Editorial
May the reader use discerment
Poems
The Giants
and the Dwarfs
heart of darkness
The Wanderer
A chocolate room
Relay
Writing
Cafe Evergreen (3) 1
2 3
Multilingual
Page
German:
origin of English
Novel
Adonis
Blue (4)
Guest
Writers' Corner
Wondering
Relay Writing
Café Evergreen
Chapter 3 (Continued: Go Back to the Last Page >>)
‘Excuse me for interfering in your affair, but would you please talk with me a little?’
A man in his late twenties to thirties approached the table. Both Glen and Irene stood agape with surprise. Coming in front of them, the man stopped and smiled gently.
‘Miss, are you a daughter of the owner of the fish and chips shop attacked a while ago?’
‘Ye, yes…’ Irene replied perplexedly.
‘My name is Lapide. Actually I had been a regular at the takeaway and had often seen you help the shop. I feel very sorry about that tragedy, but please say hello to your father and tell him your fish and chips is the best I’ve ever had here in New Zealand, so please cheer up and make us your masterly fish and chips again’
‘Wow, thank you so much! I’ll tell him for the world! He should be glad for sure’ A smile returned to her face.
‘You speak very good English. How long have you been here?’
‘Well, more than ten years. I was six when I came to New Zealand from Shanghai with my family’
‘No wonder! I have only lived here for three years and my English is poorer than you’ the man smiled too. ‘Are you thinking to stay in New Zealand?’
‘Honestly, yes’ She answered with embarrassment.‘Because, you know, I grew up and have spent most of my life in New Zealand. I started to go to school here, played exactly the same as Kiwis, watching the same TV and movies, listening to the same music, and so on. We sometimes go back to Shanghai for a holiday, but I find no room to kick back and relax there – it’s almost an alien place to me. New Zealand would be the only place as home to me. I feel like more of a New Zealander than a Chinese’
‘Good on you!,’ he looked contented. ‘It’s a very natural thing’
‘Boy,’ the man turned to Glen and said, ‘now you see she is a Kiwi.’
Glen was startled. Irene was surprised as well. ‘B, But, she was not born in New Zealand…’
‘So what?’ the man grinned. ‘Then can you perfectly discern who was born in Australia, Britain, or the United States only by appearance?’
‘Oh, well, it’s quite difficult, unless I hear them speak…’
‘Where do you come from?’
‘New Zealand. I was born in this country’
‘How about your parents?’
‘Er, Dad is English. He came here when he was fifteen, and so is Mum. Mum was born in Canada, but she calls herself Kiwi cos she was only three when she was brought here with her family’
‘Aha! Then what’s the difference between your girlfriend and your mother?’
Glen was stuck. ‘Well, er, so, because…’ Beside him Irene began laughing.
‘Those who have some kind of stereotype tend to determine others just by looks. Cultural matters and strict definitions are often but an excuse. You’re not alone, boy. Is there any valid reason only whites, European people can become Kiwis, the one who invaded the land of Maori who also had occupied an almost uninhabited island a long time ago?’
Glen didn’t think about his nation’s history this way. He ran out of words.‘No worries. I’m not so radical. To tell the truth, I come of Jewish stock, but I’m not one hundred percent Jewish. My family and grandparents had wandered around the European continent, including persecution by Nazis. Long time before, my ancestors were also expelled from their homeland, “Zion” – where Palestinians live now. They are fighting over the same piece of land as home, but I personally think it’s incompatible – those Israelis are doing the same thing as what had been done to their ancestors. That’s a shame…’
‘I feel I get your message’ Irene opened her mouth. ‘People keep moving over this long history, and moving more and more, so how can we decide one people permanently belongs to a particular land by all means?’
‘You can say that again’ the man was delighted. ‘The most important thing is – NOW’
‘Now?’ said Glen.
‘Boy, it’s up to you now – everything about your country, your multicultural society, understandings on different cultures and tolerance, and the whole globe. You youngsters make up the world and history from now on. And it’s up to you if your girlfriend can bounce back from the sad episode or not. Race or ethnicity is not more important than what you two share and understand each other’
‘It’s true, Glen’ It was Varden. ‘I didn’t open this Café Evergreen to break you two up, but to provide a space for people from different backgrounds to meet and get to know each other. I bet the two of you have more similarities than differences, regardless of where you come from’
‘Thank you Varden. We have been always so’ Irene responded. ‘Yet I’m proud of my Chinese origin. I’ve never given up my Chinese language and will never, just like teaching it to you, Glen’
‘Same here’. Lapide smiled. ‘I believe in Judaism and have an intention to maintain it. But I love to get familiar with other cultures rather than being isolated with Jews’
Glen and Irene walked along the street, holding their hands.
‘Irene, please teach me Mandarin more. I’m keen to learn it’
‘Sure things, Glen’ Irene smiled. ‘But I’m a strict teacher’
‘Come on, give me a break’ but both laughed at each other.
‘Irene’
‘Yeah?’
‘How come you came to New Zealand?’
‘Well, my mum and dad once said, for better opportunities’
‘But China and Shanghai are flourishing more than New Zealand these days’
‘Maybe’ said Irene. ‘Maybe an opportunity to find you’
Glen clasped her hand more firmly. Everything is just beginning. We’re the one who can make up the future from now on.
Invited: Why don’t you relay ‘Cafe Evergreen’?
We are now inviting your pieces to succeed this story. Please contact one of our group members, or send your works to melange_writers@hotmail.com. Deadline: 5 August 02 (for vol.6)
