A doctor came out of the emergency room and asked for the family of Chiang Suet. Everyone encircled him. ?It seems like she?s had a severe stroke (heart attack). We?ve diagnosed her with Coronary Heart Disease.?
?How is that possible?? Quay asked holding one hand cup around her mouth and one against her tummy. She didn?t feel well knowing Suet was this ill.
?Well?? the doctor continued, ?Heart attacks have been linked to increase or continuous unresolved stress called stacking. This is where high blood pressure puts undue stress on the blood vessel walls which can burst and cause a stroke. The circulatory system is also over pressured putting an unhealthy strain on the heart which results in heart attacks.?
?How severe is it?? Phong started to ask feeling great sympathy for this ?friend? whom he couldn?t remember.
?I can?t say. We need to do more testing.? The doctor said looking at everyone. We?ll be moving her to a private room where you all can visit her.?
Everyone nodded then the doctor left. Phong turned to everyone. ?I don?t mind staying. You all look tired. Why don?t Li-Nam drive you guys home.?
Quay and Lan-Yee were hesitant. They both wanted to be by Suet?s side to explain everything to her. They both wanted her forgiveness and felt at fault for everything that was happening to Suet. But Phong was persistent.
He felt that he should stay with Suet because his mother and sister had said she was a very good friend of his and now that he couldn?t remember her he wanted to stay with her in hopes of regaining his memory. Reluctantly everyone left together. Li-Nam used Phong?s car to drive them all home.
After Suet was taken to her room, Phong came in and sat next to her in the visitor?s chair beside her bed. He stared at her face for a while. He didn?t think about anything except her illness and if she would recover or not. He sat there for a very long time.
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The car ride home was strange for everyone. Chun-On, Lan-Yee, and Quay sat uneasily in the back. Li-Nam and Ho-Ying sat uncomfortably in the front. Finally arriving at the Kwok house they all got out of the car. Li-Nam sat nervously in his car as they were all getting out. Ho-Ying was slow about getting out of the car. He grabbed her hand and wouldn?t let it go. She pulled it trying to leave.
Li-Nam looked up with a serious face and said, ?I have to talk to you.?
?I need to go in. My mother is waiting for me.? Ho-Ying said still trying to get out.
Li-Nam rolled down his window and stuck his head out looking at Chun-On, Lan-Yee and Quay who had already gotten out of his car. ?I need to talk to Ho-Ying. I?ll bring her back later he yelled as he drove off without waiting for a reply.
Quay shook her head. ?They should make up their minds.? She said wearily. She started entering the house and noticed that Lan-Yee was hesitant behind her. Chun-On motioned Lan-Yee to go in but she stood there uncertain if she should go in or not.
Quay turned around and said, ?Come in. I have some explaining to do to all of you. And you two also have some explaining to do to me.?
Chun-On nodded and dragged Lan-Yee into the house. She walked slowly in behind him. Quay walked up to her bedroom as they followed her. In the bedroom she walked over to a painting hanging on her wall. She pushed it aside and revealed a safe.
?Even your father doesn?t know about this.? She said looking as Chun-On. ?Not your father,? she said noticing Lan-Yee?s expression. She opened the safe and took out some photo albums.
Chun-On and Lan-Yee looked at each other with confusion. Quay motioned them to sit on the sofa in her room and sat across fro them. She laid out the photo album in front of them. Right when she opened it they saw a picture of her and Phong.
They two of them gasped. They were surprised to see that Quay had kept a picture of her and another man so secretive. In a safe that even Fei did not know about. Quay started to tell them the truth and everything that happened in the past. After she finished, Chun-On asked her about his relationship with Lan-Yee.
?Were you afraid I would favor Auntie Suet more if I dated Lan-Yee?? Chun-On asked his mother.
She nodded. ?You can say.? She said.
Is that why you were upset at my relationship with Lan-Yee?? Chun-On asked.
Quay nodded. ?But now I know my son will always love me and I have always loved Suet. I cannot deny that I care for her very deeply and really wish she was happy. But now I don?t know what I?ve done.?
She reached for their hands and placed them on top of each other. "Now I also wish that you two were happy also." They nodded happily that everything was out in the open and the truth was clear.
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A nurse walked into the room and offered Phong some blankets. He looked at the time. It was almost 12 am. He had sat there for almost 5 hours without thinking about anything but Suet?s illness.
He didn?t think about his business, his mother, his sisters, or even Hong Dao and Li-Nam. To his astonishment he didn?t even think of Quay the love of his life that he just recalled. Something about her had fascinated him so much that he was able to sit for hours without thinking about anything but her.
He smiles as he leaned over her to adjust her blanket. Then for some odd reason he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. He pulls back wondering why he did that. He thought really hard but couldn?t figure it out.
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Ho-Ying was outraged by Li-Nam?s sudden driving away with her so she slapped him. She declared that he was nothing of hers and had no right to do that. She pounded on the car door and demand he stopped. He did and she started walking away from him.
She was hurt, confused, scared, excited, and happy all at the same time. She didn?t know what to exactly think of Li-Nam?s attitude towards her earlier. As she was walking away, Li-Nam ran after her and grabs her, turns her around and forcefully kissed her intensely.
She pushed him away but he persisted. She pushed him more and more but each time he pressed her closer to him until she finally gave up and accepted his kisses. After the kiss he asked her again to marry him. He declared he really loved her and only realized that when she cancelled the wedding. She agreed and they decided to continue with the wedding.
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Suet awoke looking around in the hospital. She was confused at why she was there. She felt someone?s head lying next to her on the bed. She looked down and saw a man. She sat up and looked closer at him. It was Phong! She knew it. Even though she couldn?t see his face she recognized the body shape and figure. She covered her mouth overcome with joy as she reached for him with one hand to touch him and check if he was really there or if he was just her imagination.
