mother, realizing that she was his potential enemy. She had a smile similar to Sue’s. She was petite and looked calm and pleasant—not at all the kind of person who might attack him for being Japanese. He wondered whether Sue had been exaggerating about her mother. Should he try to attract Sue’s attention and get introduced to her parents?
“I feel that the auction should also include some valuable objects, not just services,” said Andy’s father, approaching the refreshment table and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Maybe someone has a piece of art he wants to offer,” said one of the mothers. “I mean, something other than what you’d find at garage sales.”
“I have a hand-embroidered blouse I can contribute,” said one woman.
“I do ink brush paintings,” said a woman behind Andy. “I can offer one of my works, if someone thinks it’s worth it.”
Andy turned around and saw that the speaker was Sue’s mother. Standing next to her was Sue. She looked up, and her eyes met Andy’s.
Should he say something to her? They hadn’t spoken for more than a week, and Andy still remembered his anger as he stormed out of the lunchroom at school. He also remembered the sadness in Sue’s face when he saw her after rehearsal the day before. What was she thinking now?
There was no doubt about it: from her panicked expression, Sue didn’t think it was time for her parents to meet Andy and his family. She looked ready to make a run for it.
“You do ink brush paintings?” Andy heard his father say. He saw that his father had stepped over to Sue’s mother and was addressing her. “That’s wonderful! These days there are too few artists using this medium. Most of them go in for oil paintings.”
Sue’s mother looked pleased. “I’ll never turn to oils. I do only black-and-white ink brush painting.”
Andy’s father nodded. “Black-and-white brush painting is what I like best, too! The brushwork has a flexibility and strength that you also see in calligraphy. I would love to bid on one of your works!”
Andy groaned inwardly. He could see what was coming next. His father would ask the artist’s name. He had simply assumed, of course, that a woman cultured enough to do ink brush painting was Japanese. While Sue’s mother probably assumed that only a Chinese man would have the sensitivity to appreciate this kind of painting.
But once they got introduced, the two would realize that their respective names were Hua and Suzuki. What then?
Again, Andy looked at Sue, to see how she felt. She shook her head very slightly. Apparently she had seen the dangers, too, and didn’t want to take a chance.
“Mom, I’ve got a headache coming on,” Sue said. “Can we go home?”
“Oh, all right,” said Sue’s mother, reluctantly tearing herself away from someone with such good taste. She turned to a gray-haired man, who had to be Sue’s father. “Shall we go?”
Andy didn’t know whether he was relieved or disappointed. A potential scene had been avoided, but he had also lost the opportunity to talk to Sue and end their fight. He couldn’t wait until the next rehearsal. He would have to think of some other way to approach her.
The door-to-door campaign began after school two days later. As Sue started her route, she wondered if Andy’s was anywhere near hers. He had told her which bus he took, and she knew he didn’t live too far off. What would she do if she ran into him? At the meeting in the gym, he had looked like he wanted to talk to her, and maybe make up. Or was she just imagining things? She sighed and took out her forms.
I’ve got to stop obsessing
about this and get down to work
.
Going door to door turned out to be not as bad as she expected. She tried her own neighborhood first, people she knew. First she tried the house at the end of her block, the Dawson family. She took a deep breath and rang the bell. The daughter, who was a ninth grader at Lakeview, opened the door. “Hi,
“I feel that the auction should also include some valuable objects, not just services,” said Andy’s father, approaching the refreshment table and pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Maybe someone has a piece of art he wants to offer,” said one of the mothers. “I mean, something other than what you’d find at garage sales.”
“I have a hand-embroidered blouse I can contribute,” said one woman.
“I do ink brush paintings,” said a woman behind Andy. “I can offer one of my works, if someone thinks it’s worth it.”
Andy turned around and saw that the speaker was Sue’s mother. Standing next to her was Sue. She looked up, and her eyes met Andy’s.
Should he say something to her? They hadn’t spoken for more than a week, and Andy still remembered his anger as he stormed out of the lunchroom at school. He also remembered the sadness in Sue’s face when he saw her after rehearsal the day before. What was she thinking now?
There was no doubt about it: from her panicked expression, Sue didn’t think it was time for her parents to meet Andy and his family. She looked ready to make a run for it.
“You do ink brush paintings?” Andy heard his father say. He saw that his father had stepped over to Sue’s mother and was addressing her. “That’s wonderful! These days there are too few artists using this medium. Most of them go in for oil paintings.”
Sue’s mother looked pleased. “I’ll never turn to oils. I do only black-and-white ink brush painting.”
Andy’s father nodded. “Black-and-white brush painting is what I like best, too! The brushwork has a flexibility and strength that you also see in calligraphy. I would love to bid on one of your works!”
Andy groaned inwardly. He could see what was coming next. His father would ask the artist’s name. He had simply assumed, of course, that a woman cultured enough to do ink brush painting was Japanese. While Sue’s mother probably assumed that only a Chinese man would have the sensitivity to appreciate this kind of painting.
But once they got introduced, the two would realize that their respective names were Hua and Suzuki. What then?
Again, Andy looked at Sue, to see how she felt. She shook her head very slightly. Apparently she had seen the dangers, too, and didn’t want to take a chance.
“Mom, I’ve got a headache coming on,” Sue said. “Can we go home?”
“Oh, all right,” said Sue’s mother, reluctantly tearing herself away from someone with such good taste. She turned to a gray-haired man, who had to be Sue’s father. “Shall we go?”
Andy didn’t know whether he was relieved or disappointed. A potential scene had been avoided, but he had also lost the opportunity to talk to Sue and end their fight. He couldn’t wait until the next rehearsal. He would have to think of some other way to approach her.
The door-to-door campaign began after school two days later. As Sue started her route, she wondered if Andy’s was anywhere near hers. He had told her which bus he took, and she knew he didn’t live too far off. What would she do if she ran into him? At the meeting in the gym, he had looked like he wanted to talk to her, and maybe make up. Or was she just imagining things? She sighed and took out her forms.
I’ve got to stop obsessing
about this and get down to work
.
Going door to door turned out to be not as bad as she expected. She tried her own neighborhood first, people she knew. First she tried the house at the end of her block, the Dawson family. She took a deep breath and rang the bell. The daughter, who was a ninth grader at Lakeview, opened the door. “Hi,
Similar Books
