Park Avenue Café I heard Pat say; “I have news for you” I stopped tying my shoe and looked up “what news?” I asked. She wanted to wait until we left for walk; it is definitely lot more serious than a new restaurant in town, I thought. Pat and Terry always eat out although she claims to be a very good cook; Terry does not like her cooking and I have never tried her cooking. For past 8 months Pat is, unsuccessfully, trying to shed those 15 extra pounds she has gained during her 2 weeks visit with her sister. Once Pat suggested, we should go to “Tofu Grill” for lunch. “Is it good?” I asked, against my better judgment. “I don’t know Terry is refusing to go, I thought we should give it a try” she said. I politely declined her request and veered her towards Starbucks instead. Pat is the most adventurous person I know, she is willing to try anything, I always wonder, if she was a guinea pig in her last life. Most of the new restaurants Pat suggested as, “We should try”, go out of business in few weeks, she wonders why, and feels bad about not getting a chance to try them, and I release a sigh of relief for not having to try them. As soon as we stepped out the door, I asked “What is it?” Pat smiled and told me, their son Charlie and his longtime live in girlfriend Erika got engaged. Good News indeed, I thought. As long as I have known Pat, she is looking forward to becoming a grandmother. It has been her dream to quit her work and move in with Charlie to watch the baby, which hasn’t been conceived yet, “It is never too early to plan”, I say. For Pat planning and putting it in action is one and the same thing. Every time we are at farmer’s market, I spend more time in stopping Pat from buying any and every baby related item, than buying fresh produce. In my mind, the usual sequence of events is engagement followed by a wedding and then the baby, though I have seen one too many times, baby sometimes followed by the wedding and missing the engagement altogether. Saving on the expense, I suppose, but then again, in India, some of the big, elaborate, well planned weddings honeymoon, engagement is planned for the day before wedding. I can’t help but wonder; did man forget to ask the most crucial question to the girl? “Would you marry me?” what if she says “No”? I asked Pat “When is the big day?” “Oh not decided yet” she said. I knew it won’t be too long, given Erika, who is going to be 30 in couple of weeks, can’t wait since her loudly ticking biological clock is keeping her awake all night. Being fully aware of American custom, I asked about the ring. “Oh that is another story” Pat said “Cartier, Tiffany’s, Harry Winston, C.D. Peacock, Sears, Wal-Mart?” I was running out of Jewelers, when Pat said, “It is my grandmother’s ring”. “That is great, Erika must be thrilled to get Charlie’s great grandmother’s ring”, I said. “Well, it is really not my grandmother’s ring, it is my divorced sister’s ring” said she. “Say what?” Now I was thoroughly confused. “The diamond in my grandmother’s ring wasn’t as pretty as my sister’s ring, so we decided to switch and not tell Erika” she explained. Well, I understood the good intention behind a little white lie and promised not to tell a soul. It is ok; at least they are engaged and will soon be married and have a child or two, now I was not so concerned about, not yet 30 year old Erika’s fast ticking biological clock. Next couple of weeks, Pat and I only talked about, not yet scheduled wedding. Well that was far more interesting than talking about Pat’s software company or my work. Pat told me that Terry has inquired about Yacht Club and the food related expense and told me that, it has always been Erika dream, since she was a child to have a big wedding. Being an Indian, I could visualized a big elaborate wedding with 300+ people dressed in their finest, women wearing every piece of jewelry they ever owned and some even wearing the one they never owned, bride’s maids dressed in most unflattering color and style, picked by the bride so they don’t outshine her, wine flowing, conversation growing, people praising the food only till they get home to criticize it, parents wondering if all that expense was worth it, bride or the groom wondering if they made a mistake. I was only wondering about what I am going to wear. Painstakingly I have been putting an outfit together; it is a wedding after all, my dressing up is as crucial as the brides, well may be not brides but definitely, bride’s mother in law. For next few weeks, Pat and I only talked about various options for this long awaited wedding, she worried about not being able to lose those last unwanted 15 pounds and me about not finding a matching blouse for my sari. Diligently I checked my mailbox for the wedding invitation not wanting to miss sending an RSVP on time. Father’s day came, no invitation yet, no other news about the wedding date. I started to worry, until Pat one day announced that she is going to be a “grandmother” “What, did I miss the wedding?” I asked. “No, it is postponed until baby is 2 years old” she said. I hid my disappointment and congratulated her and decided to join her in hunting for the baby things at the Farmer’s market. Pat started to call the baby, “Nelson”, no, she doesn’t know the gender of the baby yet, and neither does Charlie nor Erika, not necessarily they like the name Nelson, well to that matter they have not been asked. Me? I am confused. Our walks continued along with the baby talk. Neither Pat nor Terry cared if the couple is married, they wanted the grandchild. I called it a win win situation and joined the baby mania until one evening, while having dessert and wine at our most favorite restaurant, Park Avenue Café on Balboa Island, Pat announced, “Wedding is on” “That is a good news, when?” I asked cautiously, “In 10 days, in Hawaii” Pat said. “Charlie is sailing to Hawaii and Erika will fly there” she said. “Aren’t you and Terry going? Surely you are invited” I said. “Oh yes, do you want to come?” she asked. I have received many wedding invitations, formal and not so formal but never such a casual one, but then it is Pat, nothing about her surprises me. Pat though not sure, thought it would be inappropriate for her and Terry not to attend the wedding, you think? Cautiously I asked what she was going to wear. “A tee shirt and shorts” she exclaimed. “What?” I screamed. “May be I will buy a Hawaiian shirt”, she said “What? Are you serious” I screamed louder. “Don’t you think that would be good for Hawaiian wedding?” She asked, “what is the venue? How big is the wedding?” I wanted to be helpful. Pat had no idea nor did she worry, she did not get all wound up about the wedding, the expense, the guests, the food, or even the clothes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the wedding; I had committed myself to attending 2 other weddings in Chicago. I knew I will regret missing this wedding, where only important thing is for two people who are very much in love to commit to loving each other as long as they shall live, and others to be supportive of their decision.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 00:27:31 +0000
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