“Every tradition begins with a first time. It’s just a matter of keeping it up.” – The Bus Stop

The matter of our first meeting may have bordered on romantic. Even fateful. The second, well that's more.. Carnal and disappointing.  Nevertheless, those facts alone are reason enough to say that subsequent meetings are unexpected. Not unwelcome. Just a bit surprising if and when it will happen.

And it did. Of course you know that. How, though, that you don't.

It was Thursday and I was in a middle of a golf match with a friend (read, acquaintance) when my mother came a-calling.  This you should be clear about. When Mother calls, everything stops. It's more of a softening of the truth rather than exaggeration. You'd have to be in the middle of her matriarchal tirade where she lists off her motherly duties and then turn them all into a means of getting me to do anything she wants. It's dictatorship in the very local level and man, am I an unwilling subject. Of course there is nothing I can do because Mother is mother and my lowly status as a son deems me useless against her.. powers.

So as I was saying, Mother calls and the match stops. She reminds me of our Thursday lunch and I tell her that the possibilities of me forgetting is close to none. That's good, of course, else she decide that I am in need of yet another date and plans to offer it in revenge of missing any appointments with her.

Lunch then comes. I arrive ten minutes early for good measure and wait at our usual spot by the windows. Right on time she came. I stand and lean close to kiss her cheek and only afterwards does my attention turns to the guest.

"You."

"Ah yes," mother interrupts. "I didn't have time to tell you about her. I met Sophie on the way here. You wouldn't mind, right dear? After all, you know each other already."

Oh my goodness, did she tell Mother that we.. Almost..? No, surely not. I was stuck between saying yes and thinking about how exactly we were related. She proved to pity me enough and smiled. Her look said that it isn't all like how I was thinking and I was relieved. Though now I am intrigued. I pulled out Mother's chair while the waiter got hers.

"Sunbae." That's it. I paused short of placing the cloth napkin on my lap. What did she say? "I'm sure he doesn't recall, Mrs. Park." She was telling Mother. "We were in the same organization, but still different departments. And we talked only once." When she turned to me, she was smiling. "Sunbae has not changed."

"Don't let appearances fool you." My mother scoffed, waving her own napkin in a careless gesture. "Regardless of him being my son, I would caution against his advances. He prowls, and that's an understatement."

"Mother, I can hear you."

"Yes dear," she reaches across to pat my hand affectionately. "You're normal, that's why."

I ignore Mother's jibe and face her. Something has gone terribly wrong and I shall not be kept out of the loop. What was she saying?

"Same organization?"

She nods. "Production and Promotions."

Every year there was this university-wide event where a central committee forms and assigns branches to the different colleges. Business Administration gets Finance, Production and Promotions. I had to sign up on my third year to make up for some shortage of scores. Meeting her though, I still was jogging my memory for it. I just nod in reply.

"Now if you're done appreciating her not so discreetly, I'd suggest you start placing our orders." At another instance I would have discouraged Mother's knowing smile. This time though my attention was elsewhere. "And close your mouth, darling."

Well hello embarrassment. I pretend to clear my throat and place our orders, all the while acutely aware of the amusement she's had at my expense. This woman was something and I'm tempted to take her aside to demand the facts. What was she playing at? We went to the same university? And we were clubmates? Wow. That's a lot to process at the moment.

Even when the food came, I kept to eating. Something was going on here and I had the sudden urge to interrupt their conversation to ask if this was part of plan that eventually ended to my being married. Was she a date? But if so, why was Mother still here? Usually she would leave after introductions, ri