Questions by eliane28 - Page 3
Plzzzzz help ASAP read the short story then the quick question plzzzI fell in love with the minister's son the winter Iturned fourteen. He was not Chinese, but as white as Maryin the manger. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-hairedboy, Robert, and a slim new American nose.When I found out that my parents had invited theminister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. Whatwould Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? Whatwould he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lackedproper American manners? What terrible disappointmentwould he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweetpotatoes but Chinese food?On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdoneherself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling blackveins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen waslittered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rockcod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into apan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges ofrubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back tolife. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knifemarkings so they resembled bicycle tires.And then they arrived the minister's family and allmy relatives in a clamor of doorbells and rumpled Christmaspackages. Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was notworthy of existence.Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relativeslicked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across thetable, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food.Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to bepassed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure whenmy mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robertgrimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just belowthe fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. "Amy, yourfavorite," he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wantedto disappear.At the end of the meal my father leaned back andbelched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking."It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,"explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert waslooking down at his plate with a reddened face. The ministermanaged to muster up a quiet burp. I was stunned intosilence for the rest of the night.After everyone had gone, my mother said to me,"You want to be the same as American girls on the outside."She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beigetweed. "But inside you must always be Chinese. You mustbe proud you are different. Your only shame is to haveShame."And even though I didn't agree with her then, I knewthat she understood how much I had suffered during theevening's dinner. It wasn't until many years later long afterI had gotten over my crush on Robert that I was able tofully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind ourparticular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosenall my favorite foods.