Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
“I want to stop all the lies. From now on, no sugarcoating, no spinning, no prevarication. I will be honest, straightforward, open.” Pammy says to her friends Armei and Lulan.
It’s Sunday morning. The three women are sitting at one of the outdoor tables of the Korean bakery Paris Baguette in Edison, New Jersey. Armei and Lulan looked at Pammy wistfully.
“I’m fine with your resolution, as long as you don’t reveal our girl talk to my husband. It’s our girl talk. It stays with us.” Lulan says.
“Oh well, I am not too crazy about this new aspiration of yours.” Armei says. Armei is never very crazy about Pammy’s various schemes, like eating healthy food, practicing yoga, planning her time in her scheduling app like an American businessman etc. Armei is OK with Pammy’s enthusiasm for trying new things, but Armei is a little miffed that Pammy once or twice criticized Armei’s more reserved and conservative approach to life. Once Pammy said to Armei: “I am arguing with my husband Pan so much because we have a more open and honest relationship.” Armei was a little too astonished to reply. However she thought to herself that Pammy was really feeling too good about herself–she really thought she had a better marriage, being more open etc. Basically she thought she’s better than Armei. “One day I would have my revenge.” Armei thought to herself at the time.
Just then, Pammy’s phone rings with a social media call coming in. It’s Pan’s mother–Pammy’s mother-in-law, who is living in Pan’s hometown in a bustling city in Southeast Asia. Pan has been a little out of spirit recently and he hasn’t returned his mother’s messages as promptly as before.
“Oh, I am with my friend Armei and Lulan here. I will talk with you later when I get home. Pan is at home sleeping I think.” Pammy says.
“Oh, Pammy, how’s Pan? Talk to me. I am going to sleep soon and I can’t wait when you get home. He’s not returning my messages recently. I called him and he’s not answering. What’s up with his promotion? Did he get the bonus?” Pammy’s mother-in-law says.
“Go ahead, Pammy. Be honest, straightforward, and open.” Armei says, her eyes staring at Pammy as if to challenge her. This is the moment of revenge for Armei. “Remember you once said you have a more open and honest relationship?”
Pammy shot an annoying glance at Armei.
“Go ahead, Pammy. What are you waiting for? Tell your mother-in-law…” Armei looks at Pammy, as if it is a duel.
“Tell me what? Pammy?” The mother-in-law asks and she too stares at Pammy through the screen of the phone. In many crowded stores, the wifi is not so good, but today the signal is especially strong.
“OK, let me tell you the truth. Pan has never been considered for promotion since he lacks the people skills and the language skills. He’s a wonderful financial analyst, but he has to work twice as hard as others in order to keep his job. Being an immigrant, that’s the deal one gets. He told you about the imaginary promotion and bonus, only to make you feel good and feel proud of him, like most of other immigrants. They never tell their relatives back home how difficult a life they have in America. They paint a beautiful picture for you. It’s just a sugarcoat to hide their real struggle.” Pammy says.
“This can’t be true. Are you talking about Pan? Are you talking about my son and your husband? He’s the smartest boy in town. He won all the math and physics awards. He went to Singapore for college on scholarship and then went to America for graduate school. His high school has his pictures in the trophy room and adores him like a god of science and wisdom. He told me he is going to be a manager of a team of fifty engineers and analysts. He is going to buy a big house for his brother in his hometown and a big plot in the cemetery for the family here. He is my pride. He can do anything. He’s my dream boy.” The old mother-in-law is so shocked that she starts to ramble almost incoherently.
“Guess what. He lost money on the stock market and cryptocurrency he invested. He went to the casinos and lost more. We probably will lose our house just to pay for Sam’s college. And with the current inflation level, I am afraid that we won’t even have money for retirement, let alone tombstones or a burial plot. He’s depressed and he won’t be able to function without his anti-depression drug. I am sorry to tell you the truth here.” Pammy says and her tone has a bit of savagery in it.
Her mother-in-law let out a big scream and the call is disconnected. The next day, Pan receives a message from his relatives that his mother has died of a massive heart attack.
Haoyan Do 
True and that’s the fact
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great piece. A shocking end which was rough. Life can be so cruel at times. Truly shocking ending. I hope you are doing alright. Love to you my friend. ❤️🤗💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, so many people just say things that are completely untrue about them to their parents. Why can’t just say the truth?
LikeLike
Such a great story with a tragic ending!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Yes, it is quite tragic and deadly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙏🙏🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG what an ending ! I hope Pan doesn’t go off the deep end. Another great story, proving the American Dream is just that, a dream.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, in this case, Pan’s mother has a bigger American dream than Pan. And it is this dream that keeps Pan’s mother happy for so long.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! There’s still such a thing as discretion and tact, even if you are honest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so true. It should have been done a little by a little to let the mother-in-law understand the truth better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! But there is a social utility to sugar-coating and telling white lies. Open and honest communication is good, but only with the right people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. If they decide to tell their true stories, they should have done so from the very beginning so that the mother-in-law is not kept in the dark for so long.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess it’s a great story and tells us that sometimes truth IS bitter but there’s is a way of telling.. she could have kept it to herself to save her mother in law of all the trouble but she had to tell her then it could have been in a more diplomatic way
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so true. She could have done it in a better way. She should.
LikeLike
Correct.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my God! That was a shock at the end. The old woman died because of the truth. When you think about it, it’s better than living with a lie. I think Pammy did the right thing. There’s no point of hiding reality especially when others build castles in the air. I wonder if Pammy will ever reveal the conversation to Pan. I think Armei may help with that. Excellent story, Haoyan. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. Castles in the air. Pan just keeps on adding illusions to his mother’s imagination. It is just unreal. Some mothers know that their children are trying to please them with lies but some mothers don’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a tragic ending.
How mothers believe in their children is something not even words can explain.
I feel sorry for Pan.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s true. Mothers are so proud of their children that they just can’t get out of their illusion.
LikeLike
Let them just stay in that illusion. It makes some people motivated sometimes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. Illusion makes us alive and it can also kill us. It’s a double edged sword.
LikeLike
It’s only a matter of time, right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, what nourishes us is also what kills us. Time will tell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know the ending is supposed to be sad if taken literally but if you take it as a hyperbole, it’s funny 😂 Pammy was savage as a sausage! (My own phrase, doesn’t actually exist).
Armei was probably all like 😧
“In many crowded stores, the wifi is not so good, but today the signal is especially strong.” I laughed at this 😂😂 Can so relate this to when a teacher begins to ask questions in online class and you can’t fake having a poor connection 😜
Such a great story! Is the ending real or a hyperbole?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, it is my hyperbole. It is not based on a real story, but all the lies children have to tell their parents in order to make parents happy are true. Poor children. They have to work so hard for their parents expectations.
LikeLike
Very true to life where nobody comes away feeling good in drama with family and friends!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, family dramas can be too dramatic for us.
LikeLike