Stargirl of the Edge

Ch 63 - Chinese Restaurant

Olivia is on a day out in Liverpool with Ben, the local lad who likes her. After visiting the Spaceport and the Museum of Liverpool, they decide to go to a Chinese restaurant in Liverpool's Chinatown.

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They set off from the Pier Head, passing the magnificent buildings and walking along wider and narrower streets. It was quite a long walk. The city centre was busy with Friday afternoon rush hour traffic and people were leaving their offices to return home. After about fifteen minutes they arrived at the car park near the bus station. Olivia waited while Ben paid, complaining about the cost, and they took the lift and found the Mini.
Ben quickly drove the car down to the exit and back onto the street. He drove along narrow one-way streets, through many sets of traffic lights, turning many corners until they arrived in Chinatown. Olivia noticed that the street signs were in English and Chinese. There were many Chinese restaurants around but she also noticed many empty buildings. Finally, Ben drove past the magnificent Chinese arch on Nelson St, and found a parking spot opposite a row of Chinese restaurants.
Now they needed to choose a place to eat, but which one? They had small neon signs in the window. While they were waiting Olivia read a notice board with the story of the Chinese community in Liverpool, how it was one of the oldest in Europe and that it had moved up to this part of the city from an area closer to the Docks. The links between Liverpool and Shanghai were very real, and had existed since the middle of the nineteenth century.
It seemed a difficult choice deciding which restaurant to go into. None of restaurants were crowded, and the menus looked much the same. Finally they chose one and entered.
Four young waitresses stood in a row next to the door. The manager, an older man dressed in a suit, stood behind the bar. One of the waitresses stepped forward and showed them to a table. The restaurant was decorated in a plain style, with framed images of Chinese calligraphy on the walls. In the background, at low volume, there was Chinese music.
Olivia looked confidently at the menu. She felt at home in this environment, while Ben looked on rather unsure of himself.
“So what are you going to have, Ben?”
“Don’t know. I normally have chop suey and chips!”
“Oh Ben you can’t have chips, you need to have rice, fried rice.”
They looked at the menu for a few more moments, and decided on the banquet for two with Coke for Ben and sparkling mineral water for Olivia. The waitress took the menu away, leaving them to chat.
“Does anyone ever come in here?” said Olivia.
“I’m sure they do when the pubs close,” said Ben.
By the bar, the staff all stood together chatting and waiting for customers.
“So,” Ben asked, “do you eat lots of Chinese food at home?”
“Oh yes, all the time. English food as well. My mum can cook both.”
The waitress arrived with the first course, steamed dumplings with a pot of Chinese tea. She placed chopsticks next to each of their plates. Ben picked them up, not quite knowing what to do with them.
“Come on Ben, you need to learn how to use chopsticks. It’s much nicer and they’re healthy. They help you to eat more slowly.”
Olivia held the chopsticks between her fingers. He tried to do the same but they kept falling out of his hand. The waitress brought a fork and he started eating. He stuck the chopsticks into the rice bowl.
“Oh, don’t do that, Ben.”
“Why not?”
“It’s bad luck. It looks like incense sticks, as if someone’s died.”
He quickly pulled out the chopsticks and placed them by the side of the bowl.
“Also, be careful where you point the spout of the tea pot. Don’t point it at anyone, will you?”
“Why not?”
“Oh, It’s just… bad luck and it’s not polite.”
“Very superstitious aren’t they, the Chinese?”
“Well, we have our traditions. You know, I’m very proud of my Chinese heritage, Ben.”
“Oh yes, I can see that.”
“So did you come to Chinatown when you were at uni?”
“No. It was a bit expensive. I only ever came once, for someone’s birthday. I got so drunk I can’t remember anything. Then I was sick on the way home!”
Livvy smiled, imaging Ben stumbling along the street like a typical drunk. She liked the fact that he was being a bit more honest about himself.
And then the waitress brought the main course, which was a large serving dish of special fried rice.
Ben was about to pick up the dish and then pour half the rice onto a plate but Olivia stopped him.
“No, Ben, we don’t serve it like that. Here, this is how we eat it, from a bowl. Just put a small amount into this small bowl and eat with chopsticks, like this.”
She expertly picked the rice up by the tips of the chopsticks, eating it in the traditional way, just like her cousins in Hong Kong. Ben tried hard to use the chopsticks but couldn’t pick anything up. He put them down on the table, as before.
Olivia handed him the Chinese spoon, which he found much easier.
They continued eating, enjoying the food.
“I’d love a pint of beer,” said Ben
“I can drive if you want.” said Olivia
“No, it’s all right. I don’t think you’re insured for my car, well, actually, it’s my brother’s. Anyway, I’ve got some beer at home. And actually…”
Suddenly his voice became hesitant.
“If you want…” he continued, “you could come in for a coffee, if you like, before I take you back home? The house is empty. All the family are down in Wales for the weekend.”
Olivia picked up the menu and looked at it. “I have to be back by eight, I told my mum. Oh, can we get some more water?” said Olivia, attracting the attention of the waitress.
She brought another jug of water. They had finished the first course, so she cleared away the bowls.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Olivia looked round at the Chinese calligraphy on the walls.
