Part 11

Once we were all back inside, Susan told us that there was to be a small party that night, and that we'd all been invited. Holly and Diane looked a little uncertain, but Susan assured them that the people issuing the invitation had known that we were going to be with her family, and were more than happy to have us.

Holly and Diane asked if they needed to change clothes, and Susan assured them that they were just fine - it was an informal kind of party, just a group of people getting together before the big celebrations the next day.

There were enough of us that it was decided to take two cars - Susan's mom, her sisters, and Diane and Holly in one; her dad, me, Susan, and her brothers in the other. As the guest, I got 'shotgun' up front; Susan's brothers basically bullied her into the center position in the back. The more I saw of those two, the less I cared for them.

I found out later that despite their initial shyness, both of Susan's sisters were willing to talk to Diane and Holly during the drive to the party.

I was completely lost after about three blocks, and just contented myself with talking about school with Susan - figuring that it was a safe enough subject.

At the party, the hosts seemed genuinely pleased to see me, Diane, and Holly. They were careful to introduce us to everyone, and showed us around their home. I got separated from Holly and Diane, but Susan made sure to check in with all of us throughout the evening. All the people I met were warm and friendly, and thoughtful enough to have most of their conversations in front of me in English. A few had heard about the little run-in with Gus, and took pains to thank me for standing up for her - it seemed that all of them had run into something similar at some point in time. As Susan had predicted, the few phrases of Vietnamese she'd been able to teach me were greatly appreciated - several people even took the time to help me with my pronunciation, and add a word or two to my limited vocabulary.

The party finally wound down, and it was time to go. As we left, all three of us remembered to thank our hosts in Vietnamese, which earned us a round of smiles from everyone within earshot. Even Susan's dad looked less unhappy than usual.

Back at Susan's house, the boys disappeared as fast as they could manage it, while Susan and her sisters wanted to stay up and talk.

Susan's parents gave their permission, but only for an hour, before they went upstairs to bed.

Susan's sisters, Anh (11) and Minh (12), were pretty shy with me at first, but once they saw how relaxed Susan was with me, they quickly came around. One of the first things they wanted to know was if Holly's hair was really that color - a question that embarrassed Susan. Holly assured them that it was, and when they expressed an interest, invited them to look at it as closely as they wanted, and even touch it. They did, and were still somewhat awed by it when they took their seats again.

When the allotted hour was up, both of them quietly got up and left us to go to bed - no muss, no fuss. With her sisters gone, Susan was a little more comfortable, and started talking with Diane and Holly about what had been happening with them since she'd visited. They told her, and there was a fair amount of laughter and giggling as stories were told.

It wasn't much later when Susan told us that it was probably time to go to bed - that the real celebrations started the next day, and that we'd probably want to get there early. All of us agreed, and we followed Susan up to the bedrooms - Holly joining her in Susan's room, Diane and I across the hall in ours.

Breakfast the next morning was appreciably more relaxed and casual than supper had been the night before. Anh and Minh both chattered happily with all three of us while Susan's mom looked on. Afterwards, all of us trooped upstairs to change clothes in preparation for the celebrations we were going to.

When we all met back downstairs, Holly, Diane, and I were speechless - the entire Nguyen family had changed into traditional Vietnamese clothing. Susan, her mom, and sisters were wearing ao dai's and all of them were lovely. Diane whispered in my ear "I thought Susan was beautiful before, but now! Just look at all of them!" - the last part a bit of encouragement that I definitely didn't need.

Susan's dad was dressed in traditional clothing as well, and I had to admit that it worked on him. Her brothers were similarly dressed, but the faint scowls on their faces detracted considerably from the effect.

The three of us all complimented the ladies on how lovely they were, earning us smiles of slightly embarrassed happiness. Diane and Holly both complimented Susan's dad and brothers on how handsome they looked; Susan's dad looked faintly pleased - I think if he ever actually smiled, his face would crack into a thousand pieces and fall on the floor, like you saw happen in the old cartoons - but her brothers didn't seem to appreciate the compliments.

The Nguyen women and girls all assured Holly and Diane that they were both just as lovely, and even went on to tell me that I looked quite handsome in the suit I was wearing.

With all of us ready to go, we loaded up the cars as we had the night before.

The events were being held in a large hall, and when we were all inside, I found myself experiencing what I can only call beauty overload: all of the women and girls were dressed in their own ao dai, and every last one of them was lovely - from the little four- and five-year-olds, all the way up to the mothers of teenage kids. Diane, Holly, and I weren't the only Caucasians there, but we were most definitely in the minority.

Susan's brothers had separated themselves from us at the first opportunity. Her mother and father excused themselves to go and visit with friends only after Susan and her sisters told them that they would help us get acquainted. I was surprised to find out that Susan was going to keep Holly and Diane company, while Anh and Minh did the same for me. When they weren't looking, Susan informed me - with considerable amusement - that as much as her sisters liked Diane and Holly, they had decided that I was handsome, and had insisted on keeping me company during the celebrations.

