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“Wait a second. We can’t visit empty-handed. This young man went out of his way for us.” Mae opened a suitcase. “I’ll give him a jade statuette to thank him.”
“Good idea, Mae. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the gesture.”
Mae shook her head. “He’s such a nice guy. In your place—”
“You’re not in my place.” Susan huffed. If she’d let her, her mother would launch into an hour-long monologue of advice. “Please, let’s go. I asked for five minutes to refresh, and we’ve been chatting for thirty minutes. Poor Royce is stuck with Kasem.”
She held her mother’s arm and tugged her to the door. As they reached the car, Susan couldn’t help frowning.
Her mother smiled. “Look at that. They’re getting friendly.”
In fact, sitting in the front seat, Royce and Kasem were deep in conversation. When Royce saw her, he jumped out and opened the door for her mother while Kasem followed suit, holding the other door for her. A precedent for him. Were Royce’s courteous manners rubbing off on him?
During the fifteen minute drive, Royce described the various places they passed, while Susan rehearsed what she would say to garner his help.
“I won’t take you in through the garage.” He left his car in the visitors’ parking lot, opened the rear door of the SUV for Kasem to retrieve his enormous suitcases, and led them through the building’s lobby. “Let me register you with reception.”
“What a fabulous building,” Kasem exclaimed, a huge grin on his lips.
“Wait till you see the view from the twelfth floor,” Susan said as they stepped into the elevator.
When Royce opened the door to his condo and ushered them inside, Kasem’s smile reached his ears.
“Kasem, bring your luggage into the guestroom.”
“Sure. Right away.” Obviously impatient to settle into the luxurious condo, he immediately dragged the two carryons and disappeared into his new room, shutting the door behind him.
“You have a gorgeous place, Royce.” After surveying the marble floor, glass fixtures, and white leather furniture, Mae offered him the gift bag she’d carefully hidden in her handbag. “Here’s a souvenir from Thailand. Susan told me you’d spent some time there.”
Royce dug out the jade statuette representing a Thai dancer. “What an exquisite piece. Thank you, Mrs. Chen.” He bowed and then set the jade piece on the Chinese cabinet against the wall. “I want it in a safe place where no one can knock it down. I spent a lot of time in Bangkok. Unfortunately, I could never afford such a beautiful souvenir. I hardly had enough money to eat,” he added with a snicker.
“Susan told me you met with some hardship over there.”
Royce spun toward her and burst out laughing. “That was the wrong secret to divulge. Your mother will never trust me around you.”
Mae patted his arm. “On the contrary, I commend you for having the courage to admit your mistake and return home.”
“I owe your daughter a lot. She saved my life and planted some much needed wisdom into my brain. I’m forever indebted to her. Thanks to her, I went back to college.”
“Is that a picture of the two of you on your graduation day?” Mae reached for the silver frame on the antique cherry-wood credenza.
“Ah sh…” Royce cleared his throat, swallowing a curse. “I forgot to remove it.”
Mae studied the picture, her eyes filling with tears. “Such an invaluable memento.”
“We both carried our respective schools’ flags during the opening procession. Royce’s family and our friends were all in attendance.” Susan couldn’t stifle the bitterness in her voice.
Royce opened the Chinese cabinet and handed her mother an album. “Here are more pictures my brother took that day. I like this one where we’re waving our hard-won diplomas at the end of the ceremony. For Dr. Susan Chen, a PhD in Education and for me, a master’s in computer engineering and an MBA,” he recited, his voice bursting with pride.
“Too bad you couldn’t attend, Mae.”
“Sweetie, I’m so sorry I didn’t. How could I?” Tears rolled on Mae’s cheeks. “Your father was already too sick to travel. He passed a year later.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Chen.”
“Thank you, Royce. I’m glad Susan returned in time to spend a year with her Pae. She did everything possible to please him, spending hours with him chatting, taking care of him, and cheering him up.”
“For him, I even accepted a new fiancé after the first one dumped me,” Susan grumbled.
