Kai Siao©

“Emily, why don’t you go on a blind date?” I ask.

“You should know Doc, weren’t you the one who told me that only desperate women went on blind dates,” she replied.

I frowned, “Did I? I don’t remember. Anyway, I’m telling you. The man I am asking you to meet is great. He is around my age, rich, good looking and kind. He’s perfect!”

“Are you talking about me?” came my husband’s voice.

“Of course not,” I replied. “I’m telling Emily that she should meet Gabriel. His mother is the only reason I’m not married to him.”

“I’m not so sure I want my husband to come from a match making date,” she replied.

“It’s not too bad. Look at me. I married him didn’t I,” came my reply.

My Fairy Tale

“I can’t believe your sister went on a match making date,” Heidi said while flipping a page on her Calculus book. “Didn’t she say that she wasn’t getting married?”

“I know and the strange thing is that she came home swooning and excited with a bouquet of red roses,” I added. “Can you even imagine going on one?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m open to the idea,” replied Heidi, shutting the book and finally giving up on any studying.

“Well, I wouldn’t be caught dead in one. I just can’t digest the idea that I’m going on a date with a stranger that my family picked out. I mean I would like to think that since we are still young I can nab my own boyfriend.”

“Yeah, but you know as we get older, I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. Meeting new people would be much more difficult and it’s better if our family approves. After all, how many pure Chinese men who are financially well off with a good family background and also with a pleasing personality are out there,” explained Heidi.

“Yeah, I know but I’m not going to be like that. By the time I’m thirty, I’ll be a successful obgynecologist, married with three kids and living in my own home.” I replied with great resolve.

Harsh Reality

“Jill, you’re already thirty-one. Don’t you think it’s about time you settled down?” my mother asks, passing me a tray of cookies.

“I know. I know.” Here I am thirty-one years old and still living in my parent’s house, s. till Having no boyfriend-less, while my older sister has one child and is expecting another this year while m. My younger sister sister, on the other hand, just got married last year.

“What happened to thate broker you were seeing?” Hailey, my younger sister asks as she scoops the batter for another batch of chocolate cookies.

“ Mark? He said I was too busy and that I didn’t have time for him,” I replied rolling my eyes. “What did he expect? I’m a doctor, it’s not as if I can control when my patients would give birth.”

“You should know how to prioritize,” my mother interjects. “Look at Nikki, she’s successful, but she’s married and she’s giving me another grandchild.” For someone like Claire Ong, the measure of success in bringing up your family can be measured by how many of your children are married and the number of your grandchildren.

“Yes, I understand. It’s not like I haven’t heard of all of this before.” I replied exasperated by the constant nagging. Sundays for the Ong family usually means a barrage of family members with their unending remarks about how I’m still single and growing old. Sadly, I haven’t been able to make them say otherwise.

“Haven’t you met anyone in the hospital?” Hailey asked. She finally succeeded in scooping the bowl clean of any cookie dough and proceeded to neatly arrange it on an empty tray.

“I knew I should not have allowed you to be a obgynecologist,” Claire added.

“Why?”

“All you meet are women and married men. How are you supposed to meet any decent men if you don’t even have the time to go on dates,” my mother explained. Just then Christopher walks into the kitchen sporting a toothy grin. His face and shirt covered with smudges of chocolate.

“C’mon, Ama (grandmother) will have help you change.” She walks out of the room with Christopher in tow.

“Ma knows I want to get married. Doesn’t she?” I mention out of the blue while picking up another cookie from the cooling tray. It wasn’t a matter of not wanting to get married for me but not I haven’t metmeeting the right person. I must be honest I’m not expecting a perfect man just someone that I can grow old with.

My two sisters now have stopped working and sat on either side of me. Nikki interlocked one of her hands with mine, “Ma knows. She just wants you to pay more attention in finding someone entering into a relationshiprather than focusing on your work.”

“You should know that Ma is just worried since you’re already thirty-one. As an obOB-gyne, you of all people should know that getting pregnant and giving birth won’t come easy.” Hailey added.

“I know,” I growled. “The fact is, I understand why you’re saying all this,” I said with a defeated sigh. I covered my face with my hands, “Do you know anyone you can… set me up with?”

Nikki suddenly had a wily smile plastered on her face, “I thought you would never ask. Actually, Patrick’s aunt knows someone who’s a little older than you. It seems like he saw you in Hailey’s wedding and is interested. I can ask her to set up a date just give me a convenient time.”

Minutes Before Execution

“One A date. It’s only one a date,” I repeated. My sisters have been dressing and undressing me continuously for the past hour in order to find “the dress” as they call it. “I’m not changing into anything else. You’ve already ransacked my closet.” They finally settled on a blue cocktail dress that I don’t even remember buying.

“I can’t believe you planned on going to your date wearing this,” Hailey picked up the violet satin blouse and black pencil skirt I was going to wear until they decided I looked too much like a doctor and not a sexy available woman. “Good thing we dropped by.”

“Yes, how incredibly convenient for the two of you to drop by at the same time, just a few hours before my date,” I replied deadpan.

“Stop moving,” Nikki ordered. She was applying shimmer on my cheeks and finishing up my make up. “Hailey, will you take off that ridiculous pin she clasped her hair with. You look so uptighrigidt.”

“Hey, I…” I was going for professional chic but apparently I just looked boring and uptight. “Who am I seeing again?” I asked even though the details are so etched into my memory that I think I might have to actively forget in order to forget.

“His name is James Tan, thirty-five years old. He runs his own business selling computers and other electronics. He’s the second son of four children. He graduated from La Salle and lives around Corinthians,” Nikki started, taking a blower and a brush to tame my hair.

