Chapter Eight #3
“You pay me cook, clean, run errand. Now, you got four cook and two freeloaders in house,” she pointed to the guest rooms. “What you do that for? You fire me?”
Michael smiled and shook his head no.
“I need job. I pay bills. I support family. Three in college. No more cook without me,” FenLei said firmly.
Michael pointed to the pan on the stove.
“Yes, pans okay this time. Next time maybe not so lucky,” she popped some bread into the toaster. “You have bad habit, burn pan.”
“He burns pans?” Max yawned and headed directly for the coffee.
Michael made a sound of protest and put up a finger indicating that it had happened once.
“Ha! Twice. Once you, once Missy Ann burn eggs,” FenLei accused.
“I sense a story behind this,” Max said.
Michael flushed a little at Max is enquiring look. He sipped his coffee, refusing to be drawn into this.
“No more cook. You ban from kitchen,” FenLei looked up at Max. “Which brother you?”
Max grinned. “Max. And you are?”
“FenLei. God make you too tall. Get crick in neck just looking at you!” She pulled out the toast and proceeded to make up a plate which she placed in front of Michael.
“God made you too short,” Max returned. He sat beside Michael at the breakfast bar. “I like her. I want one.”
Michael rolled his eyes. One of FenLei was more than enough.
“Only one of me. That enough,” FenLei put a second breakfast together and put it in front of Max. “Hope you like egg like this.”
“It is perfect.”
The doorbell rang and FenLei bustled over.
She pulled her nephew in, grabbing bags from him while chatting away in her native tongue.
In moments the kitchen was stocked, and more pans were placed on the stove, breakfast for the remaining guests started.
The nephew left. He had not said a word the entire time.
“So how long have you been working here FenLei?” asked a curious Max.
“Ten year. First time I see you,” she accused. “Who all these people?”
“We are family. Expect to see more of us,” replied Max. “You are a very good cook.”
“Thank you. You a charmer. You charm pants right off lady upstairs.”
Max choked on his toast and Michael laughed heartily.
FenLei put a plate on the floor and FedEx began eating. “In my country we kill dog and cook it.”
“She is kidding, right?” Max looked at Michael.
Michael shrugged, smiling. He was pretty sure FenLei just liked shocking people.
“You married to lady upstairs?” questioned FenLei.
“Engaged. We get married very soon.”
“Good. Those other two with babies married?”
“Yes,” Max decided FenLei deserved to get interrogated in return. “Are you married?”
“Yes. Thirty years. Now he boring old man,” she poured orange juice in two glasses and placed it in front of them. “He my boring old man.”
“Kids?”
“Five. Three in college so you need stop cook and let me do job,” she waved the spatula at them as she complained. “I need money to pay school.”
Max looked at the orange juice. “I am not really a fan of orange juice, thanks.”
FenLei stopped and stared at him. “Full of vitamin. You drink.”
Michael waited. This was going to be good.
Max smiled, relying on charm. “Thank you FenLei but I will be fine without it.”
“Ha! Vitamins you need. You get cold and die unless you drink vitamin orange juice. Then they accuse me of murder because I let you no take vitamin,” she pushed the glass closer to Max. “No die, drink. I no go jail.”
Michael calmly sipped his glass of orange juice and looked at Max.
“I would prefer - ”
“Drink!” her voice whipped out like a miniature drill sergeant.
Max picked up the glass and had a sip.
Michael laughed.
FenLei cackled. “You silly boy. As if.”
Piaget came to the kitchen and gave Max a kiss. She looked at FenLei surprised. “Hello.”
“Lady found her pants back,” observed FenLei.
“What?” Piaget looked at Max who put his hands up in surrender. Michael just grinned.
“Coffee? Tea?”
“Tea would be lovely,” Piaget sat on Max’s leg, wrapped an arm around his shoulders and picked a piece of toast off his plate.
“Green, strawberry, black, peppermint?” asked FenLei. Michael wondered if FenLei’s nephew had brought all that. He never had tea in the house before.
“Green if you have it.”
“If I have. I no offer if not in cupboard,” FenLei put water on to boil. Max pushed his glass of orange juice at Piaget who absently drank some. FenLei set out more toast and dished up a plate of breakfast for Piaget. Suddenly she grabbed Piaget’s hand and chortled. “That big rock!”
Personally, Michael thought it was a little conservative from some that he had seen. However, Piaget and Max were on a bit of a budget.
Piaget blushed.
“This silly one give you ring?” FenLei pointed at Max.
“Yes,” Piaget smiled at Max dreamily.
“Oh! She too in love. Jokes no work on her,” FenLei waved a hand and turned the eggs. “See Mr. Michael? Turn food it no burn.”
Max grinned and turned to Michael. “Care to share?”
“Pardon?” questioned Piaget.
“Apparently eggs got burned?” Max goaded.
Michael stood and put his plate and utensils in the sink. He drained his coffee, and the cup joined the rest. With a pat on FenLei is head, he snapped his fingers and FedEx bounced beside him, like she was on springs. Both left out the sliding door.
“Where is he going?” wondered Max.
“You brother and know nothing. They go jog. Happen every day. He jog even when three feet snow!” FenLei shuddered, handing Piaget her freshly brewed tea. “Crazy.”
“So, tell us about the eggs,” suggested Max.
“Ann burn egg. Too bad. I think if smoke alarm no go off and I no come, maybe there be more babies around here,” she winked suggestively.
“Well, that would be about time. They have only been dancing around each other for the past twenty years,” Max rolled his eyes.
Piaget frowned at him. “Don’t tease Michael about this. I think he really likes Ann and Elle said Ann really likes him.”
“We all want them to get together,” replied Max.
“No,” Piaget knew where this was headed.
“What?” Max asked, all innocence.
“No interfering,” Piaget warned Max, poking him in the chest with a finger. “They need to figure it out for themselves.”
“She make him happy,” FenLei made a coffee for herself. “Ann leave and he sad.”
Elle made her way sleepily to the kitchen, Ethan in her arms. “Well, she is dating George now.”
“How can she date George?” Max asked in consternation. “Who is George? I thought Ann loved Michael.”
“She does,” Elle said quietly. “But George is there, he is romantic, he says all the right things, he wants a home and a wife and children.”
“Who says Michael doesn’t want all those things?” Max defended his brother.
Elle put Ethan in the highchair and sat down. “Well, he needs to tell Ann that. Before she ends up marrying George. They are engaged.”
“When?” Max demanded.
“She sent a picture text yesterday. I guess he asked her this weekend.”
“Isn’t that a bit fast?” asked Piaget.
“She cannot marry him. It will devastate Michael,” Max pushed his plate away, not hungry anymore.
“We will all just have to be here for him,” Elle said quietly as she fed Ethan.
FenLei heaved a heavy sigh. She knew Michael was not eating well.
He had lost some weight too. He was depressed, pining for Missy Ann.
FenLei didn’t know how he was going to be when Ann married someone else.
Even though Michael was older than her, she actually viewed him as one of her children, taking care of him as she had for the past ten years.
She didn’t want to see him hurt. FenLei glared at Max and pointed the spatula at him again. “Come more often. Bug Mr. Michael.”
“I promise, I will,” replied Max.
“Good,” FenLei sniffed and doled out more food.