Dishes, Drama, and Denial
Chapter 10
You are reading The Misadventures of Endora Pan, a romantic comedy exploring the unpredictable nature of love and the chaos of everyday life. Set in the world of a young Taiwanese-American woman, this story delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, and finding connection in unexpected places. Written in a witty, self-aware style, this novel is for readers looking for a light-hearted yet emotional read.
“So then, you had dinner with the enemy,” said Tiffany.
The Dinner of Doom had finally ended, upon which Endora retreated to her room and phoned her bestie for the second time that week, this time on video. Late night phone calls after bedtime were ideal when one of the pair has two young children wreaking havoc during normal hours. Tiffany did not tolerate interruption well.
“Yes,” Endora wailed. “And it was awful!” She lay on the floor, one arm over her eyes, the other holding the phone over her head.
Tiffany disappeared from the camera frame as she put dishes away in her pristine, white cabinets. Endora heard her sigh. “Poor Honey. You really do have a gift for attracting drama like this. It amazes me every time.”
“I know, and I don’t know why this always happens to me.”
“Was he very insulting at dinner?”
Endora paused. “I mean, okay, so he was actually pretty polite—”
A loud, dramatic gasp. Tiffany’s face popped back in for a moment. “Oh my god, that’s the first nice thing you’ve said about him so far.”
“No! I said he had nice hair and glasses, too!”
“Shut up! You did not!”
Endora sat up. She searched through hers and Tiffany’s numerous texts until she found the one she was looking for. “I did! After the gym, I said, ‘He was wearing contacts, but maybe I would’ve been nicer if he had glasses on.’”
Tiffany gave a great snort as she proceeded with the utensils, raising her voice over the loud clinking of silverware. “That is not the same thing as saying he has nice glasses, okay?”
“The point is, that was not the first nice thing.”
“Fine, well, if he was so polite during dinner, was he atrocious afterwards and just left without thanking your mom?”
“Actually, he did the dishes,, too.”
Tiffany banged the utensil drawer shut and grabbed her phone from where it was propped. “Honey, that is a gentleman. Did you get his number?”
“STOP TRYING TO SET ME UP WITH THE FEDEX GUY!”
“Ahhhh I’m gonna be an old granny and never gonna have a baby Endora to steal and squeeze.” If you could picture the emoji with the deepest sad face, that would be akin to Tiffany’s expression. “Can’t you sympathize and save me from this tragical fate?!”
As so often happens with friends who have been in each other’s company as long as they have, Tiffany shared Endora’s flair for the dramatic. Or was it the other way around? One can never tell with such intimate friends.
“Yeah, but I’m not going to go and have a baby with just anybody! I’d rather be single than marry someone crappy.”
Another loud sigh from Tiffany made Endora shake her head with a bemused smile. “I know, I know. Shitty men are everywhere. We can’t have another douche like that last one.”
“Ugh, let’s not.”
“Yeah, let’s not. Not worth our time.” Tiffany sank into her living sofa. “Hey, if you need a break, you can come stay with us sometime. We’re pretty free the next month.”
Endora thought about it. Tiffany’s house was her personally designated retreat place. Work had been stressful, with her boss being more demanding than usual as the busy season approached. Her high school ministry duties at church had also picked up again with the start of the fall semester. A break to San Diego sounded ideal.
“I think I should be able to. I’ll check my calendar and text you later.”