After settling into our different rooms, Kelan and I chill in my small, but comfortable abode. "When this chick supposed to come?" Kelan sighs.
"She's already here." I say, reading the message in my phone.
"Really?"
I get up to open the door. In walks my beautiful, 5'10 friend. "Nǐ hǎo!"
"Nǐ hǎo!" I slightly bow to her, not sure what to do.
"Wǒ zhīdào nǐ huì huílái de!" She beams.
(I knew you would come back)
"Duì! Liù gè yuè!" I answer.
(Yes, 6 months)
She claps to express her enthusiasm. "Great! For the next 6 months, you're mine!"
"Uhm! Brother in the room! English please!" Kelan yelps.
I roll my eyes. "You always resort to being an a-"
"A new person!" Niagara saves me. "There's a new person!"
I clear my throat. "Nia, this is my little brother, Kelan." She greets him in Mandarin and holds out her hand to him. "Nia?"
"Shì."
"Tā shì mángrén. Tā kàn bùjiàn."
(He is blind. He can't see.)
"Ah!" She takes his hand into hers. "Duìbu-"
"I don't speak Mandarin either." Kelan interjects. "I tell my sister this daily, but she acts like I'm the one speaking another language."
"Sorry, sorry." She says. "I'm confused on how everything works with you Western people. I've lived in China for almost my whole life."
"Really? You're doing great to say you're not American." I voice my opinion.
Kelan sighs
He's sad he can't see her?
No, that was of annoyance
He's probably mad he can't find the bathroom
Nobody told him to come anyways
"Nia, didn't you say you had a blind sibling?"
Niagara's powerful voice somewhat booms as she speaks in Mandarin. With a shake, she forces her words in English. "Duì, my cousin cannot see all in one eye, and only one ear works. She's very nice."
Before the words leave my lips, my brother beats me to it.
"Can I meet her? Is she in Shanghai?" He says with enthusiasm.
The expression on his face seems dire.
"She is my American cousin, one with dark skin line mine." She runs her hand along what black Americans would call: 'light skin.'
We must be charcoal to her
Imagine her meeting an actual black skinned person
"So she isn't in this country?" He sounds sad.
Nia- still holding her smile- shakes her head. "Bù, my cousin is in Asia for the next 3 months on an exchange program. She is on her way from my hometown in rural China. I meet her today for fun times." She's breathing funny, probably because she's nervous about speaking in another language.
"Fun?" I chip in.
"Yes, we are going to bet on drinks at the t-party."
"What do you mean, a 'tea party'?" I ask.
"You want to come?" She asks.
Both Kelan and I nod.
She goes into her purse and pulls out two tickets that I can barely read. I should really catch up on my Chinese.
"Can you read the characters?" She asks.
My head shakes no, "just the place."
"Good! Meet us there when the clock is loud." She tells me to meet at 12.
"Midnight?" I'm shocked. "What type of swingers party is that?"
"What is a swinger?" She gathers her things. "Forget it, I will see both of you when the clock is loud, right?"
"RIGHT!" Kelan agrees. "Whatever that means!" He directs his attention to me. "Tallulah, Lulu -my favorite and only sister in the world- please take me."
"I was gonna agree anyways, so stop begging." I say.
He jumps. "Yes N|GGA!"
Nia gasps, "I know what that is! The American term for black people, nig-"
"A!" Kelan covers her mouth. "Only black people can say that. Actually, nobody should say that. Just, don't say that."
She pulls his hand away. "My bāba is black."
"Halves don't really count either!" He says in a playful tone.
Niagara's smile changes. It becomes more... hungry. "I'll be sure to show you my favorite cup of tea."
With that, she leaves.
A tea party?
A cup of tea?