Minda 12
Rachel and I arrive at school a few minutes early. Lata, standing in a group of a half dozen girls, waves, calls out to join them.
As Lata talks, she's unslinging and opening her school pack. Theatric tone, "now it so happens I'm the only one in our class to have an older sister. Mosta the time she's a right royal pain in the ass. However, she does have one redeeming feature, one thing only which makes her bearable." Her pause indicates I should join the theatrics.
I guffaw, "gwan with you. From what I heard, none of them have anything good about them."
This sets everyone laughing.
"TaDa, this would prove you wrong." She passes me a plastic grocery bag which contains a half dozen manga comics."
As I open this she speaks, "hey, don't worry they're a bit ratty. Been through a lotta hands, her friends and mine. Look at the bright side, these here are the 13+, stuff they wouldn't let you buy at the store."
Someone else says, "ye-ah those 10+ are soooo for babies."
Lata continues, "and if Mum ever caught her giving me the 16+, it'd be big ructions."
Very warmly Rachel and I thank her. We're well aware of what this means. Much more than just an offer to lend comics, an offer of friendship, done publicly even.
Lata grins, "give em back when you're done. I'm chief librarian, keep track of who all has seen what. And now, the price. Nobody but nobody gets comics for free. This time, Minda gives a humorous story about family, I mean not connected with all that bad stuff; next time, Rachel."
I recognize it for what it is, a group bonding experience.
I grin, "all right then, now see there is this place called Val David, about an hour drive north from Montreal, summer resort. Two reasons why Dad never woulda bought there. First, everything mostly half a million and up, outa our league. Second, mosta them is Hasids, us the other kind of ultraOrthodox. And contrary to what you may believe, they sooo don't get along.
"Anyhow, the parents took a rental for two weeks. One day Dad and I are about and stop in at this typical French Canadian diner. Now he's a real showoff, was I mean, he's dead now. Real pretend sophisticate. Decided he was gonna order in French, and his was lots worse than mine. Well, he wanted to try poutine, it came out sounding like putain."
Roars of laughter, everyone knows it means hooker.
"Fast as I could, I corrected him several times. But the waitress, well she was so red with anger, I don't think she even heard me. Bout five seconds later, this big burly cook actually grabs Dad by the collar."
More laughter.
"With one hand he was gripping Dad's collar, with the other he just easy took my hand. Walked us out. At the door, told Dad never to come back. Smiled at me, said it was ok, he knew I'd done the right thing. I was welcome back, but only if I came with someone else. Never told Mum about it, but a few days later she and I dropped in there. We were treated like royalty and they wouldn't even let her pay the bill. She never did figure how that happened."
Oohs and ahs. I realize we've come a huge distance today. Maybe things will be ok here.
As Lata talks, she's unslinging and opening her school pack. Theatric tone, "now it so happens I'm the only one in our class to have an older sister. Mosta the time she's a right royal pain in the ass. However, she does have one redeeming feature, one thing only which makes her bearable." Her pause indicates I should join the theatrics.
I guffaw, "gwan with you. From what I heard, none of them have anything good about them."
This sets everyone laughing.
"TaDa, this would prove you wrong." She passes me a plastic grocery bag which contains a half dozen manga comics."
As I open this she speaks, "hey, don't worry they're a bit ratty. Been through a lotta hands, her friends and mine. Look at the bright side, these here are the 13+, stuff they wouldn't let you buy at the store."
Someone else says, "ye-ah those 10+ are soooo for babies."
Lata continues, "and if Mum ever caught her giving me the 16+, it'd be big ructions."
Very warmly Rachel and I thank her. We're well aware of what this means. Much more than just an offer to lend comics, an offer of friendship, done publicly even.
Lata grins, "give em back when you're done. I'm chief librarian, keep track of who all has seen what. And now, the price. Nobody but nobody gets comics for free. This time, Minda gives a humorous story about family, I mean not connected with all that bad stuff; next time, Rachel."
I recognize it for what it is, a group bonding experience.
I grin, "all right then, now see there is this place called Val David, about an hour drive north from Montreal, summer resort. Two reasons why Dad never woulda bought there. First, everything mostly half a million and up, outa our league. Second, mosta them is Hasids, us the other kind of ultraOrthodox. And contrary to what you may believe, they sooo don't get along.
"Anyhow, the parents took a rental for two weeks. One day Dad and I are about and stop in at this typical French Canadian diner. Now he's a real showoff, was I mean, he's dead now. Real pretend sophisticate. Decided he was gonna order in French, and his was lots worse than mine. Well, he wanted to try poutine, it came out sounding like putain."
Roars of laughter, everyone knows it means hooker.
"Fast as I could, I corrected him several times. But the waitress, well she was so red with anger, I don't think she even heard me. Bout five seconds later, this big burly cook actually grabs Dad by the collar."
More laughter.
"With one hand he was gripping Dad's collar, with the other he just easy took my hand. Walked us out. At the door, told Dad never to come back. Smiled at me, said it was ok, he knew I'd done the right thing. I was welcome back, but only if I came with someone else. Never told Mum about it, but a few days later she and I dropped in there. We were treated like royalty and they wouldn't even let her pay the bill. She never did figure how that happened."
Oohs and ahs. I realize we've come a huge distance today. Maybe things will be ok here.
posted by afghangirlscifi @ 7:18 AM
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