For the rest of the day and into the evening, I was never without at least one of them, and usually both. They took delight in introducing me to their friends, smiling when I greeted them in Vietnamese, and giggling in polite amusement at my occasionally mangled pronunciation or grammar. Neither hesitated to take my hand to lead or guide me to where they thought I should go, and they made sure that I never got thirsty or hungry. The little imps seemed to take a particular pleasure in introducing me to girls about Susan's age - whether to see my reaction, or that of the unfortunate girls that they targeted, I wasn't sure.

Along the way, I met a number of Viet men and women, and one or both of Anh and Minh would translate for me when it was necessary. I also met the few other Caucasians at the celebrations, and they were consistently impressed that I was there only because I knew Susan - all of them were married or otherwise committed to a Viet family, and the casual nature of my relationship with Susan was something of a novelty.

The people that I met were invariably friendly and polite - without the stiff formality that Susan's parents had first shown us. It didn't take me long to realize that my presence was genuinely welcomed; and only a little longer to come to the conclusion that by simply being there, I was exhibiting a willingness to friendship that they were warmly responding to.

Throughout the day, there were a number of special events - dances, celebrations, music, and so on. At different points, Diane, Holly, and I were all invited to learn the steps and movements for different dances. We were always warmly applauded for our efforts, no matter how indifferent the results might have been.

And of course, there was food. Lots and lots of food. It didn't take me long to follow the example set by the people around me: eating a little bit at frequent intervals, rather than having a few larger meals. Several people noticed, and commented on, my willingness to at least try anything anybody offered me. That I didn't care for seconds on some things was easily accepted - there were Western foods that most Viets didn't care for.

At one point, Susan and her sisters traded duties; and as we wandered around, Susan told me that everyone that had met us was genuinely happy to have done so. Even our unrefined attempts at speaking Vietnamese were appreciated - even treasured - by the people we'd met. Susan told me that Diane, Holly, and I were showing an interest in the Vietnamese people and culture that they seldom saw, and our willingness to learn and participate was immensely appreciated by everyone there. She graced me with a smile and told me "Father is having a difficult time, though - the men keep telling him what a nice boy you are. I heard one of them tell him that after meeting you, he wouldn't mind if you were friends with HIS daughter. You should have seen the expression on Father's face - I will never forget it!", the last part with a small laugh.

As it got into evening, the different events got more formal. Diane, Holly, and I got together to watch the dances, and all three of us were absolutely fascinated by the grace and beauty of the dancers.

By the time things started to finally break up, I think ALL of us were ready to go home and get some rest. Once back at Susan's house, the youngest four were all sent to bed; the rest of us stayed up a bit longer after Susan's mother asked Holly, Diane, and me if we'd enjoyed ourselves, and what we thought of the celebrations. None of the three of us had any difficulty assuring her and the others that we'd thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The three of us had questions about some of the different things we'd seen, done, and eaten during the day and evening; Susan and her parents (mostly her mother) were more than willing to answer and explain.

When we'd talked ourselves out about the festivities, Susan's parents excused themselves and went to bed, leaving Susan with me, Holly, and Diane. When her parents were gone, Susan apologized to me and Diane for the mischief her sisters had caused. Diane and I looked at her in puzzlement, and she said that she was referring to Minh and Anh introducing me to just about every eligible female they could find. Diane and I both smiled and assured her that they hadn't caused any offense or problems for either of us - that we'd actually found it kind of amusing. It took only a little convincing before she finally accepted that her sisters hadn't troubled us. With that out of the way, there didn't seem to be anything else keeping us up, and we all headed off to bed.

The next morning, there was something or other that Susan's father had to do, so the three of us stayed at home with Susan and her mother. Without Susan's father present, Susan's mother was a lot more relaxed with us, and more than willing to ask us questions about ourselves. The morning went by cheerfully as the five of us sat in their kitchen drinking tea as we talked about school, what Diane, Holly, and I wanted to do with our lives, and so on.

That afternoon, there was another party similar to the first one we'd been to, and we met some of the same people. I managed to remember most of the names of those I'd been introduced to before, and they seemed pleased by that fact. Not a few of them had seen my attempts at Vietnamese dancing, and complimented me on my efforts - then laughing when I replied that the amazement wasn't that the horse danced well, but that he danced at all. Diane, Holly, and I had split up at the party; but Susan or her mother would still stop by to check with us to make sure everything was going well. I was pleasantly surprised when several people invited me and the girls to visit them in their homes; when I explained that we were going to be leaving the next day, and all of them expressed genuine disappointment.

After we'd gotten home from the party, we all spent the evening in the family room at Susan's house - where we watched a Vietnamese movie (thoughtfully subtitled in English for us that weren't fluent in Vietnamese) and eating pizza - something the entire Nguyen family had discovered a likeness for. To everyone's amusement, Susan's sisters decided to sit next to me, making sure I was properly fed and taken care of.

At the designated times, Susan's sisters, then later her brothers, quietly left us to go to bed. Anh and Minh wished all of us a good night; the boys weren't to be bothered.

A while later, I think all of us were a little surprised when Susan's dad cleared his throat and started talking to Holly, Diane, and me.

