Family With Six Treasures (03)

     One weekend, when things were too quiet to suit her, Chelsea became the instigator and said to her father, "Dad, you really and truly think it's not a     good idea for any of us to have a Caucasian boyfriend?"

     “Of course I don’t.”

     “But, you’ve never had a white son-in-law. How do you know that they’re no good?” Chelsea continues, winking surreptitiously at her sisters.

     In utmost seriousness, Professor Li announces, "At my age, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice and…"

     In chorus, the girls interrupt him to complete the Chinese proverb he has spoken to them repeatedly throughout the years, "…you've eaten more salt than we have eaten rice and you've crossed more bridges than there are roads upon which we have walked."

     All six one thousand ounces of gold laughed uproariously.

     Fran, the youngest one, told her Dad, "Daddy loves salt!"

     "There are as many Chinese proverbs as there are stars in the sky," commented Betty.

     "Well, there are 5,000 years of Chinese history. If each of those years, the mother made up one proverb and the father discover a second, in 5,000 years, we'd have 10,000 sayings. If each proverb were a star, then, It certainly enough to take care of our sky.

     About a year after that, Amy picked a time when her Dad wasn't home to tell her mother, "Anthony and I have been looking at houses every spare minute. Today we saw a small one that we really like. You know, Mom, with the prices of houses going up the way they are, the houses we're looking at now are much smaller than the ones we looked at when we first started looking. If we keep looking much longer, then, we will not be able even afford a bath room!"

     On a sunny Saturday, shortly after that, when the birds are chirping and the blossoms blooming, Anthony Aponte drove up in a two-door Accord. Amy had invited meet her folks. She was waiting outside to meet him. He has straight hair, almost black eyes, and his skin is practically the same shade as Amy's. Standing there, they certainly look like a couple who belong together.

     Amy wished fervently that, for once, her father would just let things develop naturally.

     Among the six one thousand ounces of gold, Betty wore glasses because she was slightly near-sighted. Number Four Daughter's eyewear had thick glass, the kind the kids call bottle glass. So, with these six girls, one mother and the one physics teacher who has just arrived, there were 20 "eyes," every single one of them staring fixedly at Professor Li as he appears in the front doorway of the house. They wanted to see if he had any reaction to Anthony.

     When he first saw Anthony Aponte at the end of the driveway, because Professor Li saw Oriental-looking dark hair ad familiar skin tones, there was no change in his demeanor. However, as Anthony came closer, Li realized that the man with his arm Amy was not Chinese. His face got very red, and he said rudely, "Do you know why I don't like Caucasians? Do you?"

     They all knew he was not expecting an answer. The young man was very embarrassed. He smiled deferentially and, having rather quickly removed his arm from Amy's waist, nervously rubbed his hands.

     Father Li continued, "Caucasians are barbarians. No tradition. They do not know filial duty. They know nothing about sibling love. Filial duty means you listen to elders and do what they say. And elders are the man's father, the man's mother, the girl's father, the girl's mother. All   the in-laws and out-laws, both sides. Sibling love means you must love all your brothers and sisters.  Our Amy has five sisters. Do you love and care for them all?"

      The more Professor Li talked, the angrier he got, and everything he said was in English. Who said that Professor Li couldn't handle English? After all, language is a communications tool. Didn't he make his point clear enough? Didn't everyone understand his opinions?

      The men stood face to face; four eyes stared at two eyes.

      Mrs. Li could almost feel the electricity between the two, and it was getting tenser by the moment. Quickly she motioned to Betty and Diana, saying, "The Dim Sum is ready!"

      Number Two and Number Four are Professor's pets. Each of the girls grabbed one of his arms, and together, they maneuvered him into the dining room, with everyone else following.  There was not much joy and laughter as they sat and to eat lunch and drink tea. Their afternoon repast ended, but the tension did not.

      Amy was smart enough to know that her father would not do as American fathers of the bride do; pay for the wedding extravaganza. That would be like asking a tiger to give away his skin. Forget all about it! And getting a dowry to bring into the marriage as was Chinese custom was just as unlikely.

       Shortly after that, Amy and Anthony found a house. The next time that Professor was away from home, working in the city, Amy and Mrs. Li went shopping for a pattern and some white fabric. In the bridal outfit they created, petite Amy looked like a Chinese doll. Anthony tried on tuxedos and rented one that made him look handsome and sexy.

       The following Wednesday, a bright and beautiful day, when Professor Li was safely at work in Manhattan, Amy and Anthony dressed in their wedding garb, went to the Glen Cove City Hall. Crowed into the office at City Hall were the groom's widowed mother and on Amy's side the mother-of-the-bride and five younger sisters. Anthony's mother was as quiet and polite as he. On the Li side, there was much chattering and tittering. The only time there was silence was during the three minutes it took the Mayor of Glen Cove to recite the wedding vow's words.

       That very afternoon, on returning the tuxedo to the rental shop, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Aponte took up residence in their house, so new that the paint wasn't dry. Their two-day honeymoon was spent in old clothes, fixing up their love nest.

        Glen Cove High School is around the corner from the Li's house. At first, the married daughter stopped home often to have lunch with her mother and shared all her complaints about married life with her Mom. Usually, her husband dropped her off, but, occasionally, he also ate lunch in the Li kitchen. Before the end of a year, he dropped off two people at the Li's house: Amy and a chubby, bubbly, adorable, mixed breed baby girl.

(To Be Continued)