me.
“Definitely no toxic masculinity.” Darcy said, also winking at me. The warmth and sincerity of this family was so palpable.
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