Phong woke up just as she was reaching for him and turned his head to look at her. Now that he saw she was up he sat up and smiled at her saying, ?Good morning. How are you feeling right now?? he asked
She covered her mouth with both hands now that she saw his face. She wanted to scream she wanted to cry she wanted to laugh. Phong was sitting beside her. She had absolutely forgotten the fact that she was in the hospital.
?Are you okay?? he asked, ?Should I call a doctor?? he said becoming alarmed because she seemed to be hyperventilating.
Suet shook her head. ?No! No!? she replied. ?I?m just glad to see that you?re alright. I was told you died in battle.?
Phong realized that Suet didn?t know he lost his memory since he didn?t really get a chance to tell her about it in her comatose state. He didn?t realize that Suet already knew and was now thinking he had remembered her.
?Nope I?m still alive.? he replied with a pleasant grin. ?I lost my memory in war and I still haven?t gained all of it back so far. You?re Suet, right??
Suet nodded thinking he remembers her. But then her smile faded when he asked, ?Were we good friends??
He noticed the expression change on her face. ?Everyone told me we were good friends but I don?t know why I can?t remember anything. All I know is you gave me this very warm, friendly, and comfortable feeling.? He said.
Suet tried not to confuse him too much. She didn?t want to strain his memory so she replied, ?Yeah we were really good friends. Very close friends.? She said disappointedly.
He smiled and asked, ?Are you hungry? You must not have eaten anything all day. Let me get you something to eat.? He said walking towards the door.
Suet wanted him to just stay by her side forever but smiled politely and said, ?No I?m not, I don?t feel like eating.?
?I insist.? He replied. It?s not healthy to not to eat at least a little. ?How about egg tarts? That?s always good in the morning.? He said with a wink and left the room to get it.
Suet was so thrilled like a child who just received a new toy on Christmas day. She loved to eat Egg tarts. She was just so thrilled he remembered.
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Moments after he left Lan-Yee and Quay came into the room. They had also brought her breakfast. Suet was shocked to see them come in together and even more astonished that they were on good terms. Something must have happened while she was asleep. She must have been in another world. Suddenly that?s when she realized she was not in her own room but in a hospital room.
?How are you feeing mommy?? Lan-Yee asked her.
Suet almost chocked hearing those words. Those words sounded foreign to her as if Lan-Yee was speaking in a language she never heard before. Everything she was seeing now baffled her. She looked up to make sure Lan-Yee was there and this was not a dream.
Quay sat down on the side of Suet?s bed. ?We solved everything. I told them everything and now she understands everything.? She said.
Suet looked up at Lan-Yee who smiled back at her. Tears of joy were coming down Suet?s eyes. Lan-Yee was also crying. The stared at each other for a brief moment and finally Lan-Yee fell to Suet?s bed side as they embraced hugging each other.
Quay couldn?t help but become emotional. She realized that she was probably interrupting a special mother daughter moment and got up to leave.
Suet reached for Quay. ?Thank you!? she whispered holding on tightly to Lan-Yee.
Quay shook her head, ?No, no, no need to thank me. I was just doing the right thing. For once.? She said smiling. ?Thank you for putting up with me.?
Suet shook her head, ?I was not putting up with you. I was doing what family is supposed to. I was caring and loving you.?
Lan-Yee stood up and smiled at Quay. ?Thank you.? She said softly with teary eyes.
Quay smiled at Suet and wiped Lan-Yee?s eyes as she held Suet?s hand and Lan-Yee?s hand. The three of them hugged once more and then Li-Nam, Chun-On and Ho-Ying came into the room.
?How are you feeling Auntie Suet?? Ho-Ying asked.
?Very extremely good.? She said with a sigh of relief looking as Quay and Lan-Yee.
?That?s good because then you?ll make it to my wedding and Lan-Yee?s wedding.? Ho-Ying said in a cheery voice.
Suet raised an eyebrow at Lan-Yee. Lan-Yee looked at Chun-On and back at her mother. Suet shook her head playfully and pointed at them, ?Getting married and still not telling me until now. That?s so bad.? She said teasing them.
They all laughed at her playfully attitude. Seeing that she could joke around she must have felt better. Everyone laughed and joked around. Nobody talked about Suet?s hospital visit and Suet didn?t ask.
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Finally Phong came back into the room with breakfast for Suet. He smiled at everyone. Lan-Yee?s heart stopped for a brief moment as she looked straight at her father. She wanted to throw her arms around him because she finally had a father to look up to but she didn?t know if he had any knowledge she existed.
Suet watched Lan-Yee?s expression and didn?t know what to say or do. She realized by Lan-Yee?s expression that Lan-Yee knew Phong was her father. Lan-Yee looked at Suet and Quay to confirm what she had already known. They both nodded as if they knew what she was wondering.
?Good morning everyone.? Phong said handing Suet the egg tarts. ?Here there should be enough for everyone. I bought a lot of other dumplings just in case.? He said handing them out.
?Here dad, let me help.? Li-Nam said as he helped distribute the egg tarts.
That?s when everyone realized Phong was married to Hong Dao and they had a son which was Li-Nam. Only people in the room that didn?t know what was going on was Li-Nam and Phong. Everyone else knew. Even Ho-Ying knew because Chun-On and Lan-Yee had repeated the events to her when she got home last night.
?So are you and Ho-Ying okay now?? Phong asked Li-Nam.
Li-Nam nodded, ?We?re going on with the wedding.?
?Good I?ll finally have grandchildren! Can you believe I?ve been waiting all these years for him to get married, Phong said playfully as he looked at everyone around the room.
They all forced a reluctant smile which was evident to Li-Nam and Phong who raised their eyebrow in curiosity.
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