The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties (Aunties, #3)

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

“I can’t believe it. I still can’t. What are you doing here? I thought you’d moved away from Jakarta.” “Oh, I came back for Chinese New Year,” Fourth Aunt says airily, pulling her hand back and sparing him another cool smile. Kristofer gasps. “Oh my goodness, are you—” He lowers his voice and steps closer to Fourth Aunt. “Are you here to give a private performance? That Robert, he is truly the best friend I could ever ask for. I can’t believe he invited you here to perform for me.” “Yes, he’s a good friend indeed,” Fourth Aunt agrees. “But listen, I’m not actually here to—” “You know, this is perfect timing because I’ve just had a whole new Bang & Olufsen sound system installed in my house, including . . .” He pauses for effect. “A vintage Neumann microphone.” You could practically see the sun rising behind Fourth Aunt’s eyes. In one moment, her face goes from mild disinterest to delighted shock. It’s as though there are tiny, invisible hands pulling up her face. Her eyebrows go up, her eyes open wide, her cheeks defy gravity. “Bang & Olufsen? Vintage Neumann microphone?” “Yep. My family’s very into karaoke. I even had an electric stage built into the center of the living room. It’s hidden in the floor, all I have to do is hit a button, and it’ll rise slowly and majestically up.” He raises his palms to illustrate, and Fourth Aunt’s expression turns from bright to blinding. She’s probably already seeing herself on this stage, grabbing the vintage Neumann microphone and belt...