by Nia Arthurs
“That’s great.” Gwen’s hair almost hits me in the face as she spins to look at Richie. “Have you given her the tour? Belize isn’t as big as China, but we’ve got a lot to offer.”
“Not yet. We had too much to prepare for with the wedding.” Richie speaks to the table. “I’ll show her around when we’re back home next month.”
“I forgot.” Gwen slaps her forehead. “You’re going to China to have a traditional wedding with her family.” She smiles sweetly. “Well, when you get back we should all meet up and do something.”
“Sure,” Richie says.
“Is the wedding soon?” Melissa asks.
“It’s tomorrow.” Richie pulls the collar of his shirt. “The ceremony will take place at the gardens outside Bellmore Hotel.”
“I’ve been there before. The scenery is to die for. Your pictures will be amazing.” Melissa shoots Aiden a knowing look. “I can’t wait until I get married. What about you, babe?”
Aiden blanches. “I don’t plan on getting married. Not for a long time.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Melissa snaps.
While Aiden and his… baby carrier start to squabble, I glance at Gwen. Her eyes soften when she looks at me. I arch both eyebrows. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” She licks her lips. “Um… could you translate something to Mei An for me?”
“Go ahead.”
“Ask her if she needs any help tomorrow. I’m free if she wants an extra pair of hands.”
I ease away, stunned by her request. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
I clear my throat and repeat the question in Chinese. Mei An seems to relax a bit more when she hears her homeland’s tongue. Her rapid-fire response keeps me on my toes.
“What did she say?” Gwen asks, bouncing in her seat. She’s enjoying this way more than I am.
“She says her new family is taking care of everything.” I tilt my head, double-checking to ensure I’ve relayed the message accurately.
“Xiè xiè.” Mei An bobs her head.
I open my mouth to translate, but Gwen stops me with a hand. “That I understood.”
“So…” Richie clears his throat and studies the napkin holders between the salt and Marie Sharp pepper bottles, “are you two coming to the wedding? Together?”
I narrow my eyes. “Why? Can’t we?”
“Danny….” Gwen levels me a scolding look, but when she responds to Richie, she’s all smiles. “Yes. If that’s not a problem?”
“Not at all.” Richie squirms.
The air around the table turns strained.
Just when the silence teeters on the brink of awkwardness, Mei An rattles off a speech in Chinese. Melissa and Gwen stare at her like she’s speaking an alien language.
When Mei An falls quiet, Gwen glances expectantly at me.
My lips flatten into a thin line. “She said… when she arrived at the airport, she was tired and the weather was hot. At first, she was scared but she saw Richie and she knew everything would be okay. She is glad to be here.”
Richie forces a smile and replies to her in Mandarin.
Mei An blushes.
“I have no idea what they just said but I could tell it was romantic,” Gwen gushes.
Melissa pouts and hauls on Aiden’s arm. “Babe, why don’t you learn another language?”
“I don’t need to learn another language. I’m already bilingual.”
I laugh. “In what?”
“English and Creole. Boom.” Aiden shakes his head as if daring us to argue with him.
Mei An giggles along, finding joy in our expressions alone. She seems like a sweet girl. I hope Richie takes the time to get to know her. His parents wouldn’t have arranged their union unless they were confident she would make a good wife.
And who knows? My cousin might come to love her.
It’s possible.
“Our food’s here.” Melissa points at the waitress darting around the crowded restaurant.
I lean back in anticipation, sweeping my gaze over my surroundings. The banquet room is decorated in red and gold. A thick carpet swallows my feet. A live band plays on the podium to our right. The music fills the air, mingling with the low hum of laughter and conversation.
The waitress nears our table. Just before she crosses the middle of the restaurant to get to us, a man dressed in black sprints in front of her. I get a good look at his eyes—so wide the whites are showing. A thick bag dangles from his hand.
The server screams as the man slams his shoulders into her. The tray of food flies in the air, does a few flips and then comes crashing to the ground.
The live band stops.
Silence falls as everyone holds their breath and glances around in confusion.
The guy in black stumbles, colliding with the food tainting the plush red carpet.
The door of the kitchen bursts open and a cook sprints out. His white apron struggles to restrain his large belly. His chin trembles when he shouts and points at the man on the floor, “Thief!”
Gasps of outrage pour from the diners.
Gwen looks over her shoulder. “Where’s security?”
My heart thumps. “I don’t know.”
The thief jumps to his feet, wielding a weapon that looks like a knife. Since we’re closer to the back of the restaurant, it’s hard to see. I rise slowly, prepared to help subdue the burglar if the guards can’t handle him.
“What are you doing?” Gwen hisses, her hand on my wrist. She pulls me down. “Danny, sit!”
“Get him!” the chef shrieks.
The thief leaps into action, zigzagging around the tables and heading for the exits. A pair of security guards chase him. They gain ground quickly.
The race moves around the corner and out of sight.
The guards seem to have everything under control. I let out a breath of relief, prepared to crack a joke and lighten the mood.
Suddenly, two gunshots split the air.
Each pop strikes fear in my heart.
Mei An screams.
Aiden ducks under the table.
