The Piano
[Fiction, Aura Estrada short story contest winner] A Chinese American woman meets her neighbor under unfortunate circumstances:
‘So where are you from?’ the woman asked me.
‘We just moved up here from the city.’
‘No, I mean originally.’ I knew what this question meant.
‘I was born in China but I’ve lived in New York all my life. I came here before I even turned one.’
‘Oh, China. My sister took a trip to China last year. She said it was very beautiful.’
‘I’ve never been,’ I said. ‘Since I was born, of course.’
‘But your husband, he’s not Chinese.’ Her brow was furrowed as if she was trying to recall a complicated chronology of events. I was tempted to tell her that Daryl was Chinese, just to see if she would believe me.
‘No, he’s not Chinese.’
Author:
Source:
Boston Review
Published: Jul 26, 2012
Length: 24 minutes (6,081 words)