Under the Shade of an Old Mango Tree

Chapter 17: Having the Baby Shower

Lena had been staring at the sunset for some time before she finally realized that someone had been calling her. She also noticed that her sister and their grandmother had already been whisked away by Ana, Bianca, and their sisters.

Nico approached her.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "The sunset was just so spectacular."

Nico shook his head.

"No need to apologize," he assured her. "I saw it too. We all did. Consider it an auspicious sign for this celebration." With that, he dramatically waved his arm for Lena to see the preparations that have been made for her sister's baby shower.

Lena finally registered just how big the dollhouse was. As she stood in front of the elevator, she could imagine the expansive rooftop easily accommodating four Olympic-size swimming pools. The pergola she saw from the ground actually only formed the perimeter. And underneath were turquoise mosaic garden tables and thickly cushioned chairs. On top of tables were vases filled with pink, white, blue, and purple flowers.

At the center was a courtyard with a big widely branched mango tree. Beneath the thick, shiny leaves were three long tables arranged in a U shape. The left one had piles of gifts and party favors. The right one had serving ware. The middle was loaded with food. And the centerpiece was a three-tiered cake decorated with pastel-colored icings of butterflies, fireflies, ladybugs, and flowers.

Lena closed her eyes as she aggressively sniffed the air for the myriad of mouthwatering aromas that wafted from the middle table.

When she opened her eyes, Nico was in front of her holding a wireless microphone.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You're the host, remember?"

Lena suddenly slapped her forehead. Nico was caught by surprise.

"Please don't do that!" Nico nearly screamed at her as he stared at Lena's forehead that was slowly turning red.

It was Lena's turn to get surprised.

"Chill, dude!" she blurted out. "I'll go there now. Chill."

Nico ran his fingers through his hair.

"J-just don't do that again," he pleaded anxiously.

"I won't," Lena promised as she walked toward the tables under the mango tree that was sparkling softly with fairy lights. And fireflies were starting to gather around the tree's thick trunk.

Her sister looked so glowingly happy being surrounded by family and friends, and great things. And it was indeed a great evening for a baby shower on the rooftop of a great house—well, a dollhouse.

Lena went through the gap between the middle table and the right table.

"Lena!" Anna called her excitedly. Then she looked concerned. "What happened to your forehead?"

"She has this habit of slapping her forehead when had forgotten something important or she had done something idiotic," Lena's sister voluntarily explained.

"Ate!" Lena cried incredulously.

"Okay, okay. Just start already."

"Yeah!" Bianca agreed. "Let's get this party started!"

The entire rooftop erupted with yeses and yeahs.

"Yeah, Lena," her sister told her. "I wanna eat."

Lena put her hands on her waist and frowned. Meanwhile, her sister held out her hands in front.

"I'm within my ideal weight range," she defended herself.

Lena sighed and nodded. It was her sister's baby shower after all. Her sister should be enjoying this very special day.

"Make it quick!" her sister ordered.

Lena nodded. Obediently she went behind the middle table, beside her sister, and delivered the shortest introduction to a baby shower.

"Good evening, everyone. We're here to celebrate my heavily pregnant sister—"

Laughter erupted all around.

"Anyway, since I was told to make this quick, I'll make this quick and say that I am beyond grateful for having been given the chance to meet her again and spend some time with her since I never got the chance to do so before. I'm also grateful that my grandmother is here. I missed her so much. I missed them both very, very much. I had always wished—"

Her sister coughed audibly, intentionally.

"All right, all right already!" Lena retorted. She took a deep breath and flashed her brightest smile. "The queen of the night demands that we start this party!"

"Let's eat! Let's eat! Let's eat!" the guests chanted.

And eat they did.

They spent that great evening with the best of food, the best of music, the best of atmosphere, the best of hopes, the best of dreams, the best of expectations, and, best of all, the best of company.