After a day’s work, Alvin got home. Upon pushing open the door, he saw a man sit on the sofa and chat pleasantly with Lena
Coughing…
Alvin coughed deliberately, trying to attract their attention. However, not knowing whether they didn’t hear it or ignored him on purpose, neither of them turned their head but kept talking about the colorful auspicious cloud.
“Lena–”
He called out in a deep voice. Lena turned around and ran playfully to him, “Honey, you are back. Come, let me introduce you guys. This is my husband, Alvin, and this is my best friend, Latin, I’ve known him in Paris years ago.”
What friend? Why his name was Latin? He thought it was Laden!
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
The two shook hands. Seeing Latin’s sparkling earrings at his left ear, Alvin frowned involuntarily, thinking how could Lena made friends with this punk…
“Excuse me, I need to have a word with my wife.”
Alvin took Lena to the bedroom. He reproached Lena once the door closed, “Who asks you to bring some random friend back home? Looking at him dressing weirdly, it disgusts me.”
“Honey, you are out-of-date. That’s fashion, how come it is disgusting. You don’t have a taste.”
“Hmm, I don’t have a taste? Find a random person to ask whether he looks like a punk or not?”
“Don’t say he is a punk. Even if he is a punk, what’s wrong with it? Our country promotes democracy and equality, we should treat our fellowmen without discrimination. Our dad was a punk, but did anyone discriminate against him?”
Alvin rubbed his chest, “Ok, I’ll rest my case about his appearance. When he is gonna leave?”
“No, he is not leaving. He made a point to see me, I want him to stay at our home for few more days!”
“No way!”
Alvin rested his hands on his hips, “Either I stay or he stays, it’s your call.”
Lena curler her lips, “I’m not that kind of person who values lovers more important than friends. If you want to leave, you can go, I won’t kick my friend out.”
“You…”
Alvin was too angry to say anything. Lena walked out of the bedroom. Soon Alvin heard their joyful chat again coming from outside of the bedroom, leaving him mad at her.
At the dinner, Lena attentively served Latin with the dishes and call him intimately, “Latin, have more, you don’t have the chance to eat such authentic Chinese dishes abroad.”
Latin smiled, “Thanks, honey…”
Alvin was so angry that he almost bit off the bowl. Had it not been for his educated upbringing, he would have turned the table upside down. They flirted with each other even when he was present. What if he was not there, they would have been lovey-dovey.
“Honey, why are you staring at us instead of having dinner? Do we have anything on our faces?”
Lena was still unaware of what was going on and just wiped her face. She then lifted Latin’s chin, “Latin, let me see, hmm, nothing is on it.”
Alvin suffered many grievances during this dinner and went out after it. Before long, he took his son who was at his father’s place back home, hoping that Lena would pay more attention to the kid instead of Latin. But little did he knew that Latin rushed to him once Alvin entered the door, taking the kid, “Wow, Alexander has grown up, come on, give uncle a kiss, so adorable.”
Alvin was dumbfounded. When he was about to take his son back, he found out that his wife was glaring at him. He withdrew his hand reluctantly.
“Lena, why the kid doesn’t look like you?”
“Who said it doesn’t look like me? Otherwise, she looks like you?”
“Hey, take a close look, she does look like me. See, her nose, mouth, are just as pretty as mine, and her eyes, so attractive.”
Alvin couldn’t refrain from his anger. If he still remained silent when hearing the kid didn’t look like him, then he was such a wimp.
“Latin, how come my son would look like you? It sounds harsh, doesn’t it?”
Latin smiled disapprovingly, “Ask your wife. When we were together back then, she always said that she wanted a child looking like me, so I’m just making her happy.”
Lena took her kid, “Latin, let’s go out for a walk with Alexander, shall we?”
“Great.”
They walked side by side out of the living room. Alvin stood still, raging with his viscera aching. He was the man at this home, he was the father of Alexander, how come he became the fifth wheel?!
He flopped down into the sofa, taking out the phone and calling Kevin. On the phone, he gripped his teeth, saying, “Brother, you should discipline your sister.”
“What did Lena do?”
“She made friends with a punk out of nowhere and flirted with him in front of me. And now she takes my son and is taking a walk with that man now. He even said that my son looks like him. Are you gonna discipline her? Are you gonna discipline her or not?!!”
Kevin put the phone a little bit away from his ear, answering imperturbably, “Alvin, I get it. But this is your family’s business, I better not meddle. You make the call. Bye-bye.”
“Hello? Hello? Don’t hang up! Hello, Hello?”
With a bang, Alvin threw the phone onto the tea table. What kind of family were they? Ungrateful creature!!
Lena and Latin didn’t come home from walking until 10 pm. After the nanny put her son to bed, Lena went to Latin’s room and they chatted for about an hour or two. Eventually, she was yawning and went back to her bedroom.
Once entering the bedroom, she felt an air of anger. Alvin sat on the bed, with his eyes burning in rage, “You tell me, what’s going on between you and Latin?”
“I’ve told you, we are friends.”
“What kind of friend that makes you leave out your husband? And he said you guys were together before, is that true?”
“Yeah, we have lived together in Paris for about half a year.”
“Live together???”
Alvin’s eyes were raging with fire, almost passing out there.
“Hehe, honey, you misunderstood it. We just lived in the same house, but didn’t sleep together.”
Alvin jumped out of bed while Lena grabbed him, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to ask him to get out, get out now!”
“You dare.”
Lena blocked him at the door, saying in exasperation, “I don’t allow you to treat my friend like that.”
“If you don’t want me to get mad at you, then move away.”
“Lena Jones-Sharp!”
