During Barbara's 3rd year at "university", she had taken a break between classes in search of stinky tofu. Stinky tofu was a Shanghai delicacy which had recently wound its way down to the streets of Macau. It really was an appropriate name; most local folks in Macau would studiously avoid the stall. Yet the stall was constantly mobbed by the Shanghainese immigrants who found the odor and taste both flavorful and fragrant.
Barbara had been pretty happy lately; her studies really didn't occupy her time or thoughts too much. Even with as little time as she spent on schoolwork, she was still the head of the class, and that was pretty much all that mattered, wasn't it? In the meantime, another movie theatre opened up just around the corner from the cramped apartment they all resided in, so all in all, life was really good.
She sniffed the air for the tell-tale pungency of the tofu. Ah, there it was, she can just make out its smell over the exhaust fumes of cars whizzing by. Because business was so brisk, the "tsuh duh voo" stall hadn't moved from its spot in days. It was indicative of the sheer numbers of Shanghainese flooding into the city; in 1949, no street vendor alive would've been caught selling the aromatic delicacy.
Nudging her way to the front of the line, Barbara quickly ordered and got two large dripping pieces of tofu but before she could pay, a hand shot out of the crowd to pay for it. Standing on tiptoes, she tried to look over the shoulders of the crowd behind her. "Ah Koo, sze nung ah?" Big Brother, is that you?
The hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her wrist and pulled her through a small opening in the crowd and squirting through, she emerged in the open looking for Simon. But it wasn't Simon. It was another guy standing there, grinning at her.
Puzzled, she demanded, "Nei hai meen goh!" switching to the local dialect, Cantonese, she had picked up these past two years. The skinny, kind-of-good-looking-but-definitely-with-eyes-too-narrow boy just shrugged at her, then spoke in halting broken Cantonese, "Mm sik gong." No know speak. He continued to grin at her.
She switched to Shanghainese, not knowing what else to do. "Nung gong Sang Hei woo, ah?" He nodded once, still grinning but his grin was slowly metamorphized into something more bashful. Barbara thought to herself, oh no, I hope this grinning dummy isn't about to ask me out.
Finally, the boy said in Shanghainese, "Ve sho de nah nung gong..."
Don't know how to say it... and he quickly blurted out, "Nung yuh ah chia? Ngu keu chu goo, gah."
You have an elder sister, I've seen her. He then shuffled his feet and blushed at the floor, which immediately endeared him to Barbara.
Oh good, it's Carol you like. Cause you're just a bit too dopey for me. But, you might be good for Carol. Barbara didn't say anything to this declaration of his, there wasn't any need to, so she waited for him to say why he bought the stinky tofu for her. And she waited. After a minute or two, she finally spoke up. "Wei! Ngu ve dung le hao."
Hey! I'm not going to wait any longer. She pointed at the stinky tofu and with four gulps, she had downed the two pieces.
"Eh?" The boy looked up from his feet and with a start, realized that Barbara was still standing there and that she had been waiting for him to speak before eating. "Oh! Deh ve chee, deh ve chee." He bowed as he said this. Giggling, Barbara accepted his apology though she thought he was overdoing it a bit. After all, it seemed to her, the boy was more apologizing for his thoughts than his actions or lack thereof.
Then the boy jerked his head away from the stall and Barbara nodded. Following him would be far more interesting than going back to spend the afternoon typing. Somehow the boy seemed safe and Barbara trusted her instincts. He led them to a less traversed but still fairly crowded corner where it was more pedestrians and less vehicles.
"Hau che, mah?"
Good eats? She nodded, aware that her breath now carried a trace of the aroma. "Good, good." Surprised for the first time today, Barbara wondered where the boy picked up English. He could barely speak Cantonese, yet his English was spot on? Strange.
"Ngu sz Sun Wun Ming. Beh ning chiao ngu Jimmy. Ngu yi sz che St. Joseph's dok sze guh. Ngu ah chia luh nung bak bak guh hoh dong dok sze. Leh yee duh, ngu kew chee nung ah chia, soo yi shao duh nung yuh ah chia. Mmm-muh siang duh weh duh leh tse di kew chee nung."
I am Sun Wun Ming, but others call me Jimmy. I went to St. Joseph's [in Shanghai] to study. My elder sister went to your father's school. There, I've seen your elder sister, that's how I knew you have one. Never thought I'd see you here."Gah tsioh," She chuckled.
"What's so strange?" he looked at her puzzled.
"Your name! It sounds the same as my sister's. Wun Ming." "Yi yang, guh!" she repeated for emphasis.
"Oh really? It must be fate, then", he laughed.
"Can you bring me to go see her?"Barbara stepped back, giving Jimmy a hard look. "
Why should I trust you?" But seeing immediately the sadness that descended at her words, she quickly said, "
But there is a way you could see her. Start going to my church." and she gave the address to him. "
She plays piano for the children during the first service, then she goes and listens to the sermon at the second service. I suggest the second service."
Leaving him at the corner with his mouth open, she ran away yelling back, "
Thanks for the stinky tofu....!"
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