Mrs. Wong's Finishing School, Part 9

MRS. WONG'S FINISHING SCHOOL
by uciboy

BEGIN PART IX

"Miss, your presence is requested for breakfast in the dining room," Jeffrey
said with a knock on the door at 7:30 just as he had every morning for the
past two weeks.

"Thank you, Jeffrey," Lilly responded from her seat in front of the vanity
mirror, a lit cigarette in the ashtray curling smoke up into the room.  She
had actually been awake for almost two hours after a restless night.  It
wasn't because of any bizarre dreams.  She was just excited about getting
ready to go back home to Beverly Hills.  And yet she also felt a sadness
about leaving San Marino.  She and Mrs. Wong had grown quite close.  Indeed,
Lilly believed that this had been the best two weeks of her life.

Thirty minutes later, Lilly walked downstairs into the dining room, a freshly
lit Virginia Slim gracefully resting between her fingers.  Like that first
morning, she took a moment to watch and admire Mrs. Wong pouring over some
papers, bringing her cigarette up to her lips rhythmically every few seconds
and slowly blowing a stream of smoke out of the corner of her mouth.  She was
going to miss this woman, and she felt a lump in her throat start to form.
Then she made her presence known with the slight clearing of her throat.

"Good morning, Lilly," Mrs. Wong said with a wide smile as she took off her
glasses and placed her cigarette in the ashtray.

"Good morning," she said with grace as she walked towards her place at the
table, placing her own cigarette in a now permanent ashtray by her plate.
But the gracefulness of her greeting could not hide the fact that Lilly was
holding back tears.  This would be their last breakfast together.

"I hope you slept well," Mrs. Wong said, also with some emotion that betrayed
her usually proper demeanor.  She, too, was going to miss Lilly very much.

"Mrs. Wong," Lilly began and then paused.  Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Now, now, my dear, you mustn't do this," Mrs. Wong said, struggling herself
to hold back tears, "you're going to ruin that beautiful makeup," and she
took her napkin and dabbed Lilly's eyes.


Lilly hung her head, fighting to keep herself from sobbing.  Mrs. Wong sought
to console her.

"You know, my dear, you are so different from your friends Jenny and
Caroline.  They had suppressed within themselves such selfish desires they
acquired growing up that when I opened the door for them, I was amazed at the
change they went through as they came to accept their place in society.  But
you...you are the most kind and generous soul I have had the opportunity to
help.  You ask for nothing, and you are grateful for everything.  These are
unique qualities that too many within our social class lack.  Hold onto these
qualities, my dear.  They will serve you well in your journey through life."

"Mrs. Wong, these last two weeks have been so wonderful.  How can I thank
you?"

Mrs. Wong looked softly into Lilly's moist eyes.  "First of all, you can
start by calling me Geraldine.  You are no longer my pupil and I am no longer
your teacher.  We are equals now, Lilly; members of a proud class."  Mrs.
Wong dabbed her own eyes with the napkin.  "Now, enough of these tears.
Let's make this last morning a memorable one, shall we?"  

Over the next hour the two discussed art, music, movies, culture.  It was the
best morning that the two shared together, and much laughter filled the
dinning room as the two woman talked and smoked between the delicious
breakfast courses that Jeffrey continued to serve them.

Before long the doorbell rang.  "It's your mother," Mrs. Wong said while
Jeffrey answered the door.  "Are you ready to take your proper place in
society?"  Lilly nodded with a smile.  

Jeffrey led May into the parlor, a cavernous room filled with oak bookshelves
and fine paintings.  Noticing that there were ashtrays placed throughout the
room, May felt no hesitation about lighting one of her Virginia Slims.  She
needed it.  Considering the circumstances in which she brought Lilly to San
Marino, she wasn't sure what reaction from her daughter she should expect.

Mrs. Wong walked into the room holding a Benson and Hedges Menthol cigarette
between her fingers, the brand that she normally smokes.  She's always made
it a point, however, to smoke the parents' brand of her current pupil so as
to make the transition to smoking as smooth as possible back home.  "Mrs.
Tsai," she said warmly with her hand outstretched to greet her, "it's so good
to see you again."

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Wong," May said with some nervousness, then got
right to the point.  "How's my Lilly?  Has she changed?"


"Lilly is a wonderful young woman, Mrs. Tsai," she replied with a gesture
towards a chair.  "We have had a wonderful two weeks together."

"Oh," May responded with relief, "oh, that's wonderful.  I'd like to see
her."

"But of course you would," Mrs. Wong replied after a creamy exhale.  She
raised her voice as if announcing a dignitary, "May I present - Miss Lilly
Tsai."

Lilly gracefully walked in to the room beautifully dressed in a light blue
dress.  The pearl necklace and earrings gave her a glow like May had never
seen before.  And she was amazed at the elegance in which her daughter held a
freshly lit Virginia Slim 120.  "Lilly," her mother said almost in tears.

"Hi, Mom," she replied, also holding back in tears.

The two woman hugged each other, with May profusely apologizing to her
daughter for forcing her to come.  "It's okay, Mom," Lilly replied, wiping
the tears from both of their eyes.  "I understand why you did it.  And I
understand my place in society now."  May looked into her daughter's face,
disbelieving the change that had come over Lilly in such a short time.  "Is
it too late to join Caroline and Jenny at their coming-out ball?" Lilly asked
with a smile?

Laughing as the tears streamed down her face, May turned to Mrs. Wong and
said, "Thank you, Mrs. Wong.  Thank you."

"All I did was open the door," Mrs. Wong replied modestly.  "It was Lilly who
made all the choices."

When Jeffrey had finished packing Lilly's things into May's Mercedes,
everyone said their goodbyes.  Lilly gave Mrs. Wong a warm hug.  "Thank you
for everything, Geraldine," she whispered into her teacher's ear.

As May drove out of the long drive-way, she felt a thrill run through her as
her daughter reached into her purse and pulled out her new cigarette case, a
gift from Mrs. Wong with an inscription that read, "So glad you chose wisely.
Love, Geraldine."  

"Would you like a cigarette, Mom?" Lilly asked.

"I would love one, honey."

END

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