Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Read Online Free Page B
Author: Jamie Ford
of his pants and wiped the thought from his mind.
After their week in the kitchen together, he hadn't thought he could actually feel any more frustration or embarrassment. What a surprise. But if Keiko thought less of him after their run-in with Chaz, it certainly didn't show. She even touched his hand, offering hers as they walked, but he ignored it. He wasn't really shy around girls. A Japanese girl, though, that was a red flag. Or a white flag with a big red sun on it, as it were. My father would fall over dead, he thought. And in town, someone would see us.
"Have you always gone to Rainier?" she asked.
He noticed how cool her voice sounded. Clear and simple. Her English was much better than that of most of the Chinese girls he knew.
He shook his head. "Just since September. My parents want me to get a Western education--university--instead of going back to Canton for my Chinese schooling like all the other kids in my neighborhood."
"Why?"
He didn't know how to say it.
"Because of people like you." As the words came out, he felt bad for venting the day's frustrations. But part of it was true, wasn't it? Out of the corner of his eye he watched her undo the ribbon in her hair. Long black strands fell around her face, bangs almost covering her chestnut eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's because the Japanese army has invaded the northeastern provinces. The fighting is a long way from Canton, but they still won't let me go. Most of the kids on my side of town all go to the Chinese school, then finish back in China. That's what my father always planned for me. Until last fall anyway." Henry didn't know what else to say.
"So you weren't born in China?"
He shook his head again, pointing to First Hill, where Columbus Hospital stood on the outskirts of Chinatown. "I was born right up there."
She smiled. "That's where I was born too. I'm Japanese. But American first."
"Did your parents teach you to say that?" He bit his words as they came out, afraid of hurting her feelings again. After all, his parents told him to say the same thing.
"Yes. They did. My grandfather came over right after the great fire in 'eighty-nine. I'm second generation."
"Is that why they sent you to Rainier?"
They had walked past the black iron arches of Chinatown all the way to Nihonmachi. Henry lived seven blocks over, and had been here only once, when his father had to meet someone for lunch at the Northern Pacific Hotel, at the edge of the Japanese marketplace. Even then, Father had insisted they leave once he found out the place had been built by Niroku "Frank" Shitamae, a local Japanese businessman. They were gone before their food even arrived.
"No." She stopped and looked around. "This is why they send me." Everywhere he looked he saw American flags, in every shopwindow and hanging from every door.
Yet many more shops had broken windows, and a few were boarded up completely. In front of them an orange public works lift truck blocked three parking spaces. A bearded man in the bucket was taking down the sign for Mikado Street and replacing it with one that read "Dearborn Street."
Henry remembered the button his father had given him and touched the torn fabric over his heart where it had been. He looked at Keiko, and for the first time all day, the first time all week, she looked afraid.
Nihonmachi
(1942)
Saturdays were special to Henry. While other kids tuned in to the radio to listen to The Adventures of Superman on the Mutual Broadcasting System, Henry did his chores as fast as he could and ran down to the corner of Jackson and Maynard. Oh, sure, he liked the Man of Steel--what twelve-year-old didn't? But during the war years, the adventures were, well, less than adventurous. Instead of smashing robots from another planet, the son of Krypton spent his days uncovering fifth columnists and Japanese spy rings, which hardly interested Henry.
Although he did wonder about Superman himself. The actor playing the
After their week in the kitchen together, he hadn't thought he could actually feel any more frustration or embarrassment. What a surprise. But if Keiko thought less of him after their run-in with Chaz, it certainly didn't show. She even touched his hand, offering hers as they walked, but he ignored it. He wasn't really shy around girls. A Japanese girl, though, that was a red flag. Or a white flag with a big red sun on it, as it were. My father would fall over dead, he thought. And in town, someone would see us.
"Have you always gone to Rainier?" she asked.
He noticed how cool her voice sounded. Clear and simple. Her English was much better than that of most of the Chinese girls he knew.
He shook his head. "Just since September. My parents want me to get a Western education--university--instead of going back to Canton for my Chinese schooling like all the other kids in my neighborhood."
"Why?"
He didn't know how to say it.
"Because of people like you." As the words came out, he felt bad for venting the day's frustrations. But part of it was true, wasn't it? Out of the corner of his eye he watched her undo the ribbon in her hair. Long black strands fell around her face, bangs almost covering her chestnut eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's because the Japanese army has invaded the northeastern provinces. The fighting is a long way from Canton, but they still won't let me go. Most of the kids on my side of town all go to the Chinese school, then finish back in China. That's what my father always planned for me. Until last fall anyway." Henry didn't know what else to say.
"So you weren't born in China?"
He shook his head again, pointing to First Hill, where Columbus Hospital stood on the outskirts of Chinatown. "I was born right up there."
She smiled. "That's where I was born too. I'm Japanese. But American first."
"Did your parents teach you to say that?" He bit his words as they came out, afraid of hurting her feelings again. After all, his parents told him to say the same thing.
"Yes. They did. My grandfather came over right after the great fire in 'eighty-nine. I'm second generation."
"Is that why they sent you to Rainier?"
They had walked past the black iron arches of Chinatown all the way to Nihonmachi. Henry lived seven blocks over, and had been here only once, when his father had to meet someone for lunch at the Northern Pacific Hotel, at the edge of the Japanese marketplace. Even then, Father had insisted they leave once he found out the place had been built by Niroku "Frank" Shitamae, a local Japanese businessman. They were gone before their food even arrived.
"No." She stopped and looked around. "This is why they send me." Everywhere he looked he saw American flags, in every shopwindow and hanging from every door.
Yet many more shops had broken windows, and a few were boarded up completely. In front of them an orange public works lift truck blocked three parking spaces. A bearded man in the bucket was taking down the sign for Mikado Street and replacing it with one that read "Dearborn Street."
Henry remembered the button his father had given him and touched the torn fabric over his heart where it had been. He looked at Keiko, and for the first time all day, the first time all week, she looked afraid.
Nihonmachi
(1942)
Saturdays were special to Henry. While other kids tuned in to the radio to listen to The Adventures of Superman on the Mutual Broadcasting System, Henry did his chores as fast as he could and ran down to the corner of Jackson and Maynard. Oh, sure, he liked the Man of Steel--what twelve-year-old didn't? But during the war years, the adventures were, well, less than adventurous. Instead of smashing robots from another planet, the son of Krypton spent his days uncovering fifth columnists and Japanese spy rings, which hardly interested Henry.
Although he did wonder about Superman himself. The actor playing the
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