"Put the chairs back."
The staff member stopped.
Brad said,
"Leave them."
"The groom's parents don't have time for the tea ceremony."
I walked up to the front of the stage.
"Whose wedding is this?"
"I'm marrying your sister, and my parents don't have time?"
Tamara stood there holding the teacup.
"We're already half an hour behind schedule."
"Do my parents first. When your uncle and aunt are done working, we'll fit theirs in after."
"And when exactly are they going to be done working?"
"Nat, stop asking me the same thing over and over!"
"There are this many people here today, and you have to embarrass me in front of all of them?"
I set the teacup back on the tray.
"Until my parents are here, nobody gets tea."
Deborah rose to her feet.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"My daughter marries you, and she can't even get a cup of tea?"
"Who do your parents think they are, that we should sit here waiting on them?"
Down below, someone joined in.
"You can't miss the auspicious hour!"
"If the groom's parents are busy, just serve the bride's side first."
"Country folk don't know how things are done, but the groom doesn't either?"
I didn't move.
The coordinator picked up the mic and tried to smooth it over.
"The two families can work out any issues later."
"For now, let's complete the tea ceremony for the bride's side—"
"No tea."
I turned and went to find my parents.
The back kitchen was already in chaos.
My cousin was sitting on the floor, her right arm scalded red.
A pot of hot soup lay overturned beside her.
Tamara's aunt was pointing at her, shouting.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"This dress cost me over a thousand dollars. How am I supposed to get grease out of it?"
My cousin was in too much pain to speak.
My mother was running cold water over her arm.
"We have to get you to a hospital, now."
Brad blocked the doorway.
"She can't leave right now."
"We're already short on servers. She walks out, who's going to cover?"
I shoved him aside.
"Move."
Tamara's aunt lunged forward and slapped my cousin across the face.
"You pay for my dress before you go anywhere!"
My cousin cupped her cheek.
My mother stepped in front of her.
"The girl's already been burned."
"Your own kid came running out of nowhere. That's why she fell."
The aunt raised her hand again.
"You've got the nerve to talk back?"
I caught her by the wrist.
"Try it. One more time."
She started screaming at once.
"The groom's family is hitting people!"
"The waitress is hitting a guest!"
Tamara hurried over.
She looked at my cousin's arm and only frowned.
"Go to the break room and put some ointment on it."
"After this round of dishes is out, you can go to the hospital."
I stared at her.
"She's not a waitress. She's my cousin."
"But we're short-handed right now."
"Then have your brother carry the trays."
Brad panicked.
"I'm running the whole program. How am I supposed to carry dishes?"
"My father's supposed to go park cars?"
"My mother's supposed to wash dishes?"
"She's supposed to serve food with a scalded arm?"
Tamara grabbed my arm.
"Everyone's watching."
"Don't wreck the whole wedding over one little burn."
My cousin's tears spilled over.
She pulled off her staff badge and set it on the floor.
"Nat, I'm done."
Brad immediately raised his phone and started filming.
"Get it clearly on camera."
"She's leaving her post without notice. Don't try to deny the losses later."
I told Christian Whitney, my best man, to take my cousin to the hospital.
The groom's relatives started gathering around.
My uncle's suit was worn through where he'd been hauling liquor crates.
My aunt's heel had snapped off.
My grandmother was still filling boxes of wedding favor candy.
She'd been at it since morning, and hadn't had a single sip of water.
My father came back last.
His face was sun-bleached pale, and his steps had started to wobble.
I caught hold of him.
"Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine."
He took out his heart pills and slipped one under his tongue.
"There are still a few cars in the lot."
"Let me rest a couple of minutes, then I'll go back down."
Brad's voice pushed through the walkie-talkie.
"Number 01, do you copy?"
"No slacking off!"
My father picked up the walkie-talkie.
"On my way."
I threw it to the floor.
"No one's going anywhere."
Tamara's face went hard.
"Nat, we're about to exchange rings."
"Just finish the program first."
"My father isn't well."
"The hotel has a break room."
"Let him go lie down. Don't have him standing by the red carpet."
"Once the ceremony's over, we'll take him to the hospital."
She finished and signaled the coordinator to continue.
The scheduling board on the big screen refreshed again.
After my father's name, a new line of red text had appeared.
【Parking Attendant No. 01: Left Post Without Permission】
Brad walked over and tossed a reflective vest into my father's arms.
"Put it on."
"Two more hours to go."
