SWARM

Chinese Restaurant

Chapter 2

It's 1969 of UC Berkeley, and a view from a large window is the street displaying students passing by on the sidewalks and cars by the road. Mandarin Opera is playing from the small speakers above two college friends dined inside a busy Chinese Restaurant.

Nathan looks at David's plate. "I didn't know you like okras. I thought Chinese people do."

"I'm Asian," David says and he looks at Nathan's plate, and he also has okras. "Why, are you Asian?"

"I used to be," Nathan said as he eats his okra. "Once."

"Well, you don't look Asian at all man," David with a little laugh.

"True, but did you know Columbus didn't discover the Americas?"

"Yeah I know, the Chinese did."

"Even the Native Americans were Asians," Nathan added, then he uses his chopstick to pick a slice of Peking duck on the middle of the table and dipped it on a duck sauce mixed with curry as the restaurant's signature and ate it. While he chews, he says, "Could be the ducks they were after."

"Could be... and Columbus was searching for curry powder. Instead, he named the natives Indians," David chuckles, and he also picks a slice of roast duck with his chopsticks.

"Too bad he was lost. This curry with the sauce is pretty damn good," Nathan replied, and it's the last slice of the chewy Peking duck in his mouth.

Nathan is a chubby college dorm roommate of David and his quarter Native American from the Ottawa tribe. His major gave him the drive to teach history in an Indian Reservation for Little River Band of Ottawa Indians back in Michigan. And he's proud of that part of his culture although just a quarter of being a native, his family back in Michigan still carries few native traditions. Nathan doesn't look anything like a Native American, but the ears length shaggy dirty blonde wears a tribal headband over his head. Besides, it's hip, It's 1969.

David is from Boston and has a scholarship to study in Architecting, and has a Filipino mother. His father perished when he was only three years of age. He doesn't remember a thing about him, except he was a Jew and never recalls how his father died; David's mother never mentioned much about his father. He gathered more information growing up about his grandfather who was a rabbi. As a little boy, with long sidelocks, David was walked religiously to a Jewish Temple. Although he is proud to say his Jewish, David grew up, and he made his direction about his spiritual views. David's mother is remarried to a Filipino man, and they have a little daughter together; she is now seven years old.

They could hear someone yelling Cantonese by the kitchen. "He is so conceded! He's not even Mexican." Benny is mad about his new restaurant neighbor who used to brags to Benny that Mexican food is the big new thing. After Benny shares a few secrets of what makes a successful restaurant to the businessman, and as one of his favorite customer, he felt betrayed to know the inspired entrepreneur is going to construct the Mexican restaurant right next to his popular Chinese Restaurant.

"Well be a success together," his neighbor replies and smiles. "Relax... I am not selling your ducks," he says in Cantonese.

"Well open a Mexican restaurant too then. It's a free country," Benny's wife Linda said.

"Yeah, free everything. Everything is free. No way Jose, I know Chinese only. I'm not even Mexican!"

"Ah you so anti-social." They continue to argue.

A waitress went to Nathan and David's table, and she asked, "So, what's new guys?"

"Hey, Helen. How is it goin'?" The two college students returned a greeting. Helen is a nineteen-year-old and is near of also attending Berkeley after her part-time in a community college to pursue her career in business. She has her hair in a bun inserted with a pen, and she pulled it out to write on her guest checks note. A yellow apron is tied to her waist, with a white uniform shirt that says Benny Wong is #1. She's overworked, but she can manage looking decent for she's also helping her parents runs the restaurant. The tips Helen makes only earns her by ten percents, but the rest helps her for schooling. She gets pretty busy and her social time is mostly in her diligent hours at the restaurant.