“Alvin!”
Wanted to see who was louder? Come on. Neither of them gave in.
Alvin straightened his hair and covered himself in the quilt, “I’ll move out tomorrow, I can’t live like this.”
The next morning, before Lena got up, she heard the quarreling outside.
“I want you to get out of here, do you hear me?”
“Why I should leave?”
“This is my home.”
“But this is Lena’s home, too.”
“Lena is my wife.”
“I’m your wife’s friend.”
“Who’s more important? Her husband or her friend? Aren’t you clear about that?”
“Ask Lena and you’ll know.”
Lena rubbed her sleepy eyes while walking out of the bedroom, “What are you doing there?”
Once seeing her, Latin was like seeing his savior, “Lena, why did you marry this kind of man? He is too grumpy. You should divorce him. I’ll find someone who’s good-tempered.”
“What did you say?”
Alvin’s fist was about to punch him.
“Stop.”
Lena blocked his fist and kept Latin behind her.
“I’ve told you, don’t be rude to my friend, you just totally disregard what I said?”
“Lena, I’m not joking with you. I’m serious, are you gonna ask him to leave or not?”
“No.”
“Ok, since he doesn’t leave, I leave!”
Alvin slammed the door and left in anger. Lena didn’t chase him and even turned to comfort Latin, “It’s ok, Latin, no big deal.”
From that day, Alvin became a tramp who had a home but couldn’t go back. He stayed at the company for 24 hours. And till the third day, he was struggled to keep doing it. It was not because he missed his wife but worried about she would have affair with Latin…
He really believed Lena’s character. During two years of marriage, she never had any contact with any other men except him. But as Alvin was used to her being like this, how could he accept that he had a rival now? How could his mind not go wild?
After his agonizing mental struggle, Alvin decided to go home. Though he would lose face over this, it was better than his wife ran away with someone else.
When he was at the gate of his villa, Alvin saw a sneaky dark shadow leaning against the corner and making a phone call. Alvin then hid under a tree and found that it was Latin. Latin walked to the villa after hanging up. Now Alvin was more confused and followed him.
Before long, Alvin heard someone calling “Honey”, and another shadow pounced on. The two hugged tightly and then made a move that hugely irritated Alvin. They were kissing fiercely under the moonlight, passionately like fire met gasoline.
Without any thinking, Alvin rushed to them, pulled them apart, and punched Latin’s face brutally. Then, he punched again, and the third time, until the fifth time, a voice behind stopped him, “Stop!”
Alvin froze. He heard it right, it was a man’s voice, not his wife, Lena’s voice.
Alvin stood up in puzzlement while that man walked to the front of him. Under the moonlight, that was right, it was a man, a hundred percent a man.
A man…and another man…Alvin was dumbfounded.
“Ouch…ouch…”
In the living room, Lena was applying medicine for Latin while glaring at her husband. Punching someone without knowing what was going on, I would teach you a lesson later.
Alvin was still confused. He looked at Latin and the man beside him. A thrilling idea occurred to him, was Latin a gay?
“Sorry Latin for putting you in this embarrassing situation.”
Lena treated Latin like a child, which made Alvin really uncomfortable.
“It’s alright, darling, it’s not your fault.”
Latin glared askance at Alvin. Had it not been him calling her darling, Alvin wouldn’t have punched him.
“Wacker, you and Latin take a rest. I’m really sorry about today. I’ll ask my husband to apologize to you guys tomorrow.”
The man named Wacker shrugged and didn’t care about it, holding Latin’s hand into the guest room.
Alvin stunned again. It seemed his assumption had been proved.
“You come with me.”
Lena ordered sulkily and Alvin followed her into the bedroom.
“Tell me, why do you punch my friend?”
“I thought you and him…you and him…”
“Does your brain get kicked by the donkey? He is my friend, am I that kind of person?”
Lena slapped on his head, leaving Alvin in a startle.
“Are they gay?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Alvin made a gesture of puking, “How come he is gay? Why do you make friends with a gay?”
Lena didn’t speak but looked gloomier suddenly?
Later, she spoke, “Alvin, I hope you don’t discriminate Latin. Gays are not accepted by many people, but I do. Do you know why? Because that girl who was hurt by you and went abroad wouldn’t have existed in the world if I hadn’t met them. Latin and Wacker saved me. During the year I was leading a vagrant life in France, they looked after me as their sister. I really appreciate them. I also witness how pure their love is. So they are my fairweather friends, best sisters, and congenial friends who understand and cherish each other.”
Tears welled up in Lena’s eyes. Alvin was moved, holding Lena into his arms, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know the stories between you guys, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I thought you trusted me.”
“Fool, I do, but I love you even more. The more I love you, the more I don’t wanna see you get along with other men so well. Without knowing the inside story, I just watched you flirt with Latin, how could I keep calm about it. Next time, please don’t hide anything from me again…”
Lena sniffed, “It’s not me who doesn’t want you to know, it’s Latin. After all, only very few people accept gays. They just don’t want others to judge them.”
“Then what was going on with them? Why they went to the back of our villa…?”
“Latin returned from abroad after he had a fight with Wacker. And after Wacker knew Latin was at my place, Wacker took a flight to here at night. He didn’t want to disturb my family, so he asked Latin to meet outside. But unfortunately, they bumped into you.”
It dawned on Alvin, and his foul mood for the past few days was brightened up immediately. He took Lena to the bed, “Honey, I missed you so much for these few nights…”
They smiled and gazed at each other. On this tender night, the breeze rustled with the leaves. When the dark cloud that once hid the moon moved away, they knew what was love and forbearance. Now, their marriage just began.