Melissa huddles beside him.
Time slows. Danger froths in the air. In this moment, the only thought pounding through my head is… Gwen!
I barrel over her, covering her body with mine. She’s trembling. Her hair is in my face. It smells like coconuts. I wrap my arms around her, waiting for another gunshot or the sound of footsteps drawing near.
There are none.
I lift my head, surveying the room. The other diners are straightening as well, searching for a sign that the chaos is over.
Amidst the commotion, a beefy security guard walks calmly beside another man who is apologizing to everyone he passes.
Gwen sits straight up and looks ahead as they mount the podium.
I rub her back. “Are you okay?”
The line between her brows is on prominent display but she nods. “I’m fine. I’m just…” she smacks her lips together, “trying to keep my heart from exploding.”
“Everyone else okay?” I glance around our table. “Mei An? Melissa?”
Mei An nods though her face has gone pale.
The sound of a finger knocking against a mike grabs my attention.
I look to the front where the man is holding a microphone. “Excuse me.” His voice booms over our heads. “My name is Harry Grinage. I’m the manager here at the restaurant. I’d like to apologize for the disruption this evening…”
“Disruption?” Aiden mumbles, climbing from beneath the table. “He just shaved ten years off my life.”
“At least nobody got hurt,” Gwen says.
“What you just witnessed,” Harry Grinage explains, “was a thief who thought he could take a shortcut through our kitchen. One officer near the door panicked and fired his weapon into the ceiling. No one was hurt.”
Murmurs erupt, roaring like an ocean wave being pulled by the wind.
I turn to Gwen and take her hand. She sq
ueezes it back.
“No one was hurt,” Grinage continues, “but we understand that many of you might be upset. For those who would like a refund, please line up at the cashier. Those who remain, your meals are on the house.”
“What do you guys want to do?” I glance at the ladies and linger on Mei An who seems especially troubled.
“I say we stay.” Melissa grins. “Who wants to give up on a free meal?”
Apparently, a lot of people. Half of the customers in the restaurant migrate to the exits.
“Finally something we have in common.” Aiden offers his hand for Melissa to high-five.
“I think I should take Mei An home,” Richie says, putting an arm around the woman’s trembling shoulders.
Gwen reaches out and squeezes Mei An’s hand. “I’m so sorry this happened on the eve of your wedding. Go home, get a good rest and forget all the bad things you saw tonight.”
Mei An nods and rattles her reply.
Richie stiffens and ushers her out of the booth without bothering to explain.
Gwen catches on quickly and inches closer to me. “What did she say?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “That tonight was a bad omen. She’s afraid something will happen during her wedding.”
“Oh no.” Gwen frowns. “I feel horrible.”
The unease in my stomach grows. I don’t believe in superstitions, but I’m starting to agree with Mei An.
Tomorrow… I’m bracing myself for something big.
21 Gwen
“Let’s start from the top,” Mom says, bracing herself against my white vanity dresser. “Tell me if I get anything wrong.”
“I will.”
My parents—no—my mother has been freaking out in my bedroom for the past five minutes. I’m listening with only one ear since I slept in and now have to rush to prepare for the wedding before Danny arrives.
I lift my curling iron. “Do you mind if I finish my hair while you talk?”
“Go on, sweetie,” Dad says.
Mom paces from one end of the room to the other. “You and Danny are going out now...”
“That’s right.” I test my curling iron for heat and then wait a couple seconds longer.
“… And his cousin is getting married to a woman he doesn’t love but that his parents picked out for him.”
“Mm-hm.” I move the curling iron over a section of my straight hair.
“And you’re attending that wedding with Danny. As his date,” Mom finishes.
“You got it.” I form another curl and check it in the mirror before smiling up at my parents. “What do you guys think?”
“Are you insane?”
I clutch my hair, frowning at the style. “Is it that bad?”
“Not your hair.” Mom sounds slightly panicked. “Why didn’t you tell us you and Danny were dating?”
“Now, Addy…” Dad puts his arms on my mother’s shoulders, struggling to calm her down, “Danny’s a nice boy.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Great!” My grin stretches my cheeks. “Then you don’t have a problem, right?”
“Wait just a minute.” Mom shakes her head. “I said Danny was fine, but his family is another thing. I went to high school with his uncle and aunt. They never talked to anyone outside their very ritzy social circle. They acted like they were better than everyone else.”
“Maybe they were just shy. People called me a snob too, and I don’t think I am.”
“They weren’t shy,” Mom insists. “They just don’t like black people. Or Mayas. Or Garifunas.”
“What about white people?” Dad asks with a chuckle.
“Oh they loved them.”
“Really?” I leave the iron on an extra second so the curl will hold.
“You think I’m joking? The entire Kwan family is classist and racist.”
“Mother!” I gasp.
“That’s a little bit of a blanket statement,” Dad says, trying to curb Mom’s frustration. “We wouldn’t let our son hang out with someone who was racist.”
“I told you. Danny is different.”
“He is.” I nod and set the curling iron down.
“Calm down, Addy. It’s just a wedding. It’s not like it’s Gwen’s wedding.”
