The First Candidate

On their way to the hotel, Zarrah played classical music on the car stereo. After a short while, she laid back in her seat and closed her eyes.

Witnessing her daughter's actions Wendy giggles. When Zarrah heard her mother's reaction, she opened her eyes and asked; "What? What's funny?"

"No, nothing's funny" Wendy defensively answered but still failed to suppress a smile.

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Well, you see, you're a young lady yet your taste for music is like that of an old lady", Wendy teased.

"Mom, these are classics. These are music for the soul, not just for the ears, Besides, I find them better than those modern noises", Zarrah explained

"See? Shouldn't I be the one saying those lines? Come on, play something fun and lively", Wendy joked. "So, you are saying that I'm boring," Zarrah said with an annoyed expression. She then turns the music off.

"Nope, I did not say that", Wendy reasoned. Sensing that Zarrah's mood turned serious, Wendy tried to change the topic. She just remembered that Sarah's class went on a recreational trip yesterday so she attempted to talk about this topic. "I'm glad you had such a good time at the resort."

"Oh yeah, it was fun," Zarrah replied in an expressionless tone.

"Tell me about it, I'd like to hear. How were the boys like?" Wendy tried to sound excited

Zarrah rolled her eyes and replied, "Well they were all nice boys, you know. The captain of the basketball team promised to coach me till I make it to the college female varsity team."

"You seem to like him", Wendy now starts to sound gossipy. "Yeah I guess so, I mean these Chinese boys, they are all nice guys," Zarrah replied with a faint smile on her face.

"Well, that's good," Wendy replied while nodding her head.

There was silence in the car for a few minutes. Zarrah, who had been silent for some time opened her mouth; "Ah, Mom?" she said in a very hesitant tone. "There's something I have to ask you".

"Shoot!" Wendy casually responded. "Would you find out if there's something weird about me?" Zarrah now sounds a bit nervous and sad

"Zarrah" …... Wendy tried to ask her daughter about what was bothering her but was interrupted.

"No, hear me out. I'm serious. Here am I an 18-year-old lady the same age as those girls who are clinging to their boys, but I don't like dates."

Wendy sighed. She was relieved of hearing her daughter's concern. She was expecting something more serious. She then calmly said; "Well honey, you like boys, don't you?"

Zarrah pondered for a few seconds then replied, "Well yeah I do, boys are fun being with, but I can't stand them when they start being romantic, you know what I mean. These kinds of stuff make my skin crawl. "

"Well, that depends on who" …. (Wendy tried explaining, but once again, Zarrah cut her off. "Well there it is, you just pointed out that I am different," Zarrah concluded in a sad tone.

While still driving, Wendy placed her hand on her daughter's arm and explained, "Please honey, believe me, the difference between you and your friends is that you are an independent woman. You are so strong that you don't need to copy what other girls are doing to know that you are right. You are too genuine to pretend to be somebody you are not. But when the right time comes, you will figure out the answer to your questions."

Zarrah was comforted by what her mother said. She also realized that what her mother said was true. She smiled and kissed her Mom. "Thanks, Mom". She again pressed the button on the stereo and continued listening to the classical music she played earlier.

Seeing what her daughter just did, Wendy laughed silently in her heart. Wendy and Zarrah entered a five-star hotel. After they arrived at the restaurant area, Wendy found that it was really full. But Wendy was confident with the reservation they had previously set. She wanted this date to be special for herself and her daughter.

Zarrah's eyes scanned the hotel's high-end and luxurious interiors. Her face showed her amazement. It's her first time visiting this kind of place. She finds it too extravagant, but she does not object. After all, it's the birthday of the most important person in her life.

Wendy had booked a VIP box for them. She wanted this day to be extra special for her daughter. She is aware of all the sacrifices that her daughter had made. Being uprooted from California and transferred to China at a very young age must have greatly affected Zarrah. Wendy was aware of all these and she tried every opportunity she had to reward her daughter.

After a while, a young waiter in Cheongsam approached them and asked Wendy: "Are you here for Lunch?"

"Yes, we are." Wendy politely replied.

"I'm sorry, we don't have available tables for the time being. Since it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, many people came out for lunch. You might have to wait" The waiter said in an apologetic tone. Wendy smiled and said, "You are wrong. We have made a reservation for a VIP box, so we don't have to wait"

The waiter looked surprised and confused. Fortunately, the restaurant manager saw the confusion and approached them. As soon as Wendy recognized the manager, she explained the matter. The manager apologized and explained that it was just a misunderstanding.

Wendy and Zarrah were ushered to a VIP box. The area was spacious and the atmosphere was private and quiet.

"Mom, this is very fancy and classy" Zarrah whispered.

