Part 7 (2/2)
”I told you no,” said Brave Orchid ”If you do that you'll stay here, and it'll take us weeks to get up our courage again Let's save your grandchildren as a reward You take care of this other business, and you can play with your grandchildren without worry Besides, you have some children to meet”
”Grandchildren are more wonderful than children”
After they left the niece's suburb, the son drove theiven hieles
”Don't park in front,” said his ot to take him by surprise We mustn't let him spot us ahead of time We have to catch the first look on his face”
”Yes, I think I would like to see the look on his face”
Brave Orchid's son drove up and down the side streets until he found a parking space that could not be seen fro
”You have to compose yourself,” said Brave Orchid to her sister ”You must be calht and in the middle of the city We'll sit here for a while and look at his building”
”Does he own that whole building?”
”I don't know Maybe so”
”Oh, I can'tso much I won't be able to walk He must have servants and workers in there, and they'll stare ather down She had to baby everyone The traffic was rushi+ng, Los Angeles noon-hot, and she suddenly felt carsick No trees No birds Only city ”It ht They had not eaten lunch, and the sitting had tired her out Movethen her; she needed movement ”I want you to stay here with your aunt while I scout that building,” she instructed her son ”When I come back, we'll work out a plan” She walked around the block Indeed, she felt that her feet stepping on the earth, even when the earth was covered with concrete, gained strength froh it was full of gasoline fu housed several stores She looked at the clothes and jewelry on display, picking out sohtful place
Brave Orchid rushed along beside her reflection in the glass She used to be young and fast; she was still fast and felt young It was mirrors, not aches and pains, that turned a person old, everywhere white hairs and wrinkles Young people felt pain
The building was a fine one; the lobby was chroed in seot in, not wanting to operate a new machine by herself Once on the sixth floor she searched alertly for the nu was The rest roohts No s, though She did not like the quiet corridors with carpets but no s They felt like tunnels He ht to be humbled She found the door with his nulass Apparently this was his business office She hadn't thought of the possibility of catching hi she had decided to scout If they had arrived at his house, they would not have found him Then they would have had to deal with her her And she would have phoned hiotten him on her side Brave Orchid kne the little wives maneuvered; her father had had two little wives
She entered the office, glad that it was a public place and she needn't knock A rooazines She could tell by their eagerness for change that this was a waiting roo woht blue pantsuit hite triant telephone and an electric typewriter The wallpaper in her cubicle was like aluround for a tall black frame around white paint with dashes of red The wall of the waiting room was covered with burlap, and there were plants in wooden tubs It was an expensive waiting room Brave Orchid approved The patients looked well dressed, not sickly and poor
”hello May I help you?” said the receptionist, parting the glass Brave Orchid hesitated, and the receptionist took this to lish ”Just a ht back another woman, ore a similar uniform except that it was pink triathered up into a bunch of curls at the back of her head; solasses and false eyelashes, which gave her an American look ”Have you an appointment?” she asked in poor Chinese; she spoke less like a Chinese than Brave Orchid's children ”My husband, the doctor, usually does not take drop-in patients,” she said ”We're booked up for about a esticulating, and thought she probably would not have given out so e
”I have the flu,” Brave Orchid said
”Perhaps we can give you the name of another doctor,” said this woeon and doesn't ith flu” Actually she said, ”This doctor cuts brains,” a childShe wore pink lipstick and had blue eyelids like the ghosts
Brave Orchid, who had been a surgeon too, thought that her brother-in-law must be a clever man She herself could not practice openly in the United States because the training here was so different and because she could never learn English He was shost ways She would have to be clever to outwit hio to another doctor, then,” she said, and left
She needed a new plan to get her sister and brother-in-law together This nurse-as so young, and the office was so rich ood, paintings, and fancy telephones, that Brave Orchid kneasn't because he couldn't get the fare together that he hadn't sent for his old wife He had abandoned her for this irl knew that her husband had a Chinese wife Perhaps she should ask her
But no, she et away before he cao to one of the locked rest rooms As she walked back to her sister, she noted corners and passageways, broom closets, other offices-a fountain and wait for hiet thirsty Waylay hi the car door
”What's she like?” asked Moon Orchid ”Is she pretty?”
”She's very pretty and very young; just a girl She's his nurse He's a doctor like me What a terrible, faithless man You'll have to scold hiht Use my powder Be as pretty as you can Otherwise you won't be able to coe, however Notice he has her be his worker She is like a servant, so you have room to be the wife She works at the office; you work at the house That's al two houses On the other hand, a man's real partner is the hardest worker You couldn't learn nursing, could you? No, I guess not It's al laundry What a pettyup responsibility for a pretty face” Brave Orchid reached for the door handle ”Are you ready?”
”For what?”
”To go up there, of course We're at his office, and I think we ought to be very direct There aren't any trees to hide you, no grass to soften your steps So, you walk right into his office You make an announcement to the patients and the fancy nurses You say, 'I a to see my husband' Then you step to the inner door and enter Don't knock on any doors Don't listen if thepace When you see him, you say, 'Surprise!' You say, 'Who is that woive him a chance to deny her on the spot”
”Oh, I'm so scared I can't e shoon't be able to talk” And sure enough, her voice was fading into a whisper She was shi+vering and small in the corner of the seat
”So A new plan, then,” said Brave Orchid, looking at her son, who had his forehead on the steering wheel ”You, she said ”I want you to go up to his office and tell your uncle that there has been an accident out in the street A wo in pain He'll have to co him to the car”
”Mother”
”Mht to put your aunt in thebent under her” But Moon Orchid kept shaking her head in tre no's
”Why don't you push her down in the intersection and pour ketchup on her? I'll run over her a little bit,” said her son
”Stop being silly,” she said ”You Americans don't take life seriously”
”Mother, this is ridiculous This whole thing is ridiculous”
”Go Do what I tell you,” she said
”I think your schemes will be useless, Mother”
”What do you know about Chinese business?” she said ”Do as I say”
”Don't let hi the nurse,” said Moon Orchid
”Don't you want to see what she looks like?” asked Brave Orchid ”Then you'll knohat he's giving up for you”
”No No She's none of lish,” Brave Orchid told her son ”Then he'll feel he has to come with you”
She pushed her son out of the car ”I don't want to do this,” he said
”You'll ruin your aunt's life if you don't You can't understand business begun in China Just do what I say Go”
Sla the car door behind hi her stohten up,” said Brave Orchid ”He'll be here any roan louder, and tears seeped out between her closed eyelids
”You want a husband, don't you?” said Brave Orchid ”If you don't clai,” she ordered ”Do you want hi so-called ears lipstick and nail polish like a movie star?”