hexes for exes

chapter four, as the hourglass trickles on

THE WONGS HAD the honour of hosting their first dinner together this summer, it was decided. The date was set for that very Sunday, Livia was informed when she got back to the house after her excursion with Brie and Lila. It was already Friday.

Auntie Xu and their mother were already plotting and planning. Their father was on his laptop, working and calling one of his business associates in Hong Kong. Livia went upstairs and took a shower to wash off the salt-tinged smell on herself, and to get herself ready for the evening. Time was passing by too quickly. Just like that, and she'd already been here for two days. It certainly didn't feel like it.

While Livia would once have been happily relieved of any duties regarding any dinners they hosted, she was now an adult, and was therefore unwillingly roped into the arrangements.

All she wanted was to lie in bed and scroll through social media, but a holler from her mother could not be rejected. So instead, Livia found herself at the dining table, carefully reminding her mother and Auntie Xu of everyone's dietary requirements.

"Brie is allergic to seafood," Livia reminded when her ma suggested getting some fresh shrimps. "Don't forget about that. And Lila's mother is vegetarian."

Her ma wrinkled her nose. "All these British people and their allergies and diets. I do not understand it at all. It is nowhere this annoying back home."

Livia stayed quiet, deciding not to comment in regards to that. There was nothing much she could say.

Auntie Xu said, "Well, then, we ought to prepare a few vegetarian dishes. Tofu, I think, works very well. They sell some vegetarian food at the Chinese supermarket. It's a bit more expensive, but we can get some of that and prepare a pot just for Mrs Carmen-Anderson." Lila's mother was an actress, and thus had chosen to keep her own last name when she'd married her first husband. Lila had originally been Lila Stevens, but when they'd divorced, Lila had gone for her mother's last name instead, and hadn't changed it to a hyphenated version when her mother married Mr Carmen. It was a rather complicated situation, and Livia often forgot how to refer to the family. She settled for Carmen/Andersons a while ago.

"Seven dishes for all of us, I think. Chinese style. They do not get any good Chinese food here," her ma declared. "We ought to deliver. And it is the first dinner we all have together, so it needs to be good."

"Ma," Livia said patiently, "I don't think anyone cares that much as long as the food is good."

She was ignored. "You and Pamela ought to perform something," her ma continued, shooting a glance in her direction. "Pamela can play the piano and sing, of course. You..."

Livia was entertained. "I don't think anyone is expecting me to perform, ma, my talents don't lie in that area."

"I suppose you could dance," her mother was musing, and Livia's statement went either unheard or neglected. "But it has been so many years I think you'll just make a fool of yourself. Perhaps you shouldn't perform. Just help around the house, that should be enough."

That was exactly what Livia had just said, but she did not point that out. Instead, she stayed quiet. Her mother was clearly not in a mood to listen, and Auntie Xu was too busy hanging onto her every word. Livia wanted for a little while more before leaving on the pretence of going to the bathroom. Instead she ran back to her room and shut the door behind her, sighing loudly.

This was going to be nothing short of torturous.

Pamela was not back. Livia assumed she was out for dinner with Anya tonight at that shopping centre they'd gone to. Not that her sister's constant absence mattered to her. This happened regularly in Hong Kong too. While Livia was someone far more attracted to home than anywhere else, Pamela's heart laid outwards. She was a social animal, and any bit of quiet and alone time seemed to drain her energy. Livia was the exact opposite.