for having me over for dinner. The food is wonderful.”
Melanie stood up, stumbling over her words as she made the introductions. “Ba, this is Ben, um, Mr. Peters, Billie’s teacher.”
Revealing a shy smile, Mr. Koo clasped Ben’s hand and nodded. “Nice to meet you,” he uttered with careful pronunciation. “Sit, eat.” He sat down across from them and piled his plate high with food.
Silence settled over the table as they continued eating. Melanie’s eyes flitted back and forth from her father to Ben as she contemplated what to say. Somehow her announcement had sounded better in her mind. “Where’s Ma?”
Mr. Koo began speaking in Cantonese until he noticed Ben’s furrowed eyebrows. “She on phone,” he finished in English.
“Oh, I see.”
“You teacher?” Mr. Koo directed his question at Ben.
“Yes, sir, I am. I teach math.”
“You like teaching?”
“Oh, I love it. The kids are fun to work with. I can see myself doing this job for the rest of my life.”
“Mr. Peters is one of Mui Mui’s favorite teachers,” Melanie piped up. Perhaps she could take advantage of her mother’s absence and work on getting her father’s approval first. “This is the first year she’s not struggling in math.” She translated her words into Cantonese for her father’s benefit.
“Good.” Lifting a white ceramic teacup to his lips, he took a few slow sips. “I was teacher, too, before.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “You were a teacher? When? You never told me this.”
“Before I meet your mother. I teach history in high school. But I lose job after we marry. And when you born, I find job in restaurant. Waiter get tip, make more money than teacher. But I think teacher have better job.”
Melanie couldn’t believe her ears. Or her eyes. The rare grin on her father’s face lit up his dark brown eyes in a way that made him appear youthful and carefree. Though he never said much, the perpetual lines on his forehead hinted at the burdens he carried. She had always assumed he was worried about finances, but now she guessed at another reason for his frowns. “Ba, I never knew that. I thought you liked to cook. I didn’t know you would rather teach.”
“Cooking not bad. But family… more important.” The words tumbled out as he struggled to put his thoughts into English. Turning to Ben, he directed his next question at him. “You agree?”
“I completely agree, Mr. Koo. Family always comes first. In fact, that is why I’m planning to go back to school to get my masters degree. That way I’ll have more job options in the future when I have a family to support.” He flashed a smile at Melanie as he said the word family .
Melanie looked at him in surprise. Family? Future? Ben was steering this conversation down a far more serious road than her father, and possibly even she, was ready for. “Let me pour you some more tea, Ba,” she piped up in an effort to steer them toward another topic. Setting the teapot down, she picked up a serving spoon next. “Here, have some fish, too.”
“ M goi ,” Mr. Koo thanked Melanie and focused his attention on Ben again. “You want wife go to work?”
“It will depend on her. If she wants a career, I will support her. If she wants to stay home, I’m good with that, too. I believe it’s important that we are both free to do what we are passionate about, to do what God has gifted us in.”
“You okay if wife make more money, but want stay home?”
“Ba, don’t you think that’s a little personal?” Melanie interrupted. Talk about an interrogation. Where was her father going with these questions?
“It’s okay, Mel, I don’t mind answering it. As the head of the family, I will make sure the finances are taken care of. Just like you do, sir, for your family.”
“Good, good.” He took one last bite of food before standing up. “I go work. Eat more. Later,” he added with a small smile, “you wash dishes.”
“No problem, sir. I would
Melanie stood up, stumbling over her words as she made the introductions. “Ba, this is Ben, um, Mr. Peters, Billie’s teacher.”
Revealing a shy smile, Mr. Koo clasped Ben’s hand and nodded. “Nice to meet you,” he uttered with careful pronunciation. “Sit, eat.” He sat down across from them and piled his plate high with food.
Silence settled over the table as they continued eating. Melanie’s eyes flitted back and forth from her father to Ben as she contemplated what to say. Somehow her announcement had sounded better in her mind. “Where’s Ma?”
Mr. Koo began speaking in Cantonese until he noticed Ben’s furrowed eyebrows. “She on phone,” he finished in English.
“Oh, I see.”
“You teacher?” Mr. Koo directed his question at Ben.
“Yes, sir, I am. I teach math.”
“You like teaching?”
“Oh, I love it. The kids are fun to work with. I can see myself doing this job for the rest of my life.”
“Mr. Peters is one of Mui Mui’s favorite teachers,” Melanie piped up. Perhaps she could take advantage of her mother’s absence and work on getting her father’s approval first. “This is the first year she’s not struggling in math.” She translated her words into Cantonese for her father’s benefit.
“Good.” Lifting a white ceramic teacup to his lips, he took a few slow sips. “I was teacher, too, before.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “You were a teacher? When? You never told me this.”
“Before I meet your mother. I teach history in high school. But I lose job after we marry. And when you born, I find job in restaurant. Waiter get tip, make more money than teacher. But I think teacher have better job.”
Melanie couldn’t believe her ears. Or her eyes. The rare grin on her father’s face lit up his dark brown eyes in a way that made him appear youthful and carefree. Though he never said much, the perpetual lines on his forehead hinted at the burdens he carried. She had always assumed he was worried about finances, but now she guessed at another reason for his frowns. “Ba, I never knew that. I thought you liked to cook. I didn’t know you would rather teach.”
“Cooking not bad. But family… more important.” The words tumbled out as he struggled to put his thoughts into English. Turning to Ben, he directed his next question at him. “You agree?”
“I completely agree, Mr. Koo. Family always comes first. In fact, that is why I’m planning to go back to school to get my masters degree. That way I’ll have more job options in the future when I have a family to support.” He flashed a smile at Melanie as he said the word family .
Melanie looked at him in surprise. Family? Future? Ben was steering this conversation down a far more serious road than her father, and possibly even she, was ready for. “Let me pour you some more tea, Ba,” she piped up in an effort to steer them toward another topic. Setting the teapot down, she picked up a serving spoon next. “Here, have some fish, too.”
“ M goi ,” Mr. Koo thanked Melanie and focused his attention on Ben again. “You want wife go to work?”
“It will depend on her. If she wants a career, I will support her. If she wants to stay home, I’m good with that, too. I believe it’s important that we are both free to do what we are passionate about, to do what God has gifted us in.”
“You okay if wife make more money, but want stay home?”
“Ba, don’t you think that’s a little personal?” Melanie interrupted. Talk about an interrogation. Where was her father going with these questions?
“It’s okay, Mel, I don’t mind answering it. As the head of the family, I will make sure the finances are taken care of. Just like you do, sir, for your family.”
“Good, good.” He took one last bite of food before standing up. “I go work. Eat more. Later,” he added with a small smile, “you wash dishes.”
“No problem, sir. I would
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