Ciggy Ciggy!

Everytime I meet with friends the first question is, what happened? You proposed to lei? And again and again, I will gladly share the story. So for the next question, yes I already talked to her Mom (that I call mommy too hotshot!)-- I already asked for her hand. To save me the task of retelling it over and over again, I will post it here so that next time, if somebody asks, I’ll just dish in the link. Here we go:

We’re eating in Max’s Restaurant. They were all talking except me. I’m on my cellphone texting a freelancer about an office job but partially inattentive to the text because I am thinking how to insert the topic of (inserting the topic???!) I want to marry her daughter. She has an idea. In fact, because of my excitement to do it, I told her already thru SMS. Ugh! What a nice way of doing it seigfred.

So I was in the middle of texting a reply and thinking how when her mom asked, “So what are your plans”. Instantly my spirit jumped out of its seat and I uttered, “Actually mom (genius nice intro dimwit), we are planning to get married this December, specifically December 8 and I am looking for the fastest way how to get to Aussie.”

“But I thought you already lodged your visa!” she replied.

Great work luanne. Why would you tell her that I already lodged it?

Flashback to what lei told me about a conversation with Mom in Cotabs: “Love, I don’t know what to say! She asked me out of nowhere, I was caught unaware.. and you know I’m very bad at lying and I can’t tell her we are lodging a prospective marriage visa since you haven’t asked her personally”

Actually, the December vacation was meant for that and I totally forgot about it. My fault My bad. The thought got lost when I first saw lei in the airport at Cotabs.

So back to Max’s. “I didn’t continue with the lodging Mom, because it will take me two years to get to Aussie if I get migrant visa” I said.

“I thought you lodged a tourist visa” she said.

Yup. Lei told her I lodged a tourist visa. Think seigfred think. Tourist visa is kinda not good because—

“How can you raise money for your wedding if you’re on a tourist visa? You are not allowed to work with that” she added.

So I gathered all my scattered guts from the table, breathed a very deep one and exhaled-- “I am considering this prospective marriage visa that can be approved in 6 weeks the least, 6 months the most. The good thing about it is you can work. In that way, we can raise money for this December’s wedding, if you would allow us.”

Whew! Waiting for her answer like everything is in slow motion. I don’t know if it affected her negatively. If I was in her position hmmmmm… would I be like a Hiroshima and that would be an atomic bomb? The unica hija is getting married to this guy that I just met last December, slept in my house, ate my food, drank my water, and now she’s taking my daughter? LOL But that’s just me.

What she said, unexpectedly, was this, “Are you sure with her?”

“Of course” I answered in a snap. And reinforced it with, “Your daughter is so hot I’ll marry her anytime, she is very pretty that I want to smack her with a passionate French kiss anytime, anywhere. I am so proud to have her. And she has such a very sexy bottom and I can run my fingers on her legs all day!” And after that I did somersaults at the top of the table. No I didn’t say that. And no somersaults. I wish. Although that would be being very truthful, but to avoid the prick that I am and you don’t speak to a Mom like that, I complimented it with, “I admire her being very independent and responsible. She is very sweet and caring. I am confident with her. And I think she’ll be a good Mommy.”

The following paragraph shall feature lei and is brought to you by the Sultana of Cotabato:

“Really?” Mom replied with revolt. “What I was always telling her, eversince she was a kid, that she should be responsible. You know what, I think it was also my fault for raising her very carefully. Even by just asking for water she’ll call up the maids. She was always attended to. Although we are not that well off, she is everybody’s princess in the house”, Mom added.

“I think mom, her being independent here in Manila helped her overcome that. Basing on her years of being alone, that she can tend to herself, that she has survived that, I think that made her the admirable lady that she is” was my rescue.

By the way lei was beside me and at that moment, weeping. And it’s not because we are almost nearing our goal. “She has been telling me how immature I am since this morning. The bashing is back again and its too much for a day”, Lei whispered with little sobs.

“Ok I’ll keep quiet” Mom said.

Now wait. This was supposed to be a discussion of “I want to marry your daughter”. Weird. Lei was supposed to be crying for joy not weeping bitterly. Now everybody is quiet like that pancit canton feeling like an outcast in a team of a devour-us dinner and we suddenly got busy eating. Except for Lei. Of course I need to comfort her. But the more I rub her back the more tears are spilled. We also have to understand people, that tomorrow, lei is leaving for Aussie and maybe that’s why her mom is acting that way. That she will miss her little baby very much. Flashbacks from her birth to this time are gushing through her memory stream.

*insert Frank Sinatra tracks here*

Still eating. Still quiet. Finished eating. Still quiet.

And so I broke the silence. “But mom, are you ok with that plan? That I will get a prospective marriage visa, we will raise money for December’s wedding and then go back home here and tie the knot?”

And Mommy said “Yes.”