Page 7 of Four Aunties and a Wedding

“Spelled J-E-M-S,” Staphanie whispers, and I have to bite back my giggle. “Anyway, Big Uncle’s well-known for his lily bouquets—”

“That what I well-known for!” Ma pipes up. “Until my lily guy—uh.” She falters as she probably realizes what she’s just about to say.Until my lily guy was killed by my daughter.

“Until she moved on to peonies,” I quickly say, my heart thumping wildly.

“Oh, iya, peonies, yes.” Ma smiles weakly.

“Maybe we can see photos of the flower arrangements?” Nathan asks. I shoot him a grateful look.

“Yeah, of course.” Staphanie takes out a tablet and opens up the gallery before sliding it over to Nathan and me. “Here you go.”

The bouquets and flower displays are beautiful, well-balanced, and artfully arranged to showcase the vibrant blooms. “Very pretty, Om—I mean, Uncle Jems,” I say. “Do you have any photos of bouquets with hydrangeas? I have a soft spot for them.”

A frown crosses Uncle Jems’s face for a second, and I squirm inwardly, wondering if I’m being too demanding. No, right? I mean, it’s normal to ask for your favorite flower in your wedding bouquet.

“Yes, of course,” Staphanie cuts in, taking the tablet back and scrolling through the photo album. “Um, maybe not in here, but I’ll look up our old photos at home and send them to you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Anyway, Second Uncle is hair and makeup,” Staphanie says, pointing at the man next to Uncle Jems.

“Uncle Henry,” he says, waving at me.

“There’s a roguedin the middle of his name,” Staphanie whispers. I didn’t think I could love her more, but I do. Where has this girl been all my life? She opens up a different photo album and slides the tablet back to me and Nathan.

As expected, Uncle Hendry’s handiwork is beautiful and—dare I say it—rivals that of Second Aunt. As though she could hear my traitorous thoughts, Second Aunt actually gets up fromher seat and walks over to us, so she’s literally breathing down our necks as we look at the pictures.

“Wah, bagus sekali,” she says, “you do that curled plait thing very well, that one very tricky, ah?”

Uncle Hendry nods. “Yes, very tricky, but I take lesson and practice on Staphanie hair.”

“Mm, yes, I always practice on Meddy hair also,” Second Aunt says, still peering down her nose at the photo album. “Oh, this photo!” She plucks the tablet out of my hands and stares at it closely. “This one your photo?”

There is a second of silence as Uncle Hendry stares at her. “Yes?” he answers cautiously.

“Wah! This one I see everywhere on Pinterest! So very popular. Wah, turns out you are the artist behind it!” The admiration on her face is palpable. She’s gazing at Uncle Hendry as if he’s just saved a child from a burning building. I exchange a glance with Nathan, who’s openly grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at me. I can tell he’s thinking the same thing—is Second Aunt in insta-love?

Uncle Hendry breaks the eye contact. “Aduh, is nothing, is very easy technique.”

“I been trying to figure, you know, how to do the hair like that? And I cannot get it correct, waduh, drive me crazy. I try on Meddy hair so many time, still not look nice. You have to teach me how to do like that!”

Poor Uncle Hendry looks like he’s just about ready to jump out of the nearest window. He’s no match for Second Aunt. Or any of my aunts, really.

“Ahem,” Big Aunt says. She doesn’t even bother pretending to cough. “Please ignore my Er Mei, she lupa her manners, asking people to share trade secret. Hendry, you ignore her, okay?”

Second Aunt’s lips thin into a tight line, and for a mortifyingsecond, I’m half-afraid she’s about to get into it right then and there with Big Aunt. Or lunge into some Tai Chi position. But then she exhales and smiles at Uncle Hendry. “So sorry, my Da Jie is right, I get carry away. You don’t have to reveal your trade secret to me.” With that, she returns to her seat and slurps her tea very deliberately.

The tension is too much for me to withstand, so I blurt out, “Second Aunt, I’m sure Second Uncle would love to hear all about the Komodo dragon fascinator and how it’ll fit in with your hairdos.”

“Oh yes, we have traditional British hats for wedding,” Second Aunt says.

“Traditional British hats with Komodo dragons?” Nathan whispers.

“Don’t ask,” I mutter.

“Sounds exciting,” Staphanie says. “Second Uncle would love to take a look at them, wouldn’t you, Second Uncle?”

Second Uncle nods quickly. “Yes, of course. Maybe I can come your place and see this dragon sometime?”

---