"I'm glad you liked it, Honey", Wendy whispered back. "Enjoy it because I only have birthdays once a year" she further joked.

However, their giggles were interrupted when the door of their box was opened after it was kicked from the outside. Surprised, Wendy was not able to suppress a scream. Instinctively she embraced her daughter as a gesture to protect Zarrah from the intruder.

The man who kicked the door appears very strong and furious. Following him was an entourage of 2 women and 3 more men who acted arrogantly. The guys have tattoos. At a glance, one can right away identify them as members of some gangster.

The scene startled Wendy. But as soon as she regained her senses she stood up and also pulled Zarrah to stand. Slowly she stood in front of Zarrah and extended both of her hands to prevent the intruders from touching her daughter. Though still trembling, Wendy took a deep breath and nervously said;

"Guys, what seems to be the problem here?" Before any member of the group can reply, the managers came running in. After seeing him Wendy asked what the chaos was all about.

The manager replied in a low voice, "Ma'am, we are very sorry. These people want to have this box. To avoid chaos, you can transfer to the lobby. It will just take just 10 minutes to wait and we will have an available table for you and your company. We will not charge you for all your orders"

After hearing this, Wendy was ready to agree to avoid provoking the intruders. When she was about to open her mouth, she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"No! we have booked this area ahead of time. My mother and I have a very special occasion to celebrate. How can you drive us out and give this area to these people?" The voice came from Zarrah. She spoke in a firm and determined voice. After all, this is her mother's birthday. She cannot allow anybody to disrespect her Mom on her very special day.

The manager further explained. "We are terribly sorry about this, but it's the only thing we can do to avoid conflict. These guys are really bad! It is best to avoid offending them". The manager knew how much damage to their property and their reputation these gangsters can do.

"No, we are staying here and you are going to guide these people to the lobby where they will eat!" Zarrah said with firmness

The manager frowned and said, "Oh, Ma'am, that's very irrational to say. These are ruthless people. If you don't give your box to them, you will be in deep trouble."

"I totally understand your point, Sir," Wendy told the manager and tried to pull Zarrah and guide her out of the box. But Zarrah won't budge. She just stared angrily at the manager and the intruders. "Honey, we need to go. Let's just go somewhere else".

Zarrah could sense her mother's fear of those intruders. Her face frowned even more as she glanced at the people who by now have started eating the appetizers that were placed on their table. Zarrah was about to say something when Wendy pleaded again; "Dear, we need to go now., Let's go".

Zarrah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She did not like the idea of giving in to this type of bullying, but for the sake of her mother, she decided to swallow her pride.

"Okey let's go," Zarrah replied almost in a whisper. She followed her mother's lead stooping on the floor and never looking up. She never wanted to see the faces of the manager nor of the gangsters lest she lost her patience.

But as they passed by the man who kicks the door earlier, He grabbed Wendy's butt and said: "Oh, look, Mama has a sexy back, hahahahaha". The rest of the gang joined in the laughter.

Such a gesture caught Wendy by surprise hence she did not know how to react. But it broke Zarrah's last strand of patience. She can never allow any person to harass her mother like that. She stopped walking, turn around, and faced the offender.

What's the matter, baby girl? Do you have something to say? The guy mockingly said.

Zarrah's eyes were filled with anger and her hands were clenched into fists. Then she said, "Kneel down and apologize to my mother this very instant."

The guy laughed loudly and said; "Or what? You will punish me? Ohhh I'm so scared!!!! Hahahaha"

Zarrah couldn't take the insults anymore. Using her right hand, she delivered a punch to the man's face. The impact was so strong that the man was thrown a meter away from where he stood.

Now lying on the floor, the man had no time to show his surprise as pain covered his face. He spat on his palm only to find 3 teeth floating in the blood. "How dare you hit me!!! You will regret this. You're dead meat!"

Zarrah did not utter a word, instead, she quickly moved towards the man and give him a kick on his tummy. The man gave a muffled groan and curled like a fetus.

When the rest of the gang saw what Zarrah did to their leaders, all 5 of them took out their weapons composed of knives and other sharp and hard objects and attacked Zarrah together. Seeing all this action unfold before her eyes, Wendy shouted a warning to her daughter, "Honey watch out!!!"

But before anyone could touch Zarrah, she had already delivered her counterattack. All that Wendy and the manager could hear was the cracking of bones and the moans of pain that came from the members of the gang. Because of the wide gap in the martial arts skills between Zarrah and her assailants, she was able to wipe out all her enemies in less than 5 minutes.

When the dust had settled, Wendy and the manager were shocked. But in the doorway, a man stood with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his. With a satisfied expression on his face, Harold knew that he has found what he has been looking for!