Crazy Rich Asians (20 page)

“You wish. No, it’s all rhinestones with gold piping. Hey, I completely forgot to
tell you, but my grandmother always has the family over for dinner on Friday night.
I know you’re still jet-lagged, but do you think you might be up for going?”

“Oh wow. Dinner at your grandmother’s?”

Peik Lin cocked her head at Rachel.

“Who all is going to be there?” Rachel asked.

“Probably just a handful of relatives. Most of my family are still out of the country.
But Astrid will be there.”

Rachel was a little unsure. “Um, what do you think? Would you like me to come, or
would you rather spend some time alone with your family first?”

“Of course not. I’d love you to come, but only if you’re up for it—I know it’s pretty
short notice.”

Rachel looked at Peik Lin, deliberating. Was she ready to meet the family?

“Say yes!” Peik Lin prompted eagerly.

“I’d love to go. What time do we have to be there?”

“Seven thirty-ish is fine. Here’s the thing … I’m at Colin’s place in Sentosa Cove.
The Friday-evening traffic is going to be horrible going back into town, so it’s much
easier for me to meet you there. Would you mind taking a taxi to my grandmother’s?
I’ll give you the address, and I’ll be at the door waiting for you when you arrive.”

“Take a taxi?”

Peik Lin shook her head, mouthing, “I’ll take you.”

“Okay, just tell me where it is,” Rachel said.

“Tyersall Park.”

“Tyersall Park.” She wrote it down on a piece of paper from her purse. “That’s it?
What’s the number?”

“There’s no number. Look out for two white pillars, and just tell
the driver it’s off Tyersall Avenue, right behind the Botanic Gardens. Call me if
you have any problems finding it.”

“Okay, see you in about an hour.”

As soon as Rachel hung up, Peik Lin snatched the piece of paper from her. “Let’s see
where Grandma lives.” She scrutinized the address. “No number, so Tyersall Park must
be an apartment complex. Hmm … I thought I knew every condo on the island. I’ve never
even heard of Tyersall Avenue. I think it’s probably somewhere on the West Coast.”

“Nick said it was right by the Botanic Gardens.”

“Really? That’s very close. Anyway, my driver can figure it out. We have much more
important things to deal with—like what you’re going to wear.”

“Oh God, I have no idea!”

“Well, you want to be casual, but you also want to make a good impression, don’t you?
Will Colin and Araminta be there tonight?”

“I don’t think so. He said it was just his family.”

“God, I wish I knew more about Nick’s family.”

“You Singaporeans crack me up. All this nosing around!”

“You have to understand. This is one big village—everyone is always in everybody’s
business. Plus, you have to admit it’s become much more intriguing now that we know
that he’s Colin’s best friend. Anyway, you need to look fabulous tonight!”

“Hmmm … I don’t know. I don’t want to make the wrong impression, like I’m high maintenance
or something.”

“Rachel, trust me,
no one
would ever accuse you of being high maintenance. I recognize the blouse you’re wearing—you
bought that in college, didn’t you? Show me what else you brought. It’s your first
time meeting the family, so we need to be
really
strategic about this.”

“Peik Lin, you’re beginning to stress me out! I’m sure his family will be just fine,
and they won’t care what I’m wearing as long as I don’t show up naked.”

After multiple costume changes supervised by Peik Lin, Rachel decided to wear what
she had been planning to wear in the first place—a long, sleeveless chocolate-colored
linen dress with buttons down the front, a simple cinched belt made out of the same
fabric, and a pair of low-heeled sandals. She put on a fun silver bracelet that wrapped
around her wrist several times and wore the only expensive
piece of jewelry she owned—Mikimoto pearl studs that her mother had given her when
she got her doctorate.

“You look a bit like Katharine Hepburn on safari,” Peik Lin said. “Elegant, proper,
but not trying too hard.”

“Hair up or down?” Rachel asked.

“Just leave it down. It’s a little sexier,” Peik Lin replied. “Come on, let’s go or
you’ll be late.”

The girls soon found themselves winding along the leafy back roads behind the Botanic
Gardens, searching for Tyersall Avenue. The driver said he had driven past the street
before but now could not seem to find it. “It’s strange that the street doesn’t show
up on the GPS,” Peik Lin said. “This is a very confusing area because it’s one of
the few neighborhoods with these narrow lanes.”

The neighborhood took Rachel completely by surprise, as it was the first time she
had seen such large, old houses on sprawling lawns. “Most of these street names sound
so British. Napier Road, Cluny Road, Gallop Road …” Rachel commented.

“Well, this is where all the colonial British officials lived—it isn’t really a residential
area. Most of these houses are government-owned and many are embassies, like that
gray behemoth with the columns over there—that’s the Russian embassy. You know, Nick’s
grandma must live in a government housing complex—that’s why I’ve never heard of it.”

The driver suddenly slowed down, and veered left at a fork in the road, heading down
an even narrower lane. “Look, this is Tyersall Avenue, so the building must be off
this road,” Peik Lin said. Huge trees with ancient, serpentine trunks rose up on both
sides of the road, layered with the dense undergrowth of ferns belonging to the primeval
rain forest that once covered the island. The road began to dip and curve to the right,
and they suddenly noticed two white hexagonal pillars framing a low iron gate that
had been painted pale gray. Tucked into the side of the road, almost hidden by the
wild foliage, was a rusty sign that read
TYERSALL PARK
.

“I have never been down this street in my life. It’s so strange to have apartments
here,” was all Peik Lin could say. “What do we do now? Do you want to call Nick?”

Before Rachel could answer, an Indian guard with a fierce-looking beard, wearing a
crisp olive-green uniform and a bulky turban, appeared at the gates. Peik Lin’s driver
slowly inched forward,
lowering his window as the man approached. The guard peered into the car and said
in perfect Queen’s English, “Miss Rachel Chu?”

“Yes, that’s me,” Rachel answered, waving from the backseat.

“Welcome, Miss Chu,” the guard said with a smile. “Keep following the road, and stay
to your right,” he instructed the driver before he proceeded to open the gates and
wave them along.

“
Alamak
, do you know who that man was?” Peik Lin’s Malay driver said, turning around with
a slightly awed expression.

“Who?” Peik Lin asked.

“That was a Gurkha! They are the deadliest soldiers in the world. I used to see them
all the time in Brunei. The Sultan of Brunei only uses Gurkhas as his private protection
force. What is a Gurkha doing here?” The car continued on the road and wound up a
slight hill, both sides of the driveway a dense wall of clipped hedges. As it turned
up a gentle curve, they came upon another gate. This time it was a reinforced steel
gate, with a modern guardhouse attached. Rachel could see two other Gurkha guards
staring out the window as the imposing gate silently rolled to the side, revealing
yet another long driveway, this one paved in gravel. As the car rolled along, its
tires crunching against the loose gray pebbles, the thick greenery gave way to a handsome
avenue of tall palms that bisected rolling parklands. There were perhaps thirty palm
trees perfectly lined up along both sides of the driveway, and someone had carefully
placed tall rectangular lanterns lit with candles under each palm, like glowing sentinels
leading the way.

As the car headed up the driveway, Rachel looked out in wonder at the flickering lanterns
and the vast manicured grounds around her. “What park is this?” she asked Peik Lin.

“I have no idea.”

“Is this all one housing development? It looks like we’re entering a Club Med resort.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen a place like this in all of Singapore. It doesn’t even
feel like we’re in Singapore anymore,” Peik Lin said in amazement. The whole landscape
reminded her of the stately country estates she had visited in England, like Chatsworth
or Blenheim Palace. As the car rounded one last curve, Rachel suddenly let out a gasp,
grabbing Peik Lin’s arm. In the distance, a great house had come into view, ablaze
with lights. As they got closer, the enormity of the place truly became evident. It
wasn’t a house. It was
more like a palace. The front driveway was lined with cars, almost all of which were
large and European—Mercedes, Jaguars, Citroëns, Rolls-Royces, many with diplomatic
medallions and flags. A cluster of chauffeurs loitered in a circle behind the cars,
smoking. Waiting by the massive front doors in a white linen shirt and tan slacks,
hair perfectly tousled and hands pensively shoved into his pockets, stood Nick.

“I feel like I’m dreaming. This can’t be real,” Peik Lin said.

“Oh Peik Lin, who are these people?” Rachel asked nervously.

For the first time in her life, Peik Lin was at a loss for words. She stared at Rachel
with a sudden intensity, and then she said, almost in a whisper, “I have no idea who
these people are. But I can tell you one thing—
these people are richer than God
.”

Astrid

Cassian was just being buttoned into his smart new Prussian-blue sailor suit when
Astrid got a call from her husband.

“I have to work late and won’t make it in time for dinner at Ah Ma’s.”

“Really? Michael, you’ve worked late every single night this week,” Astrid said, trying
to maintain a neutral tone.

“The whole team is staying late.”

“On a Friday night?” She didn’t mean to give away any indications of doubt, but the
words came out before she could stop herself. Now that her eyes were wide open, the
signs were all there—he had canceled on almost every family occasion over the past
few months.

“Yes. I’ve told you before, this is how it is at a start-up,” Michael added warily.

Astrid wanted to call his bluff. “Well, why don’t you join us whenever you get off
work? It’s probably going to be a late night. Ah Ma’s
tan hua
flowers are going to bloom tonight, and she’s invited some people over.”

“Even more reason for me not to be there. I’m going to be much too worn out.”

“Come on, it’s going to be a special occasion. You know it’s awfully good luck to
witness the flowers bloom, and it will be so much fun,” Astrid said, struggling to
keep the tone light.

“I was there the last time they bloomed three years ago, and I just don’t think I
can deal with a big crowd tonight.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s going to be that big a crowd.”

“You always say that and then we get there and it turns out to be a sit-down dinner
for fifty, and some bloody MP is there, or there’s some other sideshow distraction,”
Michael complained.

“That’s not true.”

“Come on
lah
, you know it’s true. Last time we had to sit through a whole piano recital by that
Ling Ling guy.”

“Michael, it’s Lang Lang, and you’re probably the only person in the world who doesn’t
appreciate a private concert by one of the world’s top pianists.”

“Well, it was damn
lay chay
,
^*
especially on a Friday night when I’m exhausted from the long week.”

Astrid decided that it wasn’t worth pushing him any further. He obviously had a thousand
ready excuses not to be at dinner.
What was he really up to? Was the texting slut from Hong Kong suddenly in town? Was
he going to hook up with her?