Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Read Online Free Page A
Author: Jamie Ford
suey please!"
At the most they taunted, at the least they sneered and glared suspiciously. Henry kept silent, angry and embarrassed as always, but pretending he didn't understand. A lie he wished he believed--if only in self-defense. Keiko followed suit. For thirty minutes they stood side by side, occasionally looking at each other, smirking as they served up extra-large helpings of Mrs. Beatty's rat-scrabble slop to the boys who teased them the most, or the red-haired girl who pulled at the corners of her eyes and made a hideous bucktoothed face.
"Look, they don't even speak English!" she squealed.
He and Keiko smiled at each other until the last child was served and all the trays and pans were washed and put away. Then they ate their lunch, together, splitting a can of pears in the storage room.
Henry thought the pears tasted especially good that day.
The Walk Home
(1942)
A week after Keiko arrived, Henry had settled into a new routine. They'd have lunch together, then meet by the janitor's closet after school for the second part of their work duties. Side by side they'd clean the chalkboards, empty wastebaskets, and pound erasers behind the school on an old stump. It wasn't bad. Having Keiko around cut the work he'd previously been doing in half, and he enjoyed the company--even if she was Japanese. Besides, all the work after school gave the other kids plenty of time to get on their bikes or their buses and be on their way long before he stepped out onto the school yard.
That was how it was supposed to work.
But today as he held the door for Keiko when they left the building, Chaz was standing at the bottom of the steps. He must have missed his bus, Henry thought. Or maybe he'd sensed a murmur of happiness since Keiko had arrived. Just a glance, or a smile between them. Even if he is here to show me up, Henry thought, that's fine, as long as he doesn't hurt her.
He and Keiko walked down the steps and past Chaz, Henry on the inside, putting himself between her and the bully. As they descended, Henry became all too aware that his nemesis was a whole foot taller than either one of them.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Chaz should have been in a higher grade, but he'd been held back-- twice. Henry had long suspected he'd failed on purpose so he could continue to lord over his sixth-grade kingdom. Why give that up to be an eighth-grade nobody?
"I said, Where do you think you're going--Jap lover?"
Keiko was about to speak when Henry shot her a look, put his arm around her, and kept her walking.
Chaz stepped in front of them. "I know you understand every word I'm saying, I've seen you two talking after class."
"So?" Henry said.
"So." Chaz grabbed him by his collar and jerked him up to his chest, so close Henry could smell his lunch--onions and powdered milk, still ripe on his breath. "How about I make it so you can't talk anymore? How would you like that?"
"Stop it!" Keiko shouted. "Let him go!"
"Leave the kid alone, Charlie," Mrs. Beatty interrupted, walking down the steps, lighting a cigarette. Judging by her nonchalance, Henry figured she was used to Chaz's lapses in behavior.
"My name is Chaz."
"Well, Chaz honey, if you hurt that kid, you're going to be taking his place in the kitchen, you understand me?" She said it in a way that almost sounded like she cared.
Almost. The hard look on her face put just enough doubt in Chaz's mind. He let go, shoving Henry to the ground-- but not before ripping the button that read "I am Chinese"
off Henry's shirt, leaving a small tear. Chaz pinned it on his own collar and gave Henry a bucktoothed smile before finally wandering off, presumably to find other kids to rough up.
Keiko helped Henry up, handing him his books. When he turned to thank Mrs.
Beatty, she was well on her way. Not even a good-bye. Thanks anyway. Did she care about playground bullying, or was she just protecting her kitchen help? Henry couldn't tell. He dusted off the seat
At the most they taunted, at the least they sneered and glared suspiciously. Henry kept silent, angry and embarrassed as always, but pretending he didn't understand. A lie he wished he believed--if only in self-defense. Keiko followed suit. For thirty minutes they stood side by side, occasionally looking at each other, smirking as they served up extra-large helpings of Mrs. Beatty's rat-scrabble slop to the boys who teased them the most, or the red-haired girl who pulled at the corners of her eyes and made a hideous bucktoothed face.
"Look, they don't even speak English!" she squealed.
He and Keiko smiled at each other until the last child was served and all the trays and pans were washed and put away. Then they ate their lunch, together, splitting a can of pears in the storage room.
Henry thought the pears tasted especially good that day.
The Walk Home
(1942)
A week after Keiko arrived, Henry had settled into a new routine. They'd have lunch together, then meet by the janitor's closet after school for the second part of their work duties. Side by side they'd clean the chalkboards, empty wastebaskets, and pound erasers behind the school on an old stump. It wasn't bad. Having Keiko around cut the work he'd previously been doing in half, and he enjoyed the company--even if she was Japanese. Besides, all the work after school gave the other kids plenty of time to get on their bikes or their buses and be on their way long before he stepped out onto the school yard.
That was how it was supposed to work.
But today as he held the door for Keiko when they left the building, Chaz was standing at the bottom of the steps. He must have missed his bus, Henry thought. Or maybe he'd sensed a murmur of happiness since Keiko had arrived. Just a glance, or a smile between them. Even if he is here to show me up, Henry thought, that's fine, as long as he doesn't hurt her.
He and Keiko walked down the steps and past Chaz, Henry on the inside, putting himself between her and the bully. As they descended, Henry became all too aware that his nemesis was a whole foot taller than either one of them.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Chaz should have been in a higher grade, but he'd been held back-- twice. Henry had long suspected he'd failed on purpose so he could continue to lord over his sixth-grade kingdom. Why give that up to be an eighth-grade nobody?
"I said, Where do you think you're going--Jap lover?"
Keiko was about to speak when Henry shot her a look, put his arm around her, and kept her walking.
Chaz stepped in front of them. "I know you understand every word I'm saying, I've seen you two talking after class."
"So?" Henry said.
"So." Chaz grabbed him by his collar and jerked him up to his chest, so close Henry could smell his lunch--onions and powdered milk, still ripe on his breath. "How about I make it so you can't talk anymore? How would you like that?"
"Stop it!" Keiko shouted. "Let him go!"
"Leave the kid alone, Charlie," Mrs. Beatty interrupted, walking down the steps, lighting a cigarette. Judging by her nonchalance, Henry figured she was used to Chaz's lapses in behavior.
"My name is Chaz."
"Well, Chaz honey, if you hurt that kid, you're going to be taking his place in the kitchen, you understand me?" She said it in a way that almost sounded like she cared.
Almost. The hard look on her face put just enough doubt in Chaz's mind. He let go, shoving Henry to the ground-- but not before ripping the button that read "I am Chinese"
off Henry's shirt, leaving a small tear. Chaz pinned it on his own collar and gave Henry a bucktoothed smile before finally wandering off, presumably to find other kids to rough up.
Keiko helped Henry up, handing him his books. When he turned to thank Mrs.
Beatty, she was well on her way. Not even a good-bye. Thanks anyway. Did she care about playground bullying, or was she just protecting her kitchen help? Henry couldn't tell. He dusted off the seat
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