Page 18 of A Banh Mi for Two
“Why do you hate Vi?t Nam so much?” I whisper, and the line goes silent as I see Mom grind her teeth, veins surfacing on her face.
“Con,” she sighs. I prepare for Mom to shut me down, to tell me the usual whys: that I’m too young, too little to understand. But that doesn’t come. “Vi?t Nam is very unsafe. Bad people live there. And… you can get hurt.” I can hear the anxiety behind her words.
“Mommy have to go make dinner,” she continues. “Mommy thuong con r?t nhi?u. Con stay safe—okay? And don’t talk to strangers!”
Oops. “Okay, bye, Mommy.”
Cindy saunters over to my bed and lets out a big sigh. “That went well.”
“So, so well.” I nod. “I’m so glad my parents don’t know how to track my location. Can you imagine how my mom would react if she ever found out?”
“I don’t need to imagine.” She shudders. “I know.”
“I can’t believe you lied to your parents for me.”
“What can I say? I’m your best friend, and unfortunately for my parents, they got a rebellious spirit instead of a good Catholic girl.”
I cackle. “I can’t believe they all forced us to go to Sunday school for so long.”
“Don’t remind me.” She plays with the cross necklace that her parents insist on her wearing on this trip to protect her. Our parents are too alike. “Remember how they were whenever we talked about gay rights?”
“Yes! I was so passionate, they should have known I was gay then.”
I prop my head up on my arm. “What are the chances I can become friends with Lan if I just stare at her from the window every day?”
“That is so creepy, and you know it. Talk to her—”
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to her… It’s that I feel so bad about lying to my mom! Did you hear what she said? Don’t talk to strangers! She’s told me that twice since we got here. I’m convinced she taped a camera to me.”
“Vivi.” She takes my hand before looking into my eyes. “If you felt bad about lying, this trip wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
“Fuck it,” she continues. “Your mom hasn’t suspected anything. You just need to stop saying the first thing that comes to your mind and never mention Vi?t Nam in front of her… We’re set!”
I guess she has a point.
“And technically Lan isn’t a stranger. You’ve known her before this.”
“Known of her. But fine, I’ll talk to her. What do I have to lose?”
She hums. “Yeah. Not like you’ll fall in love with her and beg to stay in Sài Gòn after our study abroad.”
Chapter ElevenLAN
The sun shines through our small backyard as morning dew gathers on Ba’s orchids and herbs. Ba chose the name Lan because of the orchids all over our house. I water them and pluck the herbs for the day as Má and Tri?t lug our cart toward the front of the house. Closing the door behind me, I give the family photo a kiss and pack our condensed milk and patê. I race down our alleyway and toward the smell of buttery bread, toward the Lê Bakery, which has probably fed half of Sài Gòn by now, operating for over fifty years. Every morning, I grab fresh loaves for the bánh mì stall. But today, instead of taking my usual route, I turn down a different alleyway tucked between tall buildings made of concrete slabs, plants growing over the weather-stained walls between units.
Aha.
A wooden door to the building was left slightly ajar, so I slip through and find myself staring at a familiar sight: a shabby, winding staircase that smells like mildew, the clouds looming at the very top. A secret passage to my very own rooftop overlooking all of Sài Gòn. As I hike up these stairs, I wonder how old this building is, and what caused these stains. Finally, I duck through the flimsy door at the top and watch the city wake.
The plumeria tree emerging from one of the windowpanes greets me with its morning dew, and I pluck a flower, tucking it into my pocket before settling beneath the tree. It’s all right. Just a moment. Everyone seems so small from up here. So small that I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I, too, am a part of that small world in this big city.
“I had a feeling you’d be here.”
A shadow towers over me. I look up and see Chú Hai, the oldest son of the Lê family, his eyebrows scrunching together.
“How’d you know about this spot?”
He shrugs. “Been alive in Sài Gòn for too long.”
