I love my Dad, he is everything to me.
I was born, second to a set of fraternal twins. At the moment of my birth, I was seeing green, orange, pink, blue, colors of warmth, and cold. I was a little bit smaller than my twin, so they put me in, an incubator.
I was given to my mother Harriet after one month in intensive care. My weak heart has been growing, but I needed another operation to fill in the hole.
The doctors said I won't live very long, if not my first birthday, I won't live to be 21.
My mom Harriet loved me so much because I look like her, but my Dad, he adored me, means the world to me, he was my world.
I lived in our farm, all my life. Surrounded by beautiful sunrise and the most gorgeous sunset. It helped me heal my heart, as I have gotten bigger, I started to run, I love running around. My Mom, she was always very careful with me, and both my parents doesn't like to see me hurt.
It was in junior high, when my heart was first broken.
I liked a boy, Mark.
Stella and I started our first day of school, and she was more flamboyant, flashy, she has the best clothes. She had the newest things all girls considered to be cool.
I sat next to Mark, and Stella behind me. She knew I liked him, on the very first day of school.
I daydreamed of seeing me dance with him at the prom, and Stella became closer to him, hoarding all his attention. When it came for the homecoming dance, he asked me to be his date. I really really wanted to say "Yes", but then he told everyone he only asked me to make my Sister jealous.
Stella, is smarter, always a straight A student. She is taller, and she looked like a model.
While I was plain, like my Mother always said, "Your Sister is going to be an actress someday, just like I was when I was young", and You will stay here with me, and maybe we can find you a good fellow, just like your Daddy. You can manage our business someday.
It all sounds planned, and boring. I imagined.
I love my parents, I don't like to disappoint them. But I wanted to travel, I wanted to be free.
Free from my Sister's criticisms, "Your dress is so old, It smells of mothballs from miles away", or selfishness, "You can find yourself a better date, don't mess with Mark, because he is mine!!". She said to me.
Stella is cool, Stella is the best, outside of our house, but inside, I was the star.
Cecilia, my princess, how do you like your new dress?, Mommy sewn you from your grandmother's collection of vintage fabrics.
I like it very much Mom, I think I'll wear it for the dance. I hugged my Mom, because it is one of her best creations. It was a pink chiffon dress with ruffles all over, I looked like a strawberry shortcake.
When I went with my best friend John, I call him JJ. Stella laughed at us.
"Is he is your date"?, Well you deserve each other, Nerds!.
And she was picked up by Mark, in a Dark tuxedo, while she was wearing her red peacock dress.
JJ, whispered something to me, "Your sister looks like she has eyes all over her", and we rode his motorbike, and laughed to ourselves.
Stella graduated in highschool, and she went to Harvard, and I stayed in Long Island studying culinary Arts. In my sparetime I grow vegetables, and all kinds of edible flowers, herbs, and citrus trees. I also grew fond of cooking and baking for my parents. They especially love my arugula salad, baked beans and Tofu steak. I was keeping them healthy, because of my father's heart condition, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
One time he was so sick, and he asked if I could bake him his favorite fruitcake.
Cecilia darling, " Your dear Papa is craving for some tea cakes, could you make me some with fruits?, and I dearly obliged. Even though my Mom thinks he shouldn't, or it will surely raise his blood sugar.
On my 21st birthday, he brought me to Washington. We sailed with my Dad's long time friend. I was so happy to be far away from my Sister, and the farm, I put on my best clothes, I wore a sundress, even though it always rained. I felt so happy, I embraced every sensation, the highwinds, shook the big yatch back and forth. I was screaming with excitement. I've never felt so alive.
I was tasting my first shrimp and cocktail, a popular hors d'oeuvre in Great Britain, and the United States.
It was cooked prawns in cocktail sauce and served in a glass. I nearly fainted because it was so good.
But it was a young Ship's steward, who caught my eye. He made my trip special by serving me drinks
with little colorful umbrellas like they serve in Hawaii or Florida.
A year before my graduation from culinary school, I met Steven, we went out for dinners and drinks, he was a gentleman, he respected my wish of Marrying first before we were intimate. But one night I caught him, kissing my Sister at our front porch. He took her home from their date. She was such a bitch, stealing my boyfriend away, it was the first time I really learned to hate my Sister.
On our final trip to Seattle, I told my Dad, Steven wanted to ask for my Sister's hand, even though we dated for a few years, and I cried on his shoulders. He told me to just forget about him, and find my life somewhere, anywhere, and move on. That was the night I almost threw myself off the boat and jumped off the railing. When the Steward, saved me. He held my hand, and I asked him why I cannot keep any of my relationships. Was it because I was not pretty enough like my Sister?, or Was I just ugly?.
He tried to make me smile by saying, In his eyes I was beautiful, and not to worry about wrinkles just yet.
I have not seen him since that night. We didn't exchange contacts, or email. But I fell for him, the moment He touched my hand.
I left my life in America and moved to China. I travelled a few years, and wrote my very own recipe book.
It was one night I came in at a bar, and saw him, "The guy from the Yatch", he was in front of the bartender, drinking his fifth beer.
I didn't say hi at first and let him, figure it out who I was.
I looked straight at him, He was so handsome. He looked at me and we locked eyes. He finally opened his mouth. Do I know you from somewhere?, the handsome Chinese-American guy said.
I tucked my hair in my ear, and I introduced myself, to make him remember.
I don't think we have formally met, but I did know you from years before. You and I met at the boat named "Anna Marie", I was the blonde girl who almost threw herself overboard, and you were the guy, who served me drinks with tiny umbrellas. I'm Cecilia.
Oh yeah, you sure did that, I never told you my name too, I'm Harry, Harry Yi, my dad died today, and I am here drinking in front of a pretty girl. I sure am unlucky and lucky. He laughed like he was crying and happy at the sametime.
We drank our sorrows away, and he was back in America the next day for work.