| vietnamese coffee |
| she asked me again for another vietnamese coffee. sitting at computer # 5, right in the darkest corner of our internet cafe. i believe this was the 3rd time she was here. i normally do not pay special attention to our customers, but somehow she cought my eyes because of her fond of this coffee. it is not likely for any non asian to order this coffee. i had learned how to make it when i dine in pho noodle shop in flushing. pouring one tablespoonful of sweet condensed milk, grinded the coffee bean to coarse, leave it on the special metal coffee drip.. with hot water poured from the top.. normally i got it done in a couple of min.. but it took me a while now since the water was not hot enough... she walked over to me... for the first time. smiled and say hi to me.. "you must be the owner here" she said. " i hardly see you here durning the day time." "i didn't even know you come here during the day time, cause this is just my second job, i normally work in manhattan, as a broker." I told her. she is a very typical american white girl, very friendly.... so we started to chat a bit.. it was almost closing time.. i decided not to charge her the coffee. "thanks.. you are so nice" she said... i asked her why did she order that viet coffee.. her smile faded away... with a very sad and sorrow look from her eyes.. "i missed vietnamese coffee... cause that remind me of someone." it ended up that she was from santa monica, california, study for her master degree right across the street at st. john's university. she used to have a very sweet vietnamese boyfriend who took her to viet restaurant to eat at least once every week. they knew each other from high school, felt in love because they spend a lot of time study together... she told a very typical story.. about how a boy fall in love with the girl.. how girl did not think they would work out..how the girl was touched by the night that the boy walked her home and told her the story of his life and how hard an inter-racial relationship was to work out... she has italian blood flowing in her vien and he is vietnamese.. and like all the sad story.. one day the boy realized that he had lukeamia... and he could not find any matching bone marrow .. he passed away in her arm in a chilly winter morning.. that was one of the reasons she like to drink vietnamese coffee.. " i like to drink viet coffee because i can smell his scent.in the coffee when i study, it's like he is studying right next to me just like in high school." she told me. she went back on line again.. she has an project due tomorrow and she needs to gather more info as i handed her the coffee. she won't be alone.. i am sure.. next time when she comes, i will make sure to leave the next computer desk empty... as if her sweet viet boy is still right by her side and keeps her company.. |
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