“Livvy,” said Ben, hesitantly, “there’s something, there’s something I just wanted to play to you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s… a song. I just wanted to play it to you. It’s me singing.”
Olivia wasn’t expecting this but she nodded.
“It’s on my phone, you can play it. Here, I’ve got spare earphones, they’re brand new. I bought them so I could play it to you.”
He handed her the phone. She put in the earphones, tapped the play button and listened. Then she pressed the pause button.
“Is that you singing and playing the guitar?”
“Yeah, in my bedroom but don’t tell anyone. I’m in a band and, we’re supposed to be playing sort of rock, punk, garage type of stuff… They’d laugh if they heard it.”
She listened to some more of the song, nodding her head with the rhythm.
“It’s nice. And you wrote the song?”
“Yeah, the words and the music. You’re the first person I’ve played it to.”
Olivia listened to some more of the song and pressed the ‘pause’ button again.
“It’s not really pop, is it? It’s more like a song from a musical, a love song. Yeah, it’s nice. You have a really nice voice.”
He smiled when she said this and then he had to look away. She listened to a bit more.
“The words are sweet, but yes, I can see why you wouldn’t want your band members to hear them.
“Do you like the words?” he asked.
“Yes, they’re very romantic, but they’d laugh at you wouldn’t they?”
“Yeah, they would. I bet they’d say the words were ‘Dead, dead soppy and corny’, all sweet and romantic, all ‘lovey dovey’.”
“I know what you mean. Actually these lyrics do sound a bit corny in English, but in Chinese, I think they would sound beautiful.”
“Really? Will you say them in Chinese for me?
“Sure. I’m not sure if I can remember all the words but I’ll try. ‘Girl with the eyes that shine so bright,’” and she repeated the words in Chinese
Ben tried to imitate what Olivia had said but got it all mixed up. She continued:
“‘Pearl of the skies come out tonight’ Oh, what’s the word for ‘pearl’? Oh, I remember now. And what’s this? ‘‘Wǒ ài nǐ.’ Hmmmm!”
She listened to a bit more of the song, tapped ‘pause’ and took out the earphones.
“I think you’re very talented, actually. So did you write the song for anyone in particular. Maybe the lead female character in your musical?”
After a long pause, he glanced at her and said:
“I wrote it for you, Livvy.”
“Oh!” said Olivia, panicking, and casting her eyes down. Her eyes moved around in all directions, trying to avoid his. This was unexpected. She didn’t know what to say or do. She felt as if her face was turning bright red. She picked up the drinks menu and pretended to read it. She needed to find something else to talk about.
“Well, erm… You’ve played me your song. How would you like to erm… have a look at something that I’ve done? I’ve got photos of some of my artworks on my iPhone, would you like to see?”
“Oh, er, well okay then,” he said.
“I’ve never shown these ones to anyone before.”
“Really?” said Ben.
She slipped her hand into her pocket to get out her iPhone, then realised she had put it in her bag. She reached down, pulled it out and looked at the screen. An expression of shock came over her face.
“Livvy are you okay?” said Ben.
She remained silent, holding the iPhone in her right hand, and just staring down at it.
“Is there something wrong?”
She continued to stare.
“Seven missed calls!” she whispered.
“What?”
“Seven missed calls, it says.”
“Who is it?”
“My mum.”
She stared at the phone a while longer. This was it. She knew it. There was news, and she was about to find out what it was. The wait was over. Maybe there was a text message. She could hardly bear to see. She swiped her thumb across the screen. No text message, but still seven missed calls.
“Is it about... your dad?”
“It must be,” she whispered.
Seven missed calls. It was a challenge. She could respond to it in different ways. She could just put the phone back in her bag and pretend it hadn’t happened. Or she could wait for her mum to call again and maybe answer. Or she could phone now. She needed to phone her mum right now and find out. This might just be the most difficult phone call of her life. Her whole body had become tense and shivery. Her appetite had disappeared. She tapped ‘Mum’, there was a pause and then... she heard a repeated tone. Her mum was obviously talking to someone.  She tried calling again. Same tone.
“Ben, sorry, but I think there might be some news. But I’m scared, Ben, I’m really scared, I’m really frightened.”
Ben looked into her eyes passionately.
“I’ll do anything, Livvy, anything you need me to do, just ask. Do you want me to take you home?”
And then her phone rang. On the screen it said ‘Mum’ she let it ring for a little while longer, she knew that there were only a few moments remaining of the life she had come to know since June the fifth. Once she had started the call and heard the news, there would be a new life, for better or worse. Her entire body had no feeling, her muscles were tense, her stomach was screwed up into a knot, her emotions were temporarily placed on hold.
Ben watched her face. She tapped the green button marked ‘Accept’. He gazed at her eyes. She looked at him, then into the distance. At first she had no expression and then her lips parted, her eyes opened wide, she became breathless and then... and then... and then...

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In the Chinese restaurant, Olivia gets a chance to teach Ben a little about Chinese language and culture including how to use chopsticks. I have always thought that Chinese language and culture are, like English, universal. They can be found all over the world and they are open to people from other cultures to share in. People find the language puzzling but it is actually not as difficult as you might think. Find out more about the background to Stargirl of the Edge in Secrets of Stargirl of the Edge (serialized on Wattpad from Dec 2014) And now the fate of Olivia's father is about to be revealed. Is it going to be a happy ending?