“He’s not that good looking but he’s not too bad according to Aunt Gina. He’s Aunt Gina’s nephew and he noticed you at my wedding,” Hailey added proud that her wedding is the reason I’m on a date.

“Patrick says that he’s hard-working and intelligent. He likes collecting cars and always has the latest gadgets. More importantly he has a compatible sign with you. He’s a sheep and you’re a dragon. Ma already checked and she said he’s a good match.” Nikki said over the noise of the blower.

He better be, I thought to myself. I just skipped two appointments to prepare for this date. I was too nervous and I hate to admit it but a little excited to see what kind of person he is. James? Not a bad name, a good solid manly name.

“There. We’re done.” Nikki finally released me from her grasp and I’m proud to say did a pretty good job in dressing me up. I stood up and looked into the mirror, I definitely looked better than before.

“Okay, so it’s at Summer Palace and you’re supposed to meet him in thirty minutes.”

Just then my mother suddenly came into the room, “Are you done?” She looked at me from behind and asked me to turn, “Good. You look beautiful! Hopefully you’ll come home with a second date.”

“I’m just dating. I’m not getting married.”

“Just keep your eye on the prize. We want you married.” Hailey added. I threw her a dirty look but she turned before I could give the full effect.

First Date: Monster from HELL

I arrived at Summer Palace exactly on time. In my profession, being late isn’t an option since it reflected the respect that you were giving your patient which is why I am never late. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my date that who iwas already twenty minutes late. I checked my watch again, I’ve been checking the time after every five minutes. I I have decided that if he does not show up in the next ten minutes I am leaving.

Just then I felt a warm hand press on my shoulder, I turn and see a middle age man wearing a black button down shirt which contrasted to his hair which was dyed an awkward shade of blonde. “James?” I asked.

“Jill? I’m sorry I’m late. There was an accident on the way and I was caught in traffic,” he explained sitting across me.

“That’s okay. I understand, I know how bad traffic can be around here” we

“Why don’t we order you must be hungry?” James calls the waiter and asks for the menu.

I order a ridiculously expensive buttered lobster meal which I think will satisfy my growing hunger while he orders a steak.

“You don’t mind paying for your own bill do you? What you ordered is so expensive and I did not really bring a lot with me. I know women nowadays have that feminist equality principle and soince I’ll let you you ordered your own you should pay for it. I’ll just treat you to dessert.”

I could not believe my ears, I am actually fine with paying for my own food but this guy just outright told me to pay for it since I was ordering an expensive dish. What a cheapskate! Moreover, he makes it sound like it is my idea andnad somehow beneficial to the “cause”. I was starting to feel my temper rise but of course I couldn’t just leave, not when I wasted so many hours in trying to look nice and not when I’m representing my whole family. So, I just did what I should and smiled, “Sure, it’s no problem.”

“So Nikki must have told you that I noticed you at your sister’s wedding. I don’t know why but you just looked d so good and you seemed like a fun person to be around.”

“I heard you are always up to date with the latest gadgets.” I said trying to make small talk and salvage our conversation. “ I’m not really fond of cellphones myself. I haven’t changed mine since I bought it a couple of years ago.”

“Really? That’s a pity. Look,” he pulls out thea latest model of Nokia. “It ‘s a Nokia N98. It has a five megapixel Carl Weiss camera, two 2.5”x 2.5” colored screen, internet browsing capabilities, Bluetooth, Microsoft compatible fire transfers, plays True tones,etc.has …,” he continued waving the phone in front of my face.”

“That’s nice,” I lied. Great! . He’s also incredibly arrogant.obnoxious.

“As So as you would know I’m into selling computers so if you’re interested I can set you up with a laptop. Doctors are always busy so I thought you might like oneneed one. I mean it’s very important to be technologically up to date when you’re a doctor. You’ll be able to check on the latest medical advances. I have a Mac tablet you might be interested in. I can sell it to you cheap. I estimate the cost to be around 98 thousand. I’ll even install the programs for free.”

“Ah, thanks. I’ll think about it.”

“I know we’re on a date and everything but I just wanted you to know that I’m not really interested in anything serious. I’m still young. Trying to enjoy my life before I settle down so if you’re interested then maybe we can see each other some more. You know I’m not saying exclusively I still want to see other people but have open dating.”

I was pretty sure my jaw just dropped to the floor when he mentioned that. My voice seemed to be caught in my throat and I was so shocked and disgusted that my head couldn’t even form words. Blaring sirens were all I could hear inside my head, w. arning signs to get rid of this guy. I tried to feign a smile but my face stiffened that it came out like a maniacal smilegrin. This date was obviously over and even though we just started we both knew that there wasn’t going to be a second date or any date at all.

Aftermath

“Nikki, I’m seriously going to kill you! What’s wrong?” I screamed into the speakerphone. “The guy is an absolute asshole. He was twenty minutes late. He told me upfront told me to pay for my bill and hHe practically sold me a laptop and waved his phone all over my face. Oh, and the best thing he did was he asked me to try open dating with him!”

“How was I supposed to know that he’s a jerk? Patrick said that he wasn’t that bad when they were younger,” came Nikki’s voice over the speaker.

“You didn’t know? Didn’t you tell me he was charming? Charming my ass! More like a date with a salesman,” I finally calmed down enough to take deep breaths in between sentences. “Nikki, it was awful. You could have shot me dead on the spot.”

“Calm down. It’s just one awful date. It can’t get worse. Think of it as hitting rock bottom you can only go up.”

“I can’t imagine a worst date anyway,” I added.