Mom leans away from his touch, her face thunderous. “She’s old enough to know the truth. If your father wasn’t a doctor and I wasn’t a lawyer, they wouldn’t pay us the time of day. Do you really think Danny’s parents would send him to play with Aiden if he was just another black kid?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “What I do know is you can’t judge an entire family based on a few of your old classmates. People change, Mom.”
The words are heavy on my tongue since Mom might be right on the money. Danny’s parents don’t approve of him dating a black girl.
Hearing that really hurt, but I’m trying to see it from their point of view.
Richie’s parents found him a wife all the way from China. Not even the Belizean Chinese girls were good enough for them. I can’t imagine how they’d feel if a Creole girl joined their family.
“Don’t do that,” Mom snaps.
I straighten and focus on her. “What?”
“Don’t rationalize ignorance. Anyone who judges a person based on their skin color alone and not their character is biased.”
“Mom, we’re all biased.” I challenge her. “What crosses your mind when you see a Hispanic man in a sweaty shirt, carrying a machete? What do you think when you see a black man with pants to his hips and his hair all crazy? We judge people all the time.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“It just is!” Her eyes spark with passion. “It’s true. Humans are inherently biased, but we choose not to act on those feelings. That is what makes the difference.”
“So you wouldn’t be afraid of a black man with tattoos on his face if you were walking alone in an alley late at night? You’d just tell yourself ‘well I can’t judge based on skin color’ and you’d keep walking?”
“The circumstances are different. Even if he was Caucasian or Spanish, I’d be scared of him.”
A sigh breaks free from my chest. “Ignorance is just lack of knowledge, right? I want to present Danny’s family with the knowledge of who I am beyond the color of my skin.”
Mom purses her lips. “When did you have time to prepare a speech?”
“I like Danny. That’s not going to change whether his family approves of me or not.”
“I’m done, Jeff.” Mom massages her temples. “She’s your daughter. You talk to her.”
Dad smirks at me. “I always knew you had feelings for Danny, but he never seemed interested so I didn’t think we would need to have this conversation.”
“Really, Dad?”
“Listen, Gwennie. I took an oath to serve humanity—no matter a person’s race, religion or creed. My eyes don’t register color. We’re all the same inside. If you and Danny really love each other, nothing anyone can say or do will tear you apart.” He squeezes my shoulder. “I believe that.”
“That’s your advice, Jeff? You want people who can never accept someone who looks like Gwen to judge and humiliate her?”
“Danny will protect her with his life.” Dad smiles at me. “And even if he doesn’t, my daughter is strong. She can handle herself.”
I throw my arms around my father. “Thanks, Dad.”
He pats my back and then pushes me off. “Didn’t you say Danny was coming soon? Finish getting ready. I’ll let your mother lecture me in our room.”
Dad pushes Mom out, and I rush through the rest of my preparations.
What feels like minutes later, Dad yells from the living room. “Danny’s here!”
I stop in the middle of slipping on my left shoe and freeze. He came inside?
“Danny, it’s a trap!” I scream as I charge down the stairs, the straps of my heels flying in the wind.
Dad, Mom and Danny are in the foy
er. They all turn around as one and stare at me like I’ve gone crazy.
“Gwen Alexia Ferguson, what did you just say? A trap?” Mom places a hand on her hip and taps her feet.
Shoot. Did I say that out loud?
My gaze connects with Danny’s and all thoughts are driven from my mind. He’s in a black tux that is perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders and slim waist. His hair is pasted away from his forehead so his rugged jaw and chiseled cheekbones are on display.
Danny is so fine. And he’s all mine. Every tall, sexy inch of him.
He slides his hands into his pockets and gives me an equally approving look.
Excitement skitters in my stomach.
“You’re gorgeous, Gwen,” Danny says. His voice is coarse as if the weight of his words is too much to bear.
“You can say what you really feel.” Dad spoils the moment with a belly laugh. “We won’t mind.”
“Dad…” I frown.
This is why I didn’t go to prom.
“You kids have fun,” Dad says.
I totter over to Danny and pull on his arm. “Let’s go. Now.”
“Wait!” Mom raises her chin and approaches Danny. “I need to ask for a favor.”
“Anything.”
I wriggle his arm and hiss, “You shouldn’t have said that.”
Danny looks at me and winks.
How is he so cool with this? Does he think my mom will treat him the same way she always has just because he’s Aiden’s best friend?
“Take care of my daughter,” Mom says, her voice filled with conviction.
“I will.”
Mom stops right beside Danny and begs in a hoarse whisper, “Don’t let them hurt her.”
A muscle in Danny’s jaw bunches. He nods slowly. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Come on.” I pull him out of there before Mom asks Danny to buy me the moon or something equally impossible.
He stumbles after me, his shiny black shoes gleaming in the early afternoon sunlight. Birds twitter from the nearby trees. The sky is a gorgeous, cerulean blue. It’s a beautiful day to have an outdoor wedding.
Danny escorts me to my side of the car and even opens the door for me. I grin. “What’s with the special treatment today?”
Danny drapes his arm over the door and stares at me like I’m the only girl on the planet. “You look beautiful, Gwen.”
