Prologue

“Awe… She is so cute.” A middle-age lady complimented the four year-old girl. “It has been a while since I have seen all of you.”

“Yes, yes. I agree with you Charlene.” Another middle-age lady agrees. “However, I must say that your son is one handsome boy too.”

“No, I think your daughter is much prettier.” Charlene says.

“Now, now ladies…” A middle-age man interrupts them. “We are not here to compliment on each other child. We are here to have fun and celebrate our anniversary of friendship.”

“I agree with Vanness.” Another middle-age man agrees with his best friend. “Aren’t we here to discuss an important business also?”

“Right!” The two ladies shout at the same time.

“So, as I was saying about our-” As the men was trying to get back on topic, their wife rudely interrupts them once again.

“Oh my god, did you see that?” Charlene points to their children.

“Yes, yes!” Her best friend nods her head as she claps her hands in happiness.

The husbands roll their eyes as they ask their wife. “What did you see?”

“I see our little Chun kissing their little Ella.” Charlene explains to her husband.

“Chun did what to my baby girl?” The father of the little girl asks.

“Honey, Chun kissed Ella.” His wife beams in happiness. “Isn’t this great? Now we don’t need to worry about our children hating each other.”

“Honey, Ella is only four years-old.” Her husband tries to tell her the situation. “She is too young to know what love is right now. Not to mention, Chun is still young too. They are too young to know what love and marriage is.”

To make his statement correct, the two young children came running to their parents tally-telling on each other.

“Mommy, he bit me on the lips!” The four-year old girl cried in her mother’s embrace.

“Mommy, she hit me!” The five-year old boy complains as he rubs his redden cheek.

The two ladies look at each other. Then they focus their attention to their child.

“Ella, tell aunty what happen?” Charlene asks.

Ella looks at her mother and sees that her mother gives her an approval. She takes a big deep breathe and explains to the adult what happen. “I was just playing with Calvin. Then Chun comes and takes the ball out of me. I started to cry and say mean words to him. Then he bites me on the lips.”

 The husbands who were quietly sitting still in their sits, made a sound. “Wow, Chun has skills.”

The other man just laughs. “I guess the saying that goes ‘Like father, like son’ is right after all.”

Then the two men laugh as they give each other high-fives.

“Then after that, I hit him because I remembered when Calvin told me when a boy comes close to me, I have to hit him very hard.”

“Ella, did you use self-defense on Chun?” Her father asks, looking at the big mark on the young boy’s face.

“No, daddy…” Ella shakes her head. “I just use my fist to hit him.”

Her father heaves a sigh as he apologizes to his friends.

Vanness laughs and says, “There is nothing to apologize. The girl is just protecting herself.”

“Vicki, I can imagine them growing up and getting married to each other.” Charlene shares her imagination with her friend.

“I agree I can imagine that too. I also can imagine them living together and having babies too.” Vicki says.

“Mommy…!” Ella shouts at her mother for her attention.

“What is it, sweetie?” Vicki picks up her daughter and places her on her lap.

“I’m hungry.” Ella gives her mother a cheekily smile.

“Aiyo…” Vicki shakes her head. “Calvin honey, take your sister to the kitchen.”

“C’mon mei.” Calvin grabs onto his little sister’s hand and leads her to the kitchen.

“Me too!” Chun shouts after them. “I want to eat too!”

The four adults just shake their head and laugh at their reaction.

“So, our plan still on?” Charlene asks her friends.

“Of course!” Vicki shouts. “Especially what just happened earlier, the marriage is still going to happen.”

The husbands just sigh. However, they did not object to the idea.

“Wait!” Vanness shouts. “We need to wait until they are older. We cannot tell them that they are going to marry each other now. They won’t understand anything.”

“I agree.” Alex says. “This is why I have come to a conclusion that we should visit each other often.”

“Okay.” Vanness nods his head in agreement. “Therefore, it will give those two some time to become close to each other.”

“Then at the age of eighteen, they will be engaged.” Charlene adds in to their condition.

“Then when they are at the right age and love each other deeply, they will get marry.” Vicki concluded.

“What if… Now I am just saying… What if they do not love each other?” Alex asks as he is afraid that his daughter might not be the right daughter-in-law they are looking for.

“If they do not like each other as we thought, then our agreement is over.” Charlene says.

“That sounds fair.” Vicki agreed with the condition.

“Okay, any objections?” Vanness asks, looking at his friends for any objections.

“Nope.” They reply back.

“That’s great!” Charlene cheers. “We will see each other again soon.”

“Okay.” Vicki smiles at her friend.

“It is pleasure meeting you here when you are so busy.” Alex shakes his friend’s hand.

Vanness laughs. “Nonsense, I need to make some time to celebrate our special day after all.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Alex gives him a glass of wine. “Let’s party!”

Then the adults continue to talk to each other and have fun.