News from Ex-Homeland

Last night I got an email from my mother and brother. Another uncle died in his sleep the other week. I'm not close to him, though. He was a distant relative of mine and he was such a playboy. However, there's a more pressing situation that needs to be solved.

An aunt from Jakarta called Mom and told her that she wanted to spend a night at their place a day before my brother's wedding day. Mom wasn't thinking straight, so she said yes, yes, yes. I guess she was confused on how to say no and the conversation happened too fast for her to absorb everything. After hanging up the phone, she realized how impossible that was.

You see, in my parents' house now there are 4 bedrooms: my parents' bedroom, my brother's bedroom, an empty bedroom, and the bride+groom's new bedroom. A day before the wedding day, my Mom's going to held a small family party. This is a regular practice in Indonesia. The parents' siblings and kids would gather the night before the wedding day. This is probably the equivalent of bachelor party and bachelorette party. Or is it stag and hen night? Oh...whatever he he he...Maybe there are just different terms for USA and UK/Europe, eh?

Additional note: Livingsword just gave me his two cents in the comment section. I didn't know that foreigners also have a family party prior to the wedding, so I can't equate this kind of family party with bachelor/bachelorette party.

Anyway, since my Dad's been pretty forgetful lately, the plan is that for my Dad's youngest brother to spend the night at the empty bedroom, so there's no more space for guests, since nobody can sleep in the bride+groom's new bedroom. My Dad's youngest brother (he's 12 years younger) is gonna help Dad follow the D-day schedule, 'coz my Mom and brother would go to the beauty salon early on (at around 5 am) and leave them both at home until it's time for them to pick them up at the salon.

So my Mom wants me to contact my aunt's daughter to inform her via email about this in the gentlest manner possible so that she won't be offended. My brother also wrote me about this. He said he was confused when Mom kept on saying yes, 'coz he had arranged the schedule of the D-day so that my parents could rest in between the hectic day. If my aunt stays in the house, too, it's guaranteed that they won't rest at all and they'll be talking non-stop, catching up on things. They've been best friends for a long time he he he...

Mom asked me not to inform my aunt's daughter right away after the call, so I'm gonna wait until sometime next week. :-)))) I've already had a plan on what to say and I think it's gonna work he he he...

They're going to held another party on November 18th. In Chinese tradition that Chinese Indo follow, there are two parties prior to the wedding: the proposal and another "proposal" HA HA HA HA HA HA...It's hard to explain it, but basically it's similar to the first one. Some people prefer to combine both, but my brother's going to do both. So they're gonna visit the bride's family and bring some fruits and jewelleries again.

I sure do hope everything'll work out smoothly for them and that my parents are well and nobody's sick on D-day.