Company

Just before I came home from work yesterday, Diep called me on the phone.  She wanted to make sure I was coming home on time and to let me know that we had company.

When I got home, Diep was sitting with her second cousin (at least I think that is what your mother's brother's daughter's daughter is) and husband.  Her name is Ngoc and she is 20 years old.  She and Nguyen, 28 years old, got married a couple of months ago and were together in Hanoi while Nguyen took care of some business he had with Metro.  Metro is the closest thing to Wal-Mart we have in Vietnam and he is the Feng-Shui guy for them... that is to say, he is the one that makes sure the products are displayed in the proper location within the store.

Ngoc and Nguyen had somewhat ambushed Diep by calling on the spur of the moment and showing up at the apartment just a little while later.  I am not sure how much of this was Diep's fault and how much of it was theirs, because Diep very easily could have pressured them into visiting the house.  Anyway, by the time I got home, Diep was ready to take them out to eat hot pot and I was invited, whether I wanted to go or not.

The hotpot was good but I felt a little uneasy the whole time because Diep was still giving me the silent treatment from two days earlier, as of that morning.  She seemed okay for the moment, but I, of all people, know how small that dime is that she can turn on.  Why, you may query, was I getting the silent treatment (which, by the way, is the least effective punishment she can throw at me because I like the "me" time)?

To make a long story short, some asshole was on a motorbike with 300 pounds of bottled beer strapped onto pannier-like side crates taking off from a red light just a little ahead of me.  He lost control and veered sharply towards me and I sped up trying to get clear of his impending fall.  I didn't slow down because it was a large crowd at the light and I thought it would be equally dangerous to just stop while the momentum of the masses was moving forward.  Diep actually saved the guy from crashing by putting her knee into the beer crate as he was tumbling down.  She said it hurt AND that it was my fault for driving too close to him (everyone was two inches away from each other).  I was unwilling to accept the blame given there are laws in Vietnam against driving a motorbike that is overloaded, AND that he was the one that veered sharply into us.  So maybe it wasn't such a short story after all.

Anyway, back to the company.  We had a good time at the hot pot restaurant.  I would have actually been given a pass on my previous bad driving behavior except I took exception to Diep lending the newlyweds my motorbike while they were in town.  I couldn't say anything while she was offering because that would have been sure death for me, but I also couldn't not say anything later.  This guy comes to Hanoi regularly (three or four times a year) and the last thing I want is to feel obligated to give up my motorbike every time he is in town... this is precedence she is setting.  Also, she wanted to invite them to spend the night while they were here.  What the hell?!  Why don't we all just go live in a community tent with all of the beggars?  Ngoc and Nguyen weren't even asking!  AND, I just met them for the first time...AND Diep doesn't even know these people.

I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure out I am still getting the silent treatment.  When will I learn?