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‘I don’t get that vibe off Frank though,’ I tell her.
‘Oh, he’s the normal one in that family. Regina, Adele and his other sister, Ashley are all about the Louis Vuitton, the nails, the aesthetic. I’ve had lunches that have been wholly set up so I can meet their new handbags.’
I smile broadly. Normal is not the word I’d usually associate with Frank, so I’m glad that’s something she sees in him. I’m not sure this grand event is very Frank either, so it’s good to hear her mock rather than aspire to it.
‘And what about his father?’ I ask, realising I’ve never asked about him.
She jerks her head back, trying to work out what I know. ‘So the man who walked Adele down the aisle is an uncle. Frank’s dad was Uncle Felix. He died when Frank was eleven. I thought he would have said something as you’re…you know, dating?’
Oh shit. Yes, that would have come up at some point. Panic is met by some sadness though that Frank has never mentioned it. I imagine a life where he was brought up by three strong women, not that strong women are a bad thing, but three of them would have most certainly diminished Frank’s light in some way.
I try and cover my tracks. ‘God, I did know that. I just…He never talks about his dad much.’
‘They were really close. They had the same sense of humour. He still has that. He’s very dry and I don’t think his mum and sisters know how to respond to it,’ she explains.
‘You are right, he is funny. And I hope this doesn’t sound mean but…quite sheltered?’
She shakes her head. ‘You’d be right. Whereas I went to MIT, he stayed close in Imperial, down the road from his mum.’
‘Was that Regina’s doing?’ I enquire.
‘Not at all. I guess Adele and Ashley had moved out into the world by that point and I think he didn’t want to leave his mum on her own.’ I listen carefully as she speaks as there is real emotion there when she talks about him. It feels like pride, admiration, like she knows the very bones of his story and the person he is, whereas I sometimes only see him in caricature. ‘I am glad he’s spreading his wings a bit more though. He has his job, his own place, he’s found you and you seem really nice,’ she continues.
‘That’s kind, thank you.’ Her words stake at the heart of me to know that really out of all those three, the job hangs in thebalance, he’s technically in a house share, and I don’t really exist – not as his girlfriend, anyway. I don’t know where he fits into all this wealth on show but you’d never guess it from knowing him. I know he buys those cheap Puma socks in multipacks from Sports Direct – he gets overly excited by loyalty points and meal deals.
I want to ask, to dig more, because there is something mildly intriguing to me about Norah and how she talks about Frank, but there is a sudden loud clanging noise, the beat of a resounding drum and through the doors of the room, two Chinese lion dancers leap in, snaking through the room. It’s certainly loud and there’s an amusing sass to how the lions shake their rear ends. I like how the drummers that follow them round are keeping it seasonal and wearing reindeer antlers. Another set of doors opens to the main reception hall and we follow the lions through. Gosh. If I thought the church was something, this room feels almost movie-scale epic; I feel dwarfed and humbled by its magnificence. Every table has its own Christmas tree to the centre, place names are set by personalised baubles, the chairs are wrapped in gold ribbon. This is awful and very unlike me but I’m dying to see the favours now. There is a line of people at the entrance, including the bride and groom, and I realise we are all shaking hands with them and greeting them as we go in. It would be good for Frank to be here, right now, but I like how Norah keeps me close. As we approach, I think about what I need to say. Do I thank them? Congratulate them? Compliment them? I get to the groom.
‘You’re the groom!’ I say. I’ll just state the bleeding obvious instead. ‘I’m Maggie. The ceremony was beautiful,’ I tell him. I’ve said too much, the people in the queue are getting angsty. I move on to the bride, Adele.
‘Hi, Adele!’
‘Who are you?’ she asks.
‘Maggie. Frank’s…’
I don’t get a chance to say anything as an old lady pushes me in the back.
I turn. ‘Mrs San…’
‘It’s Regina. Why were you walking…?’
But again, I am moved on. That was short and brief and chaotic. The lion still leads the way, dancing to a dancefloor in the middle of the room, dry ice being pumped in from somewhere as Norah and I head to the table plan in the corner.
‘See what I mean?’ Norah says and I smile to see the tables are all named after fashion houses. Look at me in Armani for the first time ever in my life. ‘Hey, we’re on the same table!’ she says with some excitement, possibly happy she doesn’t have to babysit her grandmother all night.
I put a hand up to the air and she high-fives it. I knew I liked this girl. We head over to the other side of the room as I weave myself around people, still clutching on to my champagne. While this wedding is grand on so many levels, there is also something very bright and colourful about it, a huge mixture of people in traditional cultural dress and this wonderful cacophony of noise. Norah circles the table, sitting directly opposite me whereas I find a bauble labelled for Margaret. Oh dear.
‘Found you! I’m so sorry, so, so sorry,’ Frank’s voice says appearing next to me, looking a little more frazzled than when I saw him last.
‘Breathe. I perhaps to need to schedule that into your laminated list,’ I joke, putting a hand to his back.
‘My sister wanted this series of photos outside the church and on the bus, outside the bus, and this shot where we all had to jump off steps. I can’t feel my face, I’ve been fake smiling so much. Did you get a drink? Get on the bus alright?’
‘It’s all good,’ I say nonchalantly. ‘I had a lovely time on the bus, helped a couple take photos near St Paul’s, and I’ve eaten my weight in satay.’ I am really quite easily pleased.
‘Well, save space for the banquet. There’s all sorts coming out: suckling pig, lobster. It’s about seven courses, I’ve been told,’ he says, worriedly. He forgets that besides helping a mate, I’m mostly here for the free food. The menu is tucked into my napkin and I read through it, it’s all a culinary adventure and I’m here for it. ‘Did you also get a new top? Where from?’
‘Oh, I was saved by your friend, Norah who was very kind,’ I say pointing towards her. They clock each other and there’s that glow in their eyes again as they wave animatedly at each other.
