Banana and Grandma

This week assignment is to use the tension of inner and outer world (i.e. what people said and what they actually meant). We took the format of “inTranslation”, one of the 55 stories in John Gould’s latest book, Kilter.

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“Hey where are you going, dear?” I ask, meaning, It’s Mid Autumn Festival. And you should know how important family dinner is for our family. Stay home to help me prepare the dinner.

“Ya grandma, having a quick drink with Lev. Be back soon.” She replies, meaning Grandma is probably getting old and lonely. Sometimes she could be a control freak.

“Love? Soooo, another white boyfriend? Dear, do you understand….” I ask, meaning, I don’t understand why my good girl never dates the right person, the right kind that will be just like us.

“Gran, it’s Lev, L-E-V, and don’t call him another white guy.” She interrupts, “Lev is my classmate at Columbia. Damn smart, upstate New Yorker, quite a catch.” She says, with the image of Lev flashes in her head. Well, I am telling you JSYK, none your business really. I am of age anyway. Oh did I say Lev is Jewish?

“Well sweetie, don’t you understand, though we moved here when you mom was young, we are still Chinese. We should be proud our history and culture….” I say, meaning, you should be really proud of being Chinese and try to carry the heritage.

“Yeh…Yeh, you are right, grandma!” she says, hinting OMG, grandma is starting her lecture again on the five thousand years of history, culture’s superiority blah blah. Seriously, I don’t give a shit!

“You are not listening dear.”

“Gran, what about Sue and Bob? Bob cannot speak Chinese and I bet I know more Chinese history than him, thanks to you” she says, meaning Haha, you should preach this whole marrying Chinese crap to your daughter, not me.

“Dear, please don’t call your mom and dad by first name. You know, dear, it is not very polite.” I say, thinking, See what this country has taught the kids. It’s nothing like what we leant – respect, filial piety, virtue, responsibility.

“Ok, Mom and Dad. Dad is an American since born.” She says, meaning What’s the difference from Lev? And Grandma, I am American, not Chinese, to be exact.

“At least your dad carries the Chinese last name and face, as a matter of fact.” I say, thinking
You think I don’t want your mom to marry a real Chinese guy? But I was getting desperate that she was still single at 35. Whoever proposed to her, I would have said yes, as long as he is a man.

“All right already” Gonna be late. Let me go.

“Why don’t I invite Mrs. Cheung and Mrs. Chan’s sons over for a dinner this Saturday? Their sons are both very good men and have their own businesses” They seems to get along quite well with my dear last time. Maybe they just need more push.

“Grandma, pleeeeeeease.” Fuhhgeddaboutit, no more chauvinistic dumb hobbits. Those dude guys almost bored me to death last time.
“Well…., your friends’ sons are all very nice but they are… they are just too good for me, you know.” Are you kidding? Businesses? Me spending rest of my life serving Chinese food, or selling veggie, or chopping pork meat down at Canal Street? Yuk!

“OK then. I sigh. Maybe I have said too much.

“Hey Grandma, you know what. Jet Li’s latest movie, Fearless, is out. The Departed, the Hollywood version of Andrew Lau’s Internal Affair is out too. I can buy both DVDs at an up-stair store at Canal Street. It’s really cheap!” She says, thinking, the DVDs can at least occupy grandma for another 2 weeks. But I have to buy this alone after meeting Lev. He wouldn’t like his girl buying pirate.

She was gone.

“Culture, history, identity, are they still important? I ponder the question again and again, meaning, maybe I should be happy as a nomad.