The words obviously didn't come easily to him as he told us "Before you leave tomorrow, I want to thank you for visiting us. Even though Michael has helped Susan, and all of you have been very kind to her, I still thought that it would not be easy to have three Americans visiting my home. But all of you have been much more polite and friendly than I thought. All of the Viet people that you have met have told me how nice you are, and how much they like you - all of you. You took the time to learn some of our language, and even some of our customs, before you came here; and while you have been here, you have been willing to learn even more. All three of you are good people, and have kind and generous hearts - that is something that I have not seen with many of the Americans that I have met. You make your parents proud, and I would like to meet them some day, so I can tell them myself."

The three of us could see that he was uncomfortable, and after we all thanked him for his kind words, we let the matter drop.

With the ride back to school ahead of us the next day, Diane, Holly, and I were the first to excuse ourselves for bed, wishing all of them a good night.

After breakfast the next morning, the three of us got our luggage packed and loaded into my truck. Susan's brothers had disappeared somewhere, but the rest of the family was there to see us off. A question by Anh and Minh to their father was met with grudging approval, and the two of them shyly came over to give me a hug and kiss on the cheek, which I returned - pleasing and embarrassing both of them tremendously. For her part, Susan didn't ask first - she just did it. Her father didn't say anything, and didn't look any more unhappy that he usually did, so I figured it was okay. I didn't chance hugging Susan's mom, but did kiss her hand and thank her in Vietnamese, delighting her. I almost fell over when Susan's dad actually stuck his hand out in invitation to shake - and when it was over, I felt like I'd just been Knighted or something.

All of us thanked them again, said our goodbyes, and loaded ourselves into the truck for the ride back. Back at school, one of my housemates had come back from break, but he didn't mind the girls staying the night before I put them on a bus the next day. Diane spent the night with me, and Holly slept on the couch, despite my housemate's assurance that the third member of our household wouldn't mind having her sleep on his bed.

The next morning, I was there to keep both of them company and to make sure they got onto the right bus; Mom would meet them at the other end and get them home.

When Susan and I got together after break, she had some surprising news for me: after meeting me, and seeing how I treated her, Diane, and Holly, her father had realized that her brothers weren't turning into the kinds of sons that he really wanted. He'd done some checking on them, found that that they WERE already in gangs, and had pitched such a fit that both boys had immediately dropped out. On top of that, he'd told them - in front of the whole family - that they weren't to abuse their sisters any more: any 'watching out' would be done by him and their mother. He'd then gone on to make them apologize to her and her sisters for being so mean to them. From all she told me, I got the idea that her father had slapped them down - hard - and then gone on to put them on a DAMN short leash.

As the rest of the school year went by, Susan and I both did quite well in our classes - particularly those we shared.

Uncle Jack wrote to tell me that the other farmers in the area had gotten together and decided that they'd like me to work for them that summer. The pay was to be a little better than I usually got with my summer jobs, and Uncle Jack assured me that I'd still have enough free time to take care of whatever I needed to. He went on to tell me that if I already had something else lined up, or wasn't sure about any of it, that he'd take care of letting them know so there weren't any hard feelings. I didn't think any of them would have hard feelings about it, anyway.

I thought it over, and decided to accept. Then Uncle Jack told me that whenever Diane and Holly decided to come to visit, I'd be 'off the clock' for the other farmers so I could have some time with the girls, too. Even as I was reading that, I realized that it was a perfect opportunity to get Susan a little more exposure to America than she might get if she stayed with her parents all summer. I wrote back to Uncle Jack, and as I expected, he told me that Susan was more than welcome - he and Aunt Paula had talked with Mom and Dad about how nice Susan was, and they were delighted at the chance to meet her, and show her a Real Working Farm.

The next step was to see what Diane and Holly thought about it, and both were plenty enthusiastic about it. The final step was to see what Susan had to say.

I half-expected her to be as hesitant as she'd been at the idea of spending Christmas with my family, but she surprised me at how pleased she was at the invitation. She had to clear it with her father, of course - and HE surprised me even more by not only approving it, but encouraging her.

With a little back-and-forth and some negotiating, it didn't take long to make arrangements that satisfied everybody: Susan and I would each go to our respective homes for the first week after school let out. Then, I'd bring Diane and Holly to Uncle Jack's farm, then Susan's mom and dad would bring her the next day. That would give all of us some time to 'wind down' from school before we headed for the farm, where the work I did for Uncle Jack would help me get ready to work for the rest of the farmers until the last couple of weeks before school started again. The only real change was to be that Holly, Diane, and Susan would stay at the farm for a month, instead of the usual couple of weeks we'd spent there before.

Susan was anxiously looking forward to seeing the farm, and asked me what kind of gifts would be appropriate to bring. I told her that she really didn't need to do that, but if she was going to, then a wok like she'd given Mom and Diane's mom would be perfect: Aunt Paula loved to cook more than the two of them, together. Then I added "And if you teach her to cook with it, you just might even get her secret fried chicken recipe!" Susan had had a chance to try some of the leftovers I'd brought home from my meals at the farm, and knew that the recipe for Aunt Paula's chicken was something to be treasured.