A Place for Us by Sarah Zhang

Author:Sarah Zhang [Zhang, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2024-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

Forty-Four

A PROFESSOR’S HOME IN KAPOLEI

L

ydia’s discovery came as a shock to everyone who did not expect her to lose her judgment on the imminent eve of her life’s departure. In Hawaii, death was a quiet affair

often experienced behind closed doors where the families of those near death would be there to comfort them and ease them into a painless passage during life’s final hours. Lydia did not have that luxury. Her parents had passed away and she had few connections she could turn to besides the friends she’s made in Hawaii’s mental health community like Janet and Priya. She wasn’t a devout Christian and she didn’t want to hear another lecture on the Bible’s teachings. She wanted something more than she was given, and sometimes she wished the princesses like Priya could empathize with how bitter she felt about her circumstances.

Meanwhile Priya and Florence were invited to the home of Florence’s English professor, Dr. Fong, to celebrate his acceptance at the University of Hawaii PhD program, where Florence wanted to become a professor himself one day. Dr. Fong’s home was in Kapolei, a newer up and coming neighborhood on the west side that was being developed in light of Hawaii’s new light rail project which will be passing through this city.

Priya was excited to go, partly because they too were looking to move to the neighborhood. When they arrived at the house carrying a bottle of wine and some of Priya’s home cooking, they were greeted by an aging but somewhat mischievous and kindly professor and his wife Anne. Dr. Fong specialized in Asian and science fiction literature and was one of Florence’s closest mentors. Dr. Fong welcomed them into his well furnished and modern style two story home where the ceiling lights had been lit and the other graduate students had already arrived. He had made them some coffee and small talk began. Priya recognized that Dr. Fong was especially partial to Florence and asked him if he had accepted the exchange offer from Duke.

At the end of the dinner, both Florence and Priya had a feeling deep down that this is the kind of life they wanted for themselves and their future family one day. They wanted to be the kind of working class professionals who could afford an affluent but pertinent life in Hawaii’s upper middle class.

At the end of the meal, Dr. Fong took them aside and asked if they had found a home yet. He happened to know of a friend in the neighborhood who was ready to move out, and they could take a look at their bungalow. It is not as spacious as his own home but was in a good neighborhood in one of Kapolei’s older districts. Priya and Florence were elated and thanked Dr. Fong. He also mentioned that he was looking to retire one day and wanted to find a deserving successor to fill his seat.

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