The Dim Sum Drama (Flash Fiction Part 8)

This is the 8th part of the story. The previous parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

“If Chrysanthemum had rejected Chow’s proposed runaway many times before, why did she accept the one to go to the West Coast for a marijuana farm? Why this proposal? Why this time? I mean her daughter had asked for help for a down payment for a house. Hadn’t she considered that before she took all the family cash away from the safety deposit box?” I say to Pammy and Dodo.

“Well, Lau’s refusal to pay for the down payment for his daughter made Chrysanthemum realize that Lau was intending to gamble all the cash away. If Chrysanthemum didn’t act quickly, the money would be gone anyway. So why not take the money herself and give her own happiness a chance?” Pammy says. She has met Babutai, the Manchu prince, the day before and received all the information.

“I heard that the marijuana farm was really bad. Chrysanthemum and Chow were both exploited, their money taken away, their labor was not compensated. It is said they were told that they would get their money once the marijuana plants were harvested and processed, but when the time came, five guys with facial masks came in carrying rifles. They tied everybody up. Then they carried away all the boxed marijuana waiting to be processed. Chrysanthemum and Chow were outside at the time. They were so frightened that they fled right away. They had nowhere to go. So they eventually decided to come back here. Chrysanthemum said that Chow decided to go to NYC to try his luck, but Chrysanthemum refused to go with him. So she came back to the restaurant.” Pammy says.

“Oh, how I dislike this. Poor Chrysanthemum. She just wants a little bit of happiness, but she just can’t have it. Now Lau is going to be more arrogant and more beastly.” I say to my two companions.

“Lau refuses to take Chrysanthemum back. So Chrysanthemum wants a divorce so that she will take half the house and half the restaurant, but Lau refuses to divorce her.” Pammy says.

Actually Lau has gone to a lawyer and understood that he can’t prevent his wife from coming home or getting into the restaurant that they jointly own, despite the fact that his wife deserted him when she ran away with Chow. Lau protests such an “unfair” law, but the lawyer shrugs his shoulder.

“Can I demand that my wife return the cash she stole from the safety deposit box? I have at least the right to do that. She stole the money and wasted on the marijuana farm, which is probably even an illegal marijuana farm.” Lau says to the lawyer.

“Well, that’s a good argument, but she most certainly will counter-argue that you have gambled for so many years, and the money you gambled away is much more than what she took from the safety deposit box.” The lawyer says.

“What? So I have no legal recourse? Nobody is on my side? My wife can just come and go as she pleases, and I have to provide a place for her to come back to if she fails to make it with her lover in California? This is so unfair. So unfair. I can’t believe the society is set up this way. So unfair.” Lau says.

“Well, you can divorce her and let her take half of your stuff…” The lawyer says.

“No, of course not. Over my dead body. I have worked so hard for the house and the restaurant. As an immigrant, I have worked like an beast. Like a beast. It is not easy to possess a little bit of properties that I am possessing right now. I can’t give half of it away. I just can’t.” Lau yells.

“Don’t yell at me. If you can’t, just try to live with her. Look, our time is up and I have a client waiting. ”

“I can’t do that either. To live with her? I just can’t.” Lau says.

When Lau comes back, he stops by at Home Depot and buys two locks to replace the old locks at home. Then he pockets the keys. A smile finally comes to his face. If he can’t legally get rid of her, he will try to make her feel so bad that she wants to leave.

Little does Lau know what will happen, and the result is quite unexpected.

(To Be Continued Here)