Ewon

Ewon let himself into his parents' house and sniffed the air. Chicken, garlic, spices...

He smiled to himself. Lovely. She's made my favorite-butter chicken curry. His mom certainly knew how to spoil him.

Talk about a guilt trip. It had been ages since he'd been there. Not his fault-he'd only been avoiding it because Mrs. Jessica had an annoying habit of trying to fix him up with every gay guy who crossed her path. On occasions it had proved downright embarrassing.

"Hi, it's only a burglar." he called out. It was a standing joke every time he let himself in. Ewon had wanted to give his keys, but Mom wouldn't hear of it. His argument that it was no longer his home fell on deaf ears.

"We're in the kitchen!" Mom yelled back. From the living room, Ewon caught the sound of the TV, and he couldn't help chuckling. Guests or no guests, it seemed nothing would keep his Dad from his Saturday afternoon soccer. Ewon stuck his head around the door.

Dad was sitting in his armchair, slippered feet resting on Mom's tapestry-covered footstool--sewing box, his newspaper spread out over his lap, and the largest mug known to Man beside him, full of tea-funny fact about that mug is that it has my job explained on it. Like seriously, who does that?-On the YV screen a match was drawing to a close.

Ewon squinted at the screen and groaned "Aw, for God's sake. They're losing again?"

Dad groaned "Not so loud. They might hear you." when Ewon frowned, he pointed to the screen "They need all the luck they can get."

Ewon chuckled "I doubt they can hear me through the TV, Dad." he inclined his head toward the kitchen "So, who are the guests?"

His dad blinked "Guests? There's only Jokwon."

It took all of three seconds fro Ewon to digest the information and arrive at an unfortunate cocnclusion. He recognized the name.

Judging from his dad's expression, he'd just worked it out as well "Oh, Christ. She's at it again, isn't she? What did she tell you this time?"

"That I was making up for a missing guest." Ewon fought hard to keep his cool. The last time it had been on the pretext that someone wanted his accountic advice, except that the 'someone'-Heechul-had turned out to be Mom's new-and flamboyantly gay-neighbour. Ewon regarded his dad in a dawning horror "This Jokwon...he's her hairdresser, isn't he? I'm sure that's what she said his name was. Is he like Heechul?"

Dad sighed heavily "From the glimpse I got of him when he arrived, he could be Heechul's twin brother." he gave Ewon an apologetic glance "I'm sorry, son, but you know what she's like. She wants to see you settled down, you know, with a good husband." 

Ewon's sigh echoed his father's "It's not that I mind so much, it's the type of guys she keep finding for me." Like seriously, Mrs Jessica did a great job raising a gay son, always supportive and loving. But she still dosn't know that gay men fall into three categories: top, vers, and bottom. Two bottoms CAN have a night full of fun, trust me, I know, but a serious relationship is impossible. A flamboyant drag queen who gives shows in gay bars and a hairdresser who could be his twin brother, obviously do not fall into the top or even the vers category, for God's sake.

Dad chuckled "You know why, don't you? She always goes for the ones who are obviously gay. The one's she's not afraid of offending if she asks them."

Ewon snorted "You mean the camp ones. There are plenty of gay men who aren't that obvious, you know. Like me." Then he statred laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, there was that one time, remember? When she asked the manager of the jewellery store if he was gay, and-"

"And it turned out he had a wife and two kids." his dad shook his head "I think if she'd been a guy, he'd have decked her."

"Ewon? Where are you? Did you get lost on your way to the kitchen?" a couple of giggles followed.

Ewon exhaled loudly "Oh well. No use putting it off, I suppose." he winked at his dad "Wish me luck."

"Ewon?"

He paused at the open door "Yeah?"

His dad grinned "Be gentle with him. All he did was accept an invitation to dinner, remember? He has no idea about your mother's nefarious plotting."

Ewon pretended to consider it "I suppose I can play nice. But if he's as obnoxious as the last one? The gloves are off."

Dad laughed "Go get him. I'll have an ambulance on stadby."

He chuckled. from the kitchen at the end of the hall, he could hear a lot of laughter, which boded well. Ewon took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Mom was standing with her back to him, talking animatedly while she spread garlic butter over rolled out pizza dough, her version of garlic bread. Beside her was a tall drink of water with short, blonde hair that gleamed in the lights from above the stove. He was leaning against the fridge, in his hand a-

"Since when do you have cocktails in this house?" Ewon exclaimed, his head spinning. God Almighty, the number of times he'd suggested a cocktail he felt sure Mom would like, only to have her poo-poo the idea. And yet here she was, enjoying what looked like a Cosmo: her glass stood on the counter top.

Mom whirled around quickly, and a blob of garlic butter sailed from her knife across the room and landed on Ewon's black shirt. He gaped as the greasy coconction slid off the black cotton and landed on his newly cleaned, shiny black shoes.

Jokwon stared for a moment, mouth open, and then burst into a torrent of laughter "Oh my." he said, wiping his eyes.

Ewon arched his eywbrow at the pitch-perfect mimicry of George Takei "So glad I amuse you." he said cooly. Dad better have that ambulance ready. He inclined his head toward Jokwon's cocktail glass "I take it there's one for me?"

Mom blinked "I don't even get a hug?"

"Only if you want to get garlic butter on you best blouse." Ewon said with a sweet smile. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek "Hi. So when are the other dinner guests arriving?" he wasn't above making her squirm a little.

"Oh. yes> Well." Mom giggled nervously Actually, it turn's out that only Jokwon here could make it. Plenty more for us, then."

"Really." Ewon folded his arms across his chest, careful to miss the buttery stain.

She gestured toward the oven, from which emanated the delicious odours that had his nostrils captive since he'd entered the house "I made your favorite." she said, smiling widely, as if this made up for the fact that she'd lied her off, and what was more, now realized he knew it too.

Jokwon